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- From: bsalter@acorn.co.uk
- Subject: Acorn news release: Education Marker Leader
- Date: 20 Jan 93 08:49:30 GMT
-
-
- Acorn is Still Education Market Leader.....
-
- Embargo Release Date 20th January 1993
-
- Acorn Computers' position as the number one supplier of computers to schools
- has once again been confirmed by independent research.
-
- Figures released by RS&M show that during the period April to October 1992,
- 67 per cent of schools buying computer equipment bought Acorn machines.
- Particularly impressive was the Primary sector where 77 per cent of
- computers purchased were Acorn machines, up three per centage points on the
- previous year. Significant gains were also made in the Independent sector
- where brand share rose by 11 points to 41 per cent.
-
- The most popular computer in schools remained Acorn's BBC A3000 model which
- accounted for a quarter of all computers bought by UK schools. There were
- twice as many A3000s bought as its nearest competitor - RM's 386 PC.
-
- When asked who makes the best computers for curriculum use, Acorn came out
- on top in every sector as the leading manufacturer for curriculum solutions.
- Sixty five per cent of Primary, 42 per cent of Secondary and 33 per cent of
- Independent schools spontaneously nominated Acorn as their preferred choice.
-
- Acorn computers also come out on top in each sector in terms of the most
- commonly used computers in schools. Seventy eight percent in Primary, 51 per
- cent in Secondary and 48 per cent in the Independent sector use Acorn
- machines most often - all significantly higher than Acorn's nearest
- competitor.
-
- Over half Britain's teachers use a computer at home, of which the Acorn
- platform is by far and away the most popular choice. Indeed, when asked
- what computer they would purchase now for home use, 45% said they would most
- like to have an Acorn computer.
-
- Acorn's General Manager for Education, Peter Talbot said the figures
- confirmed his own findings. "Educationalists have to come to appreciate the
- fact that Acorn's solutions offer the optimum level of performance combined
- with the lowest cost of ownership of any platform. They know that Acorn can
- deliver specialised systems to give access to both educational software as
- well as to ordinary business packages.
-
-
- "Our computers offer high functionality and excellent graphics performance
- and on top of that they interwork well with other platforms such as PCs and
- networks to offer the best of all worlds to our users. Acorn systems provide
- performance not possible on other platforms - such as the full motion video
- capability being used to put the NCC IV materials on to Acorn CD ROM
- systems.
-
- "Another fact that often goes unnoticed is that Acorn maintains very strong
- links with its third party software developers. This allows us, in
- partnership, to develop education solutions tailor-made for specific
- audiences, whereas in the DOS world the UK education community cannot rely
- on commercial developers - who are in the main American-based - to produce
- the range of packages they need. The only guarantee of obtaining the full
- range of software they require is by following the Acorn path."
-
- Peter Talbot continued "Acorn is also the computer of choice for the
- majority of educational IT centres throughout the UK. The support we give
- to them through the Acorn in Education Centre scheme highlights Acorn's
- on-going commitment to supporting the education community.
-
- "The success of last year's Tesco scheme, which offered schools the
- opportunity to collect vouchers which could be exchanged for computers,
- demonstrated how popular our computers are. Many schools went to
- extraordinary lengths to collect the vouchers, even in areas where their
- installed base is primarily made up of DOS machines. " he added.
-
- "It is no accident that in a year that has just seen great turmoil for the
- vast majority of computer firms around the world, the Acorn Computers share
- price was the fifth best performer across all markets in the UK throughout
- 1992. "
-
- ENDS
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