Apple new iPad

Apple on Tuesday rolled out a new iPad and

classroom software aimed at grabbing more of the U.S.

education market, but did not cut the price of its entry-

level tablet despite schools flocking to laptops costing a

third less.

Apple is looking to reassert dominance in U.S. schools,

where inexpensive laptops running software from Alphabet

Inc’s Google and Microsoft Corp now top iPad by sales,

offering a cheap way to get to cloud-based productivity

tools.

The new iPad has a more powerful computing chip and an

extensive set of new, free software for teachers to manage

students and schoolwork. But the unchanged starting price

of $299 for students and $329 for the general public, without

a keyboard or case, compares with less than $200 for some

Windows and Google Chrome models.

Apple shares were down 1.4 percent to $170.26 after the

event, slightly better than the NASDAQ Composite, which

was down 1.6 percent in midday trading.

Some analysts had believed Apple might cut prices, but the

company stuck with its more traditional approach of packing

more features into a device.

Despite the new software, Apple faces a tough battle in the

educational market given the popularity of Google and

Microsoft’s productivity suites, said Carolina Milanesi of Creative

Strategies. Google’s G Suite fueled Chromebook sales because

it was seen as easy to use to manage assignments.

“Most teachers don’t look past G Suite for education,” she said.