“Thomas Elementary School’s fifth-graders are the proud stewards of 30 new grant-funded Apple iPads, which will help them share their poetry, look up famous inventions, practice math concepts — and possibly be the envy of those of us who still use a chunky, old-school notebook or desktop computer,” Hillary Davis reports for The Arizona Daily Sun.
“These sleek, touch-screen tablet computers, which retail for about $500 each for a basic model, allow students to access the school’s wireless Internet right from their desks, sliding and tapping their fingertips across the glossy faces,” Davis reports. “Each computer is assigned to a specific student, and they are encouraged to personalize their iPad with a wallpaper of their choosing.”
Davis reports, “A settlement in a class-action lawsuit against Microsoft several years ago allowed school districts across the country — who were not plaintiffs in the case — to benefit from unclaimed settlement money, which became grants aimed at school technology.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Excuse us for a moment while we laugh our asses off!
I remember this settlement and Microsoft wanted to be able to offer an equivalent dollar value in Microsoft software. They got busted for limiting competition and they wanted to pay their punishment by limiting more competition.
There’s no justice like poetic justice!
Great news story.
It is possible for good to come from M$, in a convoluted way.
I wonder if Ballmee will finally break down and buy one for his kids !!
Karmic retribution balances the Cosmos yet again..
See also: “irony”
unclaimed settlement money.
I happen to be one of those who didn’t use my claim. Couldn’t find any thing made by (actually, copied by) M$ worth using it on. I let it drop.
I didn’t read the original story, but it looks like Davis buried the lead.
@Macromancer
Reminds me of that scene from Raising Arizona…
NATHAN ARIZONA SR:
“All right, boy, I guess you got a reward coming. Twenty-five thousand dollars. Or, if you need home furnishings, I can give you a line of credit at any of my stores. In fact, that’s the way I’d rather handle it. Tax reasons.”
I bet Ballmer’s kids wish they went to THAT school.
Was there a chair flying out of Ballmer’s office window a few moments after the photo had been taken?
This is story of the decade!!!
I have my IT guy here in the office. He is a Windows fan and I had to drag him kicking and screaming into the Mac community once I persuaded the powers that be to deploy Apple Macs. The look on his face is priceless…
Chairs are flying in Redmond. You better believe it!
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Wow. Ballmer does NOT look healthy in that picture…
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I hope he sticks around microsoft long enough to sink it so far it is unable to recover. Then, Apple can go head to head with Google and beat their asses.
@rim shot,
Never. Ballmey will be taken kicking and screaming all the way to the insane asylum clutching a Winblows Tablet in his grimy ham-fisted paws.
This must be hard for Ballmer. After all, he once said that even ONE iPad (in existence, apparently) was too many.
Finally! A Microsoft tablet one could be proud to own and show off!
Oh, the IRONY!
“Wow. Ballmer does NOT look healthy in that picture…”
That’s not Ballmer’s health…
That’s just a photo taken of Ballmer using the new Windows Phone 7!
I hope the kids send Ballmer a ‘thank you’ card.
Copycat $ mony well spent!
Buy AAPL stocks before it goes to $422 in 2011.
Verizon iPhone 4 is a buy
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With all the news that has been coming out of
Arizona over the years, I’m shocked, shocked
I say, that there are progressive people in that
state.
“A settlement in a class-action lawsuit against Microsoft…”
BWAHAHAHAHEEHEEHEEHAHAHAHAHA!
Ooo I wet ’em!
Dudes and Dudettes, this story is not about Balmy and Microsoft.
It’s about 30 excited fifth graders who quickly discovered the versatility and usefulness of the iPad.
It’s also about the future of Apple.
Get well Steve!
Go AAPL!