Israel Matzav: Maybe that iPad ban wasn't so dumb after all

Maybe that iPad ban wasn't so dumb after all

Last week, I reported that the iPad has been banned in Israel, suggested that the technical excuses for banning it were nonsense, and suggested that the real reason for the ban might have been what we Israelis call Vitamin P (for protectzia). My suggestions were even picked up by the Wall Street Journal which, alas, did not link me, so I won't link them. Now, it turns out, that there may be a real reason to ban the iPad after all (Hat Tip: Shy Guy).

The problem stems not from the iPad's popularity but from the way it connects to wireless networks. Princeton University in New Jersey has blocked 20 percent of the iPads on campus because of "malfunctions that can affect the entire school's computer system."

In a report, Princeton said the iPad causes DHCP client malfunctions, which basically means the tablet causes interference for other devices using the school's wireless network. In order to prevent that interference, Princeton has been blocking the offending iPads.

George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. has also experienced network problems with the iPad, though not related to DHCP malfunctions.

"Our current authentication system isn't supported by the iPhone or the iPad," Guy Jones, Chief Technology Officer for GWU, told TechNewsDaily.

These devices aren't blocked by the university, but the authentication issues mean users users aren't able to log on with the iPad or iPhone.

That doesn't mean that all universities are banning the iPad - read the whole thing - but it does document that the connectivity problem is a real one.

Hmmm. Maybe we weren't just trying to protect a local monopoly after all.

Israel Matzav: Maybe that iPad ban wasn't so dumb after all