While it obviously takes a major backseat to IDG's startling revelation that Uncle Steve will be taking the reins during next month's Expo keynote, Apple issued a nifty press release of its own yesterday-- one that just happens to be chock full of Educationy Goodness. You haven't forgotten that the education market is one of Apple's strongholds, right? After all, Apple does its best to remind us all of that fact at least once a year... coincidentally enough, at right about this time, during the annual National Educational Computing Conference. Last year we got "Apple Demonstrates Major Commitment To Education at NECC," the year before that was "Apple Demonstrates Its Leading Education Solutions at NECC," etc. It's sort of an annual tradition, like St. Patrick's Day. Only with slightly less green beer.

Anyway, let's see what Apple's pushing this year, shall we? First and foremost is PowerSchool 3.0, the latest version of the "industry leading web-based student information system" that Apple bought last year in a bid to secure some sort of new foothold in the schools even as its market share tumbled. Reportedly this newest incarnation of the software features improved ease of use (no doubt the result of Apple slapping its legendary spit and polish on what used to be another company's product), Mac OS X client support, an "Integrated Master Schedule Builder" for automating-- what else?-- the building of schedules, and the ability for teachers "to easily drag and drop student photos into online seating charts." And heck, if that last feature doesn't get school districts budgeting thousands of dollars for the upgrade, nothing will.

So what else does Apple have to trot out in front of the NECCies this year? Well, in addition to the killer app of online seating charts that now boast actual photos, the company just took the wraps off of the Apple Learning Interchange... sort of. The press release describes the ALI as "a new online resource for teaching, learning, research, and collaboration," but the term "new" is apparently relative-- the ALI first appeared on AtAT over two full years ago. On the other hand, the Apple Digital Campus Curriculum ("providing educators with rich, project-based curricula and relevant assignments that solve real-world education needs") sounds new, but it may well just be the new name for Apple Learning Professional Development ("help[s] teachers and school leaders fully integrate technology for teaching and learning"). And then, of course, there's the stuff that's definitely new: the eMac and the Xserve.

All told, that's some pretty compelling stuff for the schools to chew on. And it's nice to see that John Couch is already in there pitching, being quoted in an Apple press release barely a week after being named Apple's veep of education: "Apple continues to lead the industry with innovative products that uniquely address the needs of education. While other companies are happy to just sell technology to schools, Apple designs products like the eMac and iBook specifically for education." Ooooo... "to just sell"? Kudos on leaping in feet first and all, Mr. Couch, but while splitting an infinitive isn't the perceived crime it once was, doing so in a press release targeted at educators might not be the best way to get on their good side. Then again, anyone out there who'd let a district purchasing decision be influenced by something like a split infinitive probably tossed all the Macs when "Think different" hit the airwaves...