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The Tablet-only Challenge - a Friday Update
Young Urban Professional
Photo: The "front 24" - my most essential apps.
Friday is here and I am five days into my week-long experiment of using my iPad as my primary computer both at home and in the office. To recap: I am continuing to use my phone (mostly when I am away from my desk) and I am only using my home/office computers for basic file management and more complex tasks that require it, like editing PowerPoint decks. All email, writing, note taking, Tweeting and web work takes place on the slate.
In short, it's going really really well. I believe that when this experiment ends I will continue to use the iPad as my primary computer, though I may use my PC more than I do now, especially when I am in the office. I am also looking forward to trying out other slates, like HP's (an Edelman client.)
Some general observations...
First, you would be surprised what a joy it is to have a device that: turns on instantly, requires no saving (!), is completely silent and has incredible battery life. This should be the default for every system. I can't stand noisy computers and my MacBook Air is by far the nosiest I have ever used. It also has terrible battery life. With the iPad, I can go almost 12 hrs with wifi and Bluetooth on.
Second, there's no doubt in my mind that the iPad marks a pivotal moment in the history of computing. People want computing to be simpler. And there will be lots of winners and competitors to deliver on this promise. And while multitasking is now coming to the iPad in the fall with version 4.0, I am not particularly keen on it. I like that I can only do one thing at a time. It makes it easier to focus on the task at hand.
Finally, I notice that now when I use my phone it feels, well, tiny! I am using my smart phones less and using the iPad more. However, I am sure that it will balance out over time. So net net, for most I don't see the iPad replacing a PC but complementing it (as is Apple's intent). However, as more apps that take advantage of the full canvas are developed, that could change.
Some thoughts on productivity and creativity...
First, slates are perfect go-everywhere writing machines, despite what some say about their potential for creating. Pages is easy to use and it makes it a snap to get Word documents in and out. Also, I am using the iPad extensively for note-taking. It comes with me to every meeting and I find myself taking better notes as I listen more intently to capture what's being said. Also, I am starting to see iPads pop up in meetings. So maybe others are doing the same. Evernote on the iPad is particularly impressive but I am unsure how to enable it to geotag my notes.
The ergonomics and typing on glass takes time to get used to. At times I feel like I am typing on a digital picture frame. However, I find that when I type in horizontal mode I am getting pretty fast. At home and work I use an external keyboard. I am getting used to looking down at the screen too - it reminds me of ye olde typewriter days.
Where the iPad falls down is PowerPoint. If your decks are done on a PC and you bring them into Keynote or Photos apps, you're ready to present. This should cover my needs outside the office. However, Keynote for the iPad doesn't import PowerPoint files too well and it doesn't export to them at all, unless you are using the Mac desktop version too - which I am not in the office. So it's not ideal for editing and therefore true mobile productivity just yet. Hopefully, QuickOffice and Documents to Go will remedy this fast.
I also believe that slates are going to unlock a new era of creativity. I find myself using mind mapping more to problem solve and think up new ideas. My favorite mind mapping app, Mindnode, is tablet ready. Also I have downloaded Omnigraffle, Photogene and Layers and plan to integrate them into my workflow, particularly for enhancing my presentations. I know that other members of the broader Edelman team are already tinkering with these devices and thinking about ho they can be used in our work. I suspect the same is true at thousands of companies around the world.
Finally, it took awhile, but I finally found a Twitter client that takes advantage of the full screen and has all the features I need - notifications, the old re-tweet style, Instapaper support and more. It's called Tweetings It's a good stop-gap until a fully optimized version of Tweetie is released.
More to come as I wrap up the week. Next up, some thoughts on the iPad/slate's broader implications for marketers and PR professionals. As always, if you have questions, I am all ears.
Reader Comments (35)
Steve, I'm also trying to use the iPad as much as possible and generally agree with you that it's a functional notebook replacement for much of what I do while away from my desk. And I find that I'm leaving my desk more often because it's so easy to take something with me to finish reading in the kitchen or wherever. But I disagree with your statement that "Pages is easy to use and it makes it a snap to get Word documents in and out." There's nothing easy about it. Inexplicably, Pages and the other iWork apps do not support any cloud storage, not even Apple's own MobileMe/iDisk. I played around with this for about two days before giving up and making an appointment at the Genius Bar, where they confirmed my findings.Pages will not allow you to open a file from any cloud storage (iDisk, Dropbox, Box.net, Google Apps, JungleDisk, etc) or save your work into the cloud. This is really strange given the mobile nature of the iPad, and the fact that Apple offers the iDisk service along with an app for the iPad.If you haven't tried it yet, look at an app called Office2 Pro. (The developers just submitted an update to Apple today that should address a few problems so maybe wait until later this week.) This app will let you store/access your files almost anywhere. It directly loads files from Google Apps, and saves them back there when you finish editing. I've also configured it for MobileMe, and an internal WebDAV server for access to secure files.Pages, Keynote and Numbers have a slick user interface and provide a useful purpose for quick, on-the-fly documents, but the lack file storage is really annoying.
How can the MacBook Air be noisy if it has flash memory?
Heat. The fan makes a ton of noise after 10 minutes of use.
Ok, thanks.
Hey Steve,Any chance you can share that iPad wallpaper? It looks great!Thanks!
It's a default one that comes with the iPad.
Nice take on digital work life with iPad as the hub. Thanks for the tip on mindnode and tweetings. FYI: you can put 6 apps on your dock. I'd be curious which 2 you'll give that pro me real estate to?Cheers Sean808080iGongyo: the chant app for iPhone - now available in iTunes.http://bit.ly/iGongyoiTunes
I am getting the iPad 3g this week. I wanted it to take notes as I see clients, it sounds like with some practice, that will work. Thanks for all the info, I will be waiting to hear more:)
Sue: I'm predicting that the user experience of the iPad while on 3G will be very different from that on wifi. The iPad is so fast it's quite enjoyable but with AT&T's very weak 3G performance I suspect it will be quite a drag on the user experience on the iPad. I hope I'm wrong but...
Sean I agree. That's why I am sticking with my Verizon Mifi for now.