I-POD

iPad in the Office Short of 'Magical'

The first business case studies of Apple’s iPad are starting to surface, which Forrester analyst Ted Schadler neatly summarizes on a recent blog post.Excuse us if we are a bit underwhelmed at the device’s impact on business productivity so far.Schadler finds three business uses where the iPad is finding a home.
1. Field Sales. The lightweight, big-screen iPad is ideal to make a pitch, Schadler says. “The iPad, particularly with a cover that can prop it up a bit, is a great way to scroll through slides to show a customer or demonstrate a Web site.”
2. Execs on an Overnight Trip. “It’s great for email, calendar, reviewing documents, and presenting PDF or Keynote decks,” Schadler writes. Please note that Ted identifies the target user as overnight travelers, not those on a more normal business trip, limiting the iPad’s usefulness even more.
3. Doctors and Nurses, Warehouse Operators, Retail Staff. This suite of iPad users needs to access databases while working on their feet. “iPad’s form factor, battery life, mobile Internet access, panoply of applications, and touchscreen abilities make it a great device for these typically frustrated and under-served employees.”
In other words, the $640-$830 iPad (prices for models equipped with business-necessary 3G) is best used as a slide deck presenter or data-entry/access device. Hmmm. Schadler notes three big limitations that could block more widespread use of the iPad in business: It lacks full support of Microsoft Office, doesn’t work with an external mouse, and we’ll have to wait for corporations to port their apps over to this environment. Let me add a fourth weakness, learned after I used an iPad for two weeks at home and work. It has no direct ability to print. Let’s be fair. The iPad is wonderfully designed, light as a feather, makes the Web and books easy to read and e-mail almost fun to use. It’s only been in the market a few months. But Apple raised the hype bar itself by calling the iPad a “magical and revolutionary” device. Version 1 is a long way from a productive office tool for most of us, and doesn’t come close to displacing the laptop as the essential productivity tool for road warriors.
Have you used the iPad at work? What do you like and not like about the device? What’s on your wish list of improvements?