California state agencies have spent $423,000 on iPads

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
The state of California has spent $423,000 on iPads over the past 19 months, generating outrage by one rural assembly member who didn't realize the device is actually cheaper than the laptops it replaces.

California has struggled to control government spending, with Governor Jerry Brown having made headlines over order that took away cars and mobile phones from government employees. But the state's efforts to appear austere in its expenditures has inflamed reactions to a provocative report that points out that its government agencies are still buying iPads at a regular clip.

A report by San Francisco Chronicle populist investigators Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross, who regularly dig up controversy, notes that nearly more than half of the iPads bought by California were purchased "from agencies that report to the governor."

The duo stated that the Department of Veteran Affairs spent $95,000 on 127 iPads, while the Department of Water Resources paid $65,416 for around 62, the Department of General Services paid $33,539 for 66 iPads and highway agency Caltrans spent $33,539 on around 30.

After the state's Department of Motor Vehicles bought more than two dozen iPads, Matier and Ross complained to the governor, who in turn ordered that the DMV return 11, including one that had been given to the agency's director George Valverde.

Matier and Ross even found an upset assembly woman from rural Tulare willing to complain about iPads publicly. According to Connie Conway, the purchase of iPads under the governor's administration is "just the kind of double standard that outrages taxpaying citizens and explains why they don't trust us."

Matier and Ross subsequently asked the governors' press secretary Gil Duran if iPads were "little more than a luxury that sends the wrong message during hard times." The two didn't mention how much in taxes California collects from Apple, now the most valuable public company to have ever existed.

In reply, Duran informed Matier and Ross that a variety of iPads purchased for use by doctors and engineers at the VA and Caltrans are being used to replace more expensive laptops, before adding, "everyone who has one in the governor's office paid for it personally."

Other agencies, such as the Department of Insurance, have paid out about $31,000 for 31 iPads "funded largely through fees and assessments on the insurance industry," with Apple's iPad being part of a pilot program to increase efficiency and support the agency's green/paperless initiatives.

Government loves the iPad, too

Apple has marketed its iPad most directly to consumers, but it has proven to be a tremendous hit within the enterprise, both by private corporations and government agencies.

In February, just after the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced plans to switch from RIM's Blackberry to Apple's iPhone and iPad, the U.S. federal General Services Administration added Apple's iOS devices to its approved purchasing list across the agencies for which it manages $70 billion in spending.

A month later, the The U.S. Air Force awarded a $9.36 million contract to buy up to 18,000 iPads for use as electronic flight bags, which commercial airlines have already adopted as a way to improve efficiency and even reduce fuel costs.

Obama
President Obama shown with an iPad 2. Photo via The White House.


The iPhone and iPad have since muscled past the once entrenched position of Canadian RIM's Blackberry throughout the U.S. in both federal and state government, with one report noting, "even President Obama, a BlackBerry devotee, has upgraded. He now owns an iPad, and it has been seen on his desk and under his arm."

Government spending has become so important for Apple that when it realized that backing out of the EPEAT program would trigger automatic barriers to adoption among agencies that require buyers to select EPEAT-listed devices, it acknowledged the decision was a "mistake" and reverted it the next week.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 47


    it's ridiculous that people are complaining about that. iPads are cheaper than laptops, people think Apple is only for rich people. It pisses me off. It is such a bad stereotype. I go into the less priveliged areas of my state, and everyone is walking around with the latest iPhone. It makes me mad that people think that I am super wealthy just because I have a few Apple products. 

  • Reply 2 of 47
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by logandigges View Post

    I go into the less priveliged areas of my state, and everyone is walking around with the latest iPhone.


     


    Oh, that's just because of mismanagement of welfare funds. Can't pay the bills, but they buy $150 sneakers and iPhones for the kids.


     


    I knew this thread was gonna get political from the title out… 

  • Reply 3 of 47
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member


    Caltrans just spent $10s of millions upgrading the train crossing and overpasses so they could travel through the upscale community of Irvine, CA without having to blow the horn because the residents did not like the noise (thank you very much). So Caltrans spends $33,539 on iPads which is likely a budget cut anyway and it causes an uproar. Go figure.

  • Reply 4 of 47


    It's the age old story, everybody forgets the running costs and the overall effect an item has in an organisation. If the work becomes more efficient, and technology and printing costs fall, that's a saving in real financial terms. It's just that nobody reports the money saved, only the up front costs - and the Applecentric part of the press is just as bad as the critics for doing this!

  • Reply 5 of 47
    jmc54jmc54 Posts: 207member


    Someone needs to show this guy a proper salute!

  • Reply 6 of 47


    Some reporter should be writing a story about the costs/savings associated with adoption of iPhone and iPad both in government and enterprise.  I'm really curious to know how much of a savings or cost there is to replacing other smart (or dumb) phones with an iPhone as well as how much some businesses have saved when they allow their employees to purchase an iPhone (and/or iPad) on their own dime compared to a company purchase of a competing phone or tablet.  And to know what the projected savings could be over time if, there is a real savings in IT expenditures caused by Apple product adoption, compared to continued IT spending supporting other systems.  I have to think that ease of use of Apple OS or iOS and quality of hardware (for the most part) show a real measurable return compared to the cheap (for now) PC and Android solutions that require teams of staff to manage.

  • Reply 7 of 47
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jmc54 View Post


    Someone needs to show this guy a proper salute!



    Maybe a "corpseman" can show him how.

  • Reply 8 of 47
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jmc54 View Post


    Someone needs to show this guy a proper salute!



     


    The President of the United States is a civilian. He is not a member of the US Military and is therefore not entitled to salute. The military salute is a privilege earned by honorable service in the military. 


     


    One of the core principles of our country is our military is under civilian control. The President is that civilian authority over the military as is the Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the branches of the armed services.  


     


    In the photo above the president is communicating a very informal at ease gesture.
  • Reply 9 of 47
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jmc54 View Post


    Someone needs to show this guy a proper salute!



     


    Why? He isn't military. Further, as I recall, Clinton had a pretty weak salute too, and he was by far one of the better Presidents in recent memory. Hey, Bubba even dodged the draft. 


     


    You don't need to be able to pick up a weapon and kill someone with it, or be an ultra-patriot, in order to be a great President. 

  • Reply 10 of 47
    jkichlinejkichline Posts: 1,369member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    Oh, that's just because of mismanagement of welfare funds. Can't pay the bills, but they buy $150 sneakers and iPhones for the kids.


     


    I knew this thread was gonna get political from the title out… 



    Um, it's an article about "state agencies". It's political by it's very nature.

  • Reply 11 of 47

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jmc54 View Post


    Someone needs to show this guy a proper salute!



    Gee, what might that be? The way a 4-star general of the US army does it? Is that how our presidents do it? All of them?

  • Reply 12 of 47
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    mstone wrote: »
    The President of the United States is a civilian. He is not a member of the US Military and is therefore not entitled to salute. The military salute is a privilege earned by honorable service in the military. 

    Geez. People will whine about anything.

    In other news, the President is criticized for NOT saluting:
    http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/o/obama-arlington-salute.htm

    In reality, he's the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces. As Commander, he should be saluted and he has the right to salute back. End of story.
    http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/salute.htm
    (Specifically, look under "persons entitled to a salute")
  • Reply 13 of 47

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    Maybe a "corpseman" can show him how.



    What does that mean? I am not getting your pun (if that's what was intended).

  • Reply 14 of 47
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by jkichline View Post

    Um, it's an article about "state agencies". It's political by it's very nature.


     


    That's why I said it. image

  • Reply 15 of 47
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


     


    "...as I recall, Clinton had a pretty weak salute too, and he was by far one of the better Presidents in recent memory. Hey, Bubba even dodged the draft."



     


    Oh, dear. This is going to be one of those threads.

  • Reply 16 of 47
    don108don108 Posts: 79member


    The most expensive iPad is $829. How did the Dept of Insurance pay $1000 each? How did the  Department of Water Resources spend $1055 each?  How did Caltrans spend almost $1118 each? 

  • Reply 17 of 47

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


     


    The President of the United States is a civilian. He is not a member of the US Military and is therefore not entitled to salute. The military salute is a privilege earned by honorable service in the military. 


     


    One of the core principles of our country is our military is under civilian control. The President is that civilian authority over the military as is the Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the branches of the armed services.  


     


    In the photo above the president is communicating a very informal at ease gesture.



    The Commander (do I need to place that in quotes) in Cheif is the head of the military, all the military. And as such is able to return a salute. What military were you in that you think there is a gesture for at ease? Every time he walks onto a military base, installation or ship or plane, everyone in the room will stand at attention, and someone will shout "Attention on deck!" (because he is the Commander in Chief).



    Because I was in the USN, I always brace when I see military salute uncovered (that is without a hat on) because the Navy is kind of funny about that. But the other services, not so much. And you can salute anyone you like, there is no law against it. You are compelled to salute officers (and as Commander in Cheif, he is an Officer, well THE Officer, if you will).

  • Reply 18 of 47


    Maybe they got insurance and a volume discount.

  • Reply 19 of 47
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by WisdomSeed View Post


    Maybe they got insurance and a volume discount.



    Likely.

  • Reply 20 of 47


    Deleted by me

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