[Logseman]

However, I can see how it can be a useful device that extends beyond a mere toy for MEP's -- especially for those who are not technically savvy. For example, as you may have noticed some governments tend to knock out absolutely massive documents, and would need to send out a large number of copies. Sending out PDF's to individuals who have a large color PDF reader is clearly beneficial.

Or again, as I cited, they could fairly easily develop a proprietary app to securely distribute sensitive documents to the MEP's.

The very source cites that old MEP's are not tech-savvy at all and don't even know how internet works, let alone use it. As you may know, the EP is mainly a cemetery of political elephants who can't be positioned anywhere else in their countries and who find a golden retirement in Brussels. I wonder as well what secret data must be handled by an MEP, but that's of course another matter... Parliaments are obscure by default, seemingly.

I concur that the iPad in its current iteration is not truly a laptop replacement -- though not so much due to the form factor, as it's fairly easy to pair a bluetooth keyboard to the iPad. (The real issue is horrible file management, which might get fixed in the fall, but who knows). However, obviously I don't see it as impossible to do work on an iPad, especially if "work" means reading PDF's, doing web-based research, and email. There are already quite a few productivity apps, and it's much easier to take notes etc on the iPad than an iPhone.

I concur to the fact that the iPad can be a productivity tool, but it's not like they don't have alternatives to do their work besides it. They have them, and not only that, they have them paid with the finest taxpayer's leather.

I see little evidence that going OSS would save money here -- especially if it happens to result in increased maintenance and/or development costs.

Nor do I necessarily see "Big Business" as an automatic designation of Pure Evil or high cost. Economies of scale tend to reduce prices, not increase them. Small size does not guarantee moral integrity or righteousness, and some things -- including producing 1,000 or so devices that are low-maintenance, use a common and relatively easy programming interface -- can't be done in any sort of reliable and affordable fashion if your vendor is "Adelbrecht's Mom & Pop Computer Shop."

Economies of scale are not as important as they ressemble, since they're subsidised by the states, as companies do not pay the cost for much of the infrastructure necessary for them to operate in a large scale (highways, ports, airports).

Going OSS saves costs, as this very forum gives evidence of. Calibre's technical support, for a program which is claimed as immensely superior to other proprietary library management solutions and which is used by thousands of people, is mainly performed by... two or three people, who have their project supported by donations. One would imagine that the EU, very keen on embezzling money for improductive subsidies, would be able to save some funds to hire competent technical support for its own functioning.

As an aside note, Big Business isn't evil, for it's mere greed which fuels its rent-seeking. The matter comes since Big Business is a sock puppet of the states, a mere tool of exercising foreign policy like armies, diplomat corps and nation-based NGO's. And states... well, their way of functioning is closer to "evil" than anything else.