Councillors to get iPads.
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Wrexham Council say to replace the aged laptops now used by Councillors would cost £36400 . That works out at £700 per laptop for the 52 Councillors ,even allowing for some software costs , that seems expensive. It would be very interesting to read the details of the specifications used to arrive at that figure. Particularly high specifications would give a high unit cost and make the purchase of IPads seem a much cheaper option at £23500, £450 per Councillor. The £36400 might of course be the original sum paid for the laptops currently used by Councillors!
They will be Fujitsu Siemens laptops on a corporate contract. Where I work we pay extortionate prices for Viglen desktop machines on a supposed ‘value for money contract’.
I know many councillors don’t even use the laptops they were given so I don’t understand why they need the iPads?
Then there is the problem of printing out work, emails, photos, etc… Are they all going to get “air print” printers?
Next they will want iPad bags?
As the iPad is small & light there isn’t anyway to secure it so perhaps some may go missing?
Some may want external keyboards or blue tooth memory sticks or external hard drives?
The list of available accessories is massive.
You need an iTunes account before you can set up your iPad. So long as you don’t buy any music or films its free, but who is going to control the usage?
What about security? Are councillors going to store things on iCloud?
Will mac software work seamless with micro soft & the council own servers?
What about training for the concillors? Some are only just competent with micro soft & now you want them to learn Mac?
I don’t know the average age of Wrexham councillors but the vast majority are retired or very nearly retired.
I’ve been to many Town centre forum meetings, the council say the internet is FREE but I’ve still not been able to log on & tech support is non existent? If I can’t get online what chance does a councillor have?
In these times of cut backs is the expense of new iPads justified? Councillors already have under utilized laptops, use them & if they want an iPad buy one from there own pocket.@NJones 2145 wrote:
Marketing literature is often done by the secretaries. I’d be impressed if a Mac ever got into any council office; apart from some schools.
Alot of the Marketing literature has gone to a printers, so i’m guessing that either the printers are creating it via inDesign or Quark or a design agency are doing this.
I’m a PC lover, but even I admit that it’s more efficient in terms of costs and time to work on MAC for inDesign or quark work.
@wrexview 2157 wrote:
Wrexham Council say to replace the aged laptops now used by Councillors would cost £36400 . That works out at £700 per laptop for the 52 Councillors ,even allowing for some software costs , that seems expensive. It would be very interesting to read the details of the specifications used to arrive at that figure. Particularly high specifications would give a high unit cost and make the purchase of IPads seem a much cheaper option at £23500, £450 per Councillor. The £36400 might of course be the original sum paid for the laptops currently used by Councillors!
They only need a basic netbook, so no more than 199.
Don’t see why they can’t buy second hand.
Why would they need the 3G model when the majority of the time they will be in an area offering WiFi access?
As stated by others there are a number of other tablet devices that can be used to reduce the need for printing, also will the public get to know if printing costs have reduced as a result of issuing iPads?The public will know if printing costs are reduced as it is one item actually individually identified in the published budget. At least it was last year!
@thewayneinspain 2163 wrote:
Alot of the Marketing literature has gone to a printers, so i’m guessing that either the printers are creating it via inDesign or Quark or a design agency are doing this.
I’m a PC lover, but even I admit that it’s more efficient in terms of costs and time to work on MAC for inDesign or quark work.
Don’t be daft- they get the secretaries to do most of it in MS Publisher then bang it out on the expensive and under used A3 colour laser!
@NJones 2183 wrote:
Don’t be daft- they get the secretaries to do most of it in MS Publisher then bang it out on the expensive and under used A3 colour laser!
Provide examples.
on the subject of ipads… we (the electorate) are to blame for this happening because there is no public display of challenging the decision, just acceptance.
Whilst wrexham suffers from a recession and less jobs in the area, the local policitians feather their own homes with a new gadget. They are out of touch.
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