Apple Computer lowered the price of its eMac to $699, but for most consumers the new price may prove strictly academic.

That's because the price cut, which went into effect last week, applies only to customers at Apple's education store. Individuals who claim an affiliation with a school, such as students and teachers, can get an eMac for $779, while those purchasing the all-in-one computers on behalf of a school can get them for $699.

Education pricing for the eMac used to start at $849 for institutional buyers, according to Apple. The entry-level model with the CD-ROM, as opposed to the model with the CD-RW, is not available to individual education buyers.

"With new prices starting at just $699 for education customers, eMac is now even more affordable as we head into the education buying season," an Apple representative said in a statement. The "eMac offers a stunning 17-inch flat CRT (cathode-ray tube) display and a G4 processor in a remarkably compact design that is 8 millimeters less deep than the original 15-inch iMac."