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Ipad 2 for business still a long way to reality

Bikie

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I always carry my iPad 2 with me, we all know how great it is to read, surf the net and play games, is definitely an entertaining device. But when it comes to do the real business and show it's real 'office' potential, really let's you (or at least me) down.

I'll put an example. I have all sort of apps on my iPad, one of my favourites is Penultimate which is to make notes and drawings. I was on my desk and a colleague came round to discuss something, he needed to write me something and I told him that we could use the iPad for that. Off he goes, there he was this guy trying to write with his finger and within second we scrap the idea and pass on to write on paper.

I sometimes wish that the iPad 2 had the same writing abilities as a windows tablet pc. I know he tried to write with his hand but I have bought two stylus and they are as useless as fingers...

I have read in the past few months a few articles, particularly female iPad 2 owners who have had the guts to ditch their laptops and replace them with an iPad. They write about the excitement when they pull their iPads form their purses while everybody else in the meeting room are anchored in the past with bulky laptops. They kindly of give the impression of how cool fashionable the ladies are.

No disrespect to those ladies but hey, I'm on my 30s I work in an office environment and you cannot replace s laptop with an iPad 2, yet. The iPad can't screen is to small for business, no ms excel, numbers is nice but I can't see myself dealing with one of my beast workbooks on "Numbers".

I love my iPad is this thread is kind of a rant to express my concern about the lack of business usability. It is clearly still early days. Tho is great to type an email on the train but if you are an accountant, forget about it, the iPad is of no use for Excel sheets. Plus the iPad needs to be connected to a server to make the most of it.

Sent from my iPad 2 hehe
 

K1W1

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I was on my desk and a colleague came round to discuss something, he needed to write me something and I told him that we could use the iPad for that. Off he goes, there he was this guy trying to write with his finger and within second we scrap the idea and pass on to write on paper.

Try a stylus. You don't do finger painting on note pads why do you try to do finger painting on your iPad?
 
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Bikie

Bikie

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I've tried a couple of styles but the don't work well. If Apple would have found an styles that worked I'm sure they would have produce one. Maybe on the iPad 3...
 

tzimisce

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Bikie said:
I always carry my iPad 2 with me, we all know how great it is to read, surf the net and play games, is definitely an entertaining device. But when it comes to do the real business and show it's real 'office' potential, really let's you (or at least me) down.

It comes down to individual requirements, and what you need exactly as well as how your business environment has been set up. I work in a highly mobile Agile development team, and several of us have iPads that we use at stand-ups, workshops and showcases, and while we still have our office-provided desktops and laptops, there's certainly no talk at all of ditching the iPad.
 

Seadog

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An iPad is not a substitute for pad and paper, nor a desktop unit. You don't use a screwdriver to put a nail in a board. There are just some things that electronics do not replace. And everything has it's limitations.
 
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Bikie

Bikie

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Seadog sorry i personwlly disagree with this. The IPad should cannot be limited to just typing, in fact apparently is great to paint. It needs to improve so that can be use to jot down notes in quick and clean way. Form my point of view it should definitely need to be made to replace paper. Don't y ou think?
 

jsh1120

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Seadog sorry i personwlly disagree with this. The IPad should cannot be limited to just typing, in fact apparently is great to paint. It needs to improve so that can be use to jot down notes in quick and clean way. Form my point of view it should definitely need to be made to replace paper. Don't y ou think?

Can't speak for Seadog, but no, I don't think. I've tried just about all of the various hand note taking apps and not only do they not replace a legal pad, I don't think it's possible to engineer them to do so, at least not without significant changes in the hardware.

From my perspective there are two major problems.

() It is simply not possible to engineer software in a way that is as simple to use as a pen and paper. In the latter environment I can vary the color, size, and placement of information on a piece of paper without resorting to multiple touches, swipes, menu choices, etc. With enough practice, I can become relatively proficient with an app like Note Taker HD. It's a great piece of work. But I daresay I'll never be able to "jot down" notes as quickly and cleanly as I can on a piece of paper.

() My second problem is more specific to my own situation. I happen to be one of those disabled folks so discriminated against in this culture. I'm left-handed Trying to prevent my hand from touching the screen while I'm writing is almost impossible. For me, the placement of a "palm rest" (where touching the screen does not register) is in the wrong place. It should be above the space in which I'm writing, not below. So far I haven't found a single notetaking app that enables me to accomplish this.

If you doubt all this, consider the following hypothetical. Imagine that you grew up using an iPad (or any electronic device) to write. Then imagine that someone provided you with a legal pad, a pencil, a pen, and a marker. I suspect you'd be delighted by the extraordinary advance in technology your new discovery represents.
 

twerppoet

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The iPad is not a complete replacement for the laptop. Absolutely true, and obvious. Not that I have anything against stating the obvious, as I'm about to prove.

The iPad is not ready for business (because it's not a laptop replacement?). You might as well say that your sticky notes are not ready for business because they won't replace a notepad.

The iPad is completely ready for business, so long as you treat it like any other business tool and use it when and where it is effective. Business is a rather broad category, and what one person does or does not do is a poor measure of the usefulness of any device or tool.
 

jsh1120

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What he said...Kudos.

Actually, though, I think the title of this thread is somewhat misleading. I'd agree that the iPad has some significant deficiencies as a tool for many businesses. But I'm inclined to point to issues like security and IT management of devices rather than the deficiencies of note taking applications.
 
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thewitt

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My iPad has replaced my notebook for about 60% of what I do in the office. I'm very pleased with that.

-t
 

sjleworthy

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I use my iPad for business.

I'm a digital illustrator, so I use my iPad for taking sketch notes and freehand notes and sketch ideas, quickly clearly and efficiently at briefings and client meetings.

There are great styluses out there that do a great job. I'd be lost without mine.

I also use my iPad for official business accounting, client correspondences and letters, email and invoicing.

I never had a lap top, but heck, even though it doesn't trump my desk tops it's 100 zillion times better for flexible and usable on the fly and out and about, which is exactly where I need it.

There are great stylus out there, and great apps. It might be worth you persuing this path if you want to make it work.

Does the iPad work for business for me? Oh yes indeed.
 
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Gabriel1

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sjleworthy said:
I use my iPad for business.

I'm a digital illustrator, so I use my iPad for taking sketch notes and freehand notes and sketch ideas, quickly clearly and efficiently at briefings and client meetings.

There are great styluses out there that do a great job. I'd be lost without mine.

I also use my iPad for official business accounting, client correspondences and letters, email and invoicing.

I never had a lap top, but heck, even though it doesn't trump my desk tops it's 100 zillion times for flexible and usable on the fly and out and about, which is exactly where I bed it.

There are great stylus out there, and great apps. It might be worth you Pershing this path if you want to make it work.

Does the iPad work for business for me? Oh yes indeed.

+1

It works for me too.

The Archangel
 

mobi1

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iPad was developed as a personal entertainment device replacing netbook and was never intended to be a business PC.

Business applications need good hardware and people need to be productive. Typing on a keyboard is much faster than touch typing on iPad screen. This problem alone sufficient to discard iPad as business device.

Desktop software are too matured compared to iPad. The speed alone dictates that iPad is no where fit for business use.

Some people do use iPad for business that depends on their role. If you need to read and review some Word documents or simple calculation on spreadsheets, then yes iPad can be a business machines.

But anything other than that, just don't think of using iPad as replacement for desktop/laptop computer. The experience will just be frustrating.
 

tzimisce

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mobi1 said:
iPad was developed as a personal entertainment device replacing netbook and was never intended to be a business PC. Business applications need good hardware and people need to be productive. Typing on a keyboard is much faster than touch typing on iPad screen. This problem alone sufficient to discard iPad as business device.

First, define "business use." Because, you know, if you ask ten different "business people", you're gonna get ten sets of requirements, each requiring its own set of hardware, software and configurations. And a computer, by definition, is a tool that can be set up to accomodate specific requirements and needs.

So debating in terms of vague, absolute statements (”...was never intended to be..., ...this problem alone...") is not only futile, it is illogical. If nothing else, there are those of us who are already using the iPad in the office to be more mobile, responsive and productive workers.
 

Somerled

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I am a Network Engineer and run many projects. I have actually found my iPad invaluable for work. You DO have to think outside the box when it comes to doing tasks.

Is it possible to fully replace a laptop or desktop with an iPad? No, and it was never meant to replace a full PC.

For Office docs, I use Docs2Go Premium with DropBox to keep my docs sync'd up. Can I do every function in D2G I can in Office? No. But I can quickly look up information or do some quick edits to hold me until I hit my laptop. I do a lot of work with terminal and web editing as well. There are apps for both. I can access my work network with VPN built into the iPad. I have tons of manuals and documentation in GoodReader and a bunch of checklists. I even use it for editing my scripts.

You have to think outside the box when it comes to getting the most out of the iPad. Also, make sure to broaden you searches when it comes to finding apps that will allow you to perform tasks that you do all the time on your Laptop.

Again, the iPad will not replace my laptop, but it allows me to be more mobile when it comes to doing my job and meetings are a breeze.
 

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