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

[Biscuit]

Unbelievable... just unbelievable. Teachers pension... yeah lets squeeze that. Public sector jobs, yeah lets cut loads of those and just double the work for whoever is left. Benefits for those who cant find work, yeah lets squeeze the hell out of that aswell.... BUT YOU CAN HAVE AN IPAD?!!?!??!?!

[crossy]

So they are setting aside £1500 per MP to give them an ipad... what is this? YOU DONT NEED THAT, you can have a simple chromebook for £100 - £200 and be done with it.

Hmm, I'm thinking £400 for an iPad and the same for a decent laptop, so that's £700 left - that's a pretty expensive maintenance contract at more than £100/year. Actually there's an opportunity missed (assuming that these "people" actually need a tablet and a laptop - which I'm not convinced of), instead of going for an iPad+Laptop why not "economize" and get a 2-in-1. And, much as I hate to say it, there's some pretty nice Windows-powered ones which'd be usable for real work rather than an iPad (or Galaxy Tab) which is basically a big note taker and player of Candy Crush.

Erm, and don't MP's already get a desktop computer provided for their use in the house, in which case we're now being asked to fork over for a desktop, a laptop and a tablet. When's the queue going to start for the smartwatches...

Sometimes I hate this government and its becoming increasingly difficult to believe they even have a portion of common sense.

Yep, the usual excrement - we're all in it together, but some of us are standing on the heads of the rest.

I despair...

[OilSheikh]

We all need to become tax evaders, as our taxes are not used for the right purposes!

[peterb]

We all need to become tax evaders, as our taxes are not used for the right purposes!

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.

[johnno1701]

We all need to become tax evaders, as our taxes are not used for the right purposes!

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.

Both I think...! In any case, Windows 2 in 1s will do the job just fine (and John Lewis do stock them - isn't that where MPs look for stuff nowadays?). Considering what they claim as expenses, the "second home flipping", the pay, perks and all the rest, it doesn't strike me as good publicity as it's all coming from cuts to public services deemed necessary by the government. And as others have said, the cost is exorbitant what with the cash left over for the maintenance bit after subtracting the hardware price. Labour "extravagance"? Can't be, not with the Coalition in power, no...more like "port and cigars".

[LSG501]

I'm not sure if this outrage is because

MPs are involved

Or because Shock horror! Apple devices are involved.

I don't think anyone here is saying not to buy staff equipment, we're all pretty much agreeing on the idea that they don't need an iPad AND a laptop when cheaper devices would be more than sufficient. They've also had these types of devices purchased once before a short while ago.

It's not like the devices need to do much more than browse the web and office work. Also in some cases they already have said device (amongst other things), claimed it's cost back in all likelihood against expenses and now they're getting new ones when the old ones are still more than capable of doing the job. It's just spending money when it's not needed and everyone else is having to 'cut back' while the 'top tier' are doing the complete opposite.

Then there's the fact that at least one MP uses it to play candy crush during 'parliamentary work'.


I didn't even think about the irony of purchasing the device from one of the largest tax avoiders in the UK.... until after I'd written my original post.

[bluevaping]

My government would have gotten windows, then android and then iPad. Adding more insult to injury.

[Biscuit]

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.

Despite Apples tax evasion, It has nothing to do with it being an Apple in my opinion. Even if it was a £49 atom powered windows tablet i would raise an eyebrow. I take issue because i believe that In times of austerity, MPs should be prepared to make the same kind of sacrifices that they push onto the public.... Lead by example and all that.
Now even putting that aside, and the VERY relevant fact that they could easily buy their own out if their own money without denting their cushty lifestyle (shock bloody horror the idea MP buys his own stuff) I don't see how supplying someone someone an iPad would necessarily improve their job?
They should be given the tools they need, any niceties to make it easier should be off their own back, not ours.

[plexabit]

Well, I'm going to say the things that...well, only one other person on this forum has said.

1. I'm American. That kinda ruins my argument, doesn't it?

2. Why all the hate on Apple? Their products aren't bad. You can say anything you like but in the end the average person isn't perusing these forums. Believe it or not 90% of people buying tablets don't care about the advantages of Android tablet. They want to buy something, and they want it to work. Furthermore, with the amount of money it would seem they've set aside for maintenance, the final percentage ends up being not much difference.

3. Yes, they should have gone for an earlier model. Bombardier still issues iPad 2's to its employees.

4. Do you Brits have any sense of money? Sure, a million pounds sounds like a lot, but it's 0.001 percent of the 2014 UK budget. If they instead took that million pounds and dispersed it among the population of the United Kingdom, every person would get a whopping 1.5p. Not saying that this money could have been better-used in today's economy, but hey--you're the same people buying extremely elite tech and bragging about it on forums. During a recession.

5. Sure, they could have gone with the "cheaper" and "highly superior" laptops and tablets that us tech gurus use, but like I said, 90% of the population is not. The level of pretentiousness here is to dang high, I tell you.

[iworrall]

Though I would assume there is a saving on paper/printing etc.

MPs are PRECISELY the type of people who will print out ALL their emails.

[Smudger]

I don't think it's a hate on Apple, it's just why they need them, and why £1500 put aside for each one. How much is AppleCare?

[crossy]

Well, I'm going to say the things that...well, only one other person on this forum has said.

1. I'm American. That kinda ruins my argument, doesn't it?

Not really ... unless you're going to follow it up with "always vote republican and carry a loaded '45"

2. Why all the hate on Apple? Their products aren't bad. You can say anything you like but in the end the average person isn't perusing these forums.

Not entirely true. The "anti-Apple" is because their products are at the top end of the price bracket, so if the idea is to give "capability" then that can be achieved at a LOT lower price point. These are the folks who are telling us to "tighten our belts" and then they turn around and do this?!

3. Yes, they should have gone for an earlier model. Bombardier still issues iPad 2's to its employees.

See comment above about doing things in a financially responsible manner.

4. Do you Brits have any sense of money? Sure, a million pounds sounds like a lot, but it's 0.001 percent of the 2014 UK budget. If they instead took that million pounds and dispersed it among the population of the United Kingdom, every person would get a whopping 1.5p. Not saying that this money could have been better-used in today's economy, but hey--you're the same people buying extremely elite tech and bragging about it on forums. During a recession.

Good point, but have you heard the old cliche about "leading by example"?

5. Sure, they could have gone with the "cheaper" and "highly superior" laptops and tablets that us tech gurus use, but like I said, 90% of the population is not. The level of pretentiousness here is to dang high, I tell you.

No, no, no. My problem is that these are JUST TOYS FOR THE BOYS. And it's very strange that this was announced just before parliament breaks up - a cynical person would wonder if perhaps this is a "going away" present to themselves.

Like I said before, these guys already are provided with at least one desktop computer. So okay, a laptop might be useful for some work on a train (in the first class carriage of course - our lords and masters won't want to travel scum class like the rest of us), and I can see that a tablet might also be useful as a way of having speech notes without relying on an (easily lost?) paper copy. On the other hand, if you've got a laptop then surely that desktop is a waste of space - just replace it with a docking station for the laptop? Similarly, if you've got a decent all-in-one - e.g. Microsoft Surface Pro 3 - then you can replace desktop AND laptop AND still get that tablet portability.

Oh, and if anyone says "oh but they need an iPad because they know how to drive it" then I have nothing but contempt for you (and them). Anyone who's too danged stupid to figure out the few differences a Windows- or Android-powered tablet would have really shouldn't be making laws - heck, they shouldn't be outside without a carer.

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

[iggy]

Austerity at work. *****.

[peterb]

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

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.

[Mauley]

Ridiculous, utter ridiculousness.

Why don't they all just buy there own? They make enough money doing naff all so least they can do is supplier their own damn technology. But nope, this country and its government are intent on wasting money on these buffoons and their luxuries.

[kalniel]

But nope, this country and its government are intent on wasting money on these buffoons and their luxuries.

What if it turns out to actually save money?