Not having an iPad, I figured you could just hook it up to a computer for a file transfer. Is that not true?
Yeah, I bet that’s a pretty tough sell. I’m surprised a company that large (and one, I’m assuming, has great need for both adopting tablets in the workforce as well as tight network security) doesn’t have an IT force capable of creating a Boeing-only DropBox application (i.e. cloud storage/file transfer).
Sure - but I can’t think of any applications where doing a file transfer wouldn’t be easier by just doing it wirelessly. Or, where DropBox is concerned, want to do it locally, as DropBox will access my files anywhere else I have it installed, whether I have the iPad with me or not.
Plenty of companies will have similar security concerns without having similar resources. Plus, why on earth should anyone have to spend money developing a proprietary file-transfer solution when USB mass storage mode exists? I’ve asked this before and get told things like, “Well, you shouldn’t really think of things like files anymore.” Which answer may fly for some people in the consumer media consumption electronics market, but is a complete non-starter in the world of corporate productivity.
I believe Apple’s stance on this matter is akin to their former stance on the appropriate number of buttons on a mouse.
It’s pretty standard for corporate IT to block any sort of file transfer scheme that lets you save data to the cloud. That doesn’t mean you can’t move corporate data off the corporate network and then later save it into a private cloud storage solution (they have no real means to stop that), but where they have control of the network most corporations are intrinsically untrustworthy of any cloud based storage of what could be confidential trade secrets.
Corporations are mostly a conservative bunch. Even the ones that are “hip” and letting people bring private smart phones and tablet devices into the corporate fold typically force you to install extremely onerous Corporate custom phone apps that basically give the company extreme powers to monitor everything on your phone/tablet and/or wipe the entire contents remotely.
Apple’s refusal to allow any easy external storage is a big problem for some people, and I think Gorsnak is spot on with his comment about the number of buttons on a mouse. Apple is basically saying they now best, when for many individual users just hand waving and saying “the Cloud!” plain doesn’t work. Is it to Apple’s interests for you to use the cloud? I guess, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best solution for every individual user.
(The old claim that Apple “can’t dare risk just allowing third party storage devices because they are inherently risky and may compromise the device” is BS, people worship Apple but this company is geniuses is too dumb to come up with a solution to that?)
I think you’ve missed the point of a tablet. Sounds like you need a laptop.
If you ever feel like consuming content on your couch (reading the web, emails, YouTube, netflex etc) consider an iPad.
I think Microsoft missed the point of a tablet too. They’ve just made a device that’s the worse of both worlds.
DAMNIT! I have never wanted an iPad, being a keyboard user (most of my web time is divided between the Dope and serials; my netbook is used to take minutes in meetings and review documents in the train)… but now I want that thing!
My netbook is in fine shape and does not need to be replaced.
My netbook is in fine shape and does not need to be replaced.
My…
I don’t think that’s true. I think they’re taking a shot at redefining the point of a tablet. I dunno if it’ll work but that appears to be their goal.
I think it’s a great idea. If your sitting on the couch you can always take the cover/keyboard off to do your browsing, and if you suddenly decide you’re gonna give some jerk a piece of your mind you can reach for your handy dandy keyboard and type out your screed as God intended.
I mean, of course, that I can’t do anything useful with an iPad. I don’t want to use “work-around” software - if I’m doing something for work I don’t want to worry about fixing any formatting or graphics when I convert my file to/from Word. I want to be able to work in Access as I need to - to use Powerpoint, Project, Excel, etc with exactly the same functionality I’d have at work or home.
At heart, I am a paper-pencil girl. A tablet that I can use a stylus on to mark-up a document or to take notes during a meeting, that ALSO has a keyboard attached in case I want to type, and is small enough to throw in my purse and take with me everywhere so that I can use it for personal as well as professional needs is pretty much my dream. Especially since I’d still be able to watch Netflix on it and play WordZen. It would be great if the Kindle PC software worked on it too - then I could use it as an e-reader.
I’m not unique - there are a great many people I work with who want the same thing. An iPad is great as far as it goes, but many people need to go further. I don’t think in the end, that the Surface would completely replace my laptop, the screen is much too small for that - but it seems to be an extremely useful complement.
Precisely, GHM. I have no desire for a machine that’s designed to optimally “consume content”, I need to be able to work on the thing in a manner that’s consistent with what I do while on the job.
And for my place of business, that means MS Office. And a keyboard. I know that what I want isn’t an iPad, which is, of course, why I don’t have an iPad.
Threadjacking ahead: in companies where security is important (such as Boeing) USB devices are strictly forbidden, and furthermore all the computers will simply not mount an external USB if you plug it in.
Not sure if the solution is so elegant. In the case of Citigroup, they would superglue shut the USB ports. Seriously.
You guys do realize there are a million options for iPad keyboards, right? I’m using one right now- flips to the back when I’m working as a pure tablet, doubles as a stand when I’m treating it like a laptop, and slips right off when I want to travel light. It was a lifesaver in grad school when my iPad became my main notetaking device.
Huh? The solution is that the IT dept controls all the computers on the network and with group policy when a USB drive is plugged in, nothing happens, but you can still plug in mice and keyboards.
I understand what IT is supposed to do. At Citi maybe 4-5 years ago when the corporate standard was IIRC XP and office 2000, they literally did superglue the USB ports. This was back when your mouse and keyboard had their own pin ports and not USB drives. Superglue was the global approach.
I just found this to be an amusing anecdote.
I absolutely want a hybrid device which acts as a laptop and can also do tablet/touch stuff.
I don’t see much point in iPad-style tablets. Carrying both an iPad and a laptop is ridiculous and an iPad alone isn’t very useful for any kind of text input. I know you can add keyboards but the ones I have seen are awkward to use and make the iPad feel bulky. The Surface keyboard seems more elegant and I like the kickstand too. I also have a phone with a large screen, the Galaxy Note which is a stellar media consumption device. While the iPad is better than the Note in that regard it’s not really that much better relative to the bulk and inconvenience of carrying it around. I also don’t like the iOS wall-of-icons UI. It feels very limited to me compared to both Android and Windows Phone/Metro.
So any tablet I buy will have to do a lot more than the iPad. The MS Surface with the full Windows 8 is an interesting option which I will consider. I am not that interested in the Windows RT version. What’s really excited me is the Samsung Hybrid PC. Basically a thin, light tablet with a magnetic keyboard dock. Undock it and it’s like a tablet. Dock it and it’s pretty much a full-fledged laptop.
It’s also got Wacom pen support which is important to me. I really like the Wacom pen on my Note and using something similar on a larger screen will be great. I believe Surface also comes with a pen which is another reason I will definitely consider it.
I don’t even think they are redefining it as much as getting back to what makes sense, from where Apple redefined it so that people would want their inferior product. There is just no reason to want to have a tablet and a laptop when one device can do the work of both. I sincerely hope that the tablet will completely replace the laptop.
Unfortunately, I think Microsoft’s new UI is probably going to be the biggest hurdle to this happening. A PC/Tablet UI is a good idea, but this one is just so poorly implemented. I suspect most computer users will prefer to use the Desktop, and so a Windows tablet won’t feel like a laptop without a keyboard. They definitely should have merged the desktop into the Metro UI.
I don’t understand why you’re calling the iPad an “inferior product.” That sounds like Apple-bashing to me. It may be inferior for you based on what you want, but there are a lot of people out there who are only interested in “consuming content.” They want something they can use while sitting on their couch, lying in bed, waiting for a train, whatever, to surf the web, play a few games, listen to music, watch movies…the iPad is perfect for that. Especially the latest one with the retina display. So what if you can’t use it to compose lengthy documents or spreadsheets? That’s not what it’s for.
Also, there are a lot more people who use iPads and other non-keyboard tablets to do all sorts of things in the professional world. Hospitals, warehouses, schools—the iPad has a presence there and many other markets. And if you want a keyboard for your iPad, there are any number of them out there you can use. So what if it’s not attached as part of the case (and there are iPad cases that do have integrated keyboards)?
Sorry, I don’t expect anyone to like iPads or think they’re useful for their particular needs. But I do get a little bugged when people call them “inferior products.”
Actually if I’m on my couch I’m going to use my massive LED LCD that cost more than multiple iPads combined, and has an expensive and high quality sound system connected to it.
Right now the biggest problem with TVs is no one has truly created something user friendly enough to do all the content stuff that tablets do on them. Moderately savvy users can hook up a small form factor PC to their TVs and get basically any content you can imagine on a massive quality screen. You can also get a ton of stuff through the PS3 and XBox, but a lot of people view those as purely video game machines and aren’t willing to pay the cost of those devices just to tap into internet streamed content.
I think that’s actually why Apple TV came out all those years ago and why Apple has repeatedly released new versions. No one has quite got it right yet, but someone eventually will and it’ll be an iPad type consumer sales success when it happens. Just like VCRs / DVD players were in their time.