IPad For Contractor?

[bjb148]

A friend of mine needs a new laptop for use on construction sites. He's been admiring my IPad 2 but he's afraid the heavy use in a construction environment (historic restoration, etc.) would be too much for it. He's tech savvy and already relies heavily on a laptop for all on site work. Any ideas for the suitability of an IPad for him?

Sent from my iPad using iPF

 

[Gabriel1]

A friend of mine needs a new laptop for use on construction sites. He's been admiring my IPad 2 but he's afraid the heavy use in a construction environment (historic restoration, etc.) would be too much for it. He's tech savvy and already relies heavily on a laptop for all on site work. Any ideas for the suitability of an IPad for him?

Sent from my iPad using iPF

I work in construction (project manager) and use my iPad and I've had no problems whatsoever, you just need to be sensible.......I wouldn't use it to hammer in a nail or prop up a lintel!

The Archangel

 

[sjleworthy]

What does he want to get out of it exactly?

Physically, it's as robust as any other bit of hardware out on site.

 

[SporkLover]

Not sure how he would use it, but this would give it a good chance at surviving a work environment:

iPad 2 Cases, iPad 2 Defender Series Case // OtterBox.com

My buddy also works in a fairly rugged environment. He was breaking phones all the time, till he started buying otter boxes.

 

[bjb148]

Hey thx for the quick replies! His worry is about wear & tear, dirt and grime. He's afraid he'd need a new one in a couple of months lol.

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[f4780y]

As already suggested, Otterbox are good cases to look into. Rugged and durable enough for a site...

 

[Gabriel1]

Hey thx for the quick replies! His worry is about wear & tear, dirt and grime. He's afraid he'd need a new one in a couple of months lol.

Sent from my iPad using iPF

From my experience you get a lot more dirt and grime inside a laptop, when our IT guys strip a well used laptop down it is packed with all kinds of dust. There are so many entry points, keyboard, disk drives, connections, card readers, etc. There are very few entry points by comparison on the iPad. I just use the Apple Case with mine but the more rugged cases may be better depending on his needs.

The Archangel

 

[SporkLover]

Hey thx for the quick replies! His worry is about wear & tear, dirt and grime. He's afraid he'd need a new one in a couple of months lol.

Sent from my iPad using iPF

Otterbox for sure.

 

[Avionyx]

As a truck driver I work in pretty heavy duty environment, I have tried the Otterbox cases and they are great but a little bit too utilitarian looking for my taste.

I find the Spek PixelSkin HD range to be great though. Had one on my iPhone4 since release and it protects it great. Got one on pre-order for the iPad2 as well. Could be worth a look?