Is Yudhoyono’s iPad certified?

Not just at a press conference, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono often uses his iPad while chairing meetings with a range of cabinet ministers. Since the arrest of the two iPad sellers, Dian and Randy for the items not having an Indonesian-language manual book, talks regarding the legality of the law behind the iPad as an official gadget in Indonesia have become widespread.

The question is, what of the president’s iPad? Does it have a manual in the Indonesian language? Because the president of Indonesia has been familiar with the iPad since August 2010; however, several journalists have been informed by government sources that the iPad has had legal certification since November 2010.

The iPad was first launched on April 2010 and three months later was used by the president of Indonesia. While the gadget was certified in November of the year, this begs the question whether Apple does has a target market in Indonesia?

From informal research, it seems that a lot of gadgets that circulate in Indonesia do not have a manual in the country’s language. Palti Siregar, an IT observer and gadget lover in Medan, said it was very important to have manuals as a guide for the user, but there is one major problem: “Actually the problem in the Indonesian language manual book, it is often mistakenly wrongly translated or becomes misguided”.

Gadgets and computers like the Android and tablets, sometimes have several terms entirely mistranslated in the Indonesian language. For example “mouse” on a personal computer, when interpreted into Indonesian will be tikus or tetikus, in English this means rat. And many more terms such as these when translated into Indonesian would alter their real meaning.

Head of Industry and Commerce in Special Criminal Investigation  Directorate of the Jakarta Police, Lt. Col. Sandy Nugroho, informed reporters that he once questioned Dian and Randy about the iPad they sold: “Did they really sell the iPad without certification? Then they said Yes.  If yes, it means they are wrong and should be arrested. Moreover, they were graduated from prestigious university in Indonesia”.

Randy and Dian have been charged with violating Article 62 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 8 paragraph (1) letter J of Law No. 8 of 1999 on Consumer Protection as the iPad they sold had no manual in the Indonesian language.

Did the police have the courage to ask the same question to the president of Indonesia?

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