No. 1 planned use for Apple iPad: working on the go
A new survey of wireless device users has found that the top intended use for Apple's forthcoming iPad is getting work done while on the road, suggesting the multimedia device could serve as a netbook replacement for many consumers.
The new study released this week from Sybase and conducted by Zogby International surveyed 2,443 adults with a mobile phone, 770 of which own smartphones. Among the smartphone-owning respondents, more than half -- 52.3 percent -- said they are most likely to use a tablet device like the iPad to do work. Another three-quarters of smartphone users said they believe devices like the iPad will make them more productive at work.
Beyond work, 48.2 percent of smartphone users believe they will use their iPad for watching movies, TV shows and other videos. Playing games was the third most popular activity among smartphone respondents, taking 35.4 percent.
"The study shows that consumers are looking for devices they can use both at home and work, with implications for the business being asked to support them," Sybase wrote in its analysis. "Further, findings show that while device functionality is important to satisfying people's desire for a personal and work-ready mobile experience that the experience is incomplete without greater access to data."
Specifically, the poll found that users feel they have limited access to both their personal and work data. Two-thirds of respondents who have data on their mobile devices said that they have access to less than 10 percent of both their personal and work data, as well as applications.
Those surveyed hope for a more connected future where they can access their data from anywhere, as 67.6 percent said they would be more productive if they could access twice the amount of information and applications they do today.
Apple has targeted business users as potential iPad customers, adding features designed to make the device attractive to the enterprise market. The iPad will sync documents with iTunes and will also access cloud, Web and local file shares.
Multi-touch versions of applications in Apple's iWork suite will also be available for the iPad, with new iterations of Numbers, Pages and Keynote set to cost $9.99 each on the App Store. The mobile version of Pages will also be compatible with Microsoft Word, allowing users to open and save files in the standard business document format.
As for cloud-based storage, an alleged e-mail response from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said that the iPad will support the accessing of documents through iWork.com and iDisk.
The new study released this week from Sybase and conducted by Zogby International surveyed 2,443 adults with a mobile phone, 770 of which own smartphones. Among the smartphone-owning respondents, more than half -- 52.3 percent -- said they are most likely to use a tablet device like the iPad to do work. Another three-quarters of smartphone users said they believe devices like the iPad will make them more productive at work.
Beyond work, 48.2 percent of smartphone users believe they will use their iPad for watching movies, TV shows and other videos. Playing games was the third most popular activity among smartphone respondents, taking 35.4 percent.
"The study shows that consumers are looking for devices they can use both at home and work, with implications for the business being asked to support them," Sybase wrote in its analysis. "Further, findings show that while device functionality is important to satisfying people's desire for a personal and work-ready mobile experience that the experience is incomplete without greater access to data."
Specifically, the poll found that users feel they have limited access to both their personal and work data. Two-thirds of respondents who have data on their mobile devices said that they have access to less than 10 percent of both their personal and work data, as well as applications.
Those surveyed hope for a more connected future where they can access their data from anywhere, as 67.6 percent said they would be more productive if they could access twice the amount of information and applications they do today.
Apple has targeted business users as potential iPad customers, adding features designed to make the device attractive to the enterprise market. The iPad will sync documents with iTunes and will also access cloud, Web and local file shares.
Multi-touch versions of applications in Apple's iWork suite will also be available for the iPad, with new iterations of Numbers, Pages and Keynote set to cost $9.99 each on the App Store. The mobile version of Pages will also be compatible with Microsoft Word, allowing users to open and save files in the standard business document format.
As for cloud-based storage, an alleged e-mail response from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said that the iPad will support the accessing of documents through iWork.com and iDisk.
Comments
No, it won't run FCP (yet), but you can sure as hell whip up a nice Keynote presentation, etc.
So much for the "but it's not a 'serious' machine" bleating.
So much- nothing. The thing hasn't even been released yet - remember?
But so far it's gaming/entertainment value far outways it's seriousness value. Exactly like the iPhone- popular with consumers yet scoffed at by business.
So much for the "but it's not a 'serious' machine" bleating.
No, it won't run FCP (yet), but you can sure as hell whip up a nice Keynote presentation, etc.
But it's not even out yet. These numbers are from people imagining what they'll do with it which doesn't debunk the "but it's not a serious machine" argument, but only shows that people will squeeze whatever "work on the go" functionality they can out of it.
In my field of work, this thing definitely isn't powerful or robust enough to get what I need done, but for a doctor for instance, being able to walk into a room and pull up a patient's chart for easy navigation and then connect to the web to confirm symptoms is a cool idea.
So much- nothing. The thing hasn't even been released yet - remember?
But so far it's gaming/entertainment value far outways it's seriousness value. Exactly like the iPhone- popular with consumers yet scoffed at by business.
While enterprise penetration isn't what it could be, the iPhone is certainly not scoffed at by businesses.
As for the iPad, I suspect I will use it to replace my personal laptop I have to bring on business trips because my company won't let me do anything personal on my work laptop. I just wish it has a user-facing camera for chatting with the kids-- other than that it's perfect for that use.
yet scoffed at by business.
That's quite a generalized, untrue statement.
...so far it's gaming/entertainment value....
It's its Tech, ITS and not IT'S. Got that?
A native Microsoft Office (and specially PowerPoint) for the iPad is a must. As is a USB port for the remote control and to share files. Hopefully in the near future. Meanwhile waiting...
Don't hold your breath.
Microsoft would have to rewrite the entire application from scratch for a brand-new processor architecture (ARM) and using Apple's iPad SDK. My guess is that the iPad has 512MB of RAM (twice the memory of the current iPhone and iPod touch), so Microsoft would have to work very hard to get the application to run well with limited resources.
Exactly like the iPhone- popular with consumers yet scoffed at by business.
My iPhone is my business lifeline, and a very robust and reliable one. With it, I not only field all business calls and manage emails with clients, but I also schedule their appointments and email confirmations to them. The Netter's anatomy apps I have are invaluable resources that assist me in treating and educating my clients. I even take credit card payments from clients (from anywhere for less money than having a dedicated credit card terminal) and send them a copy of their signed receipts right from my iPhone.
The iPad, with the mobile iWork apps, will (hopefully) enable me to do all of that and access, edit and even create password-protected client files and save them to my iDisk so I can access them from anywhere too.
The iPhone and iPad may not be a valuable business solution for all people, they are (or promise to be) for me, and others I'm sure.
Don't hold your breath.
Microsoft would have to rewrite the entire application from scratch for a brand-new processor architecture (ARM) and using Apple's iPad SDK. My guess is that the iPad has 512MB of RAM (twice the memory of the current iPhone and iPod touch), so Microsoft would have to work very hard to get the application to run well with limited resources.
I would use caution saying what's "limited" resources. The iPad obviously has enough horsepower for very graphic-heavy applications (games, photo/video editing, etc.) and iWork, so far, looks like it works brilliantly with no hiccups. Just because Microsoft cannot write one line of efficient code doesn't mean the iPad can't handle advanced applications.
Yes, watching movies on a plane will be great, but having 3G access and keynote, pages, and numbers will allow our company to operate much more efficiently in the long run.
I would use caution saying what's "limited" resources. The iPad obviously has enough horsepower for very graphic-heavy applications (games, photo/video editing, etc.) and iWork, so far, looks like it works brilliantly with no hiccups. Just because Microsoft cannot write one line of efficient code doesn't mean the iPad can't handle advanced applications.
Well, the resources are limited.
My main point is that some developers can handle the limitations and some can't. Trust me, I know, I own an iPod touch. I've deleted my share of poorly performing apps.
A native Microsoft Office (and specially PowerPoint) for the iPad is a must. As is a USB port for the remote control and to share files. Hopefully in the near future. Meanwhile waiting...
Unfortunately I don't think MS Office will ever find its way into iPhone OS.
We'll just have to work with iWork, and by the looks of it I think that'd be enough for me.
And I hope I'm not alone when I say that "keynote is so much better than PPT".
As for a remote, I'd suppose using an iPod Touch or iPhone would be the likeliest solution.
On the other hand, you might as well just carry the iPad itself around, seeing how it's so light.
I don't think Apple would ever allow true USB file sharing on the iPad. The entire underlying concept of the iP OS avoids the folder hierarchy analogy, after all. Perhaps email and iDisk storage would be the solution.
Anyways, I'm really excited about this product and I look forward to seeing how it can change the way I do business (including presentations)
- following a recipe in the kitchen
- looking up a film on IMDB
- reading a blog or ebook in bed
- playing Sudoku on the train
- watching a movie on a plane
- browsing Facebook while curled up on the sofa
- letting friends check their email when they come to visit
- keeping kids occupied in the back of the car
etc.
For real work, I'll continue to use my laptop.
But as rhowarth says, this survey may not capture that well.
Unfortunately I don't think MS Office will ever find its way into iPhone OS.
We'll just have to work with iWork, and by the looks of it I think that'd be enough for me.
And I hope I'm not alone when I say that "keynote is so much better than PPT?.
Agreed about the value of iWork, but Office might come too:
http://gizmodo.com/5469856/microsoft...ere-looking-at