College-bound Kids Don't Plan on Buying Macs

Apple is losing out on the back-to-school crowd this year.

An awful lot of people have a problem with Apple's pricing. Whether you think Apple fans are "drinking the Apple Kool Aid" or paying an "Apple Tax" we can all agree on one thing: Apple computers are pretty expensive. So then, is it any wonder that kids starting college this September don’t plan on purchasing an Apple-branded laptop?

A study by consumer electronics site Retrevo says that the majority of college-bound students are not considering a Mac this year. So what are these students looking for in a laptop?

Well, the 300+ surveyed told Retrevo that they wanted longer battery life, smaller size, and a lighter laptop. The company reports that that 34 percent of laptop buyers will purchase netbooks, and 49 per cent will buy full-sized Windows-based machines. 58 percent of the students planned on spending less than $750 and only 18 percent had a budget over $1,000.

Apple is this year offering a free iPod Touch with the purchase of an Apple notebook or desktop as part of a back-to-school offer and for the first time, allowing parents of students currently attending or accepted into a public or private Higher Education Institution to take advantage of the deal when buying a laptop on behalf of their son or daughter.