How do you use your iPad at work?

[Georgia]

Attention iMore nation! We've started up our official "iPad at Work" series once again:

http://www.imore.com/category/regular-features/ios-at-work/

And we'd love to share your stories on the main page!

Simply write up how you use your iPhone or iPad to make your job better. Include the apps and accessories that make your lives easier, more productive or just simply more fun, and give as much flavor and as many details as you so wish to share!

Every week or so we'll pick one and share it on the front page, and give you a nice thank you prize for sharing!

Sound great? Good! Start writing!

 

[mikos]

iPad is the new laptop

I've tried to make the switch to the iPad for everything at work and so far it is working well. My laptop was the main device for work but I have been able to transition most of what I need my laptop for over to the iPad. So far, my laptop has not left the office once since I got my iPad at launch (I picked up a new one). There are a few critical apps and accessories that have made the magic happen.

• Splashtop - The killer app. I can access my laptop on my iPad and I do mean the whole thing. I run straight up MS Office programs, Chrome, etc. from my iPad. They support external keyboards and the ability to turn the touchscreen of the iPad into your mouse control. This is THE app that makes it all possible because there are moments when the iPad can't do certain things.
• Dropbox - all my work files are now in the cloud, so anything I do in the office I can get to on the road and at home
• Quickoffice - being able to edit those files is critical. They just added the ability to edit PPT 2010 which was a huge hole in their feature set
• Adobe Reader - they just added the ability to annotate PDFs
• Noteshelf - bye bye notepads, I really only do need my iPad for meetings.
• Genius Scan - I am now able to "scan" anything including white board sessions, my work receipts, signed contracts, etc., and convert to a PDF.

• Bluetooth keyboard - absolutely a must have if you are going to do any serious work or writing. I have the logitech made for iPad, works well.
• Stylus - I have the bamboo, love it.

Overall, it's been nothing sort of a transformation. Everything can be done on the iPad from taking notes in a meeting to presenting a powerpoint to working on my laptop remotely. There are some quirks like not being able to attach files to email replies or no true MS Office suite (yet) but there are workarounds for those, thank you Splashtop.

For me, it's changed the way I work, engage clients, and do my job. In less than a month, I have become so dependent on my iPad for work, it's my go to device even over my laptop. I don't even travel with my laptop anymore. My back thanks me for that part.

 

[brijuhaha]

• Splashtop - The killer app. I can access my laptop on my iPad and I do mean the whole thing. I run straight up MS Office programs, Chrome, etc. from my iPad. They support external keyboards and the ability to turn the touchscreen of the iPad into your mouse control. This is THE app that makes it all possible because there are moments when the iPad can't do certain things.

• 
  
  This app sounds good. Does my macbook have to be turned on though? or is there any like limit distance of the iPad and the macbook?
  
  Thanks

 

[Peligro911]

This app sounds good. Does my macbook have to be turned on though? or is there any like limit distance of the iPad and the macbook?

Thanks

Yes it has to be on And distance is not limited both devices have to be on same network ..


Sent Into Orbit from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

 

[jaaaaaaaaaam]

I use AirDisplay so i can have a second display. i also use 'Paper' to scribble down any notes

 

[Craig]

Yes it has to be on And distance is not limited both devices have to be on same network ..


Sent Into Orbit from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

I have Splashtop on all my computers and iPad / iPhone and can access them wherever I have Wifi, I don't have to be at home on the same network.

 

[brijuhaha]

I have Splashtop on all my computers and iPad / iPhone and can access them wherever I have Wifi, I don't have to be at home on the same network.

So what you are saying is, as long as the macbook is turned on and connected to a wifi, i can use the splashtop where ever i want like school for example, as long as i'm connected to a wifi network?

 

[cardfan]

I know with Logmein, you can be on 3g or lte. The PC has to be on and connected of course. Mine is always on.

Incidentally, there's a new app from splashtop today for windows 8 consumer preview users. Win8 Metro Testbed - powered by Splashtop for iPad on the iTunes App Store

Splashtop remote desktop app brings Windows 8 to the iPad | The Verge

 

[mikos]

So what you are saying is, as long as the macbook is turned on and connected to a wifi, i can use the splashtop where ever i want like school for example, as long as i'm connected to a wifi network?

Yep, that's it. Laptop on and connected to the Internet. Mine stays in the office while I can connect to it from my home, starbucks, anywhere I have Internet access. There is a program called the Splashtop Streamer that needs to be on and running on your computer, but it runs in the background. Then simply launch the iPad app and blamo, your computer on your iPad.

I freaked a hipster out at Starbucks the other day. I was in there between meetings and doing some work via Splashtop. He couldn't believe I was running windows on my iPad.

 

[brijuhaha]

Yep, that's it. Laptop on and connected to the Internet. Mine stays in the office while I can connect to it from my home, starbucks, anywhere I have Internet access. There is a program called the Splashtop Streamer that needs to be on and running on your computer, but it runs in the background. Then simply launch the iPad app and blamo, your computer on your iPad.

I freaked a hipster out at Starbucks the other day. I was in there between meetings and doing some work via Splashtop. He couldn't believe I was running windows on my iPad.

That's it! Imma get one!! Thanks

 

[Craig]

That's it! Imma get one!! Thanks

Yes, been using it for a while! I have my main PC at home with all the business stuff. Then my graphics computer for designing for clients with Photoshop and Illustrator and my mini laptop for biz trips. I have Splashtop installed on all of them and if I forget something I can use Splastop to show on my home computer and/or I can use PogoPlug to get client stuff on my cloud.

Splashtop is sometimes better as I forget to put stuff on the cloud or auto-backup for my cloud or Dropbox. I have 18GB available on Dropbox, but I keep forgetting to use it.

 

[anon(1157152)]

How's it compare to Logmein? That's what I've been using. Do y'all like Splashtop better?

 

[Craig]

Using iPhone 4s 32GB and iPad 3rd Gen AT&T 32GB with 4G.

Ok, how do I use my iPad for work..

I have a small graphics and web company, but we also do software development. So each day is may be a mix of what I need to see or have done. All my computers at home are PC?s and my phones and tablets are all iOS.

Evernote
My most used business program is Evernote. I use it for everything. I pay for the premium membership and my team just collaborate on shared notebooks. Totally worth the $50 a year without even thinking about it. I have shared folders for each client and each project and only give access to those who need access. Some have read only and some have both read/write. Plus each consultant has ones where they can send me their monthly itemized invoices and I pay via PayPal and can post the transaction so I have a running history of all payments.

Siri
Siri on my iPhone to set the appointments and reminder that iCloud sync to the iPad.

Calvetica
Calvetica is my recent choice for Calendar and I am so far sticking with it. I have tried calendar after calendar and his one seems to work best for me on the iPad.

Mail
All my email accounts and addresses are IMAP so I can use the standard mail on the iPad for now to check and reply to email. The dictation function (Mini Siri) is helpful. On the iPhone I just switched to Sparrow after they fixed the IMAP issue.

• Quickoffice for ?Office? documents
• Skitch for quick edit on screen shots / captures
• PogoPlug for my 2.5 TB Home Cloud and their free 5GB Cloud
• Splashtop as mentioned in the post above for access to the different home office systems.
• Hours Tracker for tacking client hours / time / projects
• eWallet for all codes / login information / client private data
• PDF Expert for signing quotes online and more.
• Easysign (seems I like PDF Expert a bit more for this) But Easy works and I already purchased credits.
• JoNote Pro for quick scanning
• BizXpenseTrkr for tracking expense and photographing receipts and syncs with the iPhone.
• 2Do for tracking tasks.
• Living Earth for Weather (Lovely application)
• Camera + instead of standard camera

Also I set my Safari to bookmarked blank page, so I don?t have to wait for crap to load before I search for what I need.

That is about it!

Craig S.

 

[Craig]

How's it compare to Logmein? That's what I've been using. Do y'all like Splashtop better?

Yes, love Splashtop over Logmein. I disliked logmein a lot and the issues with the computers. Caused way too many conflicts and Splastop does not cause any issues on the PCs. Can't say for Mac OSX

 

[anon(1157152)]

Thanks Craig. Curious if others feel the same. I've been pretty pleased, but always looking for better solutions, and like what I'm hearing.

 

[mfm77]

I teach English literature to high school students, and our school currently has a one-to-one laptop program. That said, I've slowly transitioned to using my iPad both in my classroom lessons and for my own work management. All of the info below pertains to the iPad 2; I'm looking forward to even more success with the new iPad I bought this week.

In terms of classroom use, I have Apple TV hooked up in my room so I can use my iPad wirelessly using airplay and an AWESOME (and quite inexpensive) HDMI-to-VGA converter that I purchased on Amazon. (If anyone wants the model info, let me know.) I have been experimenting with several apps over the last few months to gauge their functionality and to see if they help the students in their learning processes. Here are a few:

• MindMeister - I used this mind mapping app in class a couple of weeks ago as part of a lesson on literary genres present in Cormac McCarthy's The Road. The students loved the visuals and were writing down every aspect of the map in their notes. The best part: I could (and did) send them the map as a PDF if they ran out of time in class. The app can be buggy at times, but overall, I am very satisfied with it.
• iBooks/Kindle - These two are no-brainers, but visually displaying/annotating the texts really helps my students focus on important aspects of the literature. One of my students who struggles with reading loves it when she sees the book on the screen and can then note in her own book anything we discuss in class.
• Educreations Whiteboard - This one has been a mixed bag. I have a whiteboard in my classroom and at first thought this would be a dream app. I could use it in conjunction with the other apps (switching between them) and not have to worry about writing on and erasing the REAL whiteboard, which would serve more as a screen. However, the app doesn't have an eraser function (a MUST for any whiteboard app, IMO) and could use more colors for the "markers." It's a free app, so I can't complain too much, but I'm looking at other, similar apps to test out.
• Prezi Viewer - I use Prezi a great deal when making presentations, so I love that I can show them using the Prezi Viewer. My hope is that Prezi eventually comes out with a full-blown app to create presentations on the iPad, but for now, this does very well.
• WordWit - Every so often, I want to have fun with words. Who doesn't, right? Anyway, this is edu-tainment at its finest, a fun way to study the differences between pairs of words.

With respect to my own files and such, I use a couple of cloud storage systems to manage my work: Dropbox and, more recently, SugarSync. (I also have Box but am still learning the most effective way to use it.) I also have begun using Evernote to jot down random notes and to keep informal records associated with my various roles (tennis and track coach, chair of planning committee, etc.). Noteshelf has come in handy when I need to write down notes at various events, too. For example, I was at a track meet two days ago; while all of the other coaches were writing down scores on sheet after sheet, I whipped out Noteshelf and wrote them all down. One of the scoring officials said to me, "Why don't all coaches have that?"

My students love when I use my iPad in class, and I love seeing them so engaged in the learning process. It also has made my life so much easier, and I envision using it as my sole source of technology by next year. Some teachers also have purchased iPads for their own use, though a number of teachers are resistant to the iPad, most likely because of their lack of familiarity with it. That said, my principal had me order her one a few months ago, and that led to several other administrators purchasing them, too. As schools strive to keep up with - and exceed - their competitors' use of technology in the classroom, I can see our school at some point going all-in with the iPad. For now, though, I'll use it as much as I can to help my students learn and to keep me ahead of the game.

 

[cardfan]

@mfm77 That seems weird to have a laptop program for students and you trying to use an ipad. My wife, a social studies teacher, says she can't really use an ipad right now. They paid all this money for smartboards. And she seems to love hers.

Also, she's not encouraged to bring her own tech in to use in classroom, though she does show an occasional netflix history show using her iphone and hdmi connector. It's a federal school system and everything is pretty much supplied by them and locked down. I'm reminded daily why i'm glad i'm not a teacher.

But hey, at the very least you can include the cost of your ipad & accessories as a classroom expense for taxes.

 

[mfm77]

@mfm77 That seems weird to have a laptop program for students and you trying to use an ipad. My wife, a social studies teacher, says she can't really use an ipad right now. They paid all this money for smartboards. And she seems to love hers.

Also, she's not encouraged to bring her own tech in to use in classroom, though she does show an occasional netflix history show using her iphone and hdmi connector. It's a federal school system and everything is pretty much supplied by them and locked down. I'm reminded daily why i'm glad i'm not a teacher.

But hey, at the very least you can include the cost of your ipad & accessories as a classroom expense for taxes.

I teach at a private (Catholic) all girls school, so we have more flexibility with tech there. I don't need permission - I just bring it in and use it. One day, my principal came in to observe my class and, seeing me use it, was blown away. (I can imagine the rules that might accompany state/federal school systems, though.) Also, most people say the same thing: "You're using an iPad in a laptop school?" It's worked, though, and the students definitely pay more attention now more than they ever did. I forgot to add in my post that the laptops actually are tablet PCs, so they come with a stylus for writing on the screen. That said, the computers have not been reliable at all, and some students have brought in their Macbooks and other devices to do their work. My understanding is that our school may have a company come in to present us with a tablet-only option, based on the soon-to-be-released Windows 8 tablet-focused platform. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but anything beats the current laptops we have. They're terrible.

As for the Smartboard, I used that in my previous school and thought it was great. Like you said, they're pricey, but if teachers want to engage their students, they're a fine choice.

 

[west3man]

Thanks Craig. Curious if others feel the same. I've been pretty pleased, but always looking for better solutions, and like what I'm hearing.

I used LogMeIn on pc's before I got it on the iPads so I was partial to it - despite the mobile version's one-time, $30 price tag for full functionality*. It was already on my family members' pc's so I could control/access those or my pc's via the iPads, iPhone, or another pc. The controlling pc does not need to have the LogMeIn software on it. That's a big deal, as I could jump onto a pc and remotely help out a friend or family member (or myself) on-the-fly, as long as the pc I'm accessing has the software on it.

I hadn't used SplashTop, but I was disappointed to read the post that said that it requires the host and controlling pc's to be on the same network. LogMeIn has no such limitation.

Some family member's pc's are in GA. Some are in FL. I can control them from my home pc, my iPads, or my iPhone.

When my dad contacted me with a couple of concerns, I had him download the software on his pc, for free, at the beginning of the call. That one-time setup was all that was required and there was no additional fee on his end or mine.

LogMeIn (the version I've got access to, now on iOS, anyway) recently added the ability to do stuff like stream audio and video from the host pc's. So, I could watch a movie or access audio from a Flash website via the pc, using my iOS device (and probably Android devices, but I don't have any).

Previously, I'd get choppy video and no sound - which was fine for most purposes. Now, I can do more, which is nice.




* - I think the free version would meet most people's needs, now, as they've changed the breakdown a bit. I got grandfathered into the upgraded version of the iOS app - apparently the one that costs $99, now. But, again, one doesn't need to have that version for the more basic tasks.

 

[west3man]

• Splashtop - The killer app. I can access my laptop on my iPad and I do mean the whole thing. I run straight up MS Office programs, Chrome, etc. from my iPad. They support external keyboards and the ability to turn the touchscreen of the iPad into your mouse control. This is THE app that makes it all possible because there are moments when the iPad can't do certain things.
• Dropbox - all my work files are now in the cloud, so anything I do in the office I can get to on the road and at home
• Quickoffice - being able to edit those files is critical. They just added the ability to edit PPT 2010 which was a huge hole in their feature set
• Adobe Reader - they just added the ability to annotate PDFs
• Noteshelf - bye bye notepads, I really only do need my iPad for meetings.
• Genius Scan - I am now able to "scan" anything including white board sessions, my work receipts, signed contracts, etc., and convert to a PDF.

• I use LogMeIn for remote access for personal and professional uses. It doesn't require being on the same network as the host pc.
• I've used Dropbox but have started using Box and others more, as they offer more free storage, and are *beginning* to be as widely compatible with other apps as Dropbox.
• I use Goodreader for keeping often-referenced documents and graphics on my iPad for me to see or to show to others quickly and easily. I'm frequently hit with random questions about items or departments that are (relatively) far away or otherwise inaccessible. I whip out Goodreader and pull up some of the information I'm most likely to be asked about on-the-fly.
• I tried a note-taking app for, you guessed it, taking notes during meetings (expected or not) without needing paper. I use a stylus, depending on the situation. I'm not very good at it, yet, but I'm working on it. The main app I'm focusing on now ... escapes me, at the moment. I'll try to edit it in, later. [EDIT: I think it's called Note Taker HD. I'm not completely sold on its export option, but I'm still evaluating.]
• The stylus I use has a built-in pen so it's more useful more often.
• I use Word Lens on occasion to translate text from one language to another just by aiming the iPhone camera at the text. The screen shows a translation in real time. It sounds like science fiction, but it's real. And can help me, other associates, or walk-ins with language barriers.

Whenever I need to show something to a number of people at the same time, but don't have quick access to a pc/projector set-up with all of the files I might need, I just use the iPad. In fact, I kind of prefer it because it's so much quicker (although obviously not as big) to access.

Email goes without saying. The day that I put my work email accounts on my mobile devices REALLY let a weight off of my shoulders. Like so many, I guess I'm wanted the most as SOON as I walk to the restroom or something. The iPad doesn't help with phone calls (although some systems notify the associate via email if there's a new voicemail message) but I get and can respond to email much more easily. I can even communicate with staff members when I'm in conferences rooms with no available phone (or if I need to silently communicate).

Very helpful.