A few months back I purchased an Apple iPad for my business. I wanted to see what this
“magical” device was all about and see how it could improve efficiency and the way that I work. The following is my review of the iPad and how it has affected the way that I work and its potential for increasing productivity.
The following is the Hardware that I had purchased:
- Apple iPad 64GB WiFi + 3G
http://www.apple.com/ipad
The following are Accessories that I had purchased:
- Apple iPad Case
- Apple iPad Dock
- Apple iPad Dock Connector to VGA
- Targus Stylus for iPad
The iPad is a game “enhancer” more than a game “changer” in regards to the notebook/pc world. Instead of replacing my notebook with an iPad, I have used the iPad to replace my pen and paper and enhance my efficiency both in and out of the office. There are several productivity and business apps out there that I plan to review in full in future posts.
One productivity suite that is excellent for quick editing, note taking and document viewing is iWork. iWork is comprised of three “apps” that can be purchased separately for $9.99 a piece. These apps are; Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Those of you are are familiar with Apple’s productivity suite, you will feel right at home. It does have limited functionality compared to the full productivity suite, however it suits perfectly for what features one would need on the go before making its back home or to the office to finish the job. For those of you not familiar with this productivity suite, it can be compared to Microsofts Office productivity suite. Pages is similar to Word, Numbers is similar to Excel, and Keynote is similar to Power Point.
There are several “handwritten” note taking apps that are very good as well. This is where I have replaced my pen and paper with Targus Stylus and iPad. The Targus Stylus is not just any stylus. It is a special stylus designed to work on capacitive touchscreen, one that the iPad has. It works very well and is very accurate depending on the handwriting app of choice. It will also interface with any application on the iPad.
The are many cases out there that the iPad can be stored in, many with good reviews. I chose to go with the Apple branded case because of personal preference with the Apple brand as well as the functionality the case has. The case doubles as both a presentation display as well as the perfect angle for typing when laying on a desk, table or lap. The only downfall to the case, that surprised me actually, is that when the iPad is in the case, it does not fit onto the Apple dock for iPad. Normally Apple products interface quite well with each other and I was surprised to find that if I wanted to “dock” my iPad I had to remove it from the case.
In regards to using the iPad as a presentation tool, the iPad presents beautiful pictures, videos and presentations. However if you plan on displaying everything from your iPad onto a screen, you may want to alter your plans. Keynote, Videos, Photos and a slew of other applications will present, but the application has to be designed to display itself onto an alternate screen for it to work.
Over all I would recommend the iPad for anyone looking to enhance their productivity. I plan on reviewing several apps over the next few months. Please check back as I will be reviewing two apps per week.
*Review based on iPad in current, non-jailbroken state running iOS 3.2.2
BDeWees Consulting, a Management Consulting firm located in Canton, Ohio, has launched COSO Media, a Social Media Marketing, Web Development and Search Engine Optimization firm to be headquartered in Canton, Ohio. COSO Media will be operated by BDeWees Consulting’s E-Business Consultant, Matthew DeWees. “We felt there was a niche for a new type of marketing firm that focuses on Social Media first and Web Development and Search Engine Optimization second,” said BDeWees Consulting’s President, Bernie DeWees. “Presidents, CEOs and Business Owners are spending a lot of time trying to figure out Social Media when they should be spending time running their business.”
