iPad Air 2 to be supplied to all UK MPs following general election

[Corky34]

As for tax evasion (entirely illegal) the solution is to make a more favourable tax regime in this country, which the lowering of corporation tax will do.

Whether Apples tax arrangements are evasion (illegal) or avoidance (legal) are a matter for the European commissions investigation and governments to sort out.

[Biscuit]

What if it turns out to actually save money?

Until I see convincing data to explain how, I don't see it as unreasonable to assume that it wont. Given the number of expense scandals over the years, I don't have a lot of trust in these MPs in such matters, why should I?

Maybe a hint of buying British? IPads are powered by the ARM processor, supporting a very successful British company.

As for tax evasion (entirely legal) the solution is to make a more favourable tax regime in this country, which the lowering of corporation tax will do.

Tax evasion might be legal, but that certainly doesn't mean the people who are representing the public should be seen as openly supporting it.
I doubt lowering corporation tax will help much. If a company can find a way to pay 0 they will continue to pay 0. Loop holes need to be closed.

[shaithis]

Maybe a hint of buying British? IPads are powered by the ARM processor, supporting a very successful British company.

The majority of Android tablets are powered by ARM as well.

[zoomee]

Initial costs aren't really the kicker. I wonder how much it will cost them for data as I know corporations get screwed for data use.....

[smithy1158]

1 million pounds is a drop in the ocean. I imagine although the unit cost may be higher, the decision to use iPads results in a significantly cheaper maintenance contract. You'll also have much greater B2B support from Apple and large choice of Apple B2B partners who will provide and maintain the infrastructure (secure exchange based email, file sharing, active directory, groups and permissions etc...). There's a solid platform for this for Apple tablets. You just don't get that same support around fragmented, loosely supported android tablets.

[shaithis]

1 million pounds is a drop in the ocean. I imagine although the unit cost may be higher, the decision to use iPads results in a significantly cheaper maintenance contract. You'll also have much greater B2B support from Apple and large choice of Apple B2B partners who will provide and maintain the infrastructure (secure exchange based email, file sharing, active directory, groups and permissions etc...). There's a solid platform for this for Apple tablets. You just don't get that same support around fragmented, loosely supported android tablets.

And we also get the NSA with backdoors into every member of parliament.

[OilSheikh]

So you don't think that supplying employees of the State should be provided with equipment to help them do the job?

So, bring back high stools and quills for civil servants, give the armed forces stones to throw at the enemy, and so on.

I'm not sure if this outrage is because

MPs are involved

Or because Shock horror! Apple devices are involved.

My gripe was with the Apple devices involved.
All those MP's need to be given a £100 Tesco Hudl !

[peterb]

And we also get the NSA with backdoors into every member of parliament.

That old chestnut? You think that Windows or Android or any unencrypted (or publicly available encryptied) system is any more secure?

[OilSheikh]

Can someone shed some light on how I can become an MP ?
I am in dire need of a Free iPad and a laptop.

[peterb]

Can someone shed some light on how I can become an MP ?
I am in dire need of a Free iPad and a laptop.

You can sand as an independent putting down a deposit which you lose if you fail to get a certain percentage of votes. Its to stop frivolous applications by people who might only want to become an MP on a single issue, or because they want an iPad.

Or you can become adp[ted as a candidate by one of the political parties. You then have a lot of campaigning to do, and if elected. a lot of hard work representing your constituency. At the end of your term, if yu want to stand again, you do the whole process again, but no matter how good you may have been at representing your constituency, you might neot get elected because the mood of the country is against your party.

In addition to representing your constituency, you will need to make speeches in the House, possibly have most aspects of your private life picked over by the media, and if you are unlucky, become a minir celebrity, which ramps up the media interest and desire to bring you down

So probably easier and cheaper o nip down to Sainsburys and get an iPad with your Nectar_points!

[shaithis]

That old chestnut? You think that Windows or Android or any unencrypted (or publicly available encryptied) system is any more secure?

The US have already got quite upset with Google over the Android 5 changes that stop them "doing their job".

The most annoying thing though is that I have worked for companies that deal with the DWP....and to do that work you cannot store data on US servers or use US services.....Funny how MPs are now getting iPads, probably with iCloud in use.....

[peterb]

Whether Apples tax arrangements are evasion (illegal) or avoidance (legal) are a matter for the European commissions investigation and governments to sort out.

Absolutely right - evasion is illegal - my bad and my apologies.

But the argument about tax avoidance (which is the charge cited at Apple, Amazon and others) is to offer an attractive tax regime where avoidance isn't worth it.

[crossy]

1 million pounds is a drop in the ocean. I imagine although the unit cost may be higher, the decision to use iPads results in a significantly cheaper maintenance contract. You'll also have much greater B2B support from Apple and large choice of Apple B2B partners who will provide and maintain the infrastructure (secure exchange based email, file sharing, active directory, groups and permissions etc...). There's a solid platform for this for Apple tablets. You just don't get that same support around fragmented, loosely supported android tablets.

This is the just the rantings of an iFan.

If the MP's had chosen Windows-based tablets or, better still, all in ones then they could add those to their existing desktop support contract. And whatever fan-based dribbling about "3rd party" support I'm willing to bet quite a lot that a Windows-based tablet will support whatever genuine app they want. Of course, I'll acknowledge that social games support is better on an iPad.

And if you want to use Android tablet, ("fragmented, loosely supported" - puhlease, your ignorance is showing!), then let me think - both HP and Lenovo do large screen devices, and Dell has 7" and 8" models. Do you really think that HP/Lenovo/Dell are not going to be capable of providing maintenance and support - arguably better than Apple.

And while we're on 3rd party support, why the big deal on Exchange - all that's needed is some mail system that's compatible with what they're using on the desktop, although I'll grant you that the HoP are using Exchange (2010 last time I looked) at the moment. If memory serves me rightly there's plenty of "secure" mail clients and what's wrong with tunnelling over VPN anyway. Once that's done then there's the small matter of remote wipe etc - BYO devices need quite a collection of "support" apps.

[Biscuit]

Absolutely right - evasion is illegal - my bad and my apologies.

I got this wrong too so I will second the apology

But the argument about tax avoidance (which is the charge cited at Apple, Amazon and others) is to offer an attractive tax regime where avoidance isn't worth it.

How can you convince a large company such as Apple (or Microsoft and Google for that matter, they are equally as bad) to pay more when they can still get away with less?
Creating a better environment for operating a business in the UK is only one part of the problem, as long as the loop holes exist, they will continue to be abused. In my opinion, buying every MP a shiney new top of the range iPad/Android Tab/Surface or whatever else makes a statement about how dedicated they really are towards making these companies pay their fair share.

[plexabit]

Yes, I know, I'm in a bad mood again...

Sorry if I got you in a bad mood...:/

I agree with you on some of those issues. If it's that the MP's get to keep the iPads and laptops after they leave--that's ridiculous. But most government property like that would go straight back to the company, which would hurt that argument a little, considering the fact that they'll only get to use them for a short time before handing them back in. Or maybe that's not how it works XD

There's also the fact that Apple service is great. The only comparable device that might come close is the Surface with Windows support. But that's not going to really be cheaper than an iPad so that would only work if they didn't include a laptop, like you said. I don't know if battery life would be a problem though...

In the end, I don't know how bad the recession is over there and if your MP's are being hypocrites then you probably have a right to be at least perturbed.

[crossy]

Sorry if I got you in a bad mood...:/

Yep, I really must learn to relax...

I agree with you on some of those issues. If it's that the MP's get to keep the iPads and laptops after they leave--that's ridiculous. But most government property like that would go straight back to the company, which would hurt that argument a little, considering the fact that they'll only get to use them for a short time before handing them back in. Or maybe that's not how it works XD

Hmm, good point - but the cynic in me thinks that someone will come up with the argument that "this is a four year old device so not worth recovering" at the end of the MP's term.

There's also the fact that Apple service is great. The only comparable device that might come close is the Surface with Windows support. But that's not going to really be cheaper than an iPad so that would only work if they didn't include a laptop, like you said. I don't know if battery life would be a problem though...

Interesting point - but when you talk about Apple service are you talking of a "corporate" style experience rather than a SOHO-experience? I'm interested because all my Apple service experience has been with consumer products, (in which case my judgement is "Apple corporate=good", "Apple Stores=bad"). However, if you pick a Windows device then you don't need a manufacturer to support. Although I know both Dell and HP already supply services to the UK Government, so they know how "the game is played".

In the end, I don't know how bad the recession is over there and if your MP's are being hypocrites then you probably have a right to be at least perturbed.

There is a whiff of hypocrisy about it, since the current government's mantra has been "make best use of what you already have". For example, the laptop I'm using came with Vista (SB i5), but I've been told that I can't have a replacement/upgrade unless the current one breaks unfixably ... "to save unnecessary expense". And the replacement laptop would probably be about the same price as one of these MP iPads. That said, the current laptop is going well, just wish they'd let me replace the disk with an SSD... (and yes, I'd buy that myself!)

I'm not begrudging the MP's the "tools of the trade", far from it - if the announcement had been that they were rolling out replacements of Ultrabooks or 2-in-1's then I would have approved. But like I said above, desktop+laptop+tablet seems an extravagance.