Using iPad as a travel laptop replacement?

[mikegoldnj]

Anyone using an iPad as a lightweight, traveling laptop replacement?

My company gives us large, heavy Dell laptops to use in office and when traveling. Is it feasible to use the iPad to work on occasional word docs or spreadsheets and to connect to company network via citrix?

 

[KPOM]

I'm going to test it out for the first time this weekend. For the past 4 years, a MacBook Air has been my travel machine of choice (and that certainly would work for the tasks you describe). This weekend, I'll leave the Air at home and see how an iPad works. iWork is a decent in-a-pinch substitute for basic Word documents. I have not used Citrix, but the iPad should work about as well as any other web browser.

 

[boltjames]

Anyone using an iPad as a lightweight, traveling laptop replacement?

My company gives us large, heavy Dell laptops to use in office and when traveling. Is it feasible to use the iPad to work on occasional word docs or spreadsheets and to connect to company network via citrix?

That's what it's for! I haven't used a notebook since May 2010 and you're talking to someone who was inseparable from his various laptops since 1996.

For me, I'm not creating much in Word or Excel so I use it just to read docs and spreadsheets, email, and various web uses. Just went to 6 cities in 4 weeks, didn't miss my laptop one iota.

BJ

 

[number84]

Our company laptops are so locked down I wouldn't be able to replace it with an iPad. But don't think I would want to either. I guess depends what you do for a living and if you could get away with. I'd still (and have) travel with both.

 

[mrkjsn]

I spent the weekend and today using my iPad 3 as my main computer but I do have to admit, I've been cheating. I'm using the iPad 3 to log on to my laptop via iTeleport. I spend most of my time answering emails and dictation has been a game changer for me.

 

[Archer1440]

Anyone using an iPad as a lightweight, traveling laptop replacement?

My company gives us large, heavy Dell laptops to use in office and when traveling. Is it feasible to use the iPad to work on occasional word docs or spreadsheets and to connect to company network via citrix?

Yes, particularly with a wireless keyboard. I'm a senior product engineer who flies 200,000 miles a year or so and I will NEVER carry my issued "thin and light" Dell laptop again if I can help it. I even keep my Autocad DWG's in the cloud and use them with the Autodesk app. Between Dropbox and other connectivity solutions there's no need for more when traveling.

 

[mikegoldnj]

Our company laptops are so locked down I wouldn't be able to replace it with an iPad. But don't think I would want to either. I guess depends what you do for a living and if you could get away with. I'd still (and have) travel with both.

Our company machines are also locked down. If I have the company laptop, I can log into the VPN and it is as if I'm in the office. Our firm won't allow VPN access on any non-company owned machines, therefore, I have to access via Citrix.

 

[Eric8199]

I did it when I went on vacation after buying the iPad 1. Though I've since purchased a MacBook Air too. But I use the iPad mostly, and it's definitely better than it was back then.

 

[mikegoldnj]

I did it when I went on vacation after buying the iPad 1. Though I've since purchased a MacBook Air too. But I use the iPad mostly, and it's definitely better than it was back then.

The MacBook Air is my other choice but if I could use the iPad, bluetooth keyboard, and a Verizon hotspot I could probably be happy too.

I guess the obvious problems would be if I had to access a CD or DVD, or data on a USB flash drive from a client.

 

[jw6961]

I'd really like to just take my iPad on the road when I have to travel, but can you add attachments to emails on the iPad using something like Logmein or Dropbox? If so, how?