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Gee, when I went to orientation in my freshman year of college they gave us bags of grooming products like toothpaste and hairspray, and coupons to the local sub shop. Now, all 1650 Duke University freshman will receive a free 20 GB iPod at orientation on August 19. Sure sounds like much more fun.
The devices will come preloaded with Duke-related content, such as orientation information and the school’s academic calendar.Students will be able to use a special version of Apple’s iTunes to download course content provided by faculty, including language lessons, music, recorded lectures and audiobooks. Students also will be able to purchase music through the iTunes Music Store.
Duke is paying for the project according to The New York Times. Apple has started a program called “iTunes on Campus” that allows colleges to obtain free institutional licenses to distribute iTunes to students. Says Microsoft, “The iTunes on Campus program enables universities to provide students with a legal option for downloading music from the Internet and managing their digital music collection.” Yeah, and at $1 a download, that’s no small change for Apple.