The iPad as a business device: the potential and the problems

102 ipad office.jpgCould this be device that breaks Apple into the business market? Will the suits and office workers of the next five years be pulling iPads out of their briefcases? Yes argues blogger Matt McHugh brought to our attention in a Shiny comment. McHugh imagines an iPad-enabled office: his scenario – instead of getting a desktop in the office and a work laptop to drag around, your company spends £500 and gets you an iPad, you dock it at work and it’s locked to your work server.

We quote:
“You start at a new job, and instead of a computer, they hand you an iPad. That iPad is tied to the company network — getting all of its applications, data, web/e-mail access streamed to it from a secure wireless server managed by the IT department. On your desk, you have a keyboard and mouse you can plug into your iPad when sitting. Otherwise, you can pick it up, take it to meetings, use it as you like anywhere within Wifi or 3G range.”

Makes sense huh? He also points out that this increases security so if you break, lose or pour coffee over your iPad you can just re-download all the company’s data and software onto a new device. And of course it costs less for the company to replace.
“The iPad is a secure, mobile, wirelessly tethered computer perfect for a business user’s daily needs. And, people love using it because it’s cool and simple.” Matt says.
A model like this would work in universities or schools as well.

The Problems
On the downside, I think that offices want something a bit more advanced than iWorks on their everyday computers. Like Excel?

Depending on the work they’re doing, they may want more powerful chips as well. That 1ghz processor won’t handle high-power programmes very well, and as for not running more than application at once, that’s a bit of killer: couldn’t have twitter, your email and safari open at the same time. Maybe when we hit iPad 3.0 this will be feasible. In the meantime that model is only possible for offices doing simple work.

Anna Leach

18 comments

  • Ipad is a good looking and high end devices we can use it because it fast,touch is great with lots of things to do.

  • Very nice post…Thanks a lot for sharing..Would like to read more post from you…

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  • It’s really beautiful work.Thanks for this kind of stuff.I mean I am totally impressed.Hope to see more updated work here.I have to say, it is very informative.

  • Business can be transacted anywhere nowadays. Time is money as considered today. Every tick of the clock must be equivalent to an earning. This post is essential.

  • Actually iPad is business gadget not ordinary gadget.It has some special features which business class easily to used and understandable.

  • The interesting thing about what iPad means for computing in general and for business in specific has very little to do with the hardware and all to do with the potential of software that could be built to allow multi-touch interactions on a well developed platform like the iPhone OS. In this sense, the hardware is not really important at all. Lack of USB, camera, screen size etc. are all trivial points that might or might not have implications in very specific circumstances. Researcher @
    Dental Preston

  • iPad is one type of Palm. It can use as the alternate of notebook whre I can chat, mail, internet browse, making document etc. Samsung has also a device called called Galaxy Tab. It has not be compared with apple iPad. iPad is iPad.

  • Shame that as soon as you are in the middle of a presentation and you need to load something else (such as a web browser for an example) that the ipad would be incapable without shutting down your presentation first…. fail…. :(

  • haha,

    I was nearly rolling around the floor with that one. What a Joke. perhaps the HP / MS Tablet yes. but the Ipad. never.

    The Ipad is not a business machine. it does a poor job.

    Keyboard ?
    External Screen ?
    USB ?
    Office ?
    Group Policy ?
    Ethernet ? (most companies do not use wifi)
    Secure Exchange integration?
    Docking station with external USB / Screen / keyboard / mouse…

    and lets watch out for the custom APPLE processor. DRM at the processor level. DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER

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