[icebraining]

Why would a tablet only last three years?

In any case, you can simply buy a laptop/tablet hybrid nowadays, instead of the laptop you'd buy anyway (exceptions made for people who need desktops or non-hybrid laptops for some reason, but they're an exception).

[pjc50]

OS updates either aren't available or refuse to run on it, so it's still usable but not safe to connect to the internet.

[icebraining]

The Surface comes with a guarantee of four years of updates (minimum).

[k-mcgrady]

I don't want the government spending my money on computers they don't need so that they don't need to print anymore.

[icebraining]

I'm not sure what you intend with your post. I assure you I'm not responsible for laptop purchasing decisions in the UK civil service.

[k-mcgrady]

I didn't think you were. My point was that if they can quickly fix this issue with a simple law banning government entities from putting disclaimers at the bottom of an email I'd rather that than spending millions on new hardware to prevent printing. Considering most of these people will use Word + Internet Explorer all day money doesn't need to be unnecessarily spent on new hardware.

[icebraining]

My idea was simply, when buying new laptops that are needed anyway, to choose hybrids instead of "regular" laptops.