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Explain your success using iPad as a professional device

tigres

tigres

macrumors 601
Original poster
Aug 31, 2007
4,217
1,326
Land of the Free-Waiting for Term Limits
I am very much interested in hearing some first hand accounts on people's success utilizing iPad as a business/working/effective device.

Please refrain from the "streaming" or web browsing experiences. We all know how great it is at watching videos, and tv programming.

What I am looking for are accounts in which iPad is actually functioning more than a media consumption device, and actually doing some lifting.

Share, if you will, the apps that are allowing you to input/transfer/correct/annotate papers. PDF/Word/Excel/PPT, etc.

Furthermore, as I have yet to purchase; I am watching the apps coming out and I see that these are what really are going to make iPad usable IMO. For instance, Nate True has a new app (wormhole) that really looks like it has some amazing potential- even though initial reviews are low; I have all the confidence he will make this a killer app.

There are some good threads within about Teachers looking for ways to devise methods of correcting papers/ sharing the screen with a Prometheus board etc. All are welcome to share with all how your device is actually doing some collaborative work. Have some way of using a file system? Have a way of printing that email attachment? How about editing some papers, and moving them up to MM or other sites without emailing it to your self.

Tell us all your how you are discovering ways to make this device WORK for you, and not just entertain you.

Thanks for sharing :)
 
You do realize there are more remote apps than just Wormhole, right?

Desktop Connect
iTeleport (overpriced IMO)

To name a couple.
 
Before the flamers come running into the thread to declare you are anathema, let me quickly say that at $500 I agree the iPad ought to do a little more than act as an overpriced scrabble board combination movie player without a dvd slot.

I have been using mine at meetings and in classes to take notes. I emailed them to myself at the end of class using the campus wifi. More on why I had to email them later. I used numbers to quickly do some number crunching. My quest to make my iPad something more than an Apple branded Nintendo DS has been frustrating.

I purchased Pages and Numbers right away. I also purchased Goodreader and AirSharing. At the time, AirSharing did more than Goodreader. With yesterday's Goodreader update, that is not necessarily the case. I downloaded gallery and idisk to get files to my iPad without bothering with the silly usb cable. Gallery works fine for getting pictures from MobileMe to my iPad. The iDisk app is a waste of space. First of all it's an iPhone app. Secondly, it only lets me view things rather than copy them for local editing and use. It turns out goodreader does a better job of getting stuff onto my iPad.

Notice the direction here is always TO my iPad? Even when it comes to Office documents, the iPad is a much better consumer than it is a producer. To get anything you create or modify off the iPad, it must be emailed. Another workaround I have is docs2go. It allows me to edit google docs from my iPad. Again, it is an iPhone app so I'm faced with a pretty plain looking user interface. When docs2go is finally released for iPad, we will finally have a content creation solution that is seamless. Sadly iWork and Numbers were a big letdown in that department.

Again, it's relatively easy to get stuff TO the iPad. You then tell Pages to "import" it but at no time are you allowed to view a list of files and upload them to ftp sites. If you bring a file to the iPad using airsharing or goodreader, you can then upload it someplace else. It's just that opening it in iWork involves this "import" process which locks your changes up in iwork and the only way to get them out is a usb cable or email.

If you are willing to work with all this gimpiness when it comes to file handling, then the iPad as a business tool can work for you. I've thought more than a few times about taking mine back, but since they are in short supply I'm not "teaching Apple a lesson" by doing so. For now, I'm inclined to keep mine and hope (vaguely) for some improvement in the future. Note that OS 4.0 does not offer any explicit improvement in the file handling department, only a vague hint that handling email attachments will be improved.

I also use my iPad to control my Mac using RemoteTap. It is another iPhone app but I like the way it works. Again I'm waiting for an iPad version.
 
I am teaching a CAD/CAM class this weekend. I have installed Keynote for the iPad and loaded the presentation. I'm anxious to give it a try. I am bringing my MacBook Pro, just i case. Keynote for the iPad has some serious flaws, IMO. You can only load files through iTunes (not download directly from iDisk or some other very usefule method). I haven't played with embedded video, as this particular presentation doesn't have embedded video. But the built-in laser pointer is great. Touch and hold the screen and a red dot (looking like a laser pointer) comes up. I'm anxious to see how the VGA adapter will perform.
 
I normally don't post here, but keep an active eye on the forums. This thread is excatly what I like to read.


I work as a System Admin for a managed IT company. We have about 45 clients in Colorado that we manage.

I just sold my MBP (2.53 GHZ late 2008 model) yesterday for I found myself not using it since the iPad came out. I have the 64 GB model.

I have been using JUMP (RDP app) that is great for remoting into all our client servers to do quick work when I am not in front of my iMac. I use Jaadu's iTeleport to remote into my Mac.

Started using 1Password which syncs back to my iMac - the data file contains all the SSIDs and Wireless passwords for all our clients. As well as any user name and password that I can't remember.

I also use Air Sharing HD (until dropbox releases an app) that stores all my manuals and and documents I may need to read when I am onsite at a clients location or at the coffee shop.

Also have Pages for quick editing of documents or creating documenation for software.

Its great not having to lug around a laptop, and I know that I will miss some of the features of the laptop but think the iPad will fill most of those holes
 
have no ipad yet, but my company doesnt support iphones let alone ipads, we are given company issue blackberrys if we need them. so i cant get my work exchange mail, or sync calendars with my iphone (or ipad to be).

so in essence, kind of useless for me.

If i want to remote-desktop, i have to use a citrix portal, which i am also not sure i can do on an ipad as when i use my laptop it installs a bespoke citrix plugin.

so from my point of view, whilst it has potential for being awesome, in reality it sucks. for example, sometimes i make notes on my iphone in a meeting. i then have to cut and paste into an email to my work email, and then create a note in outlook with that content.

strangely enough, although i live in the UK i work for a huge american firm!
 
r0k said:
Before the flamers come running into the thread to declare you are anathema, let me quickly say that at $500 I agree the iPad ought to do a little more than act as an overpriced scrabble board combination movie player without a dvd slot.

I have been using mine at meetings and in classes to take notes. I emailed them to myself at the end of class using the campus wifi. More on why I had to email them later. I used numbers to quickly do some number crunching. My quest to make my iPad something more than an Apple branded Nintendo DS has been frustrating.

I purchased Pages and Numbers right away. I also purchased Goodreader and AirSharing. At the time, AirSharing did more than Goodreader. With yesterday's Goodreader update, that is not necessarily the case. I downloaded gallery and idisk to get files to my iPad without bothering with the silly usb cable. Gallery works fine for getting pictures from MobileMe to my iPad. The iDisk app is a waste of space. First of all it's an iPhone app. Secondly, it only lets me view things rather than copy them for local editing and use. It turns out goodreader does a better job of getting stuff onto my iPad.

Notice the direction here is always TO my iPad? Even when it comes to Office documents, the iPad is a much better consumer than it is a producer. To get anything you create or modify off the iPad, it must be emailed. Another workaround I have is docs2go. It allows me to edit google docs from my iPad. Again, it is an iPhone app so I'm faced with a pretty plain looking user interface. When docs2go is finally released for iPad, we will finally have a content creation solution that is seamless. Sadly iWork and Numbers were a big letdown in that department.

Again, it's relatively easy to get stuff TO the iPad. You then tell Pages to "import" it but at no time are you allowed to view a list of files and upload them to ftp sites. If you bring a file to the iPad using airsharing or goodreader, you can then upload it someplace else. It's just that opening it in iWork involves this "import" process which locks your changes up in iwork and the only way to get them out is a usb cable or email.

If you are willing to work with all this gimpiness when it comes to file handling, then the iPad as a business tool can work for you. I've thought more than a few times about taking mine back, but since they are in short supply I'm not "teaching Apple a lesson" by doing so. For now, I'm inclined to keep mine and hope (vaguely) for some improvement in the future. Note that OS 4.0 does not offer any explicit improvement in the file handling department, only a vague hint that handling email attachments will be improved.

I also use my iPad to control my Mac using RemoteTap. It is another iPhone app but I like the way it works. Again I'm waiting for an iPad version.
Click to expand...


I have to tell you that this is the best reasonable and helpful post I have read in some time!.

Thanks for not flaming. Thanks for being detailed. And, thanks so much for explaining the ON and From details of file sharing; that was very very helpful to me.

I have very similar issues with iPhone, even using Readle Docs. I think a simple solution in the future will be just to JB it, but I just am not up for that constant battle to gain access to the file system.

I really want to be able to save attachments, and move around documents. Boy I hope this comes.

Again, thanks so much for the education/sharing of your experience!:)
 
r0k said:
Notice the direction here is always TO my iPad? Even when it comes to Office documents, the iPad is a much better consumer than it is a producer.
Click to expand...

r0k's comments are pretty accurate in my experience so far. The iWorks apps are a bit of a disappointment, esp for us PC users. You can export (ie, email) a Keynote pres as a Keynote file or a PDF, but Keynote won't work on a PC, and the PDFs lose some formatting when opened on a PC (fonts, mainly). I think the apps are really going to catch up quickly with some of these issues, but for now there are some gaps in usability for document creation, editing, and transfer.

On the other hand, if you have a lot of documents you need to reference, it's great. Goodreader makes it easy to put a bunch of PDFs or whatever on the pad and go. I'm a teacher, so I can put class outlines, articles, etc on it and take it to class, or sit on the couch and read a paper without printing. Never would do this on my netbook.
 
There's a few things that are attractive on the iPad for heavy lifting. First is the VPN support. It is critical to me to have VPN access, and the iPad does support most common VPN systems (except Nortel - ughh). Second, there are SSH apps out there that allow me to shell into a Linux box. So for me, the ability to connect to a client's network with VPN, and shell into the Linux systems with iSSH does make it possible to do some light "heavy" lifting with the iPad when I am mobile.

For Nortel VPN access, and other situations that require a more computer-centric approach, I'm using iTeleport to hit my office computers and bounce out from there. Would I want to work an entire week like this - no way, it's just not convenient enough. But for a quick peek at a network or some database profiling while I'm out at lunch it is great to be able to bounce in and get it done.

In a nutshell, the iPad is now my Netbook replacement. It does 99% of what I did with the Netbook anyway, but I did have to rethink how I performed some of this (like with iTeleport). Its great to leave and grab just the little iPad and Verizon MiFi and nothing else.
 
mac-slap-happy said:
There's a few things that are attractive on the iPad for heavy lifting. First is the VPN support. It is critical to me to have VPN access, and the iPad does support most common VPN systems (except Nortel - ughh). Second, there are SSH apps out there that allow me to shell into a Linux box. So for me, the ability to connect to a client's network with VPN, and shell into the Linux systems with iSSH does make it possible to do some light "heavy" lifting with the iPad when I am mobile.

For Nortel VPN access, and other situations that require a more computer-centric approach, I'm using iTeleport to hit my office computers and bounce out from there. Would I want to work an entire week like this - no way, it's just not convenient enough. But for a quick peek at a network or some database profiling while I'm out at lunch it is great to be able to bounce in and get it done.

In a nutshell, the iPad is now my Netbook replacement. It does 99% of what I did with the Netbook anyway, but I did have to rethink how I performed some of this (like with iTeleport). Its great to leave and grab just the little iPad and Verizon MiFi and nothing else.
Click to expand...

I will have to look into that iTeleport; I have used VNC, RDC, and now I use Logmein on the iphone. Not heavy lifting by any means, but it allows me to monitor services, and restart IIS/ISA/Exchange when trouble comes up and I am out. As far as the document issue, this is my toughest one to get a handle on. I really need access to that file system.

Apple must be planning some big changes with that server farm/cloud computing. I have not signed up for iWork online, but I may have a look.
 
laokai said:
r0k's comments are pretty accurate in my experience so far. The iWorks apps are a bit of a disappointment, esp for us PC users. You can export (ie, email) a Keynote pres as a Keynote file or a PDF, but Keynote won't work on a PC, and the PDFs lose some formatting when opened on a PC (fonts, mainly). I think the apps are really going to catch up quickly with some of these issues, but for now there are some gaps in usability for document creation, editing, and transfer.

On the other hand, if you have a lot of documents you need to reference, it's great. Goodreader makes it easy to put a bunch of PDFs or whatever on the pad and go. I'm a teacher, so I can put class outlines, articles, etc on it and take it to class, or sit on the couch and read a paper without printing. Never would do this on my netbook.
Click to expand...

You have a very good point. The simple fact the netbook/notebook screen is landscape oriented makes it less useful than an iPad for reading. I took an entire semester of notes with me to class on my iPad. I normally would have had to lug along a binder that easily weighs twice as much as the iPad and is a lot thicker. But the ease of reading on the iPad meant I was glad I had it with me in class rather than my 3 pound netbook with it's stingy 600 pixel vertical resolution or even my 6 pound notebook with its landscape oriented screen.
 
Here is a summary of my usage with iPad. I use Air Sharing HD to store all of my files for law school, most of which are .docs. Then, I import all the relevant cases/notes for the class that i would be about to sit in on right before to Pages. In class, i seamlessly switch between cases and notes from within pages, not having to leave pages for the duration of the class.

Right as the class is nearing the end, i export my notes file into the Pages directory as a .doc, and do the same for any modified case .docs during the class. Then, i also email myself each and every document to my email. Within a few seconds, i receive the email(s) and import all the modified attached docs from email to Air Sharing. I replace the now-old document with the new by deleting, and using the edit>move function. After that, i delete the emails with attachments and be done with it.

Note: I use a staples bookstand at i purchased for $10 and the Apple Wireless keyboard to type in class. This system has, so far, worked almost flawlessly.
 
I'm in high school and i use my iPad to do my homework pretty much every day with Keynote and Pages. I use my iPhone to get info off the web that I need and use that on the iPad.
 
Cyroceon said:
I use Air Sharing HD to store all of my files for law school . . . n class, i seamlessly switch between cases and notes from within pages, not having to leave pages for the duration of the class.
Click to expand...



You actually . . . GO . . . to class in law school? Yikes.... gunner. :D
 
I have used mine to create and give two different presentations, both of which went over extremely well. I think even for those who arent fans of the iPad or don't see it as a productivity device, the wow factor of seeing it in action is enough to get folks excited about what you are presenting, I think as more and more apps are developed to better utilize this device, it's effectiveness and presence in the professional arena will increase greatly.

In addition to the presentations, I use it to track 5-9 flights a day... While our in-house systems do fairly well at providing arrival and departure info, having apps that can provide additional and updated real-time info are invaluable when managing manpower and coordinating connections between aircraft/airlines. (I for an international express logistics carrier, we do a lot of "cross loading" at our station between multiple aircraft made up of multiple airlines). I have also used it out on the flight line (in a vehicle, not outdoors) as a reference tool, keeping schedules, staffing info and aircraft load info on it.
 
Cyroceon said:
Right as the class is nearing the end, i export my notes file into the Pages directory as a .doc, and do the same for any modified case .docs during the class. Then, i also email myself each and every document to my email. Within a few seconds, i receive the email(s) and import all the modified attached docs from email to Air Sharing.
Click to expand...

You can save documents as .doc on Pages on iPad? then just e-mail to yourself?

How does the end product fair when it arrives and is opened on a computer?
 
this is relevant to my interests.

I wonder just WHY Apple doesn't have a Windows Explorer* function in the iPhone/iPad/iTouch OS :rolleyes:






* whatever it's called in OSX
 
Sdevante said:
You actually . . . GO . . . to class in law school? Yikes.... gunner. :D
Click to expand...

Don't know about your experience with law school (and when), but the ABA now has attendance requirements. I get dropped from my LLM tax classes by not attending 80% of the lectures. No return of money (and NYU tuition ain't cheap) and no ability to take the final, so, maybe attendance used to be optional in law school, but most schools nowadays actually have to report their attendance to the ABA. Certainly, I had profs in my JD program that didn't care, but I also had profs that took attendance every single lecture. And now with my LLM, they actually check server logs to make sure that we watch all of the lectures. So, don't rag on someone for being a gunner. You don't know his/her situation.
 
My wife has been doing legal research for most of the last year. We picked up the iAnnotate app, and she's been using that for marking up cases as she reads them.
She hasn't shown me how it handles sending pdfs back and forth, but she's been very happy with how well it's worked.
Of course, it'd help if there was better support for marking up word documents.
 
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