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iBook firesale moved based on expected popularity

updated 04:40 pm EDT, Wed July 27, 2005

iBook firesale moved

Henrico County is on August 9th. The county is liquidating its G3 iBooks for $50, following the completion of a one-on-one initiative that gave 23,000 iBooks to every middle- and high-school student and teacher in the Richmond, Virginia-area school district. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that one man is "flying from California to buy a $50 laptop, and a story about a group of Germans hopping the pond has circulated for days. In fact, response to Henrico County's $50 Apple iBook sale has been so overwhelming that school officials are moving the Aug. 9 sale to the Richmond International Raceway, which offers more space, parking and security than an earlier-announced site."

by MacNN Staff

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CrazedVW
Forum Regular

Joined: Jan 2003

0

07/27, 04:51pm | report spam | close Reply |
Go Away

Go away outsiders. We (the residents and taxpayers of Henrico County) paid for them, we should get first crack at them.

JoHoNew
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Joined: Feb 2005

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07/27, 05:04pm | report spam | close Reply |
RE: Go Away

If someone wants to spend money to fly in from California just to buy an iBook for $50, more power to him! Gee, let's see...that means you have a crack at the 22,999 iBooks that are left after he gets his! (Unless he brings along 22,999 of his closest friends!)

xianman
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2005

0

07/27, 05:13pm | report spam | close Reply |
What if they were dells

It's funny to think what this sale would be like if they were blowing out a bunch of dells for $50. They probably wouldn't even sell out of them.

denim
Mac Elite

Joined: Jun 2000

0

07/27, 05:15pm | report spam | close Reply |
Misconduct

You residents of Henrico County should be mad as h*** that your representatives are selling these 'books so cheap when they could get more money for them. They're going to need the additional cash to support all the loser systems they're buying.

eswinson
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Joined: Jul 2002

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07/27, 06:02pm | report spam | close Reply |
Tax dollars at work

Unless they are in really crappy condition they could very easily sell them on ebay or through other channels for $400-$500. Dumping them all on ebay at once would saturate the market but selling 25 at a time would net a good return.

If I were a local tax payer for this school system I would be really mad. I think they should send them home with the students they were issued to. Which in turn would at least put them in some of the housholds that paid taxes that purchased them in the first place. Why should their tax money go towards buying a computer and then giving them away at a subsatnial discount to anybody from anywhere with $50?

jimothy
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Joined: Sep 2000

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07/27, 06:05pm | report spam | close Reply |
Flying from Cali?

Now that's just stupid. For less than the price of the airfare and hotel (assuming he's not going to turn right around a fly back), he could by a more recent, used G4 iBook instead of this G3 iBook.

CrazedVW
Forum Regular

Joined: Jan 2003

0

07/27, 06:12pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: JoHoNew

There's only 1000 iBooks available. The middle schools are still using them until the end of the 2005-2006 school year.

Jonathan-Tanya
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Joined: Oct 2004

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07/27, 06:28pm | report spam | close Reply |
wrongheaded

it was British Historian Thomas Macaulay that said democracy was doomed when voters discovered that they could vote themselves largess from the treasury.

I don't know who said it, but someone else once said, democracy is 3 wolves and a sheep deciding on what to have for dinner.

I guess, the point of this, is this...it truly doesn't matter of some people in Henrico County think this is a good idea, unless its unanimous, this is wrong. You do not tax people's money and then give it away.

Taxes are not voluntary...so like it or not, you have to show responsibility with tax dollars. You may think giving away laptops to mr. frequent flyer miles from California is a good idea...but you cannot pay for it with taxes. If you want to do a $50 laptop giveaway to the nation...pay for it with your own money.

Jonathan-Tanya
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Joined: Oct 2004

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07/27, 06:33pm | report spam | close Reply |
oh yes

probably the only saving grace here, is that Henrico is being open....about the cost.

other counties probably just toss the computers into the trash, or quietly sell the laptops to a liquidator at any old price...maybe even less than this, maybe they even pay someone to take the machines.

at least this is one step above that...lol

kernelg
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Joined: Aug 2001

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07/27, 06:59pm | report spam | close Reply |
Incompetence

As Denim says, Henrico County school officials should be tested for competence. Not only could they easily double their money by charging $100 ea for these iBooks, but they claim they are (un)switching due to maintenance costs. Real statistics don't back that up. I wonder what Dell really offered them under the table?

Makosuke
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Joined: Aug 2001

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07/27, 08:33pm | report spam | close Reply |
Stupid and a half

Like others are saying, what are these people thinking? Even if half the stuff on it is broken, an iBook is probably worth $50 in parts.

If the logic is to let locals get a little "return on investment", then restrict the sale to people with some simple proof of residence, and liquidate everything that doesn't sell later.

If the logic is to just get rid of them, double (or quadruple) the price and then you'll both make way more money and reduce the number of nitwits like the guy claiming he's going to fly in from CA to save $300 on a beat-up laptop.

Or (shockingly logical) have somebody do a quick visual triage and seperate them into "trashed", "workable", and "pretty good" piles, price them at $50, $150, and $250, give the locals a crack at it then dump the remainder on eBay or sell them to a liquidator at a reasonable price.

Taxpayer waste aside, the logistical hassle of creating a free-for-all firesale at way below market value is nuts.

aidan.hadley
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Joined: Jul 2005

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07/27, 09:38pm | report spam | close Reply |
irony lost

There seems a great irony that is lost on the citizens of this county and the administrators of this school district. They hold their noses and cannot wait to get rid of what are perhaps the best designed, most innovative computers in the industry in favor of returning students to the prosaic Orwellian drudgery of Wintel boxes. I wonder if the news of people willing to fly vast distances to acquire these laptops at a bargain would even make them pause for a second to consider the mistake they are making. If this is not an inditement of the quality of decision-making among public school administrators, I don't know what is.

dawho9
Senior User

Joined: Mar 2001

0

07/27, 10:03pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Dell Cost

The under the table deal is not all that under the table. We (a school district in Minnesota) have both HP (workstation) and Dell (laptop) computers. We pay for our employees to get certified by HP and Dell and for every warranty replacement they pay us $75.00.

And let me tell you, these machines get broken. The deal is, the $75.00 is still cheaper than them sending out an employee and based on large enough numbers - they still make a profit.

Dawho9

kefkakrist
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Joined: Jul 2005

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07/27, 11:45pm | report spam | close Reply |
Offer

Morals aside, if anyone in the Richmond, Virginia area would like to a favor and act as my proxy, that would be great. I am a college student from Illinois and could REALLY REALLY USE one of these iBooks. My email address is kefkakrist at gmail dot com. I would be willing to compensate you up to $100 shipped. Please email.

Arcady
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Joined: May 2001

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07/28, 01:30am | report spam | close Reply |
Really dumb

To basically give away assets is shameful. Educators are always complaining that they don't have enough funds, and here these guys are throwing away money.

The AirPort cards in these iBooks are worth more than $50. So are the LCDs. Even if the drives are trashed and the motherboard is fried, the thing is still worth more than $100 in parts.

They could sell them for $250, even if they have problems. That would net them a quarter of a million dollars, instead of a measly 50 grand.

Mr Yuk
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Joined: Sep 2003

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07/28, 10:00am | report spam | close Reply |
Sitting here in Richmond.

The taxpayer waste issue is mute. An extra $100K in the $200M school budget might buy a couple rows of bushes for one of the schools. They just want to get rid of them with minimal hassle. If the price was higher they might not get rid of them as quickly. $100 would have been better for sure - it would have reduced the road trippers, but another $50 in the budget is peanuts.

The move to RIR is significant. Not the nicest neighborhood. Those of you coming from out of town it would be like parking your car in NYC. No iPods or valuable on the front seat.

yakirz
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Joined: Oct 2001

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07/28, 10:34am | report spam | close Reply |
Enough

Of this "the taxpayers, the taxpayers" c***. Almost everyone in the U.S. Is a taxpayer ofd some type; I don't pay taxes to Henrico, but I pay to my county and state, as well as federal.

Until Henrico seceedes from the U.S., you're no more special than I am.

drdocument
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

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07/28, 11:38am | report spam | close Reply |
Bureaucracy run amok

Instead of spending all the money on a sale venue, security, etc., if I were in charge of the sale I'd simply offer the iBooks for sale to local district residents (the ones whose taxes paid for theme). I'd make the offer by a web site on a first come, first served basis and require proof of residence to be submitted.

Then If there were any iBooks remaining I'd auction them on eBay.

Or if they really want to make a profit on the deal, offer all the iBooks on eBay incrementally. A larger profit from the sale would benefit the district budget, thus indirectly benefiting the local taxpayers.

kw14
Junior Member

Joined: Sep 2004

0

07/28, 03:39pm | report spam | close Reply |
Henrico first dip

Hey, you Henrico county people, the iBooks weren't good enough for your kids' education, now you want first dip on them in the sale. Give me a break, p-lease!!! I think they should limit them to sale for people OUTSIDE of Henrico country.

yakirz
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2001

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07/29, 08:02am | report spam | close Reply |
New plan?

I was about to give up, but the Henrico website says no camping or overnight parking. So, maybe I can sneak in at the last moment and grab one :)

megan
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Joined: Jul 2005

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07/29, 10:15am | report spam | close Reply |
What about Richmond city?

Why is it that the students in Henrico county schools have access to a superfluous array of technology, and can afford to sell it for $50 a computer, when just 10 miles away the students at Richmond city schools must supply their own toilet paper. Maybe Henrico county should offer this bargain to Richmond city schools, for kids who really need them, before they start selling them to people from California!

Drupa
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2005

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07/31, 11:56pm | report spam | close Reply |
SILENCE!

What difference does it make now? I will gladly take Henrico county's tax money in the form of grossly discounted iBook(s). They made a decision - I have no complaint!

Drupa - Maryland

sertian
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

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08/10, 09:48am | report spam | close Reply |
Oh yeah?

Well I'm from California and I bought a condo at Henrico County just so I can buy a $50 laptop. Beat that.

ibugv4
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jun 2003

0

08/11, 10:59am | report spam | close Reply |
What the h***?

This futher proves to me that Virginians are stuck up and worthless. I was going to drive 6 hours and buy fuel in the state, go to Kings Dominion and spend my hard earned North Carolina money in their state.. but now I'm boycotting it because of a stupid political move. Perhaps next year when the other 20,000 go on sale, if they wisen up, I'll consider going back to it. As for now, I'm planning to go around the state for my trip to Canada, because I'm that angry about them and it's my subtle way of protesting. (no I don't care that it's adding miles or time, I enjoy the drive ... i just can't stand virginia any more)

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iBook firesale moved based on expected popularity

updated 04:40 pm EDT, Wed July 27, 2005

iBook firesale moved

Go Away

RE: Go Away

What if they were dells

Misconduct

Tax dollars at work

Flying from Cali?

Re: JoHoNew

wrongheaded

oh yes

Incompetence

Stupid and a half

irony lost

Re: Dell Cost

Offer

Really dumb

Sitting here in Richmond.

Enough

Bureaucracy run amok

Henrico first dip

New plan?

What about Richmond city?

SILENCE!

Oh yeah?

What the h***?

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iBook firesale moved based on expected popularity

updated 04:40 pm EDT, Wed July 27, 2005

iBook firesale moved

Related Articles

Recent Articles

Go Away

RE: Go Away

What if they were dells

Misconduct

Tax dollars at work

Flying from Cali?

Re: JoHoNew

wrongheaded

oh yes

Incompetence

Stupid and a half

irony lost

Re: Dell Cost

Offer

Really dumb

Sitting here in Richmond.

Enough

Bureaucracy run amok

Henrico first dip

New plan?

What about Richmond city?

SILENCE!

Oh yeah?

What the h***?

Login Here

Register for our weekly email newsletter:

Connect tools:

Subscribe

to our RSS

Follow us

on Twitter

10 Most Read

10 Most Discussed

MacNN Marketplace