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Israel Blocks iPad Imports, Citing Wi-Fi Transmission Regulations
unixcrab writes with this excerpt from The Mac Observer: "Apple's iPad is proving to be popular everywhere — except Israel. The country's Communication Ministry is refusing to let people bring the multimedia tablet into the country because it hasn't tested and approved the Wi-Fi technology used in the device, according to Haaretz. Ministry officials commented, 'The iPad device sold exclusively today in the United States operates at broadcast power levels [over its Wi-Fi modem] compatible with American standards. As the Israeli regulations in the area of Wi-Fi are similar to European standards, which are different from American standards, which permit broadcasting at lower power, therefore the broadcast levels of the device prevent approving its use in Israel.' The government seems serious about its iPad import ban. Customs officials have already confiscated ten iPads and told their owners to ship them overseas."
Apple doesn't sell their own products directly in Israel, they have a distributor there. Every iPad brought in represents a lost sale for them. Sounds like they're angry about not getting the device quickly enough and losing early sales.
http://www.apple.com/il/buy/
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
That is pretty common in a lot of countries.
In Argentina, if you import a device with a plug different from our official plug (in size and shape), the import can be rejected.
Even if you could buy a cheap adapter in order to make it work (provided that the voltage is compatible), you are banner for importing until you request a device with the right plug.
So some people end up paying bribes to enter such a devices.
DNA in your Linux: DNALinux
The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
And more importantly, why are there different WiFi standards? Why doesn't everyone just use 802.11?
802.11 a, b, g, or n? Currently the discrepancy may be 802.11a - y2008 variant that allows for 3.7 Ghz transmissions but is only approved by the FCC, not EU governments.
If Israel's WiFi standard is like Europe's, this begs several questions:
0) Isn't it likely that Apple has already explored this ground? If not prior to the iPad's rollout, then after introducing the same technology in the iPhone when they introduced it over a year ago throughout europe and Israel?
1) Why haven't european regulators also rejected the iPad? Since they apparently have not, they must have tested the iPad (or grandfathered it as comparable iPhone tech) and accepted it.
2) Since the europeans tested and accepted the iPad, why haven't the Israelis accepted the european test results since they're supposedly equivalent?
Sounds like the Israelis are waving a red herring. Either they're protecting an in-country product or license, or they're punishing Apple for something. Either way, this kind of pissy petulence makes them sound like a snotty child.
"I'll take my ball away and play with myself."
Israel isn't the exception. The US is. This is the only country to have certified the use of the apple toy.
We make a big deal of having people who come to OUR country respect OUR laws. That means a cellphone jammer that's legal in the UK cannot be brought nor used into this country. Laptops get confiscated and searched at the border, and people are interrogated about cash. We can discuss the libertarian aspects in the other 1700 threads... BUT
Israel is doing no differently than WE do. Their communication ministry (equivalent of our FCC) dictates what is ok and what isn't, and just as the apple toys are not certified for use in Europe they are not certified for use in Israel.
I'm sorry you don't like that your laptop can be confiscated. I'm sorry you think it would be worse if you're on a business trip. Don't bring drugs to Singapore, icrap to Israel, or laptops with kiddie porn to the US. You'll lose them and your liberty.
This "article" is worthless because it implies Israel is the exception. In fact it's we who are the exception.
Time to drop the false sense of outrage and enlightenment and respect other countries rights not to live by our (US) laws.
E