Home access laptop grant

Saaf_laandon_mo · 22-09-2010, 22:38

My sister has received a home access grant. Basically this allows her to buy her son a laptop or a laptop with a internet dongle (12 months internet) using a prepaid credit card upto Â£528.

Great, you might say. Unfortunately you can only buy from an approved stockist - and look at what you can buy.

http://www.homeaccess.org.uk/Computer-and-internet-packages/Find-a-supplier-near-you/Online-and-over-the-phone1/

Most machines are not worth more than 250 quid if you bought them using your own money. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining - a free laptop is better than nothing - but I am shocked at the value the approved suppliers are putting on their packages. Someone, somewhere is making a lot of money. Surely the govt must have assessed what the suppliers are giving away for @ Â£500.

Has anyone received one of these grants before.

Any recommendations on which laptop she should get?

Osem · 22-09-2010, 22:56

Same old story really. A worthy cause being 'abused' with the equipment provided being second rate and greatly overpriced with the result that the poor old taxpayer will lose out yet again!

Sorry can't help with any recommendations but I'm sure loads will follow.

Stuart · 22-09-2010, 23:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saaf_laandon_mo

Most machines are not worth more than 250 quid if you bought them using your own money. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining - a free laptop is better than nothing - but I am shocked at the value the approved suppliers are putting on their packages. Someone, somewhere is making a lot of money. Surely the govt must have assessed what the suppliers are giving away for @ Â£500.

Having dealt with suppliers on Government contracts before (although that was nothing to do with computing), this is, unfortunately, par for the course.

Contractors frequently take the proverbial with what they supply for what they charge.

It looks like this is not different.

frogstamper · 22-09-2010, 23:55

A great service, unfortunately its sad the middle-man just see's this as an opportunity to rip off the government and us tax payers.
I'd hope that in the current financial climate this is precisely what the government bean counters will be looking out for, chancers who think its ok to screw society, seems to me a perfect example to send into Nick Clegg's website concerning saving money.
On a plus note I'm sure Zing will give his expert advice as to which laptop he'd pick Saaf.

danielf · 23-09-2010, 00:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by frogstamper

.
On a plus note I'm sure Zing will give his expert advice as to which laptop he'd pick Saaf.

He would, if he hadn't left CF

Saaf_laandon_mo · 23-09-2010, 08:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart

Having dealt with suppliers on Government contracts before (although that was nothing to do with computing), this is, unfortunately, par for the course.

Contractors frequently take the proverbial with what they supply for what they charge.

It looks like this is not different.

But surely someone in the govt would have enough it knowledge to say, 'you are extracting the urine'. Don't they look at the offer the contractor has made and review it. Why not just give the person a credit laden credit card for them to use on any laptop?

Osem · 23-09-2010, 08:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saaf_laandon_mo

But surely someone in the govt would have enough it knowledge to say, 'you are extracting the urine'. Don't they look at the offer the contractor has made and review it....

Sadly, it doesn't work like that. They have paper pushers for everything except ensuring value for money! Did you see the recent Dispatches documentary about the MOD's procurement processes? Shocking amounts of money (we're talking Â£billions here) being wasted due to a combination of ineptitude and all too cosy relationships with certain suppliers......

For anyone who can bear to watch it's here:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/d...s-58/episode-2

superbiatch · 23-09-2010, 08:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Osem

Sadly, it doesn't work like that. They have paper pushers for everything except ensuring value for money! Did you see the recent Dispatches documentary about the MOD's procurement processes? Shocking amounts of money (we're talking Â£billions here) being wasted due to a combination of ineptitude and all too cosy relationships with certain suppliers......

For anyone who can bear to watch it's here:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/d...s-58/episode-2

Too true - its the same in the NHS, procurement staff in bed with suppliers means we get a bum deal

Stuart · 23-09-2010, 09:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saaf_laandon_mo

But surely someone in the govt would have enough it knowledge to say, 'you are extracting the urine'. Don't they look at the offer the contractor has made and review it. Why not just give the person a credit laden credit card for them to use on any laptop?

You'd think. In fact, they do. What happens (or did in my experience) is that someone spots what is happening. They then report it to their management who make same soothing noises about investigating the problem until the fuss dies down, then quietly forget about it without actually having done something.

In the meantime, the contracts drawn up with the companies do apparently tie some things down quite tightly, but the companies involved work hard to exploit every loophole in the contract they can.

What has probably happened here is that the contracts were probably drawn up a couple of years ago, and these contracts specified both the spec and the price. Both of these would have been OK (if not brilliant) a couple of years ago. The companies will expect the government to stick to that rigidly, as the goverment will.

Rockabilly Spike · 23-09-2010, 12:50

its a free laptop. you're not paying for it. the taxpayers are.
i had to buy my PC and laptop, with my own money.

stop complaining

Stuart · 23-09-2010, 13:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockabilly Spike

its a free laptop. you're not paying for it. the taxpayers are.
i had to buy my PC and laptop, with my own money.

stop complaining

My complaints were made as a taxpayer..

Aragorn · 23-09-2010, 13:44

To answer your original question, the last one on the list (XMA) is offering a Compaq laptop (Sempron, 1GB ram), Printer, 'dongle' and MS Office for the Grant value (and if you are lucky a 2GB USB stick).
Yes, you could probably get a better deal spending your own money, but in terms of what's being offered that looks a reasonable package.

adzii_nufc · 23-09-2010, 13:54

We have had loads of people come in asking us if we can remove software called Netintelligence from these Home Access laptops. Most of them can be removed by the user with a password but those who have no password cant remove it and the laptop becomes useless because Ive looked at the software and it blocks basic sites like facebook, bbc and sometimes even google.

The only way we could remove it was Formatting the whole drive or manually removing every single reg

Will say this as a warning. DO NOT if you can grab one of these free laptops choose the Acer Extensa. Had over 4 of them come in with the same problem, Faulty HDD.

But like others have said these laptops are worth pennies to be fair.

I have no complaints knowing any of my tax money will go towards free laptops for those who are unfortunate and cannot splash out on Internet bills and fancy PC's, IMO every family in the country should have access to a PC and Internet. But again like others have said.. Something is sour about this whole deal. The laptops are in no state to be worth Â£400+ and needs some real investigation.

Edit- Comet are the ones who sell the faulty Extensa's as far as I've heard

danielf · 23-09-2010, 14:04

As far as I can tell there are quite a few extras thrown in with a lot of these machines. There's 12 months internet, service and support, and there's quite a few that come with Office and other software. All of these would bump the price quite a bit compared to just a bare machine.

adzii_nufc · 23-09-2010, 14:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by danielf

As far as I can tell there are quite a few extras thrown in with a lot of these machines. There's 12 months internet, service and support, and there's quite a few that come with Office and other software. All of these would bump the price quite a bit compared to just a bare machine.

You pay for the dongle and the internet seperately with the card but all in one transaction.

as for Office... Office trials do not make up the other Â£200

and Netintelligence causes more problems than it does good but god knows how much it costs retail.