Add President Barack Obama to the list of top federal officials unhappy with the lack of pizzazz in federal information technology. Obama, who had to fight to keep his Blackberry when assuming office, was overhead by CBS reporter Mark Knoller during an April 15 Chicago fundraiser complaining about the antiquated technology in use at the White House.

In a series of tweets, Knoller reported that Obama said the White House is "like 30 years behind" and that when he became president, he thought "he'd have some 'cool phones and stuff' in the Oval Office, but 'we can't get our phones to work!'"

"Come on, guys. I'm the President of the United States. Where's the fancy buttons & stuff and the big screen comes up. It doesn't happen," Obama said in an exasperated tone, according to Knoller.

Speaking more generally about federal IT, Obama characterized it as "horrible...across the board," including at the Pentagon and Homeland Security Department.

Obama also praised federal workers, saying that it's "striking...how generally smart and dedicated people are," although he also said that some "are slugs and not trying to do their job."

The Washington Post's Ed O'Keefe notes that Obama is not the first commander in chief to be disappointed with less-than-state of the art equipment at presidential disposal. Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, says in his memoir that Air Force One was badly equipped at handling communications between the airplane and the White House after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

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