Technology directors in school districts from coast to coast got a bad surprise from Apple Computer on Sept. 1. The company announced it no longer will support a long list of products it now calls "technologically obsolete," including Apple IIe, Macintosh II, and Macintosh SE computers.

The unsupported products have been removed from Apple's service parts database and automated ordering systems, the company said. If you need a replacement part for one of these models, which Apple marketed aggressively to the school field, you're now on your own.

The company's...