A letter from Apple

Dear Dr. King:
Thank you for the opportunity to clarify Apple's response to the District's RFP for Instructional Computers. Apple's initial bid response included a carefully-detailed description of Apple's product proposal, but we fear that the district's evaluation committee did not take into account all of the factors that would be relevant to its determination. As we review the Bid Analysis, it seems apparent that the evaluation committee did not fully consider our primary product offering, the 17" iMac. We attach configuration information and the cost structure for our 17" iMac solution which establish that the cost delta between Apple and the winning bid is nominal.

Apple has broad and deep experience deploying educational technology and proven capacity to deliver a comprehensive solution designed to meet the needs of the District's students. Our computer specifications derive from what students can do in the classroom and result in configurations that enable them to accomplish those things. The operating system and creative applications are integrated, making extremely efficient use of the hardware resources of the system. Apple's ability to craft a solution that incorporates operating system, hardware, and applications makes for unparalleled ease of use and long-term support benefits.

The teachers in Livonia are comfortable and familiar with the applications and support that Apple provides. As external mandates and pressures increasingly burden our teachers, the district now has an opportunity to besensitive to the additional time and effort that would be required for its teachers to make this change. If learning in the classroom is the mostimportant outcome for the use of educational technology, then providingcontinuity for the district's teaching professionals should be a critical factor in the deployment analysis.We welcome the opportunity to explain, demonstrate and share why we knowthat our solution fits the needs of the students and teachers of Livonia Public Schools. An RFP response cannot show you how Apple truly differentiates itself from other vendors.Please let myself or Eileen Crowley know if you have any additionalquestions.

Regards,
Lori J. Dallava
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Lori Dallava
Sr. Project ManagerBids Management TeamApple Inc.