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US Air Force awards $9M contract for up to 18,000 iPads - Page 2

post #41 of 83
3/2/12 at 6:03pm
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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post #42 of 83
3/2/12 at 6:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by realitycheck69 View Post

Glad to see we have a resident racist.

Don't sweat it, he hates everyone.....except himself, his girlfriend (although she's a woman and, therefore, just a sexual object) and Apple users.

Why does Apple bashing and trolling make people feel so good?

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Why does Apple bashing and trolling make people feel so good?

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post #43 of 83
3/2/12 at 6:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dickprinter View Post

Don't sweat it, he hates everyone.....except himself, his girlfriend (although she's a woman and, therefore, just a sexual object) and Apple users.

That's not true. I don't necessarily like all Apple users, it depends.
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post #44 of 83
3/2/12 at 6:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sflocal View Post

Android tablets are pretty much obsolete about 17 hours after they are sold. Most don't even run ICS and those that do already have a history of bailing their customers.

"Android tablets"? I don't know that is. There are only iPads.
"And just like that, everyone here realizes you're just another sweaty little Google licker with an axe to grind and no idea what he's talking about." --addabox
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"And just like that, everyone here realizes you're just another sweaty little Google licker with an axe to grind and no idea what he's talking about." --addabox
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post #45 of 83
3/2/12 at 7:12pm
I wonder if Apple will build a special casing for these units (tough book example) or if a company of some sort will build a tough casing for the iPad itself.
An Apple man since 1977
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An Apple man since 1977
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post #46 of 83
3/2/12 at 7:15pm
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?

This is Air Mobility Command. That was Special Forces Command that canceled their order.
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post #47 of 83
3/2/12 at 7:24pm
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)

Cost has literally nothing to do with it. It has to packaged and labeled a certain way with the government part number. Some companies are accommodating to military requirements for all others it's third parties that step in and repackage re label.
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post #48 of 83
3/2/12 at 7:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by realitycheck69 View Post

Glad to see we have a resident racist.

Don't see that-where is the racism? Not trolling or being sarcastic.
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post #49 of 83
3/2/12 at 7:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdaddyp View Post

Don't see that-where is the racism? Not trolling or being sarcastic.

I believe "General Oogie Boogie" could be construed as racist, but it has been a while since that terminology has had that connotation. The rest just looks like a caricaturization of Zimbabwe's lack of progress and indeed could probably be reapplied to virtually any dictatorial country in a mocking fashion.
PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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PhilBoogie
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post #50 of 83
3/2/12 at 7:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

I believe "General Oogie Boogie" could be construed as racist, but it has been a while since that terminology has had that connotation. The rest just looks like a caricaturization of Zimbabwe's lack of progress and indeed could probably be reapplied to virtually any dictatorial country in a mocking fashion.

Based on the context I think it's safe to say that he meant oogie boogie to denote someone who is primitive to the point of being perceived as less than human.

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post #51 of 83
3/2/12 at 7:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone View Post

Don't they read AI? iPad 3 will launch before the ink dries on that contract.

It doesn't matter to the Military because their procurement procedures are very different than you and I. They test a device they plan to use, in this case the iPad2, and the iPad3 isn't out yet so they can't test it. This is the government and procurement is always slow. The Military will most likely always be a version behind a fast moving company like Apple.
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post #52 of 83
3/2/12 at 7:57pm
is that ipad 2's or ipad 2s as into 2siri ?
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post #53 of 83
3/2/12 at 8:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tcasey View Post

is that ipad 2's or ipad 2s as into 2siri ?

Plural.

And 2S is a silly name to begin with, even before the Siri implication.
PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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post #54 of 83
3/2/12 at 8:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdaddyp View Post

Cost has literally nothing to do with it. It has to packaged and labeled a certain way with the government part number.

???
No it doesn't. It can be a standard COTS item.
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post #55 of 83
3/2/12 at 9:03pm
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?

In this day and age, I can't imagine the military using anything but their own apps and combing through the innards of iOS to ensure everything is tight.

Surprisingly why didn't they fork Android and build a custom, "free" solution?
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post #56 of 83
3/2/12 at 9:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sunilraman View Post

Surprisingly why didn't they fork Android and build a custom, "free" solution?

Closed source adds a level of security. It doesn't mean there are less holes than in open source but they are certainly harder to locate. I go with a closed source solution probably means they don't want to invest the resources into being excessively proactive about closing Android's holes.

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post #57 of 83
3/2/12 at 9:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

And 2S is a silly name to begin with, even before the Siri implication.

True dat.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post

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.

I just saw a Steve Jobs clip this morning from a long time ago. He refers to it as an "inverse pyramid going upwards". An idea blossoming into a vibrant, thriving ecosystem. Unlike the failed decreptitude of the Windows ecosystem, this is quite different.
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post #58 of 83
3/2/12 at 9:16pm
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.

There seems to be be a factual error here regarding the exchange rate, since Zimbabwe completely abandoned its currency at the beginning of 2009 after setting a new standard for hyperinflation. (This is true ... no shit!) Foreign currencies were legalized for transactions in January 2009.

It might be that an annual inflation rate in December 2008 estimated at 650 million googol percent (6.5 × 10^108 percent) - equivalent to an inflation rate of 96% per day - had something to do with it. (Statistics courtesy Wikipedia.)

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post #59 of 83
3/2/12 at 9:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

I believe "General Oogie Boogie" could be construed as racist, but it has been a while since that terminology has had that connotation. The rest just looks like a caricaturization of Zimbabwe's lack of progress and indeed could probably be reapplied to virtually any dictatorial country in a mocking fashion.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post

Based on the context I think it's safe to say that he meant oogie boogie to denote someone who is primitive to the point of being perceived as less than human.

Actually, General Oogie Boogie is real.

I used to play cards with that guy.

Real lucky bastard.

He still owes me ten bucks, if I remember rightly.

Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt.

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Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt.

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post #60 of 83
3/2/12 at 9:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sunilraman View Post

Surprisingly why didn't they fork Android and build a custom, "free" solution?

They probably wanted updates after more than a year.

Plus they probably also wanted to avoid this newspaper headline:

"Virus takes down U.S. Air Force Plane"

Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt.

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post #61 of 83
3/2/12 at 10:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post

Based on the context I think it's safe to say that he meant oogie boogie to denote someone who is primitive to the point of being perceived as less than human.

You mean, in other words (I mean, in Apple ][ 's words) an Android user.

Why does Apple bashing and trolling make people feel so good?

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Why does Apple bashing and trolling make people feel so good?

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post #62 of 83
3/2/12 at 10:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GTR View Post

They probably wanted updates after more than a year.

Plus they probably also wanted to avoid this newspaper headline:

"Virus takes down U.S. Air Force Plane"

Sort of sounds like a "Weekly World News" headline.

"Targeted Ads Take Aim At Air Force!: 4 dead in fatal crash, but they got 10% off coats at Eddie Bauer"
PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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post #63 of 83
3/3/12 at 12:10am
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.

Except has flight certified EFB software. Of course, it can do more. Just keep telling yourself that enough and you might be able to actually sleep better at night.
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post #64 of 83
3/3/12 at 3:52am
I'm pretty sure Jobs himself won't be too happy if his products was used for and partly responsible for the deaths of millions.
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post #65 of 83
3/3/12 at 6:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone View Post

I think they admire Apple's iron fisted control and locked down security policies since they are control freak organizations too.

The ironic part of this post is that the military don't normally use Macs or Mac products precisely because of the tight lockdown of their software. I ask several civilian IT guys why the military doesn't use Macs and almost to the person they said "Macs are too hard to write and overlay code for securing the PC's to our standards," to which I said, so you don't use Macs because their already too secure ... they replied "Yeah, basically." I had to laugh at that one.

iPads are basically the same way as it's indisputable the software is more secure in their Walled Garden then say, Android. However, due to the nature of the software on a tablet, it's hard to overwrite the code and have the item function as intended. The military will likely use the software that comes with the iPads, which is why they likely chose the more secure iPad over an Android tablet.

We'll still never see Macs in the military work environment, which is kinda sad, but it's what we have.
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post #66 of 83
3/3/12 at 7:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sunilraman View Post

In this day and age, I can't imagine the military using anything but their own apps and combing through the innards of iOS to ensure everything is tight.

Surprisingly why didn't they fork Android and build a custom, "free" solution?

The US government is already building out and using a customized version of Android for use in areas where security is important. There's even specific Android-based phones already approved for use by DoD in areas where communications security is the utmost concern. No apple products are yet approved for those uses.

I think SolipsismX already knows "holes" in Android are certainly no worse than those in iOS and Android is definitely easier to lock down than iOS is for now. He's just making up for mentioning how good Chrome security is in another thread.

melior diabolus quem scies

"No theatrics and no more personal attacks, just stick to the logic and tell me why I don't have any argument ~ Jragosta/2012

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melior diabolus quem scies

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post #67 of 83
3/3/12 at 7:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

I believe "General Oogie Boogie" could be construed as racist, but it has been a while since that terminology has had that connotation. The rest just looks like a caricaturization of Zimbabwe's lack of progress and indeed could probably be reapplied to virtually any dictatorial country in a mocking fashion.

Huh? Is Zimbabwe a country or "race"? My dictionary says it's a country.
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post #68 of 83
3/3/12 at 8:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post

Based on the context I think it's safe to say that he meant oogie boogie to denote someone who is primitive to the point of being perceived as less than human.

The top search results for the words "oogie boogie" returns links to Tim Burton's A Nightmare Before Christmas
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post #69 of 83
3/3/12 at 8:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris_CA View Post

???
No it doesn't. It can be a standard COTS item.

It could be but 18,000 units at that price? I am going to do a little digging and see how they are procuring these.
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post #70 of 83
3/3/12 at 9:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdaddyp View Post

Cost has literally nothing to do with it. It has to packaged and labeled a certain way with the government part number. Some companies are accommodating to military requirements for all others it's third parties that step in and repackage re label.

You also have to be on the GSA list. I'm not sure if Apple is, but they should be.

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post #71 of 83
3/3/12 at 9:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pennywse View Post

We'll still never see Macs in the military work environment, which is kinda sad, but it's what we have.

The military has been researching and implementing the use of all different OS platforms as to not become vulnerable to a single point of failure in case of an attack on their network. A Windows virus does not usually infect a Mac and visa versa. Same with Linux.

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post #72 of 83
3/3/12 at 9:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post

The top search results for the words "oogie boogie" returns links to Tim Burton's A Nightmare Before Christmas

There was concern that name for the boogie man would be seen as racist, but that's beside the point. A term that was never used in a racist way can seen be racist if the context implies otherwise.

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post #73 of 83
3/3/12 at 4:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post

The US government is already building out and using a customized version of Android for use in areas where security is important. There's even specific Android-based phones already approved for use by DoD in areas where communications security is the utmost concern. No apple products are yet approved for those uses.

I think SolipsismX already knows "holes" in Android are certainly no worse than those in iOS and Android is definitely easier to lock down than iOS is for now. He's just making up for mentioning how good Chrome security is in another thread.

No, NSA has produced a secure variant of Android which is available to vendors who wish to produce adequately secure cell phones. There are two variants of this variant, one for government sales and one for commercial use. To date, no "secure Android phones" have been marketed; they may show up in the fall. The question of 'holes' in iOS is a non-sequator because Apple probably has not submitted the SW to NSA for testing.

The US Army moved its non-secure network onto Mac HW/SW in the late 90s because of 'security concerns'; it still runs on Macs.

Cheers
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post #74 of 83
3/3/12 at 4:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by minicapt View Post

No, NSA has produced a secure variant of Android which is available to vendors who wish to produce adequately secure cell phones. There are two variants of this variant, one for government sales and one for commercial use. To date, no "secure Android phones" have been marketed; they may show up in the fall. The question of 'holes' in iOS is a non-sequator because Apple probably has not submitted the SW to NSA for testing.

The US Army moved its non-secure network onto Mac HW/SW in the late 90s because of 'security concerns'; it still runs on Macs.

Cheers

The Dell Venue smartphone with their 2.2 variant is already approved according to news reports from late last year.
http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/28/2...rtment-defense

The Dell Streak 5 is also approved as of January this year according to this article.
http://gcn.com/articles/2012/01/05/d...m-for-dod.aspx

What you might instead be referring to is the NSA's plan to move to commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) Android phones for their secure classified uses since all the proper standards exist already for Android. So far they haven't identified a standard commercially available phone that meets all their needs and so they were forced into a modified Android OS as a stop-gap. They expect off-the-shelf Android phones to be available for NSA classified communications needs later in the year.

Kudos for being aware of that tho. Are you perhaps involved with the project in some way?

melior diabolus quem scies

"No theatrics and no more personal attacks, just stick to the logic and tell me why I don't have any argument ~ Jragosta/2012

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melior diabolus quem scies

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post #75 of 83
3/3/12 at 5:02pm
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.

That $520 includes support and setup ($9.36m/18,000), which seems to me that means they are picking up the iPads themselves pretty cheap.
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post #76 of 83
3/3/12 at 7:24pm
I see the Air Force getting a free copy of "Angry Air Force Birds".
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post #77 of 83
3/4/12 at 12:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Fred 1 View Post

I see the Air Force getting a free copy of "Angry Air Force Birds".

I wonder if pilots are playing Fight Control HD on flights...

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post #78 of 83
3/4/12 at 5:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post

The Dell Venue smartphone with their 2.2 variant is already approved according to news reports from late last year.
http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/28/2...rtment-defense

The Dell Streak 5 is also approved as of January this year according to this article.
http://gcn.com/articles/2012/01/05/d...m-for-dod.aspx

What you might instead be referring to is the NSA's plan to move to commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) Android phones for their secure classified uses since all the proper standards exist already for Android. So far they haven't identified a standard commercially available phone that meets all their needs and so they were forced into a modified Android OS as a stop-gap. They expect off-the-shelf Android phones to be available for NSA classified communications needs later in the year.

Kudos for being aware of that tho. Are you perhaps involved with the project in some way?

No, your original cite was for general purpose/unsecure military use, as per your subsequent links. My reference was to the creation of a "secure" OS for uses supervised by NSA. The intent from NSA is that vendors can create their own 'secure' phones using the specs and SW from NSA.

I'm not involved in the project, but I was Security Officer of a unit which had oversight by NSA.

Cheers
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post #79 of 83
3/4/12 at 6:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by minicapt View Post

No, your original cite was for general purpose/unsecure military use, as per your subsequent links. My reference was to the creation of a "secure" OS for uses supervised by NSA. The intent from NSA is that vendors can create their own 'secure' phones using the specs and SW from NSA.

I'm not involved in the project, but I was Security Officer of a unit which had oversight by NSA.

Cheers

I guess you confused me when I said there were already specific Android phones approved by the DoD for areas "where communications security is the utmost concern" and you said "No".

Quoted from my second link:
"The Defense Information Systems Agency has certified a secure Android-based mobile system for use by Defense Department agencies. The system allows DOD personnel to sign, encrypt and decrypt e-mail, and securely access data from a smart phone or tablet computer.
... Developed by Good Technology for use on DOD-approved Dell Streak 5 smart phones, the capability meets DOD Directive 8100.2 that requires the use of secure, multipurpose Internet mail extension together with with a DOD common access card and interoperability with the DOD’s public-key infrastructure. "

So what was your "No" referring to?

melior diabolus quem scies

"No theatrics and no more personal attacks, just stick to the logic and tell me why I don't have any argument ~ Jragosta/2012

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melior diabolus quem scies

"No theatrics and no more personal attacks, just stick to the logic and tell me why I don't have any argument ~ Jragosta/2012

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post #80 of 83
3/4/12 at 9:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dickprinter View Post

Don't sweat it, he hates everyone.....except himself, his girlfriend (although she's a woman and, therefore, just a sexual object) and Apple users.

Actually, that should be "and US Apple users". He doesn't give a rat's a** about anyone from the "3rd world" who is an Apple User either!!
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