Air Marshal PDAs are Field Flop

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.msnbc.com/news/937704.asp?0cv=CB10&cp1=1' target='_blank'>http://www.msnbc.com/news/937704.as...?0cv=CB10&cp1=1</a><br /><br /></div>"The Transportation Security Administration spent $6.9 million to outfit the federal air marshal corps with voice-capable wireless handheld computers for in-flight use and then subsequently banned any voice usage because of potential interference with cockpit functions, according to interviews with several air marshals. The handheld devices, made by Palm Inc. and commonly known as “personal digital assistants” (PDAs), have become a running joke, in part because they are unwieldy to use, according to interviews more than a dozen air marshals and administrators within the air marshal program."<br /><br />This article is funny for two reasons: one, that even Palm devices are too hard to use for some people, which shows the relative immaturity of the PDA industry. We still have a ways to go before everyone can use these things. The second reason this is funny is that before spending $6.9 million dollars, you should do a small trial deployment to find potential issues prior to roll-out...like the device you picked being banned from the aircraft. :roll:

[piperpilot]

The second reason this is funny is that before spending $6.9 million dollars, you should do a small trial deployment to find potential issues prior to roll-out...like the device you picked being banned from the aircraft.

Oops! Forgot to add my comment. :oops: Anyway, you would think that the federal government would think before spending all that taxpayer money, but then again, this is the federal government that we're talking about. Common sense just doesn't enter into it.

[Techtoys]

And yet Lufthansa can offer wireless access on board, and BA use a wireless 2.45Ghz lan for gatelink, and just about any flight on any carrier has a mobile left switched on.

Sounds to me like the project failed because the people running it constrained themselves into thinking it wouldn't be possible.

[trachy]

"The Transportation Security Administration spent $6.9 million to outfit the federal air marshal corps with voice-capable wireless handheld computers for in-flight use and then subsequently banned any voice usage because of potential interference with cockpit functions, according to interviews with several air marshals.

I think the real question is, what the hell do air marshals need PDAs for? Isn't their job basically to be at the ready if someone tries to disrupt a flight? And even if they do require some kind of voice communications, wouldn't a "voice" device serve them a little better? Do these dimwits need to have access to their calendars, contacts, and video games in order to kick a bad guy's ass? This isn't funny, it's sad.

[piperpilot]

I agree, Trachy. I would hate to have to tear an Air Marshal away from an action-packed game of Everquest for PPC to deal with a petty little highjacking!

[konfoo]

In Govt. spending terms, 6.9 million *IS* a trial.

I've worked on 'trials' where 5 million is a trial and 100 million is a roll-out. In terms of budgeting on the hill, anything less than 100 million is chump change and is actually hard to get an allocation on, since everyone has 'more important' budgetary decisions to make.

[acronym]

I'll just sit here quietly and wait for the next followup article on how giving out almost a million pdas to doctors so they can recieve text messages on bio-terrorist attacks was a failure.

700K pdas x $400 each = chumpchange?

[klinux]

If it's a government purchase, you should 2x or 3x the amount per PDA for purchasing, shipping, extended warranty, customized software, backup units, training, etc.

[PPCRules]

It was probably intended more as an undercover Palm Inc. bailout than anything else. Something to help them get POS 5 out the door and hang on until the PalmSource spinoff.

[Jason Dunn]

In Govt. spending terms, 6.9 million *IS* a trial.

Hah! Good point. :roll: How sad is that...

[lurch]

In Govt. spending terms, 6.9 million *IS* a trial.

Hah! Good point. :roll: How sad is that...
Hey, I don't mind it too much, but maybe that's because I get a piece of it each "trial" ;)

[T-Will]

Isn't big bloated government so cool! :roll:

[Janak Parekh]

Hah! Good point. :roll: How sad is that...
There is one upside, though. Government drives a lot of areas of industry. I agree there's a lot of waste, but on the other hand things that seem frivolous, like military research, often are very useful in driving consumer and industry markets, jobs, etc.

After all, if it was a purchase of Pocket PCs... we would mind as much. Especially because they'd be useful. :lol:

--janak

[ChrisW]

Isn't big bloated government so cool! :roll:And this is an example of both the Congress and Legislature being controlled by "the party for smaller government"? As far as I can tell, if there are really 2 different parties, they stand for "socialism" and "a little bit less socialism". Feh. :cry:

(Farther OT in an OT thread; my apologies)

[T-Will]

Isn't big bloated government so cool! :roll:And this is an example of both the Congress and Legislature being controlled by "the party for smaller government"? As far as I can tell, if there are really 2 different parties, they stand for "socialism" and "a little bit less socialism". Feh. :cry:

(Farther OT in an OT thread; my apologies)

Yup, I agree, very sad... :(