US Air Force awards $9M contract for up to 18,000 iPads

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 82
    macinthe408macinthe408 Posts: 1,050member
    Quote:

    minimum of 63 and a maximum of 18,000 iPad 2"



    Government actuaries.



    Reminds me of that Steven Wright line, "A few years ago...oh wait, it was last night."
  • Reply 22 of 82
    sierrajeffsierrajeff Posts: 366member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wiggin View Post


    It's not like they are going to hand an airman an off-the-shelf iPad and tell him/her to go plug it into iTunes to install the software and datafiles it needs.



    Want to bomb Iran back to the Stone Age? There's an app for that!



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Woodlink View Post


    "It was open to everybody," Ferrero said. "We weren't going to any specific vendor."



    Right, whatever.



    23 companies submitted bids with NO chance of winning.



    iPad rules.



    Uh, seriously? The bid *for iPads* went out to 23 vendors. Note, if you read the article, that it isn't Apple selling the iPads to the Air Force, it's an outside *vendor*.... for all the reasons Wiggin states.
  • Reply 23 of 82
    The Air Force still forces us to use blackberry telephones for email. Something wrong here...maybe in time RIM will lose their grip on the government's communications.
  • Reply 24 of 82
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by l008com View Post


    It seems very weird to me that they would buy iPads from a 3rd party instead of direct from Apple. How could a 3rd party be cheaper than direct from Apple, if the 3rd party also has to make money? Apple would have to be selling the iPads to the 3rd party cheaper than they were willing to sell them to the air force?? (although I'm very tired so my logic might not make sense)



    I imagine that Apple was very closely involved with the offer from the supplier. You know that they're a special specification in one way or another.
  • Reply 25 of 82
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    And in related news, the Royal Zimbabwean Air Force announced today that it had struck an exclusive deal to be supplied with Android tablets for all of their planes. The deal is rumored to be worth as much as 257 million Zimbabwean dollars, which roughly translates into $14,250 US Dollars. These Android tablets will be used primarily for flight manuals, though only on very short distance flights, as the batteries will die out after 3.5 hours. To alleviate this problem, each pilot will be furnished with at least 4 Android tablets which they must carry with them at all times, otherwise they will instantly get their legs chopped off for neglecting their duties.



    Commenting on this historic deal to the AP, General Ooogie Boogie, supreme commander of the Zimbabwean Air Force said "We chose Android tablets, because they are clearly the best tablets around. We love widgets in Zimbabwe, and rooting is practically a national pastime for us. We also love the green Droid character. It is very cute."



    NZSA, the National Zimbabwean Space Agency, will also be getting a special delivery of these Android tablets and using a newly acquired Android tablet during a test flight last week, they managed to launch a space craft a full 68 feet into the air, shattering all previously held records.



    Another plane unfortunately crashed last week, killing all 7 people onboard including the pilots, but that was due to Google Ads popping up when the pilots were trying to navigate and land the plane. The colorful yet annoying flash ads triggered multiple seizures. A senior member of the military commented that "Such is the cost of using Freeware. A few lives might go lost here and there, but we still get to play Angry Birds for free, and that's what matters most."
  • Reply 26 of 82
    Too bad they had to put in the "or similar unit clause". The Asus transformer prime does way more at the same price.
  • Reply 27 of 82
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    And in related news, the Royal Zimbabwean Air Force announced today that it had struck an exclusive deal to be supplied with Android tablets for all of their planes. The deal is rumored to be worth as much as 257 million Zimbabwean dollars, which roughly translates into $14,250 US Dollars. These Android tablets will be used primarily for flight manuals, though only on very short distance flights, as the batteries will die out after 3.5 hours. To alleviate this problem, each pilot will be furnished with at least 4 Android tablets which they must carry with them at all times, otherwise they will instantly get their legs chopped off for neglecting their duties.



    Commenting on this historic deal to the AP, General Ooogie Boogie, supreme commander of the Zimbabwean Air Force said "We chose Android tablets, because they are clearly the best tablets around. We love widgets in Zimbabwe, and rooting is practically a national pastime for us. We also love the green Droid character. It is very cute."



    NZSA, the National Zimbabwean Space Agency, will also be getting a special delivery of these Android tablets and using a newly acquired Android tablet during a test flight last week, they managed to launch a space craft a full 68 feet into the air, shattering all previously held records.



    Another plane unfortunately crashed last week, killing all 7 people onboard including the pilots, but that was due to Google Ads popping up when the pilots were trying navigate and land the plane. The colorful yet annoying flash ads triggered multiple seizures. A senior member of the military commented that "Such is the cost of using Freeware. A few lives might go lost here and there, but we still get to play Angry Birds for free, and that's what matters most."



    Glad to see we have a resident racist.
  • Reply 28 of 82
    myapplelovemyapplelove Posts: 1,515member
    Good to see apples golden contract with the good old ns of a is paying off.
  • Reply 29 of 82
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by realitycheck69 View Post


    The Asus transformer prime does way more at the same price.



    Sure it does.
  • Reply 30 of 82
    jd_in_sbjd_in_sb Posts: 1,600member
    18,000 iPads is about 3 hours worth of Apple iPad sales
  • Reply 31 of 82
    franckfranck Posts: 135member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Ferrero said the contract price per unit came with a substantial discount which dropped the tablet's $599 retail price down to around $520.



    Well $79 out of 599 is NOT substantial and nothing to brag about.

    In fact, it's pretty lame for a few thousand units.
  • Reply 32 of 82
    monstrositymonstrosity Posts: 2,234member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by APPLEBIRD View Post


    Are you that foolish ??





    Keep up.
  • Reply 33 of 82
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by realitycheck69 View Post


    Glad to see we have a resident racist.



    And I'm glad to see that we have an apologist for racist dictators here, as you might want to check out who somebody called Mugabe is. You seem to know as little about the world as you do about tech, since you are an Apple hater on an Apple forum afterall.
  • Reply 34 of 82
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Franck View Post


    Well $79 out of 599 is NOT substantial and nothing to brag about.

    In fact, it's pretty lame for a few thousand units.



    13% off when they don't have to discount them all is nothing? If they buy 18k that's a discount of $1,422,000 without even including any sales tax. That seems substantial to me.
  • Reply 35 of 82
    lostkiwilostkiwi Posts: 639member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    And in related news, the Royal Zimbabwean Air Force announced today that it had struck an exclusive deal to be supplied with Android tablets for all of their planes. The deal is rumored to be worth as much as 257 million Zimbabwean dollars, which roughly translates into $14,250 US Dollars. These Android tablets will be used primarily for flight manuals, though only on very short distance flights, as the batteries will die out after 3.5 hours. To alleviate this problem, each pilot will be furnished with at least 4 Android tablets which they must carry with them at all times, otherwise they will instantly get their legs chopped off for neglecting their duties.



    Commenting on this historic deal to the AP, General Ooogie Boogie, supreme commander of the Zimbabwean Air Force said "We chose Android tablets, because they are clearly the best tablets around. We love widgets in Zimbabwe, and rooting is practically a national pastime for us. We also love the green Droid character. It is very cute."



    NZSA, the National Zimbabwean Space Agency, will also be getting a special delivery of these Android tablets and using a newly acquired Android tablet during a test flight last week, they managed to launch a space craft a full 68 feet into the air, shattering all previously held records.



    Another plane unfortunately crashed last week, killing all 7 people onboard including the pilots, but that was due to Google Ads popping up when the pilots were trying to navigate and land the plane. The colorful yet annoying flash ads triggered multiple seizures. A senior member of the military commented that "Such is the cost of using Freeware. A few lives might go lost here and there, but we still get to play Angry Birds for free, and that's what matters most."



    Good one
  • Reply 36 of 82
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by realitycheck69 View Post


    Too bad they had to put in the "or similar unit clause". The Asus transformer prime does way more at the same price.



    Right. Keep telling yourself that. The tens of millions of happy iPad users, plus a soon-to-be 18,000 military pilots trusted with keeping the U.S.A. safe by using iPads instead of has-been-wannabe-iPad-clones are just a bunch of iSheeps.



    Better click the heels of those ruby-red slippers of yours. That too is probably powered by Android and as usual, the batteries are probably dead.
  • Reply 37 of 82
    dick applebaumdick applebaum Posts: 12,527member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    Possibly, but I've read plenty of comments by forum members that have tried to order multiple iPads and iPhones for their company and have had to wait months because securing multiple units is difficult. I can't imagine what it's like to secure 18,000. Plus, when it comes to bulk discounts that becomes less desirable for Apple when they can ship as many as they make regardless.



    The long-term be benefits to Apple of a purchase like this, are amazing...



    Consider that when it comes time for additional purchases, replacements and upgrades -- likely there will be a requirement for compatibility with the existing devices (operation, training, maintenance, etc.).



    For example, my Dad's company got his brake master cylinder written into the specs for tank steering by FMC Corp. For each part installed 4 replacement parts were sold for every location that serviced tanks.



    Then, the Army used the tank specs to source brake master cylinders for the Bradley Military Vehiclle.



    Over the life of the product, Dad's company sold hundreds of units for each original unit sold to FMC.



  • Reply 38 of 82
    dickprinterdickprinter Posts: 1,060member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Wait, didn't they just forgo iPads for some other tablet and software written by one of our former enemies, or what was that?



    Jeeze, where you been? That news was sooooo last week.
  • Reply 39 of 82
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by realitycheck69 View Post


    The Asus transformer prime does way more at the same price.



    Give the Air Force Android tablets?



    Now that's a surefire way to get some Angry Birds!
  • Reply 40 of 82
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Wait, didn't they just forgo iPads for some other tablet and software written by one of our former enemies, or what was that?



    Yes, which I think was bs. I think they cancelled that plan cause a custom app would be better and that is the key part of this bid and contract



    What I wonder is if there is an adjustment clause when the iPad 2 goes down in price next week
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