The Beaumont Independent School District in Texas is replacing its Chromebooks with Apple hardware. The school board approved an $11.19 million, four-year lease that puts iPad and MacBook Neo devices in the hands of students and teachers from pre-K through 12th grade.
9to5Mac reported the approval on October 2. The district cites better reliability, lower costs and stronger performance as its reasons for leaving Chromebooks behind. Many of the machines it is retiring are more than five years old.
The Lease Covers 14,585 Devices From Pre-K Through 12th Grade
The district split the 14,585 devices by grade level, with iPad models for the youngest students and a MacBook Neo for everyone from third grade up, including teachers:
- More than 4,000 iPad units for students in pre-K through second grade
- 9,500 MacBook Neo units for students in third through 12th grade
- 1,000 MacBook Neo units for teachers
The old Chromebook fleet had become expensive to keep alive. The district was spending about $500,000 a year on repairs and support.
The deal lands while the MacBook Neo is already putting pressure on the wider PC industry. Apple’s budget MacBook now has a district-wide order to point to in the education market.
The Lease Works Out to Roughly $767 per Device
Dividing $11.19 million by 14,585 devices comes to about $767 per device over the four-year term, or roughly $192 per device each year.
Lenovo and Asus Lost on Total Cost and Repair Risk
Before voting, the district compared the MacBook Neo with laptops from Lenovo and Asus. It rated the MacBook Neo as having the “strongest performance and reliability among the devices evaluated.” Access to AppleCare also weighed on the decision.
Each rival fell short in its own way:
- Lenovo came with a minimum financing rate of 4%.
- Asus had competitive pricing, but it cost more over the full lease, and the district expected its plastic components to need more repairs.
Repair costs are a sore spot for this district. Apple now sells official MacBook Neo repair parts through its Self Service Repair program.
