Tablets

[Colin Parkinson]

I can only imagine the gnashing of teeth when my unit borrowed some moving trucks to conduct a weekend gunnery exercise and left the horses behind in the early 30's. You need to allow a certain amount of experimentation at the field level to try out new ideas and they can be submitted for further review and polishing. Tech is changing far faster than government can deal with it. Letting interested individuals play with it at the field level will shave years and millions off of R&D projects. There are pitfalls and a certain level of failures should be encouraged.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I can only imagine the gnashing of teeth when my unit borrowed some moving trucks to conduct a weekend gunnery exercise and left the horses behind in the early 30's. You need to allow a certain amount of experimentation at the field level to try out new ideas and they can be submitted for further review and polishing. Tech is changing far faster than government can deal with it. Letting interested individuals play with it at the field level will shave years and millions off of R&D projects. There are pitfalls and a certain level of failures should be encouraged.

I have about three decades worth of experience, out of four in uniform in total, of "consultants" and experts  - and not just sigs "consultants" and experts - "advising" us based upon their superior knowledge of our requirements and then throwing out every obstacle to satisfying real needs imaginable.

Operators tend to understand their requirements much better than consultants, and are generally quite aware of the viable technological solutions to those requirements. They have, as some here have stated, even confirmed what works and what doesn't using their own kit.

As it should be. More good ideas have gone by the wayside simply because empire builders, who think they know best, refuse to get out of their stovepipes and listen to anyone else.

You miss a lot when you go through life with self installed blinders on.

 

[Jed]

I can only imagine the gnashing of teeth when my unit borrowed some moving trucks to conduct a weekend gunnery exercise and left the horses behind in the early 30's. You need to allow a certain amount of experimentation at the field level to try out new ideas and they can be submitted for further review and polishing. Tech is changing far faster than government can deal with it. Letting interested individuals play with it at the field level will shave years and millions off of R&D projects. There are pitfalls and a certain level of failures should be encouraged.

Great post. The greater ARMY collective will always stomp hard on those at the coal face doing their own cheap and effective R&D projects. This type of experimentation is necessary to move ahead productively.

 

[Baz]

It is funny how there are a lot of support trades that think they know more about the operators requirements than the operators do...

 

[MOOXE]

Well like I said earlier, I am speaking from the OPs request to replace pubs/manuals on a range. The capabilities he wants have been stated so I know exactly what he wants. This is not a case of me knowing his requirements better than he does.

If I were to speak in a general sense as some of you are, then support trades would also be one of the primary operators of this equipment. Our requirement to read pubs in a convenient way are the same as everyone elses.

 

[Harris]

To answer the OPs original question. New technology is always being looked at, including tablets. From what I have heard though, there is a directive from the army forbidding any purchases of tablets. Can't quote or give a reference on that sorry. Its probably based on a number of issues such as finance and security.

If that is actually the case no one told 5 Div HQ and they received a handfull about a year ago to use from the "system".

 

[MOOXE]

Apparently there's a pile of iPads at 2 ASG as well, locked up.

 

[GnyHwy]

Tablets are very easy to get, but at a $$$.  Long term maintenance and sustainment plans aren't cheap.  This is why I mention it as the solution for growth and if you intend on doing more than reading pdfs.  For ranges, pdfs will no doubt suffice.  Anyone who recommends hard copies needs to come to my world and deal with the dozens of pubs (all field relative) that are forever in revision.

E-readers come with essentially 0 risk.  They are dirt cheap, extremely low power budget, and can be treated just like a memory stick.

Hardware is now disposable.  No one mention field hardened ever again.  We can buy 20 COTS for the same price as a single "hardened" unit.

 

[PuckChaser]

Hardware is now disposable.  No one mention field hardened ever again.  We can buy 20 COTS for the same price as a single "hardened" unit.

Absolutely true. Look at the Toughbooks. $3-5K for a laptop that should cost $500.

I think the CF seriously needs to look at EReaders with some tough cases. Only security concerns are plugging into DWAN PCs (permission for digital cameras is there, not a big issue) and Controlled Goods. I would love to be able to carry every CF communications pub in a leg pocket to have access to whatever answer I need.

Future projects are already looking at connecting the soldier with small PDAs. Tablets will happen, its a matter of when and what capabilities we want.

 

[MOOXE]

Hardware is now disposable.

Deserves a new topic.

 

[OldSolduer]

When we, even the PRes go to the ranges etc, we must tote along a stupid huge range box full of publications, that may or may not be current. Two e-readers would solve that issue. One near the RSO and one in the CP.

 

[Journeyman]

..... we must tote along a stupid huge range box full of publications.....

Give it to the Jimmies to carry; apparently that's the best way to deal with pubs.   

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Remember when calculators where rare items? E-readers are going to get better yet, flexible screens will likely be common and affordable in a decade. people will likely have a tablet/e-reader fitted into their field Message Pad holder in the near future.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Remember when calculators where rare items? E-readers are going to get better yet, flexible screens will likely be common and affordable in a decade. people will likely have a tablet/e-reader fitted into their field Message Pad holder in the near future.

But not before some Jimmy NCO says you can, apparently.

 

[Lightguns]

But not before some Jimmy NCO says you can, apparently.

But first the little Jimmy NCO will have to get permission from Shared Services Canada on whether or not he is allowed to have an opinion.  Soon SSC is going to make a play for all IS not deployed out of Canada and Jimmy is going to be de-nutted like a mutt in the city pound!

 

[PuckChaser]

But first the little Jimmy NCO will have to get permission from Shared Services Canada on whether or not he is allowed to have an opinion.  Soon SSC is going to make a play for all IS not deployed out of Canada and Jimmy is going to be de-nutted like a mutt in the city pound!

Too late. Thats probably why I stayed Core though, as far away from DWAN and IS/IT as I can....

 

[OldSolduer]

Give it to the Jimmies to carry; apparently that's the best way to deal with pubs.   

Our Jimmies don't want to play...... ???

 

[Sig_Des]

Give it to the Jimmies to carry; apparently that's the best way to deal with pubs.   

Well, they do need to be read somehow.

But not before some Jimmy NCO says you can, apparently.

Well, if people keep buying whatever they want, we'll keep getting guys show up wanting to us to set DWAN up these:

Now, jokes aside, as far as the original request: SAFETY/RANGE PUBS

My old unit, we did get approval from a certain Training area for laptop with a USB stick loaded with the electronic copies of the pubs to meet the requirement. However, we still needed to have our Range Box with required hard copy of pubs available. Reasoning being, what if your laptop/power source dies.

Spin-off: sourcing tablets/e-readers

If it already in the system, you need change your unit's entitlement to get them. Off the top of my head, I know of Blackberry playbooks in the system (they suck, but they're there, and you can hook em up to DWAN or BB's).

CF-19's are overkill for a PAM/PUB repository, and I'm sure any available should be required for other tasks.

Believe me, I've had issues procuring stuff. Yes, I understand it's frustrating when you have a budget, and want to buy something, and I say "I can't get that for you, it's not allowed."

IS procurement is a HUGE PITA. And it seems to me that RFCs are base in area's, not nationwide, so "yes I understand some Col in Kingston has a USB turbohub hooked-up to his DVPNI laptop, but apparently I have to jump through the hoops here in Western Area to get you one sir. Turn around is however long it takes"

I would love to be able to just go out and buy proven kit, especially if it's with someone else money, but unfortunately, I get my pee pee slapped pretty hard for it. Personally, if it's not going to be plugged into the IS infrastructure, and it's not in the system, get your RQ to LPO.

spin-off: Empire building & SSC

It's there, it's going to happen, we'll keep trying to find fixes to avoid it, but it IS going to affect everyone. Timelines have already gotten longer for repair/replacement, as approval levels keep going higher and higher.

Unhappy with it? Talk to your Ops, have them start engaging your J6 levels, with documented examples of slow timeframe and lack of answers.

Sorry I can't just buy stuff for you with your budget/money.

 

[Kat Stevens]

iPod touch in an otter box, about $400 all in. Sorted.  You're welcome.

 

[OldSolduer]

iPod touch in an otter box, about $400 all in. Sorted.  You're welcome.

But its not Canadian!!! Oh heavens!!