# Apple iPads for MPs



## Zabo (May 2, 2012)

http://money.aol.co.uk/2012/05/02/new-apple-ipads-for-mps/?icid=money|DL_1_link


----------



## mrs quoad (May 3, 2012)

i) thanks for providing an explanation, and not just providing a content-free thread title with an uninformative link.

ii) that's a fucking awful link, with fucking awful reporting. It gives the impression that iPads are being rolled out across the house of commons, instead of (as it seems to actually be reporting) stating that they're now officially seen as things that can be claimed on expenses (like work desktops / laptops, presumably?)

iii) tbf, it's one helluva lot easier to stay on top of emails and correspondence, and to work on documents on the move, with an iPad (or similar) than it is a laptop or notebook. I'll usually take my iPad somewhere if I'm travelling extensively, or traveling light. I'll take my laptop only if I'm going somewhere that it really makes sense to drag a fat lump of hardware.

iv) the same article seems to think that it'd be ok to charge android tablets to expenses, but not iPads?! Going by your past threads, I'm guessing you'd agree  "You can have one, but only if you go for the brand I like  "


----------



## Zabo (May 3, 2012)

If I were you I would take yourself and you shitty ipad to the nearest rat infested skip and throw both you and your ipad inside.

[*] plonk


----------



## editor (May 3, 2012)

It's a fucking ridiculous waste of public money.

*title edited


----------



## Kid_Eternity (May 3, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> i) thanks for providing an explanation, and not just providing a content-free thread title with an uninformative link.
> 
> ii) that's a fucking awful link, with fucking awful reporting. It gives the impression that iPads are being rolled out across the house of commons, instead of (as it seems to actually be reporting) stating that they're now officially seen as things that can be claimed on expenses (like work desktops / laptops, presumably?)
> 
> ...


 
It's a good move that will save money in the longer term. Also, the big opportunity here is law makers using cutting edge tech means when it comes to making laws about it they'll be better informed. Don't expect to see any laws banning mobile applications any time soon.


----------



## editor (May 3, 2012)

You can be just as well informed on cheaper devices.

If MPs want the most expensive tablet money can buy, they can pay for them themselves.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (May 3, 2012)

The cost savings in terms of printing, staff (I've known enough of them to know that alone would be enough) and time will pay for them. The iPad is the best and easiest tablet to use on the market. You need them all to  have a standard to keep costs low for Parliaments IT unit. This really is a great idea.


----------



## editor (May 3, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> The cost savings in terms of printing, staff (I've known enough of them to know that alone would be enough) and time will pay for them. The iPad is the best and easiest tablet to use on the market. You need them all to have a standard to keep costs low for Parliaments IT unit. This really is a great idea.


It's the most expensive tablet money can buy, yet the MPs have relatively basic needs. It's a total waste of money. They won't even replace their laptops (which they'll no doubt be claiming for too).


----------



## elbows (May 3, 2012)

Maybe someone could write an app that lets the public make those interesting parliamentary heckling noises and send it to their MP who can then have it come out of their iPad speaker at some appropriate moment inside the chamber. All part of big society and consumer participation, can even charge for it via in app heckle-credits which could then be used to recoup the cost of the iPad.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (May 3, 2012)

editor said:


> It's the most expensive tablet money can buy, yet the MPs have relatively basic needs. It's a total waste of money. They won't even replace their laptops (which they'll no doubt be claiming for too).


 
Lol you obviously know so much about how much paperwork an MP has to deal with not to mention emails, briefings, and speeches, order of business in the House etc...


----------



## elbows (May 3, 2012)

Or a customer version of the OS could become mandatory for MPs, one that forced them to see at regular the faces of the wretched and the doomed staring out at them with eyes that tell tales of souls crushed by bureaucracy and depraved policies and rules. 

On reflection, enabling the public to heckle might be impractical due to the already high noise-level in the house. So how about some visual heckling technology. Powerful facetracking projectors should enable text and imagery generated by the citizens to be emblazoned across the face of the chosen MP for a period of time. One of those wiggly-worm opinion trackers could be linked to lasers which can stick one in the eye of MPs who manage to enrage enough of the public with their grotesque attitudes at any particular moment in time. 

And how about a weekly lottery where the winner gets to choose the moment that the prime-ministers notes will vanish from his screen for a bit and leave him dangling unaided. Rollover prizes can evolve into custard pie throwing or the ability to inject a speaker with a substance that would temporarily reduce their communication and thought capabilities to the level of Dubya in that televised debate where he did a fair impression of a vegetable with radio interference.


----------



## sim667 (May 4, 2012)

editor said:


> You can be just as well informed on cheaper devices.
> 
> If MPs want the most expensive tablet money can buy, they can pay for them themselves.



Yes but if you then have to provide training on cheaper devices because the interface isn't as intuitive it doesn't actually work out cheaper.

Just sayin'

Also with the amount of paperwork mp's lose the remote wipe function is probably quite appealing to the IT dept.

But they shouldn't be allowed to claim
For them on expenses imho


----------



## editor (May 4, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Lol you obviously know so much about how much paperwork an MP has to deal with not to mention emails, briefings, and speeches, order of business in the House etc...


What is so special about this paperwork that it can't be done on a regular, cheaper laptop?


----------



## editor (May 4, 2012)

sim667 said:


> Yes but if you then have to provide training on cheaper devices because the interface isn't as intuitive it doesn't actually work out cheaper.


They already have laptops that already do more than an iPad can.

I'm all for MPs having flashy trendy devices if they want them - but they should pay for them themselves.


----------



## Kanda (May 4, 2012)

Good point about the remote wipe.


----------



## editor (May 4, 2012)

Kanda said:


> Good point about the remote wipe.


Available on laptops for years.


----------



## Kanda (May 4, 2012)

But rarely used I guess.


----------



## editor (May 4, 2012)

Kanda said:


> But rarely used I guess.


The advanced security features of laptops like those made by Lenovo have proved very attractive to corporate/enterprise customers.

As well as all the built-in security and protection tools, just having fingerprint authentication, for example, adds an additional level of security that crucially, people are likely to use.

http://www.lenovo.com/enterprise/us/en/lifecycle/security.html


----------



## sim667 (May 4, 2012)

editor said:


> I'm all for MPs having flashy trendy devices if they want them - but they should pay for them themselves.



This.  I have to have a comp that was dated in 2005. So should they


----------



## kalmatthew (May 4, 2012)

editor said:


> The advanced security features of laptops like those made by Lenovo have proved very attractive to corporate/enterprise customers.
> 
> As well as all the built-in security and protection tools, just having fingerprint authentication, for example, adds an additional level of security that crucially, people are likely to use.
> 
> http://www.lenovo.com/enterprise/us/en/lifecycle/security.html


Fingerprint Auth wont generally be seen as acceptable by corperate security departments on its own, its also pretty weak.  I had it on a Lenovo laptop and it was almost unusuable from an accuracy point of view. 

Tablet vs Laptop aside.  The iPad and the iPhone are both regularly reviewed to have better corporate management tools than android devices.  Whilst I will buy that laptops will do and tablets aren't necessary, if your going for a tablet then an iPad probably makes most sense.  (I am personally an android fan my needs are different from enterprise kit)


----------



## Kanda (May 4, 2012)

kalmatthew said:


> Fingerprint Auth wont generally be seen as acceptable by corperate security departments on its own, its also pretty weak.  I had it on a Lenovo laptop and it was almost unusuable from an accuracy point of view.



Yeah, we've had to turn ours off in some cases due to users not being able to log in at times.


----------



## editor (May 4, 2012)

kalmatthew said:


> Fingerprint Auth wont generally be seen as acceptable by corperate security departments on its own, its also pretty weak.


Good job I didn't make such a claim then. I just said that it adds " an *additional* level of security that crucially, people are likely to use."

I use mine all the time, btw.


----------



## bemused (May 8, 2012)

I use an ipad for work and it is very handy. It's got a phone on it (wifi voip gizmo), I get all my email, chats and I can get slide decks on it for presenting. It's has boasted my productivity. However; you have to wonder why they aren't thinking about using an enterprise tablet like the cisco cius? It's got built in encryption, have a phone and video conferencing built in and being built on android it would allow them to lock the device down.


----------

