Apple approaches Education Ministry

Business > Economics

Published: 21/11/2011 at 06:48 PM
Online news: Economics

Computer giant Apple has expressed interest in making a deal to supply its tablet computers to the Education Ministry for use in Thai schools.

iPad 2 (Photo EPA)

A delegation from Apple Inc met Education Minister Woravat Au-apinyakul on Monday and proposed that its products could benefit the ministry's student tablet project.

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factspeak
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Discussion 22 : 22/11/2011 at 10:52 AM22
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I worry about Thailand's ability to deliver on a large IT hardware project like this one if all the money is spent on a brand rather than substance (software, support, training, etc)
@geoffo: "As a 20 plus year dual platform user [...] Apple platform is cheaper to buy and operate"
This is provably not true: Apple has the largest profit margins in the industry by far, and their quasi-monopoly on music via iTunes and complete monopoly via its app store for iPads allows them to charge ridiculous prices and/or commissions. Expecting them to suddenly change their ways would also be very naive.

For those who are interested in these sorts of projects - there are a number of non profit organizations that do great work to promote real education: "The one laptop per child" project, the somewhat elusive/failed "$10 laptop from India", the "Rasberry Pi" ($25 barebones - no screen), MIT's "OpenCourseWare", "Open educational resources", etc
None of those projects would even consider handing the keys to a for-profit foreign multinational - as this is about empowering *the people*.
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factspeak
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Discussion 21 : 22/11/2011 at 10:19 AM21
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You have got to be kidding me!
There is absolutely no way Apple can compete on prices with the cheap tablets coming out of China (some as low as $60), why on earth would you want to pay this sort of price then be tied to Apple's predatory market prices for everything afterwards?
More importantly, cheap tablets are your own and you can do what you want with them without handing over control of your previous resource to a foreign multinational.
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mo

Discussion 20 : 22/11/2011 at 07:32 AM20
Great! Triple win situation,
Students will be making profit selling them

People can buy them cheaper second hand.

There can be an influx of tourists for shopping iPad.

Amazing Thailand
from iPhone application.
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bkk-farang
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Discussion 19 : 22/11/2011 at 06:43 AM19
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@cnx_colin #18: You clearly show your knowledge about the tablet computer market and especially operating systems. Where did you learn all that? Maybe in a Thai school?
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cnx_colin
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Discussion 18 : 22/11/2011 at 03:47 AM18
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I think some people are missing the big picture here
if Thailand managed to develop a cheap tablet computer for use in schools say at $100 a unit that does the job a huge market will suddenly open up which will stop the ipad in its tracks how can you convince consumers to purchase an expensive tablet computer when they grow with cheap working products forget operating systems what it can or cant do its a hearts and mind fight which apple cannot afford to loose
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gregr
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Discussion 17 : 22/11/2011 at 02:14 AM17
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If I were Apple, I would stay well clear of supplying the Thai government with Pads. If anything goes wrong and it WILL. The thai governement will blame the foreign company to save face. Apple of course will lose market share in thailand as a result.

Don't do it apple!!! You'll be sorry

Greg
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petar
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Discussion 16 : 22/11/2011 at 01:54 AM16
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It's only about tea-money,not about education.
See Disc.#4
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petar
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Discussion 15 : 22/11/2011 at 01:38 AM15
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This is not about education ,this is about bribes.As usual as in T.Since I'm familiar with this country(from Phuket land scandal till Thaksin rak Thaksin or Phua Thaksin nothing got better,in contrary it got worse).
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petar
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Discussion 14 : 22/11/2011 at 01:29 AM14
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What are some posters dreaming of at nights?
The really one and only reason for this,you can read from Disc#4.
It's not about education,it's only about tea-money(and you can guess about this matter, there is plenty of tea).
And this is just disgusting.Students,not able to count out e.g. "6 khuun 12 thaukap thauray"
whithout help by a calculator, need no tablet-computer,they need better teachers.And above all
they need politicians serving their country,not their own pockets.Watching this country from
the "Phuket land scandal" till "Thaksin rak Thaksin" or "Phua Thaksin" my hope for things going better has diminished.
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geoffo
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Discussion 13 : 21/11/2011 at 11:57 PM13
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D1 Cassie. you are miles off the mark with comments about spying and cost.

As a 20 plus year dual platform user I tell you the Apple platform is cheaper to buy and operate and the notion of spying is absolute nonsense.

I hope however Apple don't do this because the Ministry should get their structure in order first.

This is not PTP's first attempt at this. Wearing other clothes they tried a one desktop per child scheme and it was an unmitigated disaster succeeding only in emptying Gov coffers.
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