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

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  • Reply 41 of 82
    dickprinterdickprinter Posts: 1,060member
    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.
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  • Reply 42 of 82
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    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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  • Reply 43 of 82
    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.
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  • Reply 44 of 82
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member
    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.
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  • Reply 45 of 82
    wurm5150wurm5150 Posts: 763member
    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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  • Reply 46 of 82
    bigdaddypbigdaddyp Posts: 811member
    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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  • Reply 47 of 82
    bigdaddypbigdaddyp Posts: 811member
    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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  • Reply 48 of 82
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    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.
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  • Reply 49 of 82
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    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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  • Reply 50 of 82
    ljocampoljocampo Posts: 657member
    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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  • Reply 51 of 82
    tcaseytcasey Posts: 199member
    is that ipad 2's or ipad 2s as into 2siri ?
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  • Reply 52 of 82
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    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.
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  • Reply 53 of 82
    chris_cachris_ca Posts: 2,543member
    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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  • Reply 54 of 82
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    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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  • Reply 55 of 82
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    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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  • Reply 56 of 82
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    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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  • Reply 57 of 82
    kibitzerkibitzer Posts: 1,114member
    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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  • Reply 58 of 82
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    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.
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  • Reply 59 of 82
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    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"
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  • Reply 60 of 82
    dickprinterdickprinter Posts: 1,060member
    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.
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