Members of the UK parliament may soon be waving Apple iPads at each other across the dispatch box instead of order papers, according to reports in the press.

The Commons Administration Committee has recommended purchasing Apple's tablet device for all MPs as a move that it expects would save on taxpayer's money, according to the BBC.

Part of the logic of the proposal is that tablets would make it easier for MPs to do their work and save on paper.

However, MPs are currently already entitled to three desktop computers and two laptops for their office use, and the committee is recommending an iPad in addition to these rather than instead of one or more of them.

According to the BBC, a trial of the iPad by members of the Administration Committee resulted in savings of several thousand pounds through circulating information electronically rather than by hard copy.

Rather pathetically, a committee member is quoted as saying that the prospect of securing discounts from Apple for bulk buying are likely to be limited. Surely the UK government should have more confidence in its purchasing power?

It seems that Parliament is looking at purchasing the older iPad 2 models, rather than the newer iPad announced earlier this month.

The House of Commons Commission is expected to consider the committee's recommendation in a meeting due to take place later today.

UPDATE (27 March): Speaking to V3, a Commons Administration Committee representative confirmed the decision on the MP's iPad bid had been pushed back to 30 April after discussion on another topic rolled passed its allotted time during the meeting on 26 March.

The launch of a new Apple product is always accompanied by the inevitable queue, with eager fans getting in line outside stores around the world to ensure they can say they were one of the first to get hold of whatever new shiny device the firm is selling.

The new iPad was no different, with some fans getting in line last weekend, although most had a far more casual one night sleepover on the cold, hard, unforgiving concrete of Regent's Street.

When V3 popped along this morning to see what was going on we came across the usual mix of the weird and wonderful, which we've documented below in photographic glory, because a picture is worth a thousand words...

Apple teased the assembled queuers by putting a solitary device tantalisingly within reach behind a thin-sheet of glass.

Meanwhile, the world's media (sort of) continued to gather to try and get a spot to snap those on the other side of the barriers. V3 had arrived at 7:30am, so had no such trouble bagging a top spot.

Eventually, as the clock ticked around to 8am, the crowds were let in, to huge cheers and applause from Apple's blue-shirted staff. Some people going into the store to buy the new iPad, already had the new iPad they'd bought at midnight from other locations, and were filming the experience on the device, which was an odd sight.

Things started to get really surreal, though, when a gaggle of clearly-fake air hostesses turned up and started posing with the first few fans through the door. Apple apparently had no issue with this and let it take place without incident.

As if this wasn't enough, one chap then added a giant cat's head to the situation, with wonderfully bizarre results.

While for the on-looking press this was an amusing side-note, for most exiting the store it was a chance to celebrate getting their hands on the device, as first-in-line Zohaib Ali did with style.

Eventually, though, when the dust had settled there's only a few traces left that would hint at the madness that had gone before. No doubt the iPhone 5 launch - or will it be the new iPhone? - will see the whole circus start up again.

Tablet computers have only been around in their current guise for two years but their popularity in the consumer markets has meant that the Office of National Statistics has added the device to its national shopping basket used to measure the spend of UK consumers.

The organisation said that the devices were now making such an impact on the market that they needed to be included in its retail guide, particularly as they were accounting for much of the nation's spend on technology, in place of older devices.

"Developments in technology influence the basket update and in 2012 tablet computers (such as the iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab) are being included for the first time," it said.

"This mirrors the evolution of computer equipment through desktop personal computers, laptops and now tablets, and they are being introduced to capture price changes in this rapidly expanding market."

With the new iPad set to be launched on Friday, and no doubt ready to fly off the shelves into the arms of grateful consumers eager to get their hands on the latest iDevice from Apple, the ONS's timing appears justified.

It wasn't just tablets that were added, though, with bundled communication packages - telephone lines, internet and TV services - also included, underlining the new way many consumers purchase digital services.

The inclusion of these services, as well as tablet computers, in the ONS's updated shopping list underlines just how central technology has become to the lives of the general public, both for use in the workplace and at home.

Apple's share price passed the $500 mark for the first time in the firm's history on Monday afternoon as the success of its iPad 2 and iPhone devices continue to make the firm one of the world's most valuable companies.

It has taken just six months since passing the $400 on the Nasdaq market to rocket to £500 and comes three years after the firm's share price was a comparatively paltry $89.31 in February 2009.

Since then the success of its iPhone and iPad ranges, particularly their increasing use among both consumers and business users, has fuelled the firm's valuation, which is now inching towards $470bn as it continues to rake in record profits.

The firm's financial success is in stark contrast to some of its key rivals, with the likes of Microsoft stagnating on $30 per share price - and a market cap of $256bn - and Nokia on just $5 a share or a $18.5bn market cap, as other firms find it hard to make any traction in the smartphone and tablet markets.

Only Google can outperform Apple for share-value, with its stock currently priced around the $613 mark, but with fewer shares it circulation, it's value is a 'paltry' $199bn.

The question everyone will be asking, though, is clear: why on earth didn't I buy some shares in Apple three years ago?

Some two weeks after downloading a copy of the highly anticipated Steve Jobs biography, V3 finally finished the 600-page epic.

Our initial thoughts on the opening pages were positive. They detail Jobs' upbringing and friendship with Steve Wozniak, and the rest of the book didn't disappoint, offering a wealth of anecdotes and insight into Jobs and his tumultuous life.

Jobs was, it's well known, something of a perfectionist. The book reveals time and again just how manic this perfectionism could be, with Jobs tearing people apart for the slightest design fault and insisting on absolute control on all aspects of production.

Many former colleagues interviewed by author Walter Isaacson recounted this criticism with a sense of injustice that Jobs had to be so ruthless, yet they all admit that his leadership helped them produce some of their best work.

It's a testament to Jobs that, despite his fiercely outspoken personality, he was able to build loyal, dedicated teams that developed some of the most compelling and unique technology products ever produced.

For many, the most interesting chapters will be those that discuss these products, as Jobs and his team, notably Jony Ive who Jobs describes as his "spiritual partner", developed the products that made Apple the most valuable company in the world: the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Jobs is often derided as a trumped up marketing guru, yet the book dispels that myth, explaining, for example, that it was Jobs who hit on the idea of producing an iPod with no screen, which subsequently became the hugely popular iPod Shuffle.

Thankfully, Jobs also saw that the iPod scroll wheel was not a viable system for operating a phone and that a touch-screen device - without a stylus ("God gave us 10 styluses") - was the way to go.

Product genius or not, Jobs was certainly not your everyday chief executive, regularly bursting into tears at the end of fights over product or design issues, insisting on a series of bizarre dietary habits, and with terrible personal hygiene in his early years.

But the book really shines when Jobs' unfiltered voice comes through, offering telling insights on Apple, business negotiations, rivals, friends and family. Isaacson has done a great job of balancing these moments without letting Jobs' voice become too dominant.

Ultimately, the book offers a fascinating insight into Jobs and his role in turning Apple into the world leading firm it is today, and will be of great interest to anyone with more than a passing interest in Apple and its 'God-like' leader.

The Steve Jobs biography is published by Little Brown and is available now.

The sister of Steve Jobs, novelist Mona Simpson, has revealed that the Apple founder's final words were: "Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow," as he lay surrounded by his family members.

In a moving eulogy published on The New York Times web site, and first read at Jobs' memorial service on 16 October, Simpson reveals that, even when in hospital during the last days of his illness, Jobs was developing new product ideas.

"He sketched devices to hold an iPad in a hospital bed. He designed new fluid monitors and x-ray equipment. He redrew that not-quite-special-enough hospital unit," she said.

Simpson also reveals that Jobs' well-known perfectionism even followed him to the hospital, dismissing a staggering 67 nurses during his periods of illness before accepting just three to tend to him.

The anecdote is perfectly in keeping with Jobs' character, and the recently released biography by Walter Isaacson charts many instances of Jobs clashing with those around him over tiny details of style and taste.

V3 is currently working its way through the 600-page epic, which is proving an engrossing read, even for non-Apple fans, offering fascinating insights into how Jobs and Apple came to develop the iPod and his work at Pixar that helped create Toy Story.

Jobs died on 6 October after a long-running battle with cancer, provoking a wealth of tributes from the great and the good in the worlds of technology, music and politics.

Long-haul flights are only really bearable because of the chance to sit back and watch hours of films and TV shows, but using small fiddly screens with poor sound quality is hardly the high life.

However, passengers on British Airways' dedicated London City to New York service are now being treated to 64GB iPads preloaded with films, TV shows and games to help pass the time as they cross the Atlantic.

The tablets are locked down, so passengers in the 32 seats can't use them for anything other than the entertainment services, but it's safe to assume that most people flying on such a service have their own iPads. Probably two.

V3 asked BA whether passengers get any sort of stand for the iPad, as holding it for seven hours doesn't sound that appealing, but the firm had yet to reply at the time of publication.

BA did inform us, though, that it will ensure there are enough tablets with adequate charge times for all paying punters by juicing them up at JFK or London City on arrival.

As for how much it has all cost, BA wouldn't say. But, assuming each iPad costs £500 and that BA bought 75 units (32 each for the two services it operates, plus a few spare if anything goes wrong) the bill is likely to be around £35,000.

V3 decided it might book a flight to enjoy the service, but the £2,500 to £3,500 price tag put us off somewhat. Still, if 32 rich people booked at £2,500, that's £80,000 in fares, more than covering the iPads in one go.

We were going to ask how BA will ensure people won't nick the tablets once they land, but at those ticket prices, why would they need to?

The news follows the revelation that Boeing has chosen Android to power the new touch-screen entertainment systems on its next-generation Dreamliner jet.

Still, it doesn't reduce the dreaded jet lag, does it?

Samsung's much anticipated iPad rival the Galaxy Tab 10.1 has just gone on sale a day early at Currys and PC World's Tottenham Court Road store, attracting a horde of eager customers.

The tablet has been on pre-order at the stores since 25 July, and is available in a Wi-Fi version exclusively at PC World for a month, the retailer said.

Priced at £399, the Tab 10.1 got a favourable four star review from V3 on its release in the US in May, when we rated it a good alternative to the iPad that existing Android and Google Apps customers will enjoy using.

The tablet has a 2-megapixel front and 8-megapixel rear facing camera, a high quality 10.1in 1,280x800 screen, a dual-core 1GHz Tegra 2 processor and 1GB RAM. Connectivity-wise there is Edge and GPRS for on-the-go browsing as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and a battery capable of lasting nine hours.

The Tab 10.1 also ships with tablet-optimised Android Honeycomb and, unlike the iPad, will can display Flash content.

Judging by pictures of the queue posted to Twitter this afternoon, the launch has attracted quite a few Galaxy Tab fans, although nothing on the same scale as the iPad 2 launch. At the time of writing, Currys said it had 70 black and 69 white models in stock and does not expect to sell out tonight.

The device is, of course, controversial as it is at the centre of a patent infringement suit in the US. Apple has requested a preliminary injunction in an attempt to stop Samsung making, using, importing and selling various devices including the Tab 10.1.