The Apple iPad as a tool for Contractors - A tool review

[peter halle]

Hopefully on Sunday I will be posting a review of the iPad as a tool for contractors based on my usage and comments from customers and vendors who have seen mine and what I have set up.    Is there anything that you might be interested about in particular?

Peter

EDIT:  Here is the review thread:  iPad Review Thread

 

[jonny round boy]

The iPad looks really nice, and I've heard it feels really nice to use, too. But the killer for me is that you can't have 2 programs open at once. Is the lack of multitasking an issue? Are there ways round it? For instance, can you cut'n'paste from say, a text document or webpage into an e-mail easily, or is it a pain to have to keep opening & closing programs?

 

[woodguy7]

Yea, good question Jonny.  Also, someone told me you cant play some videos on it ?  That would be a killer for me  [smile]

 

[image132]

Does the Ipad have Flash or Java yet? If I remeber that messes up some websites. How has the Ipad got around that issue?

 

[jonny round boy]

Does the Ipad have Flash or Java yet? If I remeber that messes up some websites. How has the Ipad got around that issue?

No, Apple refuse to support flash, which means that any website thet uses flash can't be displayed. Apple are supporting the new HTML5 standard, which is a better alternative to flash. YouTube have already switched to this I think. Steve Jobs has said that Apple will never support flash...

Don't know about Java though...

On a related note, I'm thinking of getting a new phone, but spotted the brand new (released yesterday!) Dell Streak. Looks very nice, does everything the iPad does, has all the features that the iPad is missing, and it fits in your pocket!

 

[image132]

Does the Ipad have Flash or Java yet? If I remeber that messes up some websites. How has the Ipad got around that issue?

No, Apple refuse to support flash, which means that any website thet uses flash can't be displayed. Apple are supporting the new HTML5 standard, which is a better alternative to flash. YouTube have already switched to this I think. Steve Jobs has said that Apple will never support flash...

Don't know about Java though...

On a related note, I'm thinking of getting a new phone, but spotted the brand new (released yesterday!) Dell Streak. Looks very nice, does everything the iPad does, has all the features that the iPad is missing, and it fits in your pocket!

Yeah thats what I had thought being the owner of an Iphone 3g :/ wishful thinking I guess.

Anychance you are willing to wait to see what the new Iphone is like before making your choice Jonny?

 

[Michael Kellough]

Does the Ipad have Flash or Java yet? If I remeber that messes up some websites. How has the Ipad got around that issue?

No, Apple refuse to support flash, which means that any website thet uses flash can't be displayed. Apple are supporting the new HTML5 standard, which is a better alternative to flash. YouTube have already switched to this I think. Steve Jobs has said that Apple will never support flash...

Don't know about Java though...

On a related note, I'm thinking of getting a new phone, but spotted the brand new (released yesterday!) Dell Streak. Looks very nice, does everything the iPad does, has all the features that the iPad is missing, and it fits in your pocket!

That's what they always say...

 

[jonny round boy]

I know what the new iPhone is like, since that bloke left one in a bar...

If I was going to get a iPhone-sized smartphone, I'd go for one of the HTCs over the iPhone anyday. I've had several HTCs in the past, and they've always been fine for what I need. I don't own (or have ever owned) any Apple products. I'm not against them, I think they're VERY well designed products, but they don't do anything that other products don't do, and they come at a price premium I'm not prepared to pay. I think of them as a perfect example of 'style over substance'. My father-in-law is an Apple geek, and owns one of pretty much anything they've ever made, including the iPad. Sure, it's really nice, but it's lacking in quite a lot of areas. By the third or fourth generation I might be interested, but by then rival products will also have improved...

If I did get a Streak, I'd probably get it on a data-only plan & keep my existing phone. But it would be an extravagance, I don't need it.

 

[jonny round boy]

does everything the iPad does, has all the features that the iPad is missing

That's what they always say...

That's because it's true!  [big grin]

Additional storage, removable/replacable battery, still camera, video recording, plus a lot more, and you can make calls on it too...

 

[justinmcf]

does anyone find it strange the ipad does not have a camera?

mr jobs might think its pretty smart leaving it out, but i would never buy the ipad without this feature.

maybe apple think, "it worked for the iphone so lets do the same crap features for the ipad".

justin.

 

[image132]

does anyone find it strange the ipad does not have a camera?

mr jobs might think its pretty smart leaving it out, but i would never buy the ipad without this feature.

maybe apple think, "it worked for the iphone so lets do the same crap features for the ipad".

justin.

I don't think it's strange. To me it's meant to be a tablet pc not a camera or a cellphone. What is strange is that I've heard that apple left the "camera" icon in the OS that they used for the ipad... can anyone say cheap iphone rip?

 

[jgag]

Peter

I use evernote on a PC and would like to here how that works on the iPad.  The current version won't support handwriting, but that is apparently on the cards

There are a number of other handwriting apps available now - I would be fascinated to hear how handwriting worked both with a finger and a stylus.

Could it replace the notepad I always walk around with?

cheers
John

 

[peter halle]

John,

I do have ever note on my iPad.  I had it for my iPhone, and when I synced the iPad to iTunes the first time all the apps I had purchased for the iPhone installed on my iPad - for free.

I don't have any handwriting apps installed, so I can't comment.  I may look at a couple quickly.

To answer your question about replacing your notepad that you walk around with - I personally believe that it has the possibility - but have to be a judge of that.

My review will be geared towards someone being out working in the field during the day, tracking expenses and time, making sales call on potential clients, handling estimating and presenting estimates and invoices, eliminating paper notes, and adding a bit of a wow factor that will get potential new clients to see you as different from the others.  That is my goal anyway.

It will not be a sales pitch for the product.  There is a lot of hype out there.  There is much focusing on Flash, Java, multi- tasking, cameras, etc.

How about this for a teaser.  Yesterday, I realized that I needed to make some adjustments on my TS-55 that I left on the job the night before.  I had two choices - one was to print out Rick's supplemental manual, which would take up space, get wrinkled, get ruined by a spilled soft drink, or, I could download the manual to my iPad and view it anytime I needed it.  Guess which one I did?

Tomorrow will be fun.

Peter 

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I am about ready to go ballistic at my at&t store, the coverage keeps getting worse.

I now hate at&t [mad]

 

[JeromeM]

Yea, good question Jonny.  Also, someone told me you cant play some videos on it ?  That would be a killer for me  [smile]

It is interesting the FUD that is spread.

The iPad is one of the best gadgets for watching video with the caveat that it will never do flash.

One purchaser who was flying to China got 12 hours of video from his.

probably a good idea to find out what it can do is to go to

http://www.apple.com/ipad/guided-tours/

 

[chelseaboy]

Yea, good question Jonny.  Also, someone told me you cant play some videos on it ?  That would be a killer for me  [smile]

It is interesting the FUD that is spread.

The iPad is one of the best gadgets for watching video with the caveat that it will never do flash.

One purchaser who was flying to China got 12 hours of video from his.

probably a good idea to find out what it can do is to go to

http://www.apple.com/ipad/guided-tours/

Indeed my friend  [wink]

This is why apple refused to let the buggy, slow, memory hungry flash on its devices,

http://www.apple.com/html5/

 

[jgag]

Peter

thanks - I suspect evernote is another of those tools,  you can't live without onse you've got into it.

a further question and a thought - about field working

"not dropping the iPad" - does it have any Kensington style hole in the case - where you could attach a wrist-strap?

downloading missing files (not quite the same as you said) I still haven't found my perfect (personal files) search application.  I am considering going back to Copernic as they now a have a mobile add-on  that would allow you to search your home pc (from say an iPad) and download the "found" file to the mobile device - I don't know if this would be something you'd use - or have any thoughts on?

cheers
John

 

[fshanno]

How about the HP Touch Smart?  You can load AutoCAD, Chief Architect, eCabinets, etc. on it.  It comes with a stylus and is designed to write notes and do sketching.

 

[GhostFist]

Ya I don't see the point in a tablet unless you can draw on it, and I don't mean finger painting. That HP Touchsmart seems a lot more versatile for a decent price. I use an apple Home computer, but am certainly not a fan of their other devices.

 

[Scribs]

Just my $.02 and I don't want to hi-Jack Peters review...(I'm very interested in his feedback to us).  I have one of the 3G ipads.  I don't go anywhere without it!  I certainly don't use it to the fullest capability, simply because I don't know how to yet or don't relize everything available [embarassed].  I can say this much, I have never had an easier way of staying in touch with people through email, research material costs online, locate addresses ( business/supplier/client), manage client database or send estimates and invoices I have created in the "pages" program!  I'm sure there is more, I just need time to learn and find the stuff out there!  I haven't yet tried to add the program many of you use, sketch up?  If I can, I'll report on that! I still hand draw[smile]. The 3G allows me to use it anywhere there is cellular service, though there is an additional monthly cost.  The smallest plan may work for many of you, as you can usually save your minutes by jumping on wifi hotspots all over the place and at home!  It will automatically do that for you if you tell it to.  Side note, the battery lasts forever!, or certainly all day until you can plug in at night again.  Even when I use the most battery draining functions, I've  never run out (  YouTube videos).  FYI, this and all of my posts have been from my ipad [big grin].  Yes, that means I, and you can read FOG all day, everyday from anywhere...  Probably not a good thing....  I think this has cost me more money on Festool than anything!
Hope this can help some of you out there make decisions and thanks to all of you that help me do the same with Festool purchases and building projects!