iPad - anyone using it for TAM access (out of the office)?

[Jan Regnier]

I would like to get an iPad but not sure how I would use it - I have PC, laptop, iPhone and iPod - I was thinking it would a nice little tool for the agents when out on calls if there was access to TAM.  Email attachments could come in handy if they needed or forgot docs or apps....  and I was thinking it would nice to read the newspapers...  just thinking out loud.....  how are you all using it?

[Bob]

I'll let you know soon.  I have one coming Thursday.  I plan on loading something like logmein on it and control my PC at work with tablet.   I'll let you know how it goes after some testing.  Curious how it navigates and operates with TAM (tablet that is). 

[Orlando Alonzo]

One of our owners is using his iPad with Logmein. It took a while to get used to the way you moved the mouse cursor. He only occasionally uses it with TAM, and he's able to get by.

[Mark]

Jan,

We bought one with a few intended purposes in mind.  Long story short -- we sold it before the price for a used one dropped too drastically.

I have tested it with a terminal server connection and ran TAM.  I think I might have also tested the VPN + Terminal Server connection from my home Wi-Fi, but we never activated the 3G so I can't comment on that.  Don't see why it would be any different though, maybe just a little slow-ish.

I think it would be fine for looking things up in TAM, but I don't know that you'd really want to type on it.

[Hans Manhave]

I am predicting a collapse of Apple such as the housing market.

Why cannot we have more business related small gadgets?  Preferably with a keyboard.  I so wish ATT or Verizon had something else that was Windows friendly.  The cloud may be nice, but it is not the answer.

[Mark]

I am predicting a collapse of Apple such as the housing market.

Why cannot we have more business related small gadgets?  Preferably with a keyboard.  I so wish ATT or Verizon had something else that was Windows friendly.  The cloud may be nice, but it is not the answer.

Do some Googleing on Apple.  Sounds like they are getting completely out of the business market -- no more servers, etc.  They are focusing on the consumer because that is where they are making money.  There is also some talk about doing away with OS X and some other interesting business related things.

I have almost completed my MBA and Apple has been discussed many times under multiple topics.  To me, they are just one big advertising company that happens to sell technology that a lot of people really like.  But in the end -- they are an advertising company.  Just my take on Apple.

[Kenny Cruzan]

If you like to use a touch pad on a laptop instead of a mouse, you will probably like using IPAD.  I just set another one up for producer this morning using citrix receiver.  It works great and has no problems connecting to citrix servers.  Everything that is on normal desktop is fully functional (TAM, etfile, Fax@vantage).  My complaint is that with a smaller screen of course you have to scroll a bunch.  I have used my iphone with the same citrix reciver app as an extra touch pad.  Its is not the same as a mouse and I think as of today there is no bluetooth mouse that works with IPAD2. 

All I can say is that for me it will never replace a laptop or a phone so it is just another tool somewhere between.

[Jon Robinson]

Something I'd like to know that if you are using TAM, Vision, etc are you using the online version or have it hosted inhouse?  Also I went to a recent demo from Apple & ATT and i would say they are really pushing hard in the business market, but not like before.  They seem to be focusing on the peripherals or the network.  Things that you can use on the road to connect to your network or home office.  Before I went I had no idea some of the apps out there and what it can do.  Now I can really see how the producers could benefit from having one vs taking a laptop.

[Mark]

Before I went I had no idea some of the apps out there and what it can do.  Now I can really see how the producers could benefit from having one vs taking a laptop.

Hey Jon,

Can you elaborate a little more? We had one & sold it before the price dropped too much.

[Kenny Cruzan]

What I want to know is if there is any other OS touch pad or laptop that turns on instantly like the IPAD?  That to me is what sells it because its so fast to get logged on and using it for email and other apps. 

[Jon Robinson]

Well, using different apps (I'd be happy to look some up, but I don't have the IPad in front of me at the moment) Here are some of the things I've been able to do or test and even a couple of theoretical applications that I know we could do.  It should be pointed out that you could do this with an IPhone too, but it would be too small of a screen to be beneficial.  You could also use a laptop, but the boot time is not as good and its a bit bulky.  Also there is something to be said about the "cool" factor.  It would impress a few clients.


I can connect to our Cisco VPN with it (Android doesn't have the app yet)
Connect to any share, pull up an office type doc & edit it. (doc, ppt, xls, etc)
I can also access any desktop in our system using logmein.
You could accept credit cards on location
Open a Fillable PDF (including ACORD forms), fill it out and email it to someone.
Do onsite powerpoint presentations.
Sync some files between CSRs & Producers
Do onsite letters and get a signature (this one you can do electronically or email the client and have them print it out)
Forward their office phone to a Google Voice number

I'm sure there are allot of other uses, these are just some that I've come up with in the last week or so.  It comes down to how much your Producers are on the road and how much info they want access to at a client's office.  I try to take the approach of not creating a need for the producers, but to figure out solutions to problems they keep coming up against.

[Hans Manhave]

What I want to know is if there is any other OS touch pad or laptop that turns on instantly like the IPAD?  That to me is what sells it because its so fast to get logged on and using it for email and other apps.

You could check out www.alwaysinnovating.com.  I have played with the original Touchbook and it did quite well.  I don't have it any longer.  The Touchbook II looks even better. 

[Mark]

Good stuff Jon.

I have Cisco VPN on my Android device, but that is because it is rooted.  Just had to add a module and modprobe.  Easy enough and works quite well -- can even get a SIP extension off the Asterisk box with SipDroid.

I'm definitely not editing docs on my phone though, lol!

Since I have VPN, I can VNC or RDP to wherever I need, but obviously it's not as "cool" as the iPad because of screen size.

[apiercy]

At this point if you want to do the things it excels at (email, watching video, basic web surfing, etc.) then it's good for the average user, if you're a power user that likes to tinker it can do that plus a ton more. Note: TAM's NOT on the average user list. We have a couple in the office that get used pretty often. They're not great for replacing any functionality of another device per se, but we keep finding all sorts of use for them.

Initially we bought them for video conferencing, which they work amazing for I might add. In our remove office we've got it hooked up to a 42" TV. Works awesome. We use Facetime. It's the most simple video conferencing solution I've ever seen. Our entire management team is able to use it without help after 1 short training session. It was about the same cost as mounting the TV's and hooking up computers with Skype on them, but it's much less to manage and much more fool-proof.

If it's not being used to video conference my PC Tech almost always has it at his desk. At this point I call it "the screen". Carrying it around it's just like this personal sized portal/screen into all kinds of stuff. Most of the time he's using it to RDC into his computer or a server or something. He created a tracking database for one of the sales contests we were running that was amazing. Producers would earn spins based on their production that they could then "spin a wheel" to win prizes. Instead of having to wait and write down what people won and keep track he'd stand there with the ipad and tap. He had the interface button based, so he could pick a person and a prize he didn't have to do any typing. When he got back to his desk he could then super quickly email out the results.

It's not great for using TAM, but can work in a pinch. At work I mostly use my desktop, but at home I have a personal iPAD that replaces my laptop 95% of the time. I often use the iPad to take notes at meetings. It's great for reading long pdf's i.e. technical manuals and things. It's my primary device for news reading/RSS feeds. In the evenings I'll often use it to log into our servers and perform maintenance. It's good enough as a work tool on my last vacation I felt comfortable bringing it as my only device. I left the laptop at home knowing that if anything came up I could still get in and work. If it turned out to be something really crazy I'd have been on the hunt for a real computer to borrow, but it was plenty for peace of mind.

[Jan Regnier]

Thanks for the ideas on how to use it usefully!