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The iPad is essentially an iPhone 'on steroids'. Weighing in at 1.5lb (0.68kg) it has a 9.7" multi-
touch screen, speaker, microphone, compass, accelerometer, (so it knows if it's being tilted and
rotates the screen accordingly), Wi-Fi (the faster 802.11n standard) and Bluetooth. It comes with
three storage capacities built in - 16GB, 32GB and 64GB, and is also available with 3G, allowing
for internet access when outside of a Wi-Fi environment. It's powered by Apple's own A4
processor which has been specifically designed for the iPad/iPhone operating system and offers
10 hours of runtime and a month standby. Most importantly, it's downwardly compatible with
almost all of the iPhone's 140,000+ apps, which means that if you already have an iPhone, as
soon as you buy an iPad and plug it in all of those apps will be available on there as well. Although
it has an on-screen keyboard that may not appeal to many, it's not far removed in size to a laptop
keyboard, and there is an external keyboard accessory for use when desk-based.
Let's start by covering what the iPad can't do. It's not a PC or a Mac and doesn't run Windows or
Mac OS, or offer multi-tasking (although the rumour mill suggests that the latter may be addressed
in future updates). On the iPhone the OS is locked down to the point that each third party
application can only store information in their own 'sealed' area, unlike a PC where 'My
Documents' can contain every file type and be accessed by all applications. It's likely that the iPad
will continue this tradition, with Apple already confirming that it will rely on iTunes for syncing with
a PC. Also, due to a long running spat between Apple and Adobe, the iPhone/iPad does not
support Flash, which rules out access to any websites that rely on it. Apple has been criticised and
applauded in equal measure for ring-fencing access to their hardware and software. While it
considerably restricts third party development flexibility, it does provide an extremely stable user
experience which, unlike a Windows machine, does not degrade over time as more software is
installed.
During Apple's launch it was clear that Apple's own 1GHz silicon was delivering quite a punch.
Applications launched instantly and graphically intensive tasks ran smoothly. Couple a fast
processor with a large rotatable touch screen and you have a product that lowers the technical
knowledge usage barrier and can provide an intuitive user interface which 75m iPhone users
already know how to use. For example, recently I reverted back to my previous smartphone -
using the menu system was like wading through treacle and it was missing many of the additional
apps that I'd come to rely on. The biggest difference was speed of information retrieval. For
frequently performed tasks such as retrieving a contact, checking email or a quick web search
there is no comparison. Tasks that I achieve with the iPhone within 15-20 seconds I would not
have seen change out of a minute, if not more on the other phone, and this is likely to improve on
the iPad.
What tasks could the iPad perform?

2. The key here is to identify what it does as well, or indeed better than existing technologies. In their
launch event Apple demonstrated iPad versions of iWork, their office suite (covering word
processing, spreadsheets and presentations), with each application being available for just shy of
ten dollars. While you probably won't get all of the extra templates, clipart and additional bloat that
comes with traditional Office suites you could argue that most people don't use many more
features than font sizing or basic formulae. The iPad ships with the same basic PIM apps as the
iPhone e.g. Calendar, Contacts, Email (including MS Exchange support) and Notes, all of which
will sync with a PC or Mac through iTunes. The iPhone configuration utility allows enterprise
deployment, providing easy configuration for individual business settings such as email and VPN
access. So for the majority of users it will tick the basic office requirements.
As a presentation tool the iPad excels. It can be connected to an external display, but would
equally be suited for one-to-one presentations, ideal for sales staff or board meetings. Data
retrieval is also a strong suit; it provides quick access to document, image, audio or video libraries,
doing away with the need for storing large amounts of paper. Expect to see estate agents with
iPads under their arms from April onwards! It would be equally at home in a manufacturing design
office, providing a quick method of viewing product images or technical information.
The iPad supports the popular ePub electronic document format. Publishers will quickly move
books, magazines and newspapers over to the format, so people will soon become accustomed to
reading on the device as opposed to traditional paper-based media. This will provide companies
with an easy way of creating large catalogues in a format that users can digest in a traditional
manner. Companies that produce catalogues (such as electronic components or manufacturing
consumables) will no doubt warm to this as printed versions are very expensive to produce, and
although they will already have full e-commerce on their websites, there is a reason why they still
produce printed version - many people still prefer to view information in a book-style format. This
would also lend itself well to stock control, providing stores staff with a simple checklist interface
when performing stock checks.
All versions of the iPad have the accelerometer and compass facilities, and the 3G version opens
up further possibilities, as it includes assisted GPS. Many of us already take the likes of Google
maps on our mobiles for granted, but when GPS is embedded into a device implemented at
enterprise level this stretches the boundaries further. Imagine an application that provides relevant
information to a user when they arrive at a specific location; perhaps a salesman visiting a
prospect/customer, or branch data when HQ staff visit. Devices that 'know where they are' could
also be used to direct the user to items of interest/relevance around them, although the sensitivity
is not good enough for this to locate items on a shelf, for example, and GPS does not always work
inside buildings.
Integrating the iPad to custom requirements
If you walk through the stages of production within a manufacturing organisation and analyse the
role of software at any given part, most of these relate to the supply of information; either to or
from the user. Whether it be in the store room, by a machine tool, booking goods out or back in
from subcontractors, despatch and through to accounts. This information will either be fed into an
enterprise system (MRP, ERP) or to a more localised system (stock control database, machine
tool control software, order management etc), and this is where the work needs to be done if the
iPad is to be of any real use. Many software companies are using Apple's software development

3. kit (SDK) to develop apps to interface with their products. Although these apps are often
lightweight versions of their PC cousins and optimised for the iPhone it is likely that these will be
reworked to take advantage of the iPad's display. We can expect apps covering all mainstream
software applications, however more niche products are unlikely to have iPhone/iPad sibling
products, as the take up rate would not warrant the development costs.
What if you cannot develop or obtain an app to connect to an existing software system? There is a
third option; we have already ascertained that the iPad is a competent web client (if Flash isn't
required). Invariably the system you want to connect to will have a database, which in turn will
have ways of getting data in and out (generally using common connectors such as ODBC), so a
relatively simple solution would be to build an intranet that communicates with the application.
Windows Server comes with IIS (Internet Information Services), and any of the web centric
languages (PHP, Cold Fusion,.NET/ASP etc) will be able to connect to a database easily. The
iPad (or any other device) could then interact with the software using a web browser. Although this
still requires a considerable level of technical skill, it's likely to be a far easier and more cost-
effective skill set to source than developing an iPad-specific app and will result in a more flexible
solution that other devices can take advantage of. It would also be easier to manage from a
security aspect, as the network administrators take care of user access control to any given data
resource on the local network.
If Apple is serious about the business angle of the iPad they will need to provide companies with
more information on controlling user access, tracking usage and locking down features on it
(which, to be fair they have done with the iPhone), otherwise no doubt the wide range of available
games will find their way onto it and eat into productivity. Another major concern is that they will be
a target for theft. It's likely that you will be able to password protect it and, as with the MobileMe
service on the iPhone, locate it if stolen (3G only) or remotely wipe it, but that's little consolation.
In recent years Apple products have become über chic and this is something many
businesses will want to harness. It's more likely that iPads will find homes in the boardroom than
on the shop floor, due to environmental factors alone, but for facilities that already keep their
production areas spotless this could be seen as the device that makes them look just that little bit
more cutting edge than their competitors.
Summary
The debate is raging fiercely in the blogosphere as to whether the iPad is a 'game changer' or not,
but in my opinion it is. Apple said that they would not release anything equivalent to a tablet or a
netbook until they could deliver something that did everything well. Given what is already known
about the iPhone and what we currently know about the iPad, reasonable assumptions can be
made about the iPad's suitability for a given task. There will be of course many tasks that will
always be faster or indeed only possible on a desktop/laptop than the iPad, but as a high speed,
highly portable (and highly desirable) 'media consumption device' the Apple iPad will set the
benchmark by which all others will be measured.
About the Author

4. Martin Bailey is the author of several marketing and IT sector books, and is the Marketing
Manager for JETCAM International s.a.r.l. - CAM, nesting and material management software) and
123 Insight Ltd - MRP, ERP, CRM and Accounts software). More information about the author is
available at http://www.marketingyour.biz.
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