iPad Pro Had a business meeting today, with some pretty big executives... iPad Pro was device of choice

[Adelphos33]

Ten people were in the meeting...

Five iPad Pros (including two of the most recent M4 models - one 11 inch and 1 13 inch, mine)
4 Windows Laptops
1 Macbook Air

And people claim iPads aren't for work?

 

[Isengardtom]

typically in a business meeting, you won't find many apple devices.

Enterprise hasn't been one of Apple's strong suits in a long time. In my company we used to all have Macs, but we in finance have switched to Windows laptops a long time ago (Office 365 is better on Windows) and the rest of the company is slowly transitioning too.

For management and people that mostly need to communicate, take notes and read reports, an iPad Pro is great. Our COO also always uses his iPad Pro. our IT manager uses a Surface pro

 

[Johnny Steps]

Ten people were in the meeting...

Five iPad Pros (including two of the most recent M4 models - one 11 inch and 1 13 inch, mine)
4 Windows Laptops
1 Macbook Air

And people claim iPads aren't for work?

That probably means they’re spending too much money lol. Must be some start-up.

 

[Rafterman]

typically in a business meeting, you won't find many apple devices.

At the university I work at, you will find mostly Apple devices for laptops, Windows for office desktops.

 

[Aka757]

I remember a few years ago I was in a board meeting for one of my clients. The CEO / Chairman of the BOD is a billionaire, and they were publicly traded. He had an iPad Pro (11”). I always thought that was kinda funny.

 

[Isengardtom]

At the university I work at, you will find mostly Apple devices for laptops, Windows for office desktops.

Agreed that education is different. But I doubt many plants, accountants and auditors, insurance companies, banks, logistic service providers operate with the help of MacOS devices

probably designers do, receptions at hotels often do, many creatives…

 

[BeatCrazy]

At my company, 90% of executives bring their iPads as their sole computing device to meetings. Maybe even 100%, I'm struggling to recall the last time I've seen any of them use a Windows laptop. Ours are always the cellular models, and once you get used to grabbing a single device to take with you from the desk, to the meeting room to your kids soccer practice, everything else feels a bit compromised.

 

[Isengardtom]

I remember a few years ago I was in a board meeting for one of my clients. The CEO / Chairman of the BOD is a billionaire, and they were publicly traded. He had an iPad Pro (11”). I always thought that was kinda funny.

Makes sense, CEO’s are mostly in meetings, reading reports from their managers and go to restaurants with different stakeholders 😉

 

[ericwn]

Makes sense, CEO’s are mostly in meetings, reading reports from their managers and go to restaurants with different stakeholders

And they’d often times be in a situation where they observe more than actively present a deck for example. In my day to day as an active presenter I appreciate the better screen sharing functionality that the Mac and Windows offer.

And of course only a very ignorant person would claim that iPads don’t exist in the work environment of millions.

 

[NastyMatt]

I’m a COO and use IPP and MBA. The CEO uses just a MBA. I am also a founder of a company, I only use my IPP in that.

The whole company used to be Apple for non developers. Unfortunately, (once we grew substantially) a large majority of people coming into the company have not used Apple laptops/IPP previously and it just got boring people unwilling to learn something new, so we transitioned to Windows laptops for most people now (unless they specifically ask for Apple).

A shame really that the vocal minority who lacked professional curiosity ruined it for others, as starting at our company getting a MBP/A was seen as a real treat for people as they got to keep their devices after 3 years.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Ten people were in the meeting...

Five iPad Pros (including two of the most recent M4 models - one 11 inch and 1 13 inch, mine)
4 Windows Laptops
1 Macbook Air

And people claim iPads aren't for work?

They must not be doing any real work. How unprofessional of them executives.

 

[aevan]

typically in a business meeting, you won't find many apple devices.

Business meetings I’m in, 9 out of 10 devices will be Apple.

 

[LeeW]

I find many managers, senior managers, and executives use iPads, too, but they mainly use them for accessing their diaries and emails, not for any real work other than emails, which, to be fair, essentially is their work.

In the OP's case, the 5 with laptops probably had them as they have needs beyond an iPad. Or those with iPads are not their only work device.

 

[TechnoMonk]

typically in a business meeting, you won't find many apple devices.

Enterprise hasn't been one of Apple's strong suits in a long time. In my company we used to all have Macs, but we in finance have switched to Windows laptops a long time ago (Office 365 is better on Windows) and the rest of the company is slowly transitioning too.

For management and people that mostly need to communicate, take notes and read reports, an iPad Pro is great. Our COO also always uses his iPad Pro. our IT manager uses a Surface pro

It was 10 years ago. From past 5-6 years, if my client gives me a laptop it has been Mac for past 6-7 years. Most meetings I go have more Apple devices. I have seen more iPad Pros in past few years.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I find many managers, senior managers, and executives use iPads, too, but they mainly use them for accessing their diaries and emails, not for any real work other than emails, which, to be fair, largely is their work.

In the OP's case the 5 with laptops probably had them as they have needs that go beyond an iPad.

Funny those guys get paid more for not doing real work? What is real work anyways? I know guys who run their companies making 7-9 figures on iPad Pro.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

Ours are always the cellular models

If iPad Pro has one killer feature, it's the optional cell. The ability to take and do my work anywhere, no strings attached, is completely unmatched.

Makes me wonder why we haven't seen cell on a MacBook yet.

 

[alecgold]

At my company everybody gets a dell laptop. Most execs, directors, managers etc carry their own iPad to meetings.

 

[EugW]

Anything web based is fine on the iPad Pro. Remote desktop access is also fine on iPad Pro (with trackpad). Also many other applications like Office are fine on iPad Pro now (with trackpad). Etc. ie Traditional corporate business applications often work very well on iPad.

iPad also has less friction in that it's always on, with no need to put to sleep or power down. Charging is generally faster too, although MBA is good for that too.

 

[BeatCrazy]

At my company everybody gets a dell laptop. Most execs, directors, managers etc carry their own iPad to meetings.

Yep same.

 

[klasma]

And people claim iPads aren't for work?

Work tends to happen outside of meetings.

 

[klasma]

A shame really that the vocal minority who lacked professional curiosity ruined it for others

Or maybe they knew exactly how macOS is and professionally didn’t want it to ruin it for them. Shocking, but that’s actually a reality.

 

[nathansz]

Ten people were in the meeting...

Five iPad Pros (including two of the most recent M4 models - one 11 inch and 1 13 inch, mine)
4 Windows Laptops
1 Macbook Air

And people claim iPads aren't for work?

“Big executives” likely don’t have much “work” to do that requires a computer

Ipad is sufficient for referencing and making notes, emails, etc

 

[NastyMatt]

Or maybe they knew exactly how macOS is and professionally didn’t want it to ruin it for them. Shocking, but that’s actually a reality.

One of the VP’s (who was/is anti Apple) wanted us to get rid of GMail because resizing his browser window he was clicking the delete icon on messages by mistake as the icon was too close to the edge.

That is the reality I have to deal with - not tech savvy individuals who have a broad and deep experience. They have used Windows laptops with Microsoft Office their entire career and any deviation from that formula scares the hell out of them.

 

[JPack]

Executives delegate work. Of course they can use an iPad for that.

 

[aurora_sect]

I would love to use a Mac for work but it isn't super compatible with my environment. We use iPads for a few limited purposes. But mostly we are constrained to Windows based hardware.

Kinda makes sense that hotshots in your meetings just use iPads since business execs mostly talk a lot and delegate the actual work to others. They just need text, email, and a good set of golf clubs. Maybe an expensive guitar they can barely play on the wall.