Schools around the United States are beginning to use iPads in the classroom, including here in Connecticut.
These recent reports got me wondering whether our state government – infamously behind the eight ball when it comes to technology - has yet embraced the iPad.
No.
But according to the Department of Administrative Services, Connecticut officials may soon enter into a contract to purchase models of the iPad’s rival, Hewlett-Packard TouchPads.
“I am told there is a contract in the works for HP computer pads (not iPads) but that this is not yet final and none have been distributed yet,” DAS Spokesman Jeffrey Beckham wrote in an e-mail. “Each agency would have to determine the business need for the equipment. Obviously for personnel in the field it may enhance their efficiency and productivity.”
This fits state government’s pattern of never being quite on the cutting edge of technology, since HP in August announced a decision to stop producing the tablets.
I guess the glass half full view is that state government is saving taxpayer dollars by investing in the HP tech, since it’s now cheaper…
The state has also not embraced the iPhone, instead distributing, according to Beckham, around 1,000 rival BlackBerrys.
“The current count of active BlackBerrys is 1,007. Adds and deletes of BlackBerrys are a daily occurrence so the number is always moving,” Beckham wrote. “BlackBerry users are authorized by individual agency managers and represent those personnel with whom the agency has a business need to be in touch after normal business hours or who may be in the field a substantial amount of the time.”
I completely agree w/MrLogical & Liberty. I’ll add this – what’s with all the fawning over everything Apple?
MrLogical, I agree with your logic.
The state is in dire financial straits and yet our clueless leaders continue to spend money that we don’t have. HP Touch Pads or iPads – we can’t afford either. The state’s risky adventure in genomics – $350M for the possibility of ~300 jobs in ~5 years – is another example. Why are scarce taxpayer dollars being put at risk when the NH research company isn’t investing any of its own money?
Stop spending money we don’t have.
Vote out the spendthrift Democrats in November.