Forgive my absence from these pages. My only excuse is that I was abducted by iAliens and taken to planet Apple where I have been brainwashed and now returned to earth to spread the news. What news? That the iPad is good. In fact, it is excellent!
For those that know me, to make the above statement about an Apple product, would have taken an alien abduction! But while that may be a slight hyperbole, (can you actually have a 'slight' hyperbole?) I have now been a user if the Apple iPad 2 for over three months. I am convinced the iPad has a place in my remote working toolkit.
Running a small business is a time demanding task as anyone who does it will know. Part of our operation is the 'on-call' nature of our ERP support work and server management. Combine that with the fact that my schedule in the past 6 months has included more than 120 nights in hotels in 13 different countries, I do know something about 'Remote Working'! The need for a easy to carry, easy to use tool that can get me connected to a server on the other side of the planet in seconds is real and the iPad helps me to do that. Don't get me wrong, I am not about to trade in my trusty Windows 7 Toshiba notebook and just use an iPad. For the majority of my work, the notebook is just easier. However, when you are out and about, the iPad comes to the rescue in a light and easy to transport form factor.
What do I use? Well there are several apps that I find indispensable. Top app for me is LogMeIn Ignition. Remote access, behind firewalls and easy to use. Next is a tool I use for Remote Desktop connectivity. iTap RDP is a supurb tool for direct RDP connections. It's fast and gives a great on-screen keyboard with lots of functionality. Maybe Skype is my next most used item making phone calls to Skype users and landlines a breeze. Of course, email works fine but I do miss Flash support in Safari. My iPad is the 3G, 64GB model and runs very slick.
Apart from the work side, iPad makes a great platform for digital publications. I've heard that it is great for music too, but my iPad earns it's keep by working, not playing. A friend was recently disappointed to learn I only had two songs on it!
So what about my life-long dedication to the Microsoft house? Well that is not about to change, but the iPad has allowed me to take one small step out of my MS comfort zone. Windows 7 just is not a tablet OS in my mind, but maybe Windows 8 will change that. We will see. And don't think I have left planet MS for planet Apple. I still don't own an iPhone because I am really happy with my Windows 7 phone. I think this platform will grow. It's a big challenge, but remember, Lotus 123 was once king of spreadsheets.
Sorry, have to go. I have an incoming notification from planet Apple. The mothership is calling.
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After spending more than thirty five years in Information Technology, the whole industry still delights, amazes and frustrates me like nothing else. -