PowerBook, Because Lives Are On The Line

WCityMike writes "Major Shawn Weed, an intelligence planner with the Third Infantry Division, eschewed his Panasonic Toughbook because it wasn't fast enough in processing giant satellite and reconnaissance images. He put in a requisition for and received a PowerBook G4, the only Apple currently being used in the entire Middle East theater. 'Frankly, lives are in the balance here, so the quicker I can get stuff done accurately, the better,' Weed says."

Comments

Bullet Proof

[Anonymous Coward]

AND you can stop bullets with the case!

You think Apple's prices are high?

[Nipsy356]

If the military can pay thousands for a toilet seat, imagine what they paid for a PowerBook.

Re:You think Apple's prices are high?

[Nipsy356]

I can understand inflated prices on aircraft parts. I can understand inflated prices on boomers. I can understand inflated prices in missile control silos.

However, aside from the fact that the initial post was intended to be humorous, the military spending is still out of control, and full of pork.

From: Price Trends for Defense Logistics Agency's Weapon System (GAO November 2000), which found that between 1997, and 1998, prices of 2,993 different spare parts purchased by the military increased over one thousand percent, and 14 percent of the total spare parts ordered from defense contractors increased at least 50 percent in price in that one year. Contractors have been underbidding the prices, then jacking up the prices upon time for billing. Parts like a bolt, initially quoted at $40, ended up being $1,887, or a self-locking nut, quoted at $2.69, ended up costing $2, 185. These are not nearly the worst examples of cost increases . . . A linear microcircuit, original 1997 price $0.11 cents, cost $5,788.76, thermal insulation that really cost $1, ended up costing $3,390, or the boss nipple, costing $1, cost the US military $1,498.48.

It's not ruggedized.

[More Karma Than God]

The article says it's been fine so far, but sooner or later the lack of military-grade durability is going to be a factor.

Re:It's not ruggedized.

[C0LDFusion]

Perhaps you guys missed the demonstration where the Powerbook G4 was run over by an 18-wheeler, then it backed up (over the powerbook) and ran over it again...then someone walked up, picked it up and started it up fine? I've seen it done, and I've never met anyone who has had physical damage disable a powerbook, except when the LCD was directly struck (while it was open).

Re:It's not ruggedized.

[usr122122121]

Yes, but remember that Iraq is a desert. Do you want your military equipment to end up like this? Baked Apple

Considering it still booted just fine after being stuck in a 400 oven for 20 minutes, I think it can withstand desert temperatures for longer...

then again, who knows.

Re:It's not ruggedized.

[C0LDFusion]

his DVD drive will be toast if he uses it too much.

New Army officers directive: Do not watch pr0n during sandstorms?

Re:It's not ruggedized.

[lightflyer]

I have had a Ti G4 for about 8 months. It has not stood up to travel and mobile use at all well. It has had the CD unit replaced (under warranty); currently it does not charge the battery and that will be fixed when I get back to somewhere that has a Mac repair facility; it did not do at all well to operating in high temps; the case is malformed, the paintwork does not stand up to normal use and the hinges are fragile, plus the screen ripples (despite being carried inside its own protective case inside a large carry-on and always carried with me). Overall, it is a good looking but quite fragile piece of kit.

On the other hand I had a G3 Wallstreet for 5 years and it looked and operated as good as new at the end when I passed it on. I wish sometimes that I still had it with me.

Apple puts out lovely stuff but sometimes design flair and form is not sacrificed to necessary function. I will have to think very hard before I spend so much money again on a Mac beauty. And don''t get me started on function versus form of the iPod. I'll wait until a degree of everyday ruggedness is built in again for my next Mac laptop.

I wish the US military all the best and hope they go with Mac. But . . .

Military Intelligence

[Kalak]

Major Shawn Weed, an intelligence planner with the Third Infantry Division

So he's in military intel? Isn't this among the most famous oxymorons in existence? The jokes are too numerous to mention, all with Apple or the Army as the brunt of the jokes.

I can see the switch ads now...My name is Shawn Weed and I find Iraqis in the desert.

btw, I'm not trolling. I'm writing this from a TiBook using an Airport, behind a Linux server.

Re:With my luck...

[Anonymous Coward]

Fortunately, Macs are damn near infinitely easier to figure out how to operate than PC's. Seriously, the chance that a rear eschelon intelligence officer is killed and some random soldier without the wits to launch Photoshop will take over for him is pretty slim. In the mean time, he's going to get his work done quickly enough to save lives (US soldiers and Iraqi innocents.) Any replacement qualified to interpret satallite imagry has their own equipment. In a pinch, anyone qualified to interpret satallite imagry is a little more capable with a computer than your average potato peeler. As a former US Army Ranger and RATT rig operator, I'm not comforted that your platform bigotry extends so far that it has you placing more importance on some tired two button mouse arguement than on people's lives.