Does the iPad Have a Place in Business?
This one perplexes me. As the new owner of an iPad I decided to check this out on my own. I am primarily an IT consultant, but I am also a writer on technology topics so I not only considered this a worthwhile topic, I figured I could compose the article entirely on the iPad as a test.
Knowing that the iPad is an intriguing toy to many, I am sure lots of business owners out there are considering whether or not they can legitimately consider spending money on - and writing off the expense of - one of these pads.
Here's my take after about a month of shared usage with my wife...
It's great for on the go internet research.
If you need to check on some information or be somewhat productive while away from the home or office, then it may be a great tool for you. My 2-year-old son is having surgery right now and I'm using it in the waiting room -- not just to write this article but also to do some needed research online. If you do want to be productive away from the home or office then definitely skip the wifi only model and get the 3G version. We signed up for the 250mb plan for $US15 a month. We used it up in 28 days and it tells you when you need more. We were able easily start a new month immediately. The downside is I just checked and we are already through 115mb this month after only 10 days, so we may eventually go with the 2gb plan for $US25 per month.
Great for games
This is actually a downside from a business standpoint. I am addicted to the Words with Friends app. It's basically scrabble and you can have many games going on at once. So far I can beat everyone but my sister-in-law who I'm pretty sure must be using the cheater app... no one is THAT good. She doesn't beat me, she pounds me into the ground! That all said, the games can be a nice reprieve from work sometimes.
Virtual keyboard
For me this is bad because I like real keys. If you're already used to an iPhone then you will probably like it. I'm used to typing fast so I can't seem to get comfortable with it. I downloaded an app called CleanWriter and it works well enough, but it is nothing like working on Word on my MacBook.
Social Networking
The iPad is great for staying in touch through social media sites so often used by small businesses these days. Twitter and Facebook are critical to my consulting business so I find the iPad very useful for those types of updates when I'm on the go.
Summary
If you really want an iPad, then get one. Will it ever be a significant, useful tool for your business? Not likely. But it is fun and it's great for anything on the go. It traveled well to last week but it really was never used for business-type purposes on the trip.
