All 650 MPs In House Of Commons To Receive iPad Air 2

Once the current elections are wrapped up, all 650 members of the House of Commons will receive a special tool to help them perform their tasks. With a funding boost of about $300,000 (£200,000) annually, the MPs will all get an iPad Air 2 and a laptop of unknown make. It's the latest workaround for Apple, who has been diligently working to get the iPad into hands of enterprise, schools, and now government. Questions loom, though, as critics say MPs will be playing games, not passing laws.

Commission chairman John Thurso had the following to say about the move:

A move away from the Apple operating system at this time would incur costs to change these processes. Our requirements are for a secure, SIM-enabled tablet with a good life expectancy and capable of supporting future upgrades. The Apple iPad Air 2 meets these requirements and is competitively priced when compared with similar models. [iPad's are] integrated with current business processes and infrastructure.

The MP for Newcastle upon Tyne things others will use it for gaming, and took a swipe at the iPad's price and image it conveys, saying "locking some of the most powerful people in the country into a platform that most of my constituents can't afford seems like a mistake."

MPs will reportedly be outfit with the 16GB version of the iPad Air 2, which also has cellular connectivity — priced at £499. It's not known if there was some sort of enterprise discount offered for such a large purchase.

Source: The Telegraph