The Hillsborough County School District (Tampa) is buying 1000 iPads for students and teachers at two middle schools. Being a government agency, they worked out a special deal...

The devices normally retail for between $350 and $600, but the district's per-unit price of $1,004 includes staff training and other services.

So if we assume the top of the line $600 model, add in Applecare at $70 and a case for $30, that still tops out at $700. The school is NOT putting textbooks at the units (stupid decision, I know).

So $300 to train each user? Only an IT department would think it could cost $300 for each user to learn how to use one of the most intuitive products ever.

Of course, now people are saying Apple is overpriced, not the the district is run by fools.

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1) The top-of-the-line model costs more than $600. If the model in question is the 64 GB 3G, it costs $830. More likely it's the 64 GB Wi-Fi, which costs $700.

2) You have failed to consider what the "other services" might be.

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It is what it is.

I wonder if there is some insurance included in that. I can just imagine the number of dropped iPads in a school year.

I would not be surprised if this was being done through a third party 'value added reseller' who will provide the training and support for a multi-year contract. AND that this may be a reasonable price.

Keep in mind that lots of school districts get technology thrown at them with no long term maintenance or support. Using the technology then becomes a distraction rather than a tool. That's why you hear about cash strapped school districts with serried ranks of unused computers.

It's a bit like those hoary old "$400 dollar toilet seats" that the media was always so happy to yammer about. Without recognizing that the 'first article price' in a defense contract included all the paperwork, processing, special QA, development costs, etc. And that the subsequent 1,000,000 toilet seats each cost $2.41.

Ever priced Apple's on-site training courses? For an entire distict?

Plus, I suspect part of that bill is mobile carts and chargers, plus a school buy App program allowance ( new program for schools to buy Apps not on a teachers credit card... More complicated than you'd think).

High, yes... But when you figure up total cost of ownership for iPads, not outside the realm of possibility.

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
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Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
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Eureka, CA

I'm some other folks gave reasonable explanations as to what may have happened. I thought the numbers seemed high, but when you consider the apps, training, charging stations, etc, it starts to make sense. Thanks for that guys.

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trisho.
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Official Card-Carrying Mother Earthin' Sl*t.

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