Apple Computer Corp. agreed Friday to a revised deal that will place laptop computers in roughly one-third of Maine´s public high schools this fall, Education Commissioner Susan Gendron said. "I´m absolutely delighted," said Gendron, who had been working with Apple officials to salvage the program after her department failed to sign up enough schools to account for 8,400 laptops.
Apple agreed to lower its minimum participation level to 6,000 laptops without changing its annual rental price of $300, the same low price it charged for laptops in Maine´s 242 middle schools, she said. The price includes servers and repairs, and Apple also will provide training and assist in installing the wireless networks that link the computers. School districts could apply for money from a state renovation fund to install wireless networks before students return this fall.