White House staff and others use Apple MacBooks to monitor Barack Obama’s live interview on YouTube in the Library of the White House on February 1, 2010.
(Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)
[Attribution: Fortune. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Aussiebookguy” for the heads up.]
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Who cares. Apple will never be the main computer of the Federal government because of Microsoft’s strangle hold. Maybe in a Socialist government.
Did you expect anything different? The times they are a changin.
“Maybe in a Socialist government.”
Isn’t that what we’re on the road to?
Broadband speeds in Europe pale in comparison to averages clocked in Asia. South Korea leads the pack by quite some distance with average speeds of 14.6 Mbps, followed by Japan with 7.6 Mbps.
How slow are we in the USA?
“Isn’t that what we’re on the road to?”
no, are you on crazy pills?
Tom. No. Obama is.
No Tom… you’re in denial…. Obama is nothing but a socialist piece of crap. Stop collecting your welfare check, go work for a living, and maybe you’ll figure it out.
Why wouldn’t they? It’s the most versatile computer in the world. They could be running any number of operating systems and programs on there. The Mac is an embodiment of productivity.
@hmm….
I work for the Feds, and we are seeing more and more Macs as time goes on. The old guard that hates Apple is retiring more very day, leaving room for folks with a more open mind set.
Political parties don’t have squat to do with it – Rush Limbaugh is a BIG mac fan, and he’s no socialist!
R2,
You left off parts of your sentence:
Ironically, “the Mac is an embodiment of productivity” in one of the most unproductive administrations in US history.
They all look so young.
Only people with their own will can use Apple’s computers, the rest of the people are forced to use what Wall street orders them to use (wall street controls USA government)
Young, naive, mousy, long-haired girls.
Now we know how Obama got elected.
No offense, Acorn.
Don’t speak about “socialism” or “communism” when you’re completely ignorant of what it is! There are enough of these retrograd Mac Carthist around anyway to pray for a ggod thick pollution and a presbiterian lifestyle!
Obama campaign leaders were noted for using MacBooks. Nice to see the trend has carried over to the administrative staff.
That’s the one thing they have got right!
Bob,
You don’t know what you’re talking about. Obama is a Democrat, and they are NOT socialists.
The Soviet Union was socialist. Look, it was right there in their name: “Union of SOCIALIST Soviet Republics”.
Ask anybody in Europe, where they have REAL socialist parties, and they’ll tell you that our Democrats are really right wingers in disguise.
Obama isn’t even close to socialist. Even our most rabid left wingers are almost right wing style for Europe!
But thanks for playing.
Perhaps instead of consulting the PC vendor’s and Microsoft to fix our goverment computers, they look at those little apple logos staring them down. Sometime a solution is closer than you think.
I was just going to say ‘Good’ but I would like to tell @hmm & ron that the New Deal has also been credited with extending The Great Depression.
Not even Macs could save this administration!
@TowerTone:
What extended the Great Depression was FDR’s relaxing of governmental assistance in 1937 in the face of significant Republican opposition. Unemployment had been falling until a strong Republican faction forced him to back off some of his spending. Then unemployment went back up again, and FDR was able to get things back on track again.
Just correcting the record. We now return you to MacDailyHitWhoring.
OK, take away the word Socialism…it’s really future utter dependency upon a constantly growing government instead of standing accountable, getting busy, and innovating your own life. Let the government do your own elbow grease.
Everybody is equal, but everybody is not equal in how hard they work and how much they invest in their own life goals. Fact is, the scale goes from those who built companies from the ground up down to the leaf blowers…it all truly trickles down and there is no real argument against that.
Sure, there is alot of greed at the top and people who really need and deserve help at the bottom,
but government dictation and control of those issues is not the solution to that. Obama gave a fabulous speech the other night, yet it was only talk. Talk is cheap and the whole of people are much less stupid than Obama realizes, so, come election time,
many Dems are getting the boot. Problem is, the Repubs. aren’t in
very good position to much either. Our kids are going to see the effect of both parties lack of a moral idealology and greed and staying in power. It’s really a bunch of competitive agenda school kids up there in Washington.
@rwahrens-
He’s far more left leaning and supportive of Socialist ideas then I like. Regardless of the Party he claims to be part of.
Maybe Obama really won that nobel prize for bringing apple computers into the whitehouse…
TowerTone writes, “I was just going to say ‘Good’ but I would like to tell @hmm & ron that the New Deal has also been credited with extending The Great Depression.”
I’d replace “has also been credited” with “should be blamed”. Unemployment even a year after the Crash was still well under 10%. It was only after the government “did something” – Smoot-Hawley, attempts to keep wages and prices steady rather than allowing them to fall, etc. – that unemployment shot up and remained over 20% until the war.
As to those Macs, are we sure those weren’t personally owned? I find it hard to believe they could have been procured and in use just 11 days after the inauguration. (I used to work for the Feds.) And, as I’ve said in the past, it’ll be hard to push Apple large scale into the federal government as long as their stuff is marked “Made in China”.
Here’s the best:
“Photo by Samantha Appleton” :o)
Scott
Four years of a program (1933-37) that did not end the Depression might have been good cause to try something else.
F.
Your analogy would be more precise if you said the lifeguards swam around without a clue where the victim was, only to go back ashore and find out a passing ship that was WWll had picked him up.
Nice try.
Young, naive, mousy, long-haired girls.
Now we know how Obama got elected.
All 67+ million of them, I guess.
Here’s the problem, a fundamental flaw, if you will:
Everyone is not equal. Not even close. Some people provide more value to a society than others.
Sorry, if that harsh fact offends your sense of political correctness, but that much is evident just from reading the feedback to this article.
It was like bait a story like this… and right on cue, out come the right-wing crazies with their talk of socialism. Jesus, don’t you schoolchildren ever give it a rest?
You can tell they’re all American because they know nothing of what they speak. Broadband speeds in this country [I live in NYC] are fscking shit because you’re friendly local cable company are subject to little in the way of regulation.
You’re always talking on here about how crappy your service is from Comcast/Time-Warner/Optimum/addyourown, that I think you lose sight of how good regulation and government involvement can be.
1. South Korea
2. Japan
3. Hong Kong
4. Sweden
5. Switzerland
6. Netherlands
7. Singapore
8. Luxembourg
9. Denmark
10. Norway
Those are the top ten countries in Broadband speed… oh that’s right there’s no United States. Welcome to free, unregulated enterprise…. schmucks.
Loud Noises!
That is why the deficit grew to 1.3 trillion dollars. They should buy 200$ netbooks and replace them every three months.
btw, after the expected S. Korea, Japan and Hong Kong, note all those nasty socialist countries from Europe in that top ten… you know the ones, they all have higher standards of living too.
These are actually YouTube staff, not White House staff. That is, they work for Google, not the Federal government. Google springs for nice machines — Macs — for their folks. Not sure about the feds. Fortune got it wrong. (I personally know one of them, who has confirmed that they’re all YouTubers.)
Huey
Look at the size of those ‘nations’ and their population density.
Makes a difference.
Then why the hell is Obama talking with Ballmer about how to streamline government? That story, in and of itself, is so telling about the dear leader.
Nice. No really. Good for them and good for Apple. Macs in government are always the sort of change I’d welcome.
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Yay for more socialism!
Ever notice how people spout “socialism” like an epithet, but cannot even define the meaning of the word? Stupid, ignorant sheep love getting teabagged repeatedly.
Are they paid for? Or, do we owe the Chinese for them?
This guy is a total, clueless idiot.
They’re playing Quake Live! On MY TAXPAYER DIME! Unbelievable.
P.S. Speaking of plasma cannons…. Obama was AWESOME shooting down the Repubs when they invited him for a “grilling.” His facts and reasoning shut down their lies and politics like a steel gate. Where was that Obama all year? Welcome back! We need leaders who put America first, not radio sound bites and fear of progress.
P.P.S. Kudos to MDN for slipping in some progressive individuals. They’re all good if they’ve got a Mac in hand
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Are all right-wingers paranoid, or is it just the one’s who make comments on blogs?
@ Pixelmutt
Paranoia of government is an American tradition. In fact, it is our birthright because it is our government and if you reading the Founding literature you will understand that the US government was meant to be limited as possible to ensure our LIBERTY.
Ah, hell, who am I kidding? Liberty is dead.
F. Maxwell,
Is this “majority of economists” anything like your “majority of climatologists?”
Just wondering, you insipid, vapid, know-nothing, little twit.
Any one actually compare the size of the countries with the fastest speeds? I think you will notice on a map when compared to the USA.
THEY ARE SMALL! Do you think that has any thing to do with it? Maybe much less is the government. Try to get The same service to cover the US. I think you will find the cost more than what the gross GDP is for some of their countries.
How many companies has that much money?
Stop giving credit to governments and look at the cost to build out a geographical area with the lastest and greatest. Then plan to overhaul that same area later and later and later- ummm!
That looks more like the press than a White House staff
The last time that I looked, there were only small differences in the contract prices between Macs and PCs in my fed agency. The contract price covers the leased hardware (3 year refresh interval), standard software load, email, and IT support. I recently heard that an iPhone costs about $10 more per month than a standard BBerry.
So lower hardware costs do not necessarily translate to significantly lower overall costs (especially if the IT support were prorated to reflect the actual use of that resource by Mac users).
This is not a political comment – I pledged to avoid those. But I do not personally believe that “more regulation” is the answer in this particular case. Besides, it would not actually be regulation in the strict sense.
I believe that market forces, aided in large part by Apple’s entry into the mobile space with the iPhone and, soon, the iPad, will continue to drive the improvement of the U.S. wireless network.
The government could certainly mandate (and fund) the deployment of a more capable network. And there might even be some advantages to such a system (e.g., broader coverage and convergence on a single type of next generation wireless standard). But the cost would be significant. Pay as you go is my general rule…
Raymond In DC has a point.
Well said, sir!
The older you get, the younger everyone else appears.
From what I’ve read, it’s first noticed — usually — when you’re pulled over by a cop who looks to be 12.
“When there is one broadband provider in a community, just what incentive, outside of government regulation, do they have to provide higher speed?”
Most places I have lived, visited, or talked to people that live there have cable, DSL, and satellite. Some offer Wi-Fi and FIOS.
The incentive is low-price, fast and reliable service, or the customer can go elsewhere.
Your ‘speed’ reference is ridiculous. It goes by frequencies, which is limited by the cable plant build-out, which is a reflection of the population density.
I don’t really understand how Macs are less than 10% of America’s computers. Virtually in all photos, movies, TV shows, classrooms, coffee houses and other public venues, more than half the laptops present are Macs.
I suppose there’s an adequate explanation, but I haven’t found one satisfactory, yet.
But I worked around airplanes all my life, and no one ever satisfactorily explained to me how something that goes 600 miles per hour . . . could be late.
Handsome Smitty: “Ah, hell, who am I kidding? Liberty is dead.
Leaving aside your (admitted) paranoia. How so?
Without impugning peoples motives that is.
Ah hell, who am I kidding? You can’t.
It makes sense since Apple was founded and is run by liberal Democrats.
I blame Bush.
Come on, just explain it correctly and people will get it. I assume we are mixing up wireless broadband access to fixed broadband via DSL/cable/fiber. Fiber optics can carry almost unlimited bandwidth, but it doesn’t work well for mobile users. For mobility, you need wireless spectrum to thousands of mobile users. Wireless spectrum can’t carry as much bandwidth as fiber nor handle the amount of clients, not even close. So you need to get into increasingly advanced wireless technologies to try to close the gap, 4G, etc. While dialing up the speed on a fiber segment can be as simple as switching out the switches, it’s much harder and perhaps more expensive to do the same for wireless broadband.
Ah, I knew by the headline the comments would deliver lots of political drivel from both sides. Yay, it delivered!
Look, the debate is ridiculous. For the past twenty years, the right and the left have been screwing us every which way. The Republicans spend, borrow, and strip freedom in the name of national security (Patriot Act) and the Democrats spend, borrow, and strip freedom in the name of social justice (redistribution of wealth). Since there are no vocal, independent thinkers in Washington, I assume that they ALL are just blindly listening to the party leadership, so I encourage you to vote out your representatives this November. If you believe government answers to the people, not cooperation, unions, or foreign nations, I also encourage you to run for office. This is the time for real change in America. (And if you do win, introduce legislation to ban Microsoft and Google. I’m usually against the government interfering with business, but I’m not opposed to government interfering with the face of modern evil.)
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****There has never ever ever ever been a true socialist country in the history of any civilization**** read Marx this will only be able to come when just about every task done in the work force is automated and not done by man. machines have not gotten to that point where they replace everyone altho they have replaced many their are still more jobs that must be automated that will allow everyone to truely be equal. man was not ment to rule man! i thought this was a site where i could learn stuff bout macs not ppls sad views on the world and who seem to think they have the answers if you think u do send obama a email state your FACTS not beliefs and try running for some crap. just take it 1 day at a time becasue there are no answers. look at one problem and work on it not a problem with society cuz you cant change that with no damn law it may influence it but deff wont change it especially not over night. adn everyone flips out on Euros um remember many of those nations kicked out thier kings and queens and replaced them with a government that actually delt with their needs as they saw them. they had tons starving paying high taxes but getting nothing in return. if ima pay taxes i know i want something in return how about a free college education tax me 60 percent if it will garentee that i never have to worry about going hungry or worry going bankrupt for being sick and having to pay for operations then so be it. having those services in place to provide the fundamentals is important.God what ever God you believe in pls show us the way cuz man will be the destruction of himself if he does not lean to love all.
They look like Macbook Pros.
The political BS and anti-Obama socialist references completely changes my opinion of the so-called tech-aware users who own Macs. I don;t think these people have the intellectual capacity to have determined why Macs are the better solution- they just jumped on a bandwagon as mindlessly as supporting a sports team.
Anyone mixing politics here, particularly the right-wing attack-dog tea vomit cliches, gets no respect from me. You have my contempt. I’d rather read, even hang out with an intelligent person whose main failing is that he or she uses a PC.
auramac – Anyone mixing politics here, particularly the right-wing attack-dog tea vomit cliches, gets no respect from me. You have my contempt.
Ouch! At least you’re the better person by rising above the name calling and politics.
Boy is this the truth
If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test!
Lot of truth here!
If a conservative doesn’t like guns, he doesn`t buy one.
If a liberal doesn’t like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.
If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn`t eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.
If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.
If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.
If a conservative doesn’t like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don’t like be shut down.
If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn’t go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.
(Unless it’s a foreign religion, of course!)
If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for
it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.
If a conservative reads this, he’ll forward it so his friends can have a
good laugh.
A liberal will delete it because he’s “offended”.
Well I forwarded it to you so where does that put me?
WTStank, you are an ahole.
auramac = commie
SCHOOL—1957 vs. 2009
Scenario :
Jack goes rabbit shooting before school, pulls into school parking lot with rifle in gun rack.
1957 – Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack’s rifle, goes to his car and gets his rifle & chats with Jack about guns.
2009 – School goes into lock down, SWAT called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again.. Counselors called in for traumatized
students and teachers.
Scenario:
Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1957 – Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2009 – Police called, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it. Both children go to anger management programs for 3 months… School board hold meeting to implement bullying prevention programs
Scenario:
Robbie won’t be still in class, disrupts other students.
1957 – Robbie sent to office and given 6 hits of the paddle by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2009 – Robbie given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD Robbie’s parents get disability payments and School gets extra funding from state because Robbie has a disability.
Scenario :
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor’s car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 – Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2009 – Billy’s dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy’s sister that sheremembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison.
Scenario :
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 – Mark gets glass of water from Principal to take aspirin with.
2009 – Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Carsearched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario :
Pedro fails high school English.
1957 – Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2009 – Pedro’s cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro’s English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario :
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from Guy Fawkes, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up an ant nest.
1957 – Ants die.
2009- State Police, Star Force, Federal Police & Anti-terrorism Squad called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, Feds investigate parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated. Johnny’s Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario :
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary . Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 – In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2009 – Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
This should be sent to every e-mail address to show how stupid we have become!!!
Think about it!!!
Great! The White House is off the Windows. Now how about the rest of the US federal government?!
China has been cracking US federal Windows boxes since 1998. (Yes, that’s Nineteen Ninety Eight!) Dumping Windows in government is long overdue.