Here at the business desk, we love to hear ways companies are falling head-over-heels for the iPad. The latest is a survey finding Apple’s tablet is all work in the office. Employees use the iPad for business more than 90 percent of the time, refuting concerns the device would be tied up flinging angry birds at all those smug pigs.
The survey by IDG Connect found 97 percent of business professionals use the iPad for reading. The iPad’s use has also reduced the amount of time on laptops. Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of those business people surveyed who own an iPad said they use their laptop less. Some 66 percent of business iPad owners say they’ve either partly or completely replaced their laptop with the Apple tablet.
As for business adoption of the iPad, the survey found 25 percent of companies provided the tablet to employees and an overwhelming 83 percent of businesses won’t consider anything but the Apple device. Today’s survey is just the latest sign businesses are firm supports of the iPad.
In December, we reported on the growing trend toward Bring Your Own Device to businesses. According to mobile security firm Good Technology, iOS devices such as the iPad and iPhone rank at the top of the list for tablets and phones brought to work. Additionally, iPads are most often found in the financial and healthcare sectors — bother drowning in paperwork and ideal for Apple’s tablet.
And when it comes to the financial services area, Coldwell Banker is a big iPad fan. The company has placed 50-75 iPads in each of its field offices. Coldwell views the device as ‘perfect for luxury clients.’
But large corporations aren’t the only businesses using iPads. Throughout 2011, we saw the tablet adopted in areas where documents and manuals were everywhere, sometimes shrinking a load of papers down to just one pound. If 2011 ended with surging iPad interest by businesses, there doesn’t appear to be any letup for 2012.
Ed Sutherland is a veteran technology journalist who first heard of Apple when they grew on trees, Yahoo was run out of a Stanford dorm and Google was an unknown upstart. Since then, Sutherland has covered the whole technology landscape, concentrating on tracking the trends and figuring out the finances of large (and small) technology companies.
18 responses to “More And More Businessmen Are Chucking Their Laptops In The Trash For iPad”
iPads are great (I own one and love it) – but there are plenty of times I reach for my Cr-48 – when I need to get some real work done. I use Google Docs, and typing on the ipad (even with the smart cover) is odd and not satisfying at all. Plus, occasionally I need to use a Flash site – yes, they still do exist.
iPads in the business world at best are a fad, and will pass. I mean, no flash, no keyboard (buying a real one is straight silly), no MS Office (yet), and the worst of all – no real file storage. Plus IT admin support is a nightmare for them.
It’s pretty (and fast) but unpractical. I mean, switch to Macs and get a Macbook Air instead.
A simple Bluetooth keyboard and an industrial-strength Office package and the notebook is dead.
Come on…”chucking them in the trash”?!? Overstating it a little?
Not that simple.
What about apps? Sure, the app store is great, but for an internal organization you’ll need to write (not to mention CONVERT) all your apps from either a .NET, Java (or even Web) app to iOS – which sounds 1000% easier than it really is. Massive IT projects take anywhere from 12-18 months to complete – especially for a massive overtake in platform. BTW – you’ll also need to spend MORE money on Macs because XCode only runs on Macs – so now IT depts have to spend a boat load to buy them, then even more to support them.
Okay, so you’ve figured out which app to write or buy – who’s going to support it? App developers right now don’t support 100% of the apps they write, IT depts do. IT admins won’t support iOS apps, they can barely support .NET and Java apps now. Web apps are very difficult for them.
And the “industrial strength” office suite you speak of, will HAVE TO BE office. I’d hate to say that, but it’s true. It’s a very big reason lots fo companies stayed with Windows XP for so long.
The iPad is a flashy toy, not a productive business tool.
Don’t spend too much time on the Internet. You have to run outside and start yelling that the sky is falling pretty soon.
Can we stick to journalism here and stop using statements like “chucking them in the trash”? No corporation in America would ever allow their employees to throw a company asset in the trash….
Most people actually need a screen larger then 9 inches to get their work done. I suppose the notebook will be dead for people who have a job and don’t actually have to do any real work… Here’s to hoping they keep their ipads on silent mode so I don’t have to hear those birds screaming.
Trashcans where exactly? I sure could do with a new laptop.
Wake up and face reality. The iPad is a toy.
thats funny. i could have sworn I just wrapped up an entire commissioned shoot with nearly all the work except for retouching and editing completed on my iPad. from conceptualization, to client presentation, to part of the execution, and the first stages of finalization. just my iPad and my camera for 80% of the work. some “toy”, eh?
you have a pretty shortsighted view of what “productivity” is. it makes it hard to take anything you’re trying to prove seriously.
the iPad’s usefulness is only limited to it’s user, unfortunately. sorry to say.
Reality? Reality is 40 million sold last year. Reality is every day hearing a new story about iPad adoption in businesses and schools. Reality is watching a totally random bbc report about Japanese lunchboxes and having a woman show off photos on her iPad ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/maga… ). Reality is what we will hear next week when Apple reports its iPad sales.
The only thing thats not real are your beliefs on the iPad. Tens of millions disagree. And our numbers are growing fast.
Reality? Reality is 40 million sold by last year. Reality is every day when you read a new article about iPad adoption within business and education. Reality is watching a random bbcnews report about Japanese lunchboxes and seeing a woman show the reporter photos on her iPad ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/maga… ). Reality is what we will hear next week when Apple reports its latest iPad sales.
I’m one of more than 40 million who are living in reality. And our numbers are growing fast.
Reality?
Reality is 32 million iPads sold.
Reality is every day when you read a new report on the iPad being adopted by various businesses and schools.
Reality is watching a random BBC News report about Japanese lunchboxes and seeing a Japanese woman show the reporter photos on her iPad. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/maga…
I’m living in reality. My fellow iPad users are living in reality. What the hell are you living in?
Reality is 32 million iPads sold. Reality is every day when you read a new report on the iPad being adopted by various businesses and schools.Reality is watching a random BBC News report about Japanese lunchboxes and seeing a Japanese woman show the reporter photos on her iPad. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/maga… I’m living in reality. My fellow iPad users are living in reality. What the hell are you living in?
Why has every one got a hard on for MS Office its not that great, iWork dose every thing it dose while supporting Office and being a lot simpler and more intuitive to use also not every physical keyboard is equal. Have you used a netbook? so terrible the throw of the keys the spacing all dreadful. In addition most flash content thats not available in HTML 5 is either porn or games, so how is that essential to a business?
Its same trash can Ed’s former journalism career is in ….
iWork is great, but no one uses it. And I wasn’t referring to a netbook but my Cr-48. Not a net book.
Actually, all anyone needs is a Citrix-type front-end app running on their iPad and everything’s solved. Let the server do the work. Expect to see MS Remote Desktop Client for iOS before Office.