School Makes iTouch/iPhone Compulsory

[mdillenbeck]

How do people think financial aid works?

The bulk of aid comes from Stafford Loans and university scholarships. In the former case, at MOST the interest on the loan is subsidized by the government but the principle has to be paid back. In the latter case, the money usually comes from alumni donations.

So you all are outraged that there might be a small chance that an iPhone's interest might be subsidized? Sorry, that is like complaining about $100,000 going to a local community for development when other GM is receiving BILLIONS in taxpayer money.

So here, I'm going to tell you all something that will really piss you off. I got $3000 extra back from the government this year because of the Midwest Disaster Area tax credit. Just because my school was in a the flooded area, my lifetime learning credit doubled from 20% back to 40% back on the first $10,000 spent on education. Additionally, the normal restriction of tuition only was extended to include books and materials along with room and board - very easy to push my tax credit from $1000 to the full $4000! Note that this is a tax credit, so I had over $4000 in tax obligation in order to get it, but still - $3000 just for being in a "disaster area" and going to school without me being truly effected by it... and you all are complaining about a slim chance of paying the up to 8% interest on an iPhone over the life of a loan (though most likely, if you are borrowing to cover the iPhone, it would be unsubsidized and so the STUDENT would have to pay that interest and it cost you tax payers NOTHING).

I hope that last example puts in perspective how distorted and out of touch your views on this university department's move it completely and utterly trivial.

Oh yeah, last point, if they didn't cancel the MKV project, how much tax money would have gone into that versus this iPhone issue?

So, now that the whole tax issue is debunked, what is the real issue you people have with this?

 

[SneakySnake]

SOOO we have a whole new lot of morons that think they know how to report the news but will find that they can only do it with the space aloted by twitter.

your obviously the moron if that is your view of apple. I rather like them - they force Microsoft to pull up their socks and release some quality stuff like Windows 7. I don't think anyone can honestly say that apple is for morons, it's for the wealthy.

 

[zelog]

My EE Major required a graphic calculator that I can still use. Thank you EE department for looking out for my future.

But how does a journalist use an iPhone once (s)he graduates?

 

[pharge]

hmm.... this news kind of remind me the day how Microsoft Office took over the market from Corel's work perfect and other products... was the old office really better than the word perfect?... questionable... but well... MS defintelly had a better marketing dept. and they defintely know how to develop their future follower from the schools.

This approachs.. MS used it (and still using it), Adobe used, Coke and Pepsi used it, and many others... and now it is Apple's turn... so who is the next?

 

[michaelahess]

Ya know, paying interest on a school loan that includes an iPod sounds like an awesome idea to me! After paying off your loans, that ipod will have only cost you $2000!!!!!

 

[smlong]

[citation][nom]reasonablevoice[/nom]A lot idiots here obviously only read the title and then start commenting. Morans. It states that the iphone is not actually required, they just listed it as a requirement so students can have the cost of one factored into their financial aid package. That doesn't mean financial aid is going to foot the cost of their new iphone, just that part of the cost will end up being offset. Its not just some free hook up for students either, the university obviously plans to use them and wants as many of their students to have some such device.[/citation]
If you're going to call someone a "MORON" at least learn to spell it.

The point of the article is that this particular university's department DISCOURAGES their students from buying ANY non-Apple product. Go to their website and read it for yourself. When they claim that 99.999% of their students bought a Mac, there is a reason; they were told to.

 

[starhoof]

Wow I wonder how much did apple paid this university for this ? i mean seriously, why not a notebook ? and why does it has to be apple ?

 

[eddieroolz]

I'm glad I don't have to o to that school, because I would hate to be forced to use an iPod.

 

[JDocs]

Come on people. Give them a break. Apple needs to train up their next generation of Macolytes somewhere...

Can you blame them for receiving "donations" to allow this to happen in their backyards considering the financial situation America faces?

Wells sure I can but I'm sure I'd be called a fascist pig for it...

 

[bin1127]

my university program requires us to use buy a laptop they picked. doesn't mean all the profs will put lecture material for use on the laptop. it's just a way for them to make money. everybody ended up playing online games and not listening to the prof.

good students make good students. not some iphone.

 

[falconqc]

[citation][nom]norbs[/nom]Things not going so well for you? Feel a little better when people confirm that Windows is the best? Here I rather see you ok...Windows XP is great and windows 7 is very promising and i think it's going to be very nice. That's as far as i'll go without lying. I'd mention vista but I try to stay positive.[/citation]

Not quite, I'm no Apple lover that's a given... However, I don't need reassurances about Windows being the best to feel good about myself. Windows has some flaws, and I don't buy into the whole Vista is crap hype that has been around since its launch.

What really bugs me about Apple is the hype. Notice how the Q&A section from the school mentions that having a Windows machine is ok, but be prepared to spend way more on photo and text editing software than you would on a Mac? Like someone else mentionned in the comments, there are plenty of open source programs for Windows such as Open Office, Gimp and Inkscape. Many of them are multi-OS.