June 9, 2010 146 Comments

Can You Work From an iPad?

iPad in a Coffee ShopI’m writing this from a coffeeshop in northern Massachusetts. The nature of my business is such that I can workshift from pretty much anywhere, most of the time, so before we talk about working from an iPad, we have to discount the fact that my job is heavily Internet based. That said, I wanted to explore what it felt like to work from an iPad instead of my laptop.

My Work Processes

Broken down, the things I do in my day look like this:

  • Email correspondence.
  • Writing (proposals, books, blog posts).
  • Speech Prep (Keynote)
  • Other Communication (Google Wave, Twitter, LinkedIn).
  • Scheduling (Google Calendar)
  • Reading/researching (Google Reader, Search).
  • Planning (Evernote, Mindnode)
  • Media Making (here’s where the iPad falls down).

Broken down to the simple activities, my day looks lame. Luckily, I soothe myself by saying that it’s all in the “brain work.” But try this yourself: write down what exactly you DO in a given day. It looks weird on paper.

How the iPad Executes These Processes

Here’s what I think of how the iPad handles all my efforts:

  • Email – the mail app works just fine. I don’t have to integrate mine to Outlook. I’m not sure how that works, but for me, Google boy, things work just great with my iPad. It’s a little slower than browser-based, because I’m adept at the keyboard commands, but I think it’s okay.
  • Writing – I’m using Pages (around ten bucks US) and it works well on the iPad. I very much enjoy the feeling of pages on the iPad, especially because I bought the external docking keyboard. I also have the Bluetooth keyboard, but the dock has a piece that stands the iPad up. A big plus with using Pages on the iPad is that I’m forced to single-task. This means that I work much harder and much more focused between breaks to communicate.
  • Speech Prep – Don’t get me started. The integration between the Mac app Keynote to the iPad app Keynote is so frustrating. If I use a non-native font, my presentation is ruined. If I don’t have the Internet, I often run into an error message. I have to sync through the iTunes app. Overall, it’s really frustrating to use the iPad for speeches. Creating one? Forget it. It’s teeth-pulling.
  • Other Communication – Google Wave is a bit of a wash on iPad for me, so far. I can’t start new Waves, and can’t really interact the way I want. Twitter works okay. I’m using Twitterific instead of the multi-pane apps, mostly because I think the screen real estate isn’t good for them. Even though I’m limited to a single pane with Twitterific, I’m okay with it. LinkedIn works so-so via the website. Not worse. Just very mouse-clicky, so I find myself touching the screen a lot.
  • Scheduling – I use Google Calendar for this, and it works just fine on the iPad. I don’t have a lot to say about it. I don’t integrate the native calendar, but that looks nice, too.
  • Reading / Researching – On my laptop, I’m a Google Reader kind of guy, so I’m really happy with the NewsRack application for iPad. So far, that’s been reasonably helpful in keeping up to speed. What it doesn’t do easily is emulate my efforts to share content out (or rather, it’s not nearly as easy as using Google Reader directly and hitting Shift S when I find things I like). Researching is mostly browser-based, but I did also get the Wolfram Alpha app, and I find it pretty darned cool for searching.
  • Planning – The Evernote application is a godsend. I use it on my phone, my iPad, my laptop – everywhere. I mind map quite a lot. The MindNode app works really well for me. Now, another gripe: if I make a mind map on my laptop and send it over to the iPad, it’s a whole pain in the butt. (Thus, getting me into DropBox, Box.net, AirSharing, and many other tools I didn’t need to know about until the iPad.)
  • Media Making – There is none. I can’t upload video. I can evidently podcast, but I haven’t actually tried the app yet. I can’t edit anything. So, for my media making part of the job, I still need a laptop. But then, you might not be in the media business, so it might not matter.

Was it Worth It?

I think the iPad is still very much a technology in search of a problem to solve. People are calling it the ultimate “couchtop.” Did we need that? I don’t know. It reminds me of Star Trek: The Next Generation, where you’d see Picard and Riker noodling over a bit of data before throwing all the rules out the window to go down and try and reason with some new alien bad guys (Kirk would’ve skipped two steps and punched the aliens without using the future iPad or trying to reason with the aliens). But I digress.

I think the iPad serves me well as a way to focus on writing. I think it’s a great way to “check status” on certain things. It will never replace my laptop at its current configuration. I find myself slowing down when I walk by Apple stores, thinking about the Macbook Air, but that’s adding a 13″ laptop to my 15″ Macbook Pro, and that just doesn’t make sense, either.

But, will these devices be a huge game-changer overall? I say yes. That’s reason enough for me to keep working on my iPad, and noodling with thoughts about the future. I’m already seeing some possible ways this tech would serve consumers better (in store shopping assistant, anyone?) and also business types (especially when we can just Tom-Cruise-Minority-Report drag data from our iPhone onto our iPad and back with a hand gesture).

What’s your take? Did you buy one? Are you using it for work? Are you sitting this one out?

ChrisBrogan.com runs on the Genesis Framework

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  • http://treypennington.com treypennington

    Yep. The iPad's good for consuming content and getting attention. It's not so hot for content creation. So, now when I travel, I have the iPhone (not giving it up), the MacBookPro, AND an additional item that I didn't “need” a year ago, the iPad. (Okay, I don't really “need” it now, but it sure makes those frequent flyer miles go by faster.)

    Trey Pennington

  • hans416

    Mr. Penn: regarding video, Brogan said he couldn't upload video. What video are you talking about? My application is such that I want to shoot many short videos on a Flip and upload them to the iPad so my crew in the field can view them at work. Any thoughts?

    • http://www.ChristopherSPenn.com Christopher S. Penn

      I’m able to upload just fine through Dropbox, and I can pull videos straight onto the machine through GoodReader or Dropbox with no troubles. I’ve loaded m4v and mp4 videos this way and it works like a charm. I keep our Blue Sky Factory Publicaster demo movies on here, the HD versions since FLV/YouTube versions look terrible on the gorgeous large screen.

      • Anonymous

        Thanks Chris. It sounds like I should be able to film on a Flip, upload to Dropbox, then download to iPad. I appreciate your (prompt) input.

  • http://angerflex.com/ Mike Kirkeberg

    I,m doing this fro my iPad now. I love it except I lost my first comment. It was much funnier.
    Mike

  • cavincosters

    I wish apple will allow iPAD to be used as a phone as it has already a SIM card in it. I don't want to carry two gadgets with me. This stuff is legitimately important. I love the ipad, that Web browsing, Email, Read news & comics, Watching movies on a plane, Watching photo, videos, totally amazing, and this are what I experience most.
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  • http://thesocialjoint.com/ Lucretia M Pruitt

    I didn't buy it – I won it.
    I've found 2 uses for it: on planes (all about the battery life) and to distract my 7 y.o. in restaurants when dinner with extended family runs a little long.
    Someone tried to tell me awhile back “it would replace my laptop within a year” – that was serious wishful thinking. The things I do with my laptop (has replaced my desktop, true) I cannot do with “just the iPad.”
    It's kind of like “computing lite” when it comes to my work process.
    Nothing to add to your excellent review, except that without the dock/keypad? It gets heavy on the wrists pretty quickly.

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  • Thomas Liddle

    I'm sitting this one out. As a writer, a laptop looks more convenient for hard yakka writing, but you have me intrigued with the dockable keyboard. Thomas Liddle, digi-comms specialist, Sydney, Australia.

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  • William Debauchez

    I've been forcing myself to love it for 10 days, and…I just …snif, I just don't.

    I now carry a laptop AND and iPad…and I don't always know what to do with the iPad.

    Nice to see Chris and many others do, so I'm going to try harder, I promise.

  • williamdebauchez

    I've been forcing myself to love it for 10 days, and…I just …snif, I just don't.

    I now carry a laptop AND and iPad…and I don't always know what to do with the iPad.

    Nice to see Chris and many others do, so I'm going to try harder, I promise.

  • http://www.martinkoss.com/ Martin Koss

    Thanks for another update on your iPad experiences so far Chris. I am still 'on the fence'. The fence wobbles from time to time and I almost land on Amzon's iPad 'Buy Now' button but not quite.

    When I saw your photo yesterday of the iPad with the 'clip-on' style keyboard I wobbled a bit more – but then backed off – wondering where it would fit in – or would I be forcing this new gadget into my life somehow (we've all done that with one gadget or another, right?).

    Even if I'm out and about – with a 17″ MacBook Pro with it's 7 to 8 hours of battery life and all the software I already purchased – and it's 500gb HD, plus it's “instant” on from being in sleepy mode – the only 'benefit' I can find for the iPad is – size. Is size enough? Nope. My eyes ain't what they were and I like (I mean love) the Mac Book Pro screen.

    Out and about as you go often, for reading and for writing blog posts or catching up with Twitter – I see it can squeeze in somewhere – but for 'mr average dude' – I don't see what problem Apple are trying to solve and can't see how I would use it.

    It seems to me that it's a gadget with no serious direction or obvious purpose.

    Have you ever gone to your gadget pack and wondered “do I want to use the iPad or the laptop”? Do you find yourself using your iPad simply because you've got one and feel you need to justify the purchase?

    Let's face it, your 15″ Mac Book Pro ain't exactly huge or heavy.

    If it wasn't for your running commentary I would probably have already bought one and would be watching it collect dust. So I thank you again, you've saved my about 600 of our rapidly depreciating pounds.

  • http://www.timemanagementninja.com Craig Jarrow

    I agree with most of your assessment.

    I have managed to replace my laptop with my iPad. I work in an environment where you pretty much take your laptop with you everywhere, so carrying the iPad vs. a traditional laptop is a no brainer in terms of size/weight.

    Think it will be sometime before the software catches up to the hardware of the iPad. Excited to see where it goes in the coming months.

    Oh…and I have the 3G version. Would never go back to the wifi one. Love the freedom to be online anywhere without having to think about wifi being present.

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  • whitneyhoffman

    My son is using the iPad in school- it has all the laptop like functionality with pages, scheduling, a flashcard app, and the like to work well for him in school. He can email things directly to his teachers and doesn't lose stuff as much. That's a godsend. And from the teacher's perspective, the single tasking prevents the multiwindow distraction scenario where kids are trying to play games and work at the same time, keeping kids on task- everyone wins.

    In my life, it's become the social computer- one that no longer separates me from others like a laptop screen. I can share presentations with small groups and we all get to touch and interact with the data. It works for letting kids play games more than one at a time (airhockey rocks!), to read books while waiting in a nicer format that just Kindle on my iphone, and generally do multifunction things you can't do on just a book reader device.
    I also have found blogging on it not as great as I would like, but I find I can use it as a moleskein “idea sink” replacement when it hasn't been commandeered by someone else in the house.
    It's a third device, to be sure, but I think it will find its place, particularly among middle and high school students. It's definitely not a full desktop replacement, but it is a heck of a lot more convenient that my 17″ Macbook pro and I'll probably save it's worth in avoiding back injury by taking the ipad instead of the 17″ on the road. :)

  • http://pinoypen.com free articles

    of course it is worth it. all your needs in your job are already in here. you can do surfing, chatting, write documents, play games and emailing. so what more can you ask for?

  • http://NicholasScalice.com Nicholas Scalice

    I've been pondering the same question. So far the iPad seems to have everything one would need to work with it on the road. Now I want to get that keyboard attachment! Thanks for the enticement.

  • http://bazaarvoice.com/blog Ian Greenleigh

    Chris-

    What do you use for file sharing between home and iPad? We use Dropbox and we love it. I agree that media making is a big limitation with the iPad, and that's a big part of what us “creative types” do with our devices (and a HUGE part of why we typically choose Apple products). Flash limitations aside, I'd liken media making on the iPad to playing a strategy game on a console–does that reference make sense to anyone else?

  • http://www.keithburtis.com Keith Burtis

    The ultimate couchtop it is. Don't dare go outside with it.
    Chris, I like you are playing with it but find way more limitations than the $500 prie tag was worth.
    I can't create the media I like to make and I can't read on it anywhere but indoors.
    I won't take it back but I've thougt about it many times. I too continue to think about the macbook air.

  • Rusty Speidel

    We have one at the office and it's fantastic for remote management and access challenges. We can review content, access servers, download and forward things from any computer, while sitting anywhere. As you said, it is AWFUL at creating things–it is still primarily a consuming and accessing/sharing device. But it's really good at making those processes seamless, enjoyable, and PORTABLE. I like that a lot.

  • http://twitter.com/scurvypirates Captain Ahab

    I agree with Chris the iPad has limits as a replacement for any device. He points out its limitations from the perspective of replacing a laptop, I find even more limitations when considering it to be a replacement for my iPhone. I can create media with my iPhone, upload, etc. Wait until the new iPhone 4 is in hands. And yet, the iPad with all its limitations is sooooo nice for viewing and consuming media. It's a great product, the iPad, but something altogether different than a laptop or a true pocket-sized mobile device. I think Apple has created something nobody really needs, but once you have one, you don't want to do without it.

  • http://toddrjordan.com/thebroadbrush tojosan

    Keith,
    Not being a video creator at large right now, the iPad is proving to be rather useful for immediate photo work out and about. I've been letting my iPad get dirty as it were. Taking it to lunch, to the bookstore, to tweetups. I've let everyone from the waiter to kids play with it. It's still popping the eyes and entrancing folks.

    If it had iMove, as the iPhone 4 will have, then I'd likely be tempted to edit video there as well when I'm on the go.

    The camera connector was a worthwhile buy.

    As with anything, this isn't the best it's going to get with tablets. I have to say though, losing the keyboard hasn't been as big a problem for me as some I think.

  • http://www.chihaironline.com chi flat iron

    Other Communication – Google Wave is a bit chi flat iron of a wash on iPad for me, so far. I can’t start new Waves, and can’t really interact the way I want. Twitter works okay. I’m using Twitterific instead of the multi-pane apps, mostly because I think the screen real estate isn’t good chi flat irons for them. Even though I’m limited to a single pane with Twitterific…good ,,,,,

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  • http://www.happysammy.com Samantha Johnson

    I bought an iPad 32GB Wi-Fi and it has been serving me well. I use it primarily to catch up on media that I normally do not get to view or enjoy while working on my laptop. Ever since owning one, I have done a lot of reading on digital books (the Kindle app does a fantastic job), PDF files that have been begging to be read since sitting on My Documents folder for months; videos, podcasts, TV shows. It is the perfect tool on my much-needed break from my work with the security of being able to access e-mails and status updates when the need arises.

    And I just love Words With Friends!

  • http://blog.alexguest.me Alex Guest

    Here's how one business school is using the iPad… and saving trees and costs in the process http://bit.ly/cr6lTj

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  • http://www.5minutesformom.com/ Susan (5 Minutes For Mom)

    I haven't bought one yet and I'm thinking I may not bother. I often wish I had it while I'm sitting on the couch enduring kids TV shows, but likely that wouldn't be a good thing anyway… I may end up letting the kids watch too much TV.

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  • http://www.stacybrice.com Stacy Brice

    I have an Air for when I'm away from home, and when the iPad came out, I honestly just didn't get it. Then I played with one. And from the sleek/sexy perspective, it's cool. Not cool enough for me to throw over the Air, or get one in addition to (I mean, it's HEAVIER, even, than the Air!). But cool enough to make me muse aloud that I wonder why Apple can't figure out (or hasn't) how to make ALL the great iPad tech work on all Macs. My Air with the reader and loads of apps on TOP of the programs I choose to add would be just ideal.

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  • http://www.zoombits.co.uk/ micro sd card

    I believe that for professional reasons, I mainly use mine for taking notes in meetings (I do not like the paper notes, I can not get) and send emails in the morning before going to office. It's a little more comfortable to read e-mail from my iPhone in IPAD while taking my morning coffee.

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  • http://www.searchengineoptimisation.com Phil

    Ipad can do a lot of,i think all the work of a Pc or a laptop.You can use it anywhere you are.You can take it with you easily and it is very easy to use.

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  • http://www.kai-waehner.de Kai Wähner

    I use it at work, and I love it. It is no replacement for my laptop, but it is usefull for many things as I have reported in my blog:

    http://www.kai-waehner.de/blog/2010/07/18/ipad-…

    For example, I use it in meetings for creating mindmaps. The touch screen is great for this task!

    Best regards,
    Kai

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  • http://www.itcanhappen4u2.com Internet Business Opportunity

    Salesforce works well either in app mode or even better on the web inside it. With the 3G connectivity, you're literally a few touches away from your sales CRM at all times.

  • http://www.lead411.com/Sunder_Aaron_1623682.html Sunder Aaron

    This stuff is legitimately important. I love the iPad, that Web browsing, Email, Read news & comics, Watching movies on a plane, Watching photo, videos, totally amazing, and this are what I experience most.

  • http://www.dannydemicheleblog.com/2009/07/danny-demichele-video/ Danny DeMichele Video

    Salesforce works well either in app mode or even better on the web inside it. With the 3G connectivity, you’re literally a few touches away from your sales CRM at all times.

  • http://www.lead411.com/Nancy_Abrahamson_1167874.html Nancy Abrahamson

    It’s definitely not a full desktop replacement, but it is a heck of a lot more convenient that my 17″ Macbook pro and I’ll probably save it’s worth in avoiding back injury by taking the ipad instead of the 17″ on the road.

  • http://www.walkinbathtubs.com/walk-in-tubs/ Walkin Bath

    Taking it to lunch, to the bookstore, to tweetups. I’ve let everyone from the waiter to kids play with it. It’s still popping the eyes and entrancing folks.

  • http://fairmontbathroomvanity.com/ Fairmont Bathroom Vanity

    iPad is basically just a big iPhone. I am not interested in any iPhone product at all. iPhone is overrated and not worth it. Not to forget, iPad is super expensive. I wouldn’t spend money on it. I rather have a nice Android phone instead.. If you want something like ebook, get a netbook. Almost as portable, half the cost, double the space.and this time ipad fails to replace laptop

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