Lords pick iPad over "old fashioned" laptops

 

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By Nicole Kobie

Posted on 11 Mar 2011 at 09:45

The House of Lords will allow iPads and other tablets in official proceedings - but not laptops, over fears typing would be distracting.

The Lords approved a one-year trial of "electronic handheld devices" to access documents related to official business, but preserved a ban on laptops.

The trial will only let devices be used to read documents, not to search the web for more information.

Baroness Harris said an iPad would be more "proper" than noisy laptops. "The point about an iPad is that it is silent; there are no clicking noises. It is quite small and can be held easily in one hand," she claimed.

Asked whether netbooks would be allowed, Committee chairman Lord Brabazon admitting he wasn't sure he knew what a netbook was, and the Lords eventually decided the rules came down to "whether they click or not" when being used.

The point about an iPad is that it is silent; there are no clicking noises

The chairman stressed that the frequent use of the iPad in the report was not due to any favouritism of the Apple device. "I use the expression 'iPad' in the same way that one uses the expressions 'Hoover' or 'fridge'," he noted.

Admitted Apple fan Baroness Harris added that laptops were "old fashioned", but said the Lords' current lack of technology was worse.

"Our devolved Parliaments and Assemblies use laptops, although they are old-fashioned now," she said. "While watching them use that technology, I felt that we were very disadvantaged."

Not conducive to good debate?

While the motion was passed, a few Lords shared concerns tablets would distract peers. "I must confess that I do not Google, Twitter, tweet or blog, nor do I have any particular desire to do any of those things, but it seems to me that to have handheld devices in the Chamber is not conducive to good debate and intelligent participation in it," argued Lord Cormack.

He raised concerns it would be impossible to enforce rules around web access. "Therefore, anybody sitting in this Chamber with a handheld device could do anything from Googling facts to getting in touch with his bookmaker."

We hear some speeches made in this noble House where perhaps playing Scrabble on our devices would be a better alternative

Lord Deben countered: "We hear some speeches made in this noble House where perhaps playing Scrabble on our devices would be a better alternative."

Others were worried Lords would appear to those watching on television to not be paying attention while fiddling with gadgets. "At least it would prove that those noble Lords were awake and not asleep," answered Lord Brabazon. "It would look no worse than that."

Baroness Harris said she would still make her speeches from paper. "I am a bit old-fashioned and the thought of standing up and referring to notes on my iPad is not very encouraging," she added. "I am old-fashioned enough to say that I will still be using paper, as many of your Lordships do in any case."

Lord Deben disagreed: "Perhaps I may suggest also that making a virtue of being out of date is really not helpful for this House."

While arguing in favour of better use of technology, Lord Lucas summed the whole debate up nicely, saying: "I am grateful to my noble friends for making me feel, for the first time in a while, that I am a member of the younger generation."