Apple News, Analysis and Podcasts

Apple's Educational iPad Pricing Special Hits Carriers

If Boy Genius reporting is accurate, Apple is setting the stage to make the higher educational sales competition a no-contest event this summer. The report claims Apple will be offering $200 off any iPad with the purchase of a Mac, which is an additional offer added to the typical free iPod touch offer given to students during the educational buying season. Apple offering iPads as low as $299 – it's a game over situation.

If you have any form of youth in the house and were considering a Mac or iPad, this "may be coming" offer marks the time to get some new Apple goodness. Students are on, or around, campus most of the time, thus a majority are likely to just go with an iPad wifi model. But many students will consider a 3G version with Apple's tempting discount, pitting Apple against its carrier partners, specifically Verizon. 

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Tuesday's Rumor Roundup

No, this isn't a new column that will come out every Tuesday. It's just that the last few days has seen a heavy does of rumors, so to aid in keeping you up-to-speed with the things that are – or are not – going to happen.

Check it out:

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Google’s Big Open-Source Mistake

In business there are times when opportunity knocks and you had better be ready to answer the door. Is your hair combed, your shirt tucked in, does your breath smell good? Because on the other side is royalty, and it's called "opportunity".

Google had such a knock on their door in 2009 when Apple decided to enter into a third year of exclusively with AT&T. On the other hand, Google was working with several handset makers across the other three major US carriers delivering the Android OS. While Android wasn't yet mature and its feature set somewhat lacking, Mr. Opportunity knocking at Google's door. But did Google answer?

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AT&T adjusting Text Messaging Plan

AT&T is adjusting it's messaging pricing plans to be more competitive with Verizon this week. They are changing their $5/200 and $15/1500 messaging plans to one $10/1000 plan for the iPhone. Verizon has not given us any details on its messaging plans for the iPhone, but current subscribers pay $5/250 with $10/500 add-on package.

These new adjustments don't seem to make AT&T that much more competitive If you send a lot of text messages, AT&T always had a better plan. For those who don't send very many messages, AT&T is becoming even less competitive by upping the entry fee from $5 to $10 for the base package. AT&T's new plan would cost 1 penny per message. That may seem cheap until you look at the cost per bandwidth. Text messages are really just bits of data and should be charged by the byte instead of by the message.

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