Kansas City Public Schools plans to shift fully into Apple’s ecosystem and says it aims to become “an all-Apple district.” The change will gradually replace more than 30,000 Windows PCs and Chromebooks with Apple devices, as first reported by 9to5Mac. The rollout begins with more than 4,500 recently released MacBook Neo laptops for eighth-grade students and older, while younger grades will continue using existing iPads and MacBook Airs.
MacBook Neo is designed as an affordable notebook and carries a $499 education price for students and teachers. With an order this large, Kansas City Public Schools may have negotiated a lower cost per device. While the purchase comes from a single district, the size and timing of the deal suggest Apple may be increasing its focus on education buyers.
Competitors are already responding. Not long after the MacBook Neo arrived, Microsoft rolled out a discounted software bundle aimed at students. Still, older students may not find it especially useful since many already get free software access through school. Apple securing a deal this big so early on also makes Microsoft’s concerns about tougher competition under new CEO John Ternus seem pretty reasonable.
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