The multinational corporation Apple Inc is a designer and producer of personal computers, consumer electronics and computer software. Its well known hardware products are Mac computers, the iPhone, the iPod and the recently released iPad. As of January 2010, its operations span 284 retail stores in ten different countries.

Apart from dedicating itself to manufacturing hardware products, Apple Inc is also committed to helping the community. The company is giving back to student consumers and academic institutions through one-to-one learning works with K-12 schools, providing each pupil with free access to a laptop for home and school use. With this, students are able to communicate and work in collaboration with their teachers and peers, thereby allow parents to connect with their children’s learning process.

Its Apple Learning Interchange provides free content, covering simple lesson concepts to comprehensive course units for K-12 teachers.

In addition, Apple also has the Apple Store for Education that proffers its selected products for a discounted price, exclusively for eligible students, parents, staff and faculty.

Below are those qualified for the discount:

• Any employee of a US-based public or private K-12 institution, school board members and PTO or PTA executives.
• Students, staff and faculty of any higher education institutions.
• Parents who purchase Apple products on behalf of their children attending or accepted in a private or public higher education institution based in the US.

Clearly, education is an important factor in the success of Apple Inc.