“Issues of size versus extra cost have been raised about the purchase of new laptop computers for Nebraska state senators — although the purchase has plenty of defenders within the Capitol,” Paul Hammel reports for The Omaha World-Herald.
“About 70 new Apple MacBook Air computers were purchased this session for state legislators at a cost of $1,524 each,” Hammel reports. “The aluminum-encased laptops, which can fit inside a 10-by-13-inch Manila envelope, are billed as the ‘world’s thinnest’ notebook computers. They weigh in at a svelte 3 pounds — 5 pounds less than the laptops they replaced — and are 0.75 of an inch thick.”
“At least one state senator, Tony Fulton of Lincoln, has questioned the purchase, saying the Legislature could have managed with less than ‘designer laptops,’ particularly during these tough economic times,” Hammel reports. “The state might have been able to buy laptops for $400 to $500 each, said Fulton, an engineer. ‘The decision was made with proper authority, and I’ll accept it,’ he said, ‘but I don’t like it.'”
MacDailyNews Take: Who wants to bet that Tony Fulton has never used a Mac?
Hammel continues, “Three past and present legislators, and the assistant clerk of the Legislature who recommended the lighter laptops, defended the purchase. They pointed out that Fulton sits on the Appropriations Committee, which authorized the purchase. Fulton said that although he approved an appropriation for renovating the legislative chambers, which included the laptop purchase, committee members were not given details about the computers being purchased.”
Hammel reports, “Dick Brown, assistant clerk of the Legislature, said his office reviewed a handful of other laptop models, ranging in price from $1,100 to $2,200, to replace the Fujitsu Lifebook laptops purchased four years ago. When a MacBook Air was provided to his office for a trial run last summer, Brown said, ‘We stopped looking. The primary reasons were portability and weight.’ Senators carry their laptops home, to their offices and into the legislative chambers, where they use them to display the text of bills and amendments.”
“The assistant clerk said he negotiated a discount for the equipment, from $1,799 per unit to $1,524. The purchase was approved by the Legislature’s executive board and reviewed by the Department of Administrative Services,” Hammel reports. “Brown said the final price was $1 less per unit than the old [Fujitsu Lifebook laptops], whose warranties have expired.”
Hammel reports, “Former State Sen. Pat Engel of South Sioux City was Executive Board chairman when it approved the laptop purchase last year. ‘I think you can always buy something cheaper, but you get what you pay for,’ said Engel [who left because of term limits after 15 years in Lincoln.]”
MacDailyNews Take: Repeal terms limits! Let the voters decide! No forced lame ducks means no stagnation! Engel was obviously a rarity in government and should have be allowed to continue serving for as long he desired.
Hammel continues, “Fulton, who initially said he would refuse a new laptop, said he’s had to renege on that because his old laptop was not compatible with the new programming.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
Macs are better off in the halls of commerce, education and science — where they do real work.
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Although, the possible upside is the senators would probably be so enchanted by OS X that they’d forget to pass laws, write no more regulations/rules and leave people alone, for once. (Peace and quiet at last!)
And what am I supposed to be envious about? I have a great machine already — my 15″ MacBook Pro.
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Zune Tang® that was priceless.
The Senators wanted weight savings and portability, and the taxpayers investment will save money in the long term.
My guess is that they wanted to do away with Winblows, and had many problems with Windblows (malware, etc.) that diverted their attention from their most important duties.
My hat’s off to them. They sound like a smarter bunch than most states.
@winmacguy
You hit the proverbial nail. I work with an engineering company, and man they just don’t get it. They are so so so far into details, they can only seem to understand simple compairsons. i.e. Dell costs less than Apple, hence Dell is a better “buy”.
Engineers don’t spend time or thought about making things easier and more secure for the users.
First point, Nebraska is not in a recession. The economy here is Ag based and not suffering.
Second if you don’t know Ernie Chambers, don’t try to defend him. The guy was worthless, I would challenge anyone to come up with one useful bit of work he did in all his years. His bills were silly, rangeing from raising the speed limit (he was well known for his fighting his many speeding tickets) and trying to get students football players to receive money from taxpayers.
finally Nebraska schools are NOT short on computers, suggesting otherwise comes from left-winged knee jerk reaction that there is always more that can be done when in fact, our schools in Nebraska are over populated with computers (and T.V.s) in the classrooms.
“The state might have been able to buy laptops for $400 to $500 each …”. I assume that the balance of the virus software and required programs will be pirated. The regular IT expenses will be written off to another budget line item so the cheep laptops look good. Politicians and Idiots!
Buyers who SEEK OUT and settle for cheap shit don’t just do it with their computers – they do it across the board and so the entire perspective of quality and efficiency should be brought into question…it’s the cheap shit syndrome that ultimately drags everyone and everything down into the gutter..
Good for them for buying a high quality american product…
AND…
State Senators, perhaps not the most technically literate people, whose annual cost the the government runs into how many tens of thousands of dollars a month? have better things to do that waste time fighting Windows issues..
Would it make sense to save $500 ‘on the bonnet’ so to speak and then lose countless thousands in wasted time and frustration for hte remaining service life of the laptop?