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Sunday
Apr042010
Going Tablet-Only for a Week
Young Urban Professional
Some dates, we never forget - July 4, 1776, November 22, 1963 or September 11, 2001. Other dates, when we look back, we realize were significant, we just didn't see it at the time. One such date is August 9, 1995, Netscape's IPO, which Thomas Friedman notes was a watershed moment in the flattening of the Earth. We may not realize today, but April 3, 2010 - the date the iPad debuted - is another date that falls into the latter camp. Like the Netscape IPO, we will look back on yesterday as the opening salvo in the next wave for computing. This is one that, by the way, Apple alone may not dominate. It's the date when tablets started to invade the collective consciousness of the everyman/woman. I have been using computers since 1982 and have been online since 1988. You can read my odyssey here. I see the iPad as evolutionary. Now the iPad may not prove to be the ultimate winner. However, it will accelerate a broader trend that already is well underway - a "slimming down" of our tools, work streams and content systems. And like the desktop and mobile phone space, I expect there will be a number of winners, including HP - an Edelman client that has an awesome entry in this space coming. But I as alluded, this isn't just about the iPad. It's about a bigger trend in how we're coping with what I call "The Attention Crash." With the glut of information now before us, tablets are going to help people simplify their flow. This is already happening. PCs will still be around for many years to come. But more of our work will be done on phones and tablets as the "atomic units" of content and computing slim down. Already... * Stories and blog posts are giving way to Tweets and status updates
* Email is giving way to instant, text and direct messages * TV shows are giving way YouTube videos
* Applications are giving way to apps I like to live a little bit in the future. Like the old Panasonic slogan, I want to be "just ahead" of my time. WIth this in mind, I am going to try an experiment this week. I am going to use my iPad as my primary work/personal content creation and consumption tool and take you along for the journey. A lot of people are asking where tablets sit between a PC and a smart phone. To be honest, I don't know either. But maybe this week we'll find out together. This week is a good week to experiment because I will be in the office all week. I will use my desktop PC when I have to. For example, I am leading a webinar where I want to make sure all is working smoothly. And given that we are a PowerPoint-heavy organization, I will need my trusty HP desktop to edit some decks (the iPad doesn't support PowerPoint editing). However, for all else - email, writing, social networking, research, etc. - I will use the tablet and chronicle my results here and in my other streams. I hope you'll come along to see the pros/cons of what the future might hold. I think we will see that we have a long way to go, but something big is starting and there will be lots of winners. (This post was written on my iPad, paired with a Bluetooth keyboard - a must purchase, I can assure you.)
Reader Comments (10)
I am off to China this week and I am wondering if I can go iPad only. One use case I am monitoring closely is using VNC or Remote Desktop to get back to my work PC via iPad for those files or edits that only the PC can get to. I will say this thing needs a file system asap.
I hope you keep a careful diary of what you create vs. what you consume. I am not sure whether you use www.rescuetime.com, but it would provide you with some great data vis a vis what you do with your computer. I do not think there is an iPad RT app. Once you understand the create/consume balance you will surely understand your user patters better. Having tried the iPad both yesterday and today, there were lots of things I really liked, but couldn't imagine creating documents/mindmaps/presentations/or heavy email on one.That said, Apple has clearly set the bar, and with luck others will exceed it.I hope you post daily as to what works/what doesn't!Buzz
Steve I am a first time Apple product user. (aside from iPod). The iPad is my first Apple product. Everything is new to me so lots of the wonder of the OS is being experienced. So far I am impressed. I think between my G1, with tether, and iPad I could get most of my consumsion and lite production done. I'll keep your community posted.
I'm trying the same thing this week, only as a traveling IT management consultant. I'm going to attempt to avoid using my normal travel machine, an HP 5101 net book. Right now I'm using my iPad and Apple Bluetooth keyboard to compose this post. By the way, I'm really loving this keyboard with the iPad. I just discovered that most of the special function keys (like brightness, volume, audio playback, etc.) work with the iPad. I wish us both luck in our experiments!
Playing around with the iPad over the last two days made me wonder, "Why haven't desktops or laptops had apps like these?" I'd be really interested to see how Keynote works considering how great the demo looked (I'm not ready to invest the $10). There's also a WebEx app ... Why not go all in?The tablet confirms my personal preference for desktops now since I'll use my iMac as a home base with the tablet as my mobile device.Any favorite apps? I think the AP app is terrific, as is USA Today, NYT Editors Choice, Epicurious, BBC News, and even Netflix ...
I fail to believe that the iPad (and tablet computers in general) is as significant as you seem to think it is. My theory is that it is mobile phones that will dominate the computer market. Why should size matter? The iPad is nothing more than an oversized iPod Touch. And yeah, and a big waste of money, too.
Charlie, mobile phones have dominated the market for a few years in regards to internet access globally. That said, I think dumb devices will be the future (the tablet is somewhat stupid). I want several monitors that all access my cloud drive (in my pocket, in my kitchen, in my living room, in my car and on my desk).
David, stay tuned.Sent from my iPad.
I am going to follow and base my buying decision on your blogs. Thanks for the detailed product review
If you need and external keyboard with the Ipad you destroy the form factor... at least in a laptop it won't hang around.