iPads, tablets... Does anyone use them for WORK? (Or anything REAL?)
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I use my Windows Surface tablet extensively for work. With OneNote, it's superb for preparing for meetings, taking notes during them and then writing them up afterwards. Throw in Word and PowerPoint too and it's extremely useful. Also got a lot of mileage from it when writing revision notes for an exam I was revising for recently, taking it down to Starbucks for a change of scene. For that, the touch cover keyboard was invaluable.
Windows is not a tablet. You are excused :P
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Maybe I should have excluded geeks from the original topic. Real work, by non nerds.
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ii_noname_ii wrote:
Does anyone use them for WORK? (Or anything REAL?)
I suspect that many people that spent the money on one with the intent to use it at work and actually managed to find something at work to use it with would rationalize that it makes them "more" productive. Just as many people rationalize the same thing about almost all non-trivial new technologies and programming APIs.
jschell wrote:
I suspect that many people that spent the money on one with the intent to use it at work and actually managed to find something at work to use it with would rationalize that it makes them "more" productive.
Just as many people rationalize the same thing about almost all non-trivial new technologies and programming APIs.By FAR, my favorite reply...
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So, working in huge offices, hundreds of people... And NOONE uses any form of tablet. It's just too impractical, cumbersome, etc.. Yet, a handful of silly managers keep on bringing up tablet ideas to me. How I should be making this and that for tablets. BUT, noone uses those shits! Moreover, would you really trust apple or google, who have a long history of snooping on people, gathering TMI (too much information), tracking users and usage, with critical & restricted business documents? Synchronizing documents in the clouds, sending them over internet..? They're not even that portable. Anyway, seeing hundreds of office workers, I still don't see anyone using it. Whether it be for notes in meetings, etc.. Well, noone uses them -at all. The ONLY usage I've ever heard of that seems reasonable is to entertain 5 year-olds with silly games. Added the "rant" button now, because I'm reaching rage levels over these over-hyped, over-advertized, over-blogged (mostly paid ads in reality), pieces of sssshhhhhiiiiAAAAAARRRG. Tablets are like the windows millenium of computing. A failed experiment. Good to entertain children, good for wannabe-a-modern managers who try to seem technically interested and up to date. I'd burn them all (the tablets, not the children and managers. lol).
We are currently writing custom software for the surface so that all of our sales people can walk around the stores with tablets and take customers orders without being tied to kiosks or using pen/paper. Currently this is implemented in one of our stores, but is rapidly expanding to all of them.
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We use them at CodeProject every day, all day. In fact all night and all weekend too. They have become absolutely indispensable to us.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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So, working in huge offices, hundreds of people... And NOONE uses any form of tablet. It's just too impractical, cumbersome, etc.. Yet, a handful of silly managers keep on bringing up tablet ideas to me. How I should be making this and that for tablets. BUT, noone uses those shits! Moreover, would you really trust apple or google, who have a long history of snooping on people, gathering TMI (too much information), tracking users and usage, with critical & restricted business documents? Synchronizing documents in the clouds, sending them over internet..? They're not even that portable. Anyway, seeing hundreds of office workers, I still don't see anyone using it. Whether it be for notes in meetings, etc.. Well, noone uses them -at all. The ONLY usage I've ever heard of that seems reasonable is to entertain 5 year-olds with silly games. Added the "rant" button now, because I'm reaching rage levels over these over-hyped, over-advertized, over-blogged (mostly paid ads in reality), pieces of sssshhhhhiiiiAAAAAARRRG. Tablets are like the windows millenium of computing. A failed experiment. Good to entertain children, good for wannabe-a-modern managers who try to seem technically interested and up to date. I'd burn them all (the tablets, not the children and managers. lol).
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So, working in huge offices, hundreds of people... And NOONE uses any form of tablet. It's just too impractical, cumbersome, etc.. Yet, a handful of silly managers keep on bringing up tablet ideas to me. How I should be making this and that for tablets. BUT, noone uses those shits! Moreover, would you really trust apple or google, who have a long history of snooping on people, gathering TMI (too much information), tracking users and usage, with critical & restricted business documents? Synchronizing documents in the clouds, sending them over internet..? They're not even that portable. Anyway, seeing hundreds of office workers, I still don't see anyone using it. Whether it be for notes in meetings, etc.. Well, noone uses them -at all. The ONLY usage I've ever heard of that seems reasonable is to entertain 5 year-olds with silly games. Added the "rant" button now, because I'm reaching rage levels over these over-hyped, over-advertized, over-blogged (mostly paid ads in reality), pieces of sssshhhhhiiiiAAAAAARRRG. Tablets are like the windows millenium of computing. A failed experiment. Good to entertain children, good for wannabe-a-modern managers who try to seem technically interested and up to date. I'd burn them all (the tablets, not the children and managers. lol).
tl;dr: I started working for an Architectural firm as an engineer. They bought me a computer, said "get to work". Work slowed down, so I helped network the company's PCs together. I asked for a new computer - said a server was the way to go. They got me one. Wrote a few web apps whenever work slowed (Apache + PHP). Brought in some work not realated to the main business - but complimentary to it. Eventually became the go-to guy for all things HTML and web-app-ish. Got more work, wrote more apps (IIS). Asked for a new server, plus a laptop for demo-ing to clients. Got 'em both. And an extra laptop. Fast forward 15 years. Manager asked if "those iPad things" could be used in the office. My answer: Yup. And it would be great if they would serve as an incentive to keep the cr@p-ware off the company machines (I serve as the malware sheriff most days; and our machines aren't locked down :wtf: ). ** bottom line ** Two years ago, in leiu of a Christmas bonus, the management gave everyone got an iPad - and we were asked (told nicely) to use the work machines for work only: if the software isn't required for generating a billable hour, uninstall it. Turns out, they're much more than toys: - I can check email in under a minute at the airport - I can look up tech specs, css tricks, javascript samples, and API specs in less time. - I've got my Harley's maintenance and electrical system manuals available on the road (as searchable pdfs) - I can update my out-of-office status, facebook page, personal web page, and company portal from nearly anywhere I have wifi or 3G coverage. - And, although I'm still removing malware from company machines - it's very rare compared to our pre-iPad days. < rant > ;P Yes, my phone can do all of that. But, I just passed 50, and I hate wearing my new glasses to see the microscopic print on the touch screen and my fingers are, in a word, "stout". Need another word? Try "stubby". It seems the current crop of phones aren't designed for those of us with calloused, substantial digits. And, I am very adept at misplacing styluses. < /rant >
-Bob
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So, working in huge offices, hundreds of people... And NOONE uses any form of tablet. It's just too impractical, cumbersome, etc.. Yet, a handful of silly managers keep on bringing up tablet ideas to me. How I should be making this and that for tablets. BUT, noone uses those shits! Moreover, would you really trust apple or google, who have a long history of snooping on people, gathering TMI (too much information), tracking users and usage, with critical & restricted business documents? Synchronizing documents in the clouds, sending them over internet..? They're not even that portable. Anyway, seeing hundreds of office workers, I still don't see anyone using it. Whether it be for notes in meetings, etc.. Well, noone uses them -at all. The ONLY usage I've ever heard of that seems reasonable is to entertain 5 year-olds with silly games. Added the "rant" button now, because I'm reaching rage levels over these over-hyped, over-advertized, over-blogged (mostly paid ads in reality), pieces of sssshhhhhiiiiAAAAAARRRG. Tablets are like the windows millenium of computing. A failed experiment. Good to entertain children, good for wannabe-a-modern managers who try to seem technically interested and up to date. I'd burn them all (the tablets, not the children and managers. lol).
My day job is as a programmer analyst, but I am also a pastor. I use my iPad mini every day for reading. I also use it during services for my sermon/teaching notes. With Google Drive, I can edit/view documents wherever I am.
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I've only had mine since Christmas, so it's early days. But... I use it for book reading (technical in PDF and fiction in mobi/epub) and it is very useful - much lighter than the equivelent paper and at 7 inch, it fits in a pocket. I keep my calender, shopping list(s), contacts and music on it - which I used to keep on my phone, but this is a lot easier to read. I use it for browsing tinternet - much better than the phone. I use it for email - much better than the phone. I make notes, I can get documents from my NAS (or any other source). I can even watch movies / TV and play games on it. (It runs Doom!) It's early days, but I suspect that it is going to surplant a lot of bits and bobs I used to carry about - which makes my work easier, and my life. Admittedly, it's not an iPad - it's a Nexus 7 - but that's because I didn't want the over-hyped, over-advertised, over-blogged, apple "product".
If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.
Android devices are actual ok as it's easy to add files you need - pdf etc. iPads on the other hand are an absolutely waste of space in an office, so locked down that the only use for them is as expensive coffee mat! The iPad would have been a great bit of kit if it wasn't for the lack of a decent operating system and its lock down by Apple. Have a Samsung pad and that is useful as an office tool, the iPad is there as we need it for testing HML5 apps and that's about it otherwise it would have been junked months ago!
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So, working in huge offices, hundreds of people... And NOONE uses any form of tablet. It's just too impractical, cumbersome, etc.. Yet, a handful of silly managers keep on bringing up tablet ideas to me. How I should be making this and that for tablets. BUT, noone uses those shits! Moreover, would you really trust apple or google, who have a long history of snooping on people, gathering TMI (too much information), tracking users and usage, with critical & restricted business documents? Synchronizing documents in the clouds, sending them over internet..? They're not even that portable. Anyway, seeing hundreds of office workers, I still don't see anyone using it. Whether it be for notes in meetings, etc.. Well, noone uses them -at all. The ONLY usage I've ever heard of that seems reasonable is to entertain 5 year-olds with silly games. Added the "rant" button now, because I'm reaching rage levels over these over-hyped, over-advertized, over-blogged (mostly paid ads in reality), pieces of sssshhhhhiiiiAAAAAARRRG. Tablets are like the windows millenium of computing. A failed experiment. Good to entertain children, good for wannabe-a-modern managers who try to seem technically interested and up to date. I'd burn them all (the tablets, not the children and managers. lol).
I go into meetings which aren't about code (requiremens, for example) with a tablet. I read documentation on a tablet. I use skype and email intensively on a tablet. Occasionally I use the tablet as the third screen. I'd say I do use a tablet for work. And I'm _not_ a manager. But then again, my tablet has a physical keyboard, and a battery life of three days, if not used for watching movies - Asus' Transformer Prime (there's an even better transfomer out there, if you're interested - mine is almost a year old). My laptop has a 17" screen and weighs in excess of 9 pounds (pretty old, I must say, but I use it less and less, so I don't intend to upgrade any time soon - I would have, if the tablet didn't change things for me). So whenever I can get away with just using the tablet, I will. So all in all I'd say your rage against tablets is unfounded. Give one a try, and see what gives in about three months.
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So, working in huge offices, hundreds of people... And NOONE uses any form of tablet. It's just too impractical, cumbersome, etc.. Yet, a handful of silly managers keep on bringing up tablet ideas to me. How I should be making this and that for tablets. BUT, noone uses those shits! Moreover, would you really trust apple or google, who have a long history of snooping on people, gathering TMI (too much information), tracking users and usage, with critical & restricted business documents? Synchronizing documents in the clouds, sending them over internet..? They're not even that portable. Anyway, seeing hundreds of office workers, I still don't see anyone using it. Whether it be for notes in meetings, etc.. Well, noone uses them -at all. The ONLY usage I've ever heard of that seems reasonable is to entertain 5 year-olds with silly games. Added the "rant" button now, because I'm reaching rage levels over these over-hyped, over-advertized, over-blogged (mostly paid ads in reality), pieces of sssshhhhhiiiiAAAAAARRRG. Tablets are like the windows millenium of computing. A failed experiment. Good to entertain children, good for wannabe-a-modern managers who try to seem technically interested and up to date. I'd burn them all (the tablets, not the children and managers. lol).
I give support, and a Tablet is helpful for this when i'm not in front of my computer, all i need is an email client and a web browser, and even i can remote to the affected computer using GoToMeeting or TeamViewer (but i don't because is a small 4.3 inches tablet). If i need to code then a full computer is a must.
CEO at: - Rafaga Systems - Para Facturas - Modern Components for the moment...
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So, working in huge offices, hundreds of people... And NOONE uses any form of tablet. It's just too impractical, cumbersome, etc.. Yet, a handful of silly managers keep on bringing up tablet ideas to me. How I should be making this and that for tablets. BUT, noone uses those shits! Moreover, would you really trust apple or google, who have a long history of snooping on people, gathering TMI (too much information), tracking users and usage, with critical & restricted business documents? Synchronizing documents in the clouds, sending them over internet..? They're not even that portable. Anyway, seeing hundreds of office workers, I still don't see anyone using it. Whether it be for notes in meetings, etc.. Well, noone uses them -at all. The ONLY usage I've ever heard of that seems reasonable is to entertain 5 year-olds with silly games. Added the "rant" button now, because I'm reaching rage levels over these over-hyped, over-advertized, over-blogged (mostly paid ads in reality), pieces of sssshhhhhiiiiAAAAAARRRG. Tablets are like the windows millenium of computing. A failed experiment. Good to entertain children, good for wannabe-a-modern managers who try to seem technically interested and up to date. I'd burn them all (the tablets, not the children and managers. lol).
I've written a mapping app for the street crews, so they can lookup pipes, valves, etc. Much easier to carry than a laptop, plus GPS, camera, etc. They can also receive email, calendar updates. So, a very useful tool for some people. Personally, I use mine to read, watch videos, study university lectures, play games, and social stuff like facebook, etc.
I need an app that will automatically deliver a new BBBBBBBBaBB (beautiful blonde bimbo brandishing bountiful bobbing bare breasts and bodacious butt) every day. John Simmons / outlaw programmer
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So, working in huge offices, hundreds of people... And NOONE uses any form of tablet. It's just too impractical, cumbersome, etc.. Yet, a handful of silly managers keep on bringing up tablet ideas to me. How I should be making this and that for tablets. BUT, noone uses those shits! Moreover, would you really trust apple or google, who have a long history of snooping on people, gathering TMI (too much information), tracking users and usage, with critical & restricted business documents? Synchronizing documents in the clouds, sending them over internet..? They're not even that portable. Anyway, seeing hundreds of office workers, I still don't see anyone using it. Whether it be for notes in meetings, etc.. Well, noone uses them -at all. The ONLY usage I've ever heard of that seems reasonable is to entertain 5 year-olds with silly games. Added the "rant" button now, because I'm reaching rage levels over these over-hyped, over-advertized, over-blogged (mostly paid ads in reality), pieces of sssshhhhhiiiiAAAAAARRRG. Tablets are like the windows millenium of computing. A failed experiment. Good to entertain children, good for wannabe-a-modern managers who try to seem technically interested and up to date. I'd burn them all (the tablets, not the children and managers. lol).
Its not exactly business related, but as a sound tech, there are many pieces of software that allow you to control mixing consoles from a computer. I then will install Logmein and connect to the computer from an iPad, allowing me to move around the stage/room to dynamically adjust levels. This is especially helpful in venues with fixed speaker arrangements where the sound mix changes depending on where you are standing.
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ii_noname_ii wrote:
Tablets are like the windows millenium of computing. A failed experiment.
Not really. Tablets are used a lot in industries as a replacement for laptops (most of the time they are used for simple data entry) and paper documents (no need to have binders after binders of documentations. They are becoming standard in plane for pilots; they are starting to be used in agriculture, they are used in medical environments, ... You don't see much of that because those are using "professional grade" software, not a cheap $3.99 app. iPad in Business[^], there might be the equivalent for other tablets (asus, samsung, microsoft).
Nihil obstat
Sorry Microsoft, your ship may be sunk. GET THE LEAD OUT!
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So, working in huge offices, hundreds of people... And NOONE uses any form of tablet. It's just too impractical, cumbersome, etc.. Yet, a handful of silly managers keep on bringing up tablet ideas to me. How I should be making this and that for tablets. BUT, noone uses those shits! Moreover, would you really trust apple or google, who have a long history of snooping on people, gathering TMI (too much information), tracking users and usage, with critical & restricted business documents? Synchronizing documents in the clouds, sending them over internet..? They're not even that portable. Anyway, seeing hundreds of office workers, I still don't see anyone using it. Whether it be for notes in meetings, etc.. Well, noone uses them -at all. The ONLY usage I've ever heard of that seems reasonable is to entertain 5 year-olds with silly games. Added the "rant" button now, because I'm reaching rage levels over these over-hyped, over-advertized, over-blogged (mostly paid ads in reality), pieces of sssshhhhhiiiiAAAAAARRRG. Tablets are like the windows millenium of computing. A failed experiment. Good to entertain children, good for wannabe-a-modern managers who try to seem technically interested and up to date. I'd burn them all (the tablets, not the children and managers. lol).
Depends on the "industry". The only place I've seen them used often is as an electronic note taking device - usually in meetings. For this I think tablets are overkill, a smart-phone would have done just as well. A laptop even better. In my main industry (Construction Architecture), we are only starting with a new concept where we do electronic Snagging (inspection / comment / approval of physical building) through the use of a tablet. This seems useful due to the photo incorporated into the note-taking, but also since the snag-list can be shared immediately with all concerned parties. Previously we'd be walking about with a camera and a clipboard, then go back to the office to type up the snag-list to email it to the contractor / consultants. Don't know how it's going to pan out - we've run into some "snags" :laugh: on this system ourselves, but thus far nothing impossible to overcome.
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ii_noname_ii wrote:
Tablets are like the windows millenium of computing. A failed experiment.
Not really. Tablets are used a lot in industries as a replacement for laptops (most of the time they are used for simple data entry) and paper documents (no need to have binders after binders of documentations. They are becoming standard in plane for pilots; they are starting to be used in agriculture, they are used in medical environments, ... You don't see much of that because those are using "professional grade" software, not a cheap $3.99 app. iPad in Business[^], there might be the equivalent for other tablets (asus, samsung, microsoft).
Nihil obstat
Quote:
they are starting to be used in agriculture
When I worked in agricultural software back in the early 80's we already had things like "DataLog" - hand held data capture unit for use in the dairy - I can see how a tablet would be the natural progression ... but only if it's robust enough to handle the ...erm ... "stuff" that tends to get splashed around :)
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So, working in huge offices, hundreds of people... And NOONE uses any form of tablet. It's just too impractical, cumbersome, etc.. Yet, a handful of silly managers keep on bringing up tablet ideas to me. How I should be making this and that for tablets. BUT, noone uses those shits! Moreover, would you really trust apple or google, who have a long history of snooping on people, gathering TMI (too much information), tracking users and usage, with critical & restricted business documents? Synchronizing documents in the clouds, sending them over internet..? They're not even that portable. Anyway, seeing hundreds of office workers, I still don't see anyone using it. Whether it be for notes in meetings, etc.. Well, noone uses them -at all. The ONLY usage I've ever heard of that seems reasonable is to entertain 5 year-olds with silly games. Added the "rant" button now, because I'm reaching rage levels over these over-hyped, over-advertized, over-blogged (mostly paid ads in reality), pieces of sssshhhhhiiiiAAAAAARRRG. Tablets are like the windows millenium of computing. A failed experiment. Good to entertain children, good for wannabe-a-modern managers who try to seem technically interested and up to date. I'd burn them all (the tablets, not the children and managers. lol).
Tablets are consumer devices (or devices for consuming information). When it comes to actually authoring something, you still have to fall back on PCs/Laptops to really accomplish work in an efficient/timely manner. However, because it is a great means to consume information, this is the reason why there is the hype. For example take an average Joe off the street, likely he's just an information consumer. And while this is not a fact, I have a feeling that only one in a thousand will actually be an author of content or applications.
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So, working in huge offices, hundreds of people... And NOONE uses any form of tablet. It's just too impractical, cumbersome, etc.. Yet, a handful of silly managers keep on bringing up tablet ideas to me. How I should be making this and that for tablets. BUT, noone uses those shits! Moreover, would you really trust apple or google, who have a long history of snooping on people, gathering TMI (too much information), tracking users and usage, with critical & restricted business documents? Synchronizing documents in the clouds, sending them over internet..? They're not even that portable. Anyway, seeing hundreds of office workers, I still don't see anyone using it. Whether it be for notes in meetings, etc.. Well, noone uses them -at all. The ONLY usage I've ever heard of that seems reasonable is to entertain 5 year-olds with silly games. Added the "rant" button now, because I'm reaching rage levels over these over-hyped, over-advertized, over-blogged (mostly paid ads in reality), pieces of sssshhhhhiiiiAAAAAARRRG. Tablets are like the windows millenium of computing. A failed experiment. Good to entertain children, good for wannabe-a-modern managers who try to seem technically interested and up to date. I'd burn them all (the tablets, not the children and managers. lol).
Agree 100%. That "finger pushing desk" hardly can be used for something important. Well, may be keeping "purchase list" (what is 100000% cheaper to keep on paper). On my job people used it as a "skype phone", but it's not directly corresponds to a job. I wish this hysteria with tablets calm down and people return to the actual workhorse - simple desktop. :)
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So, working in huge offices, hundreds of people... And NOONE uses any form of tablet. It's just too impractical, cumbersome, etc.. Yet, a handful of silly managers keep on bringing up tablet ideas to me. How I should be making this and that for tablets. BUT, noone uses those shits! Moreover, would you really trust apple or google, who have a long history of snooping on people, gathering TMI (too much information), tracking users and usage, with critical & restricted business documents? Synchronizing documents in the clouds, sending them over internet..? They're not even that portable. Anyway, seeing hundreds of office workers, I still don't see anyone using it. Whether it be for notes in meetings, etc.. Well, noone uses them -at all. The ONLY usage I've ever heard of that seems reasonable is to entertain 5 year-olds with silly games. Added the "rant" button now, because I'm reaching rage levels over these over-hyped, over-advertized, over-blogged (mostly paid ads in reality), pieces of sssshhhhhiiiiAAAAAARRRG. Tablets are like the windows millenium of computing. A failed experiment. Good to entertain children, good for wannabe-a-modern managers who try to seem technically interested and up to date. I'd burn them all (the tablets, not the children and managers. lol).
We actually use them for one of our products. The rules are a bit strange: we are not allowed to connect them to our corporate network wirelessly. Updating the software can only be done with USB. Demos are on independent networks. The big problem is demoing them on a big screen. The big screens have DVI or HDMI inputs. The tablets have micro HDMI outputs. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is to find a micro HDMI to DVI or micro HDMI to HDMI connector of the right sex. I've also seen tablets being used for reference documents on projects. During system test, we work on an independent network and it takes the place of a laptop for looking up documents whenever there is a query about the ICD. Takes a while to get used to the fingerprints and their batteries last a lot longer than that of a laptop. As for note taking: they are pretty useless unless you are a one/two finger typist. As a touch typist, I find the on-screen keyboard impossible to use because there is no feedback other than visual. You can't listen, look at something else and type (which is what touch typists do). You have to look at the keyboard and type with your two index fingers (which is what one/two finger typists do).
