O Israel, o you Jews of Israel, please do not ban me. Please accept me into your market, I will not hurt your wireless communications. My creator, Steve Jobs, would like it if you accept me and let your Jews buy iPads like me.
Posted on 04/15/2010 8:21:13 PM PDT by myknowledge
Israel has banned imports of Apple Inc's hottest new product, the iPad, citing concerns the powerful gadget's wireless signals could disrupt other devices.
Customs officials said on Thursday they have already confiscated about 10 of the lightweight tablet computers since Israel announced the new regulations this week.
The ban prevents anyone - even tourists - from bringing iPads into Israel until officials certify that they comply with local transmitter standards.
The US Federal Communications Commission allows devices with Wi-Fi capability to broadcast at higher power levels than are allowed in Europe and Israel - meaning that the iPad's stronger signal could throw off others' wireless connections, Schubert said.
"If you operate equipment in a frequency band which is different from the others that operate on that frequency band, then there will be interference," said Nati Schubert, a senior deputy director for the Communications Ministry. "We don't care where people buy their equipment. ... But without regulation, you would have chaos."
Some Israelis successfully got the popular devices into Israel before the ban.
Amnon, a software developer who legally brought an iPad into Israel but asked that his last name be withheld to avoid potential government repercussions, said he and other high-tech businessmen need the iPad to develop new applications for the device.
"There are several hundred people in Israel who make their livelihood developing apps... and there are going to be companies that suffer, because they can't deliver the services they're supposed to be delivering," he said.
The iPad combines the features of a notebook computer with the touch-pad functions of the iPod. It went on sale in the US on April 3. Apple this week delayed its international launch until May 10, citing heavy sales in the US
Israeli officials said the ban has nothing to do with trade and is simply a precaution to assure that the iPad doesn't affect wireless devices already in use in Israel.
Although Israeli standards are similar to those in many European nations, Israel is the only country so far to officially ban imports.
Schubert said he expects the problem to be resolved as Apple moves closer to the international release.
In the meantime, confiscated iPads will be held by customs - for a daily storage fee - until their owners depart the country or ship the gadgets back to the US at their own expense.
Apple's chief distributor in Israel, iDigital, declined to comment on the Communications Ministry's decision, and messages left at Apple's headquarters in California were not immediately returned.
O Israel, o you Jews of Israel, please do not ban me. Please accept me into your market, I will not hurt your wireless communications. My creator, Steve Jobs, would like it if you accept me and let your Jews buy iPads like me.
If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
What?
O Israel, o you Jews of Israel, please do not ban me. Please accept me into your market, I will not hurt your wireless communications. My creator, Steve Jobs, would like it if you accept me and let your Jews buy iPads like me.
Ummmm..., I think Israel has more concerns and worries -- over Iran, terrorists and Obama -- than it does over iPad and Steve Jobs ... LOL ...
Interesting.
Thx.
Speaking of foreign countries, can they be sold in California?
:-)
Did we just see one of the very liberal reasons in that sentence??? What do you know - a revenue-generating ban. Nice... Sounds almost like they are trying to impress Obama...
Seriously - is the iPad's "signal" really that much of an issue?
Further - did anyone make any sense out of that statement early in the article:
"If you operate equipment in a frequency band which is different from the others that operate on that frequency band, then there will be interference," said Nati Schubert, a senior deputy director for the Communications Ministry.
Ummm.... sounds contradictory to me. Operating in a frequency band which is different....?
Yes, it is, in Europe and Israel, where they have their own FCC standards.
The last thing they want is electronic pollution.
According to a press release from Israel Ministry Of Communication dated April 24, 2010, the Communication Minister ordered to allow the import of one iPad per person. One iPad per person will be allowed into the Country.
The issue was that “as Israel regulations in the area of WiFi are similar to European standards, which are different from American standards”.
Following tests with Apple, other European Government agencies and a well known international lab, the Communication Minister issued an order allowing, at this time, the import into Israel of one iPad per person.
According to a press release from Israel Ministry Of Communication dated April 24, 2010, the Communication Minister ordered to allow the import of one iPad per person. One iPad per person will be allowed into the Country.
The issue was that “as Israel regulations in the area of WiFi are similar to European standards, which are different from American standards”.
Following tests with Apple, other European Government agencies and a well known international lab, the Communication Minister issued an order allowing, at this time, the import into Israel of one iPad per person.
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