US Airforce orders up to 18.000 IPads

**CrackedBarry** · 03-02-2012, 10:21 PM

So the rumour was true, and the deal is done. The US Airforce is buying IPads to replace paper manuals. Bad time to buy, considering the iPad is about to fall in price, but they DID get a nice 70$ discount...

U.S. Air Force plans to order up to 18,000 iPads

**Peritaxis** · 03-02-2012, 10:30 PM

What a waste of taxpayers money.

Isn't the US in some huge deficit and was almost hitting its debt ceiling only a few months ago?

I can find better use for the $9.36 million... like Medicaid, and welfare.

**avt123** · 03-02-2012, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by Peritaxis

What a waste of taxpayers money.

Isn't the US in some huge deficit and was almost hitting its debt ceiling only a few months ago?

I can find better use for the $9.36 million... like Medicaid, and welfare.

The military doesn't seem to have a limit in spending money.

**BaconMunch** · 03-02-2012, 11:20 PM

The competition drew 24 proposals from interested companies, Ferrero said. She wouldn’t name the companies or say whether Cupertino, California-based Apple responded to the request. The command’s decision was based in part on the lowest- priced offer, she said.

I'd like to see how they can justify that as well as contracting iPad 2's with the next iteration being released likely one month away.

**CrackBerryTorch9800** · 03-05-2012, 03:41 PM

This is weird to me because a month ago the ipad was considered out of the running and the playbook was the leader. I wonder what happened.

**TruTexan** · 03-05-2012, 08:06 PM

This really makes me mad in its stupidity. The USAF has used Blackberries exclusively for the past 5-8 years for mobile devices. Buying Playbooks makes perfect sense since it is the BB companion. The military uses BB's because they can be CAC enabled.

What happened? I'll tell you what happened. Some high-ranking muckety-muck at the Pentagon doesn't know his head from a hole in the ground and got an iPad for Christmas. Problem is, as of today, it's not an approved product for use on the AF GIG. Had RIM released 2.0 just a couple of months earlier, the PB would be it. Well, I've shown my PB and it's Bridge feature to someone who purchases for the USAF. He was impressed and wants to go that route. Just because one unit bought Apple, doesn't mean the rest of the military, or even the rest of the USAF will.

**garrett** · 03-05-2012, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by TruTexan

This really makes me mad in its stupidity. The USAF has used Blackberries exclusively for the past 5-8 years for mobile devices. Buying Playbooks makes perfect sense since it is the BB companion. The military uses BB's because they can be CAC enabled.

unfortunately even the military doesn't want to invest in a company with a very uncertain future.

this isn't the 1st government entity that is dropping a RIM device for an iOS device. I'm sure there will be more of this to come.

**tchocky77** · 03-05-2012, 11:08 PM

Since they needed tablets for viewing aircraft manuals, they might have needed a decent PDF reader. That alone eliminates the PlayBook from serious consideration.

**garrett** · 03-07-2012, 07:09 PM

like i said this is just the start of a long list of Government entities that heres another thats ditching blackberry for an iOS device.

US alcohol and firearms regulator abandons BlackBerry for iPhone, other[b][/b]platforms

**kg4icg** · 03-08-2012, 10:05 AM

Well if you really look at it, so far they only ordered 63 to put thru evaluation before the jump on the rest which might not happen.

p.s. just a little something to think about. There isn't a single Apple product that has a Mil Spec rating to meet required minimums for operation.

**TruTexan** · 05-25-2012, 08:13 PM

Just went through IAO training and we were emphatically told not to sign off on iPad purchases bc they will not be approved by Base Comm to work on the network Cant use the hotspot even at the Starbucks on base. Its essentially a paper weight.

Now the PB? That's another story!

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk

**G550Pilot** · 05-25-2012, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by tchocky77

Since they needed tablets for viewing aircraft manuals, they might have needed a decent PDF reader. That alone eliminates the PlayBook from serious consideration.

This is exactly why my Playbook was returned!

And using a tablet for manuals SAVES a lot of money in a relative short time. Paper manual are thousands of pages thick and are updated constantly. Nevermind the weight they take up flying them around.

Even the airlines (as cheap as you can get) are going all iPads as it makes financial sense.

**tchocky77** · 05-26-2012, 12:04 AM

Originally Posted by TruTexan

Now the PB? That's another story!

Why? Because of all those Play books the military is buying up?

G550,

Are you an Honest to Gosh 550 driver? I spent some time in Navy VR squadrons and got to fly on one from Andrews to Kaneohe once. Holy crap that is one sweet ride! My life's dream now is to someday get aboard a 650. My first purchase one I hit powerball one of these days! lol.

**G550Pilot** · 05-26-2012, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by tchocky77

Why? Because of all those Play books the military is buying up?

G550,

Are you an Honest to Gosh 550 driver? I spent some time in Navy VR squadrons and got to fly on one from Andrews to Kaneohe once. Holy crap that is one sweet ride! My life's dream now is to someday get aboard a 650. My first purchase one I hit powerball one of these days! lol.

LOL - yes. Its a nice way to travel!....but I just drive the thing. Big difference as compared to Mr Rich riding in back.

650's will be out soon, no desire to fly one...the thing will stay in the air like 18hours. Thats just getting painful!

**TruTexan** · 05-26-2012, 08:55 AM

The PDF reader on my PB works great. Since the new OS release last Feb I've had no problems. DocsToGo is native, no addn'l tethering fee is required to get online, HDMI does presentations and turns the bb phone into a remote, expandable memory, etc. etc. PB is definitely where it's at as far as a working tablet.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk

**qbnkelt** · 05-26-2012, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by TruTexan

Just went through IAO training and we were emphatically told not to sign off on iPad purchases bc they will not be approved by Base Comm to work on the network Cant use the hotspot even at the Starbucks on base. Its essentially a paper weight.

Now the PB? That's another story!

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk

Might be concerns about the "S" word...you know....that thing nobody cares about?

Wait, some people do care about "S" words such as security and sensitive...in regards to information being leaked...

IBM fears Siri