iPads for Leicester Council

[niche]

So although the economy is in recession and thousands are losing their jobs and businesses, leicester council has drummed up the funds for these ipads.
Amazing

[bobspud]

As far as I can see, the only infrastructure that any government department should be using is VDI. Then they would have their data secured and it couldn't be left in a carpark...

Ipads are toys. They can't be encrypted and don't have a kill switch to flush the data when you finally leave it in a pub...

The IT director must be a fscking idiot

[doodab]

Sorry but that is one of the most retarded things to hold up as an example of failure I can imagine. The site is there, but google choose to return a page that no longer exists as the first hit. It's hardly the NHS that is to blame if google's index is out of date is it?

If you put "NHS" into google, you get nhs.uk as the first hit. If that is flummoxing people then I really think they ought to be googling for Dignitas instead.

[Sysman]

The iPads can run iTunes themselves and have built in wireless, so all they need is an access point.

Not saying it's a good idea, but no, they wont need a laptop as well just to run iTunes.

Whatever the pros and cons, it isn't a waste of money on this scale:

Leaked documents have shown that the NHS has spent a huge £86 million a year on thousands of websites that do exactly diddly-squat and in many cases 404.

Publich Technology reports that the NHS Digital Communications Review shows one third of the NHS's 4,121 websites had notable deficits in standards, and 1,000 were not even accessible anymore.

...

The paper also says those Googling for NHS info are flummoxed, saying the public struggles to locate the NHS online with a simple search. We did a search for the NHS press office - first hit, or if you're Feeling Lucky - while appearing bona fide in Google leads you straight to a 404 which the NHS charmingly says "Whoops!" on. "Whoops!" indeed - we've a feeling surgeons don't get away with Whoopsies so why the bloody hell is the NHS getting away with spending heaps of money on garbage that is useful to no one?

I've confirmed that one - try the first hit on a search for "nhs press office".

[AtW]

iPad owners 'are rich and self-centred' - Telegraph

HTH

"According to those polled the image of someone who owns an iPad is of a selfish workaholic businessman between 30 and 50 who has an unhealthy interest in making lots of money."

Council members don't apply...

[fullyautomatix]

iPad owners 'are rich and self-centred' - Telegraph

HTH

[DaveB]

Good point, unless iPads can be run without iTunes they'll still need a pc/laptop to plug the ipad into.
So even more reason to just give them a laptop

The iPads can run iTunes themselves and have built in wireless, so all they need is an access point.

Not saying it's a good idea, but no, they wont need a laptop as well just to run iTunes.

[TimberWolf]

Good point, unless iPads can be run without iTunes they'll still need a pc/laptop to plug the ipad into.
So even more reason to just give them a laptop

Plus they'll probably be out of date within a year.

[Spacecadet]

Shouldn't they have proper laptops like Lenovo Thinkpads or HP Elitebooks? I mean they are going to need something to run iTunes on aren't they?

Good point, unless iPads can be run without iTunes they'll still need a pc/laptop to plug the ipad into.
So even more reason to just give them a laptop

[doodab]

Shouldn't they have proper laptops like Lenovo Thinkpads or HP Elitebooks? I mean they are going to need something to run iTunes on aren't they?

[Spacecadet]

Good for them. Being a local government organisation, the laptops they currently have probably weigh 10 kg, take 25 minutes to start up, and run Windows 98 with ie6.

So just get new laptops at half the price of the iPad

[thunderlizard]

Good for them. Being a local government organisation, the laptops they currently have probably weigh 10 kg, take 25 minutes to start up, and run Windows 98 with ie6. What kind of sad self-destructive country have we become when we are expected to begrudge our own government the best technology? Half the droids in the City have ipads off the back of government contracts and bailouts and nobody bats an eyelid.

[shaunbhoy]

Laptops aren't good enough apparently

Yeah. Way too heavy for the Councillors to carry apparently.

[Spacecadet]

BBC News - iPad trial at Leicester City Council sparks union anger

Laptops aren't good enough apparently