iPad penetration into the corporate market

Posted by: winkyincanada on 14 December 2010

One thing that has surprised me over the past few months is how often I see iPads used in the corporate environment. For example, our board members all now receive their board papers from "the cloud" via a secure (

) app.

I don't know whether Apple saw this coming. I think they may have seen it as a consumer device.

I think part of the allure for people is that it is a status symbol. To carry an iPad at work is to say something like...

"I'm so important now that other people actually do the real work. I just need something to read documents and do e-mail. I've been promoted beyond where I have to work on spreadsheets and write long reports. Certainly beyond Autocad etc and and other technical software. I'm a big deal. A big swinging dick. Yes."

Any thoughts? (I don't have a corporate iPad btw)

Posted on: 20 April 2011 by u6213129461734706

Winky says it best: "The iPad doesn't pretend to be a computer. It is something else altogether."

Truer words never spoken. Say what you will about Steve, he's had the big picture for such a long time, quite clear in his vision. For me, the pad is too small for reading.

Dave

Posted on: 21 April 2011 by Willy

Got it to stop pretending it was German. Handed it over to my daughter and being au fait with the peculiarities of ios through her Touch she was able to figure it out. Required a reboot, which is different from a reset in that it you have to press two buttons and ignore the invitation to switch off (all with your left trouser leg rolled up and under a full moon).

Next step is to try figure out why it starts but won't complete any app downloads. Any suggestions?

Back on topic, as a Business tool I can see its uses for web viewing of information. For me reading pdfs on a plane will be useful (what I have to buy an app to do that?). The other big issue is around getting information onto it in the first place. There are restrictions on what I can put into the cloud (e.g. via dropbox) that make it difficult to transfer data in there. A usb port, or even an sd card slot would have made it a much more viable proposition. I guess in time I'll figure out the workarounds.

Beyond my simplistic requirements there is a reticence in the business to develop apps beyond the simple out of the box tools because of the stranglehold Apple holds over the whole environment. If you offend Apple then they can write off all your investment and leave your customers with unsupported apps. Would play merry hell with your SLAs.

In summary, nice face, shame about the legs.

Willy.

Posted on: 21 April 2011 by Willy

Typed on my laptop whilst iTunes was updating on desktop. Actually what I meant to say was "whilst iTunes update was bricking my desktop":-(

It's sad that in all the rumours that eminate from Apple I've heard nothing about replacing iTunes with something that works and is pleasant to use.

Willy.

Posted on: 21 April 2011 by David Scott

In my experience iTunes works and is pleasant to use.

Posted on: 21 April 2011 by Willy

Dropbox is Verboten on the corporate network:-( Back to the drawing board.

Willy.

Posted on: 21 April 2011 by Adam Meredith

Originally Posted by mudwolf:

I went to Disney Hall for a concert when iPads had just come out. two guys sat next to me and talked about a trip back east, one whipped out his iPad right then and made reservations. I said "I'm soooo envious."

He laughed.

M16. [LG smuk pretty. For final g cf. SAG v.]

Orig., trim, neat, spruce, smart, tidy; (esp. of the face) smooth, sleek.
Now, having a self-satisfied, conceited, complacent, or consciously respectable air; indicative of or characterized by complacency or self-satisfaction.

SHAKES. 1 Hen. IV The smug and silver Trent shall run.
W. COWPER Sleek their heads And smug their countenances.
C. KINGSLEY Addressing the audience..in the most smug and self-satisfied tone.
E. TAYLOR She wore the smug expression of an expert being watched by the unskilled.

smuggery n. (rare) smugness, self-satisfaction; an instance of smug behaviour:
E20.smuggish a. (rare) somewhat smug
M18.smugly adv.
L16.smugness n. M17.