iPad a tool for work!

[Davidlozzi]

iPad, a tool for work!

Several colleagues and customers have asked me about how I can effectively use an iPad for work. Well, there's my blog post about how good it is!

 

[Heaviside]

iPad, a tool for work!

Several colleagues and customers have asked me about how I can effectively use an iPad for work. Well, there's my blog post about how good it is!

Enjoyed your blog about using the iPad for work. I will add my own experience here. I am a retired prof of EE, still doing research in electromagnetic theory (hence the Heaviside screen name). I have found the iPad to be tremendously useful for downloading and reading pdf documents of research papers and textbooks in various formats and annotating them in Good Reader.

I have also found that I can do my mathematical calculations and other notes with ease on a tremendous app called Note Taker HD. I think it was developed by a guy who earlier developed a spreadsheet (Visicalc?) for earlier computers. He has clearly put a lot of thought into it, into the needs of a person like I who uses it as a notepad.

After only a couple of months, I would not be without my iPad. It goes everywhere with me. Lighter than a textbook, it is a combination of an entire library of technical books and papers, a work desk, and---oh, Yes!: incidentally I can browse newspapers of the world and download videos and read novels.

Quite a package!

 

[USBill]

So how did you convince your boss to let you get an iPad when you had no idea how you would use it, or for what?

 

[J.D]

iPad is a tool for every day use! I use mine all of the time, it is always with me and I am always using it. I prefer using my iPad to my desktop PC.

 

[Davidlozzi]

So how did you convince your boss to let you get an iPad when you had no idea how you would use it, or for what?

Persuasion, plus we had a few customers state they were getting them so I needed one to "test".

 

[Wakawaka]

I can't wait to start using mine for work! I have a contract comming up soon that will allow me to get some real in the field use for it

My boss wants one, but doesn't think it'll work for work wise. So I had to buy my iPad and use it. Hopefully this will be a proving point. But I like this idea better..I don't have any restrictions and own it till the end of its life!

 

[zorah]

Great review of the usefulness. Very cool! I have now just been apprised too of a PDF creator that I plan to check out. Definitely as times goes by, I find more usefulness and with a battery life that is awesome and standby mode to boot!

 

[protocols]

can not really agree with you (though if it works for you and your boos paid for it *thumbsup* ) - BUT:

Always on: my laptop (thinkpad t60) is not the fastest but with a SSD I boot in less than a minute (consider SSD being cheaper than an iPad). Additionally actually I don't do reboots (who actually does??) - e.g. I always just hibernate/close the lid - turning off and on is something of 10secs max. Pretty sure I haven't rebooted since a month..

Portable: I always get 13-14" max. Everything above I agree its not portable anymore.. But 14" is portable and light enough.

Flexible: I check emails and do easy stuff via my iPhone + Browser + iCal Sync + Imap Sync + misc Apps. Thats enough to be flexible enough - if I need to do professional work I'd anyway not want to do it on an iPad..

Easy use: Agree with that

 

[thewitt]

Add on a wireless keyboard and you will stop carrying your laptop... If you want an integrated approach look at the keyboard/case options.

-t

 

[Goober]

Add on a wireless keyboard and you will stop carrying your laptop... If you want an integrated approach look at the keyboard/case options.

-t

I totally agree. I use the apple wireless keyboard when at home and have a Bluetooth keyboard/case for travel.

When I'm in the office I do like my dual monitor set up to crank out some hefty work. But to be mobile...it's my iPad all the way. I rarely undock my laptop anymore.

 

[molliegooch82]

Thanks!

Thanks !

 

[TheRambler]

great review, i think its size and concept are its greatest assets, its perfect for working situations and has has already been said, add a keyboard and its perfect!!

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

And if you're on the road a lot, think about a folding keyboard. OK - for sure - they're a compromise, but the portability means you always have it with you and can just get it out on the train, plane, bus or boat and type away to your heart's content. The larger keyboards, of course, are nicer to use but they're a pain to carry with you for a journey.

Tim

 

[latinoz]

I use mine every day, I cant say that i could totally replace my macbook/imac.....but i wouldnt want to anyways..

Im a building designer, and need to use Revit/Autocad, for which the larger the screen and more powerful machine, the better (plus they only run on PC's and mac for autocad). But since im freelance, i use things like timemaster for jobs, numbers for my spreadsheets and graphs, Penultimate & sketchbook for quick sketches on site, Project Planner for my Gant graphs and organiser for all my appointments/jobs/tasks etc... I also use goodreader to take to the plans for clients to view on screen and make the markups needed on the screen, saves me printing out plans over and over again during the initial design stage.

plus the games for 'downtime'