The month ahead: Tech companies set sights on students

>> Sumi Das: Hello I'm Sumi Das for ZD net today we're taking a look at the month ahead. Now August is typically a slow time but tech companies are hoping to boost sales by tapping into back to school season which is just starting to ramp up. Joining me now is our Senior Editor Sam Diaz. Sam thanks for being with us.

>> Sam Diaz: Sure. Thank you for having me.

>> Sumi Das: So why is this such a crucial time for tech companies?

>> Sam Diaz: Well the thing to remember about this season, the 3rd quarter is that August is pretty much it, back to school. July is pretty much a dead month everyone's out on vacation. August is really the time when people are back into it again, interested again. If the tech companies don't get it now at back to school there really next opportunity is gonna be the end of the year for the holiday season. So they really need to make a bang right now while they can.

>> Sumi Das: So how are tech companies looking to capitalize on this opportunity? What are they offering?

>> Sam Diaz: Well Dell interestingly enough is offering something for the classrooms now. They're offering this new line of very rugged computers, designed for students in the classroom setting that's even got a little network activity light on it so that when the lap top is open, the teacher can see if it's blinking and the student is surfing the web as opposed to paying attention.

>> Sumi Das: Big brother.

>> Sam Diaz: Absolutely those are designed for the classroom. You know Apple of course is pushing its big you know buy a Mac book, get a free iPod Touch, that's always a big thing.

>> Sumi Das: Big Mac promo.

>> Sam Diaz: Yeah that's been out there awhile now and even Microsoft is upping its game launched some cloud based operation tools, really thinking of students who will be working on projects.

>> Sumi Das: Ok so what advice do you have for the consumers then, the parents who are looking to really make sure that their kids have what they need when they hit the books.

>> Sam Diaz: The biggest expense the parents are gonna come across is the purchase of a computer.

>> Sumi Das: It is a big expense.

>> Sam Diaz: Yeah absolutely.

>> Sumi Das: Especially in this economy.

>> Sam Diaz: Absolutely in this economy you know you look at sort of happened in the PC industry. The PC industry is a little bit sluggish but there are options out there. Now on 1 end you've got the expensive which is Apple, it's a great product but there is a premium price that goes with it. On the other side of that you've got what I call the not there yet and that's the Net books you know. . .

>> Sumi Das: Right.

>> Sam Diaz:. . . affordable, low price.

>> Sumi Das: But do you really want to invest in that early on.

>> Sam Diaz: Do you really want to. Yeah and I mean it may not have all the tools and be able to load all the applications you might need for a student and then on the other side of that you've got the not yet and I call that windows. It's still Windows Vista. Windows 7 is not out yet but you're gonna have some parents they need to make that purchase, they're gonna have to do it now.

>> Sumi Das: They can't wait.

>> Sam Diaz: So those are the choices they're gonna have to look at that, they can't wait.

>> Sumi Das: And some universities are dictating what parents should be buying.

>> Sam Diaz: That's right earlier this year we heard about the University of Missouri, the journalism program there requiring, requiring iPod Touches or the iPhone, of course iTunes has a university area so you can download lectures and that sort of thing and that's really what they're tapping into. But they see the iPod Touch as really the leader there and they want their students to have it and they're actually requiring it as crazy as that sounds.

>> Sumi Das: Well Sam I think things have changed a fair amount since I was in school.

>> Sam Diaz: Yeah me too.

>> Sumi Das: Alright Sam thanks so much. It'll be interesting to see how these companies fair in back to school season.

>> Sam Diaz: Sure.

>> Sumi Das: To read more head to blogs.zdnet.com

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