New market research shows that Apple Macintosh is the leading computer platform in the kindergarten through high school market, and the one most educators intend to buy in the coming school year.

According to Quality Education Data's (QED) "1996-97 Technology Purchasing Forecast," the Macintosh now accounts for 41 percent of the computers in the K-12 education market, up five full share points from last year. Apple II computers account for 20 percent of the installed base, bringing Apple's total share of computers in U.S. K-12 public schools to 61 percent.

The QED report indicates that as the installed base of Apple IIs is replaced, educators have turned to the multimedia-rich Macintosh. It shows Macintosh as the computer of choice for more than half (55 percent) of all intended school purchases in 1996-97. This is more than seven times the number of computers educators plan to buy from the next most mentioned brands, IBM and Compaq, each with seven percent.

"There is no doubt that the preference for Macintosh remains strong in the K-12 market," said QED president Jeanne Hayes. "Our research clearly shows that Macintosh is by far the preferred computer platform in the education market. The majority of school districts plan their technology futures around this platform."

Six of 10 Computers in Schools are Apple

According to Field Research Corp., there are 6.4 million computers in U.S. K-12 public schools today. At Apple's current 61 percent market share, this translates into 2.6 million Macintosh computers and 1.3 million Apple IIs, a total of almost 4 million Apple computers. On average, six out of 10 computers used in K-12 public schools today are Apple-branded.

"The five point growth in Macintosh installed base validates Apple's role as an industry leader in multimedia technology for education," says Patricia Montgomery, senior director of Apple's Worldwide Education Market. division. "For nearly 20 years, Apple has been committed to providing schools with the best possible tools to enhance the learning and teaching environment. Macintosh is the platform of the 21st century, integrating multimedia, collaboration, simulation, and Internet access, providing students and educators expanded options for creative expression."

Macintosh #1 in Multimedia, Internet, and Software in the Education Market

Apple is at the forefront of bringing multimedia capabilities and Internet access to the classroom--both high on the list of educators' priorities. According to QED's Educational Technology Trends, 8th Edition (12/95), Macintosh is the most popular multimedia platform in schools, with 77 percent of all K-12 school districts that use multimedia computer systems using Macintosh.

Interest in the Internet continues to grow in the education market. with nearly 40 percent of all K-12 schools currently accessing the Internet. In fact, schools with Macintosh computers have embraced the Internet faster than schools using DOS/Windows-based systems. Forty-five percent of all schools that use only Macintosh computers access the Internet, compared to 27 percent of schools that use only DOS/Windows PCs. (10/95, Field Research).

Due to the popularity of Macintosh among educators, the platform enjoys a strong base of third party developer support. According to a Spring 1996 report from Education Products Information Exchange (EPIE), there were 4,131 education titles for the Macintosh--more than double the number of education titles for Windows.

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