When Apple introduced the iPhone, I was excited at the many possibilities it had to make my business run smoother and more professional from the field. With today’s announcement of the iPad, I am even more excited at the many possibilities. Although there usually isn’t the thought or mention of business field usage with Apple’s releases, I truly believe the iPad can revolutionize field operations for a business.
I have listed a few of my initial thoughts as to how an iPad could be used in the field. I would love to hear yours.
Credit Card acceptance-Take peoples credit cards from the field, get their signature on the pad, then print out their receipt. I know you can do this on the iPhone, but it’s weird for customers to sign their signature on your little tiny phone screen.
Create estimates then print them out-Have a Word template set-up, fill in the blanks, include a picture of the home and print out a professional estimate.
Full access to your web based customer info
Show a video demonstration of the WFP or any other service you may have.
I do know the iPhone can do all of that, but I think it’s bigger and more professional. My customers don’t like signing their signature on my little phone. Using the iPhone to edit Word documents is possible but very difficult with a small screen. And if you could show a customer a full screen video demo of your services, rather them watching it on a little 3" screen? I love my iPhone, but it’s not designed to these things regularly like you would on a computer. The iPad is.
I can’t wait to get one. According to Apple, the regular version should be out by April and the 3g version will be out by May. The 3G version will be 130 dollars more than the models without it. I will most likely get the 3g version. Although it has WIFI, you will not be able to use WIFI at a customers location unless you have their wireless access passwords or keys. So, you basically have to have 3g if you want internet access remotely. There are some good ideas here for business use.
Ok of course ill have to get one, but you can already do everything listed above on a tablet PC. My wifes a FP Doc here in kansas and is already on her third tablet in 5 years. thats in an office setting being used 8-10 hours a day and the only brand to stand up for anything longer than a year is Fujitsu. I hope the new iPad has the same kind of life as that one.
Oh ya get the new magic mouse with it, its so cool…
Yeah, you can rush and buy one at some outrageous price…then pay 3 times that price for the keyboard addon…then pay half of your life savings for the credit card swiper and any other accessory you need because apple has to squeeze you for all you’re worth.
The fact that it looks like a giant iphone is exactly what I don’t like about it. Kinda reminds me of the giant Hershey bars and how comical they look.
Looks nice. Like a big iphone. But no keyboard? That’s gonna be a PITA at times. These things are nice for business only if the stuff you input does not have to be input again at another time. It’s nice to be able to write notes on the screen but I dont see the point when paper will do just fine. I’m looking into a tablet pc, this way when I go to a home I can put all the info into my quickbooks. I would not want to write things down, or use a form that cannot be imported into quickbooks. It would be a waste of time. I wonder if they are going to drop the price in a few months and give out giftcards for the Apple store.
It does have a keyboard. That’s the beauty of it, when you don’t need a keyboard, it disappears, when you need it, it’s there. That’s what I love. I currently use an iPhone in the field now. Everything I input into it, syncs then with my computer at my home and my quickbooks. I am to the point that all I use is my iPhone in the field right now, my only complaint is that it’s to small. The iPad takes care of all of my needs for only $600. Not bad.
The magic mouse is SOOO COOL! When i first got to try it out i was in shock. I got the Iphone right now and LOVE it! I can not wait to get my hands on an ipad. I learned something about apple and that is that you need to keep a good maintenance record on their products. Like periodically turning off the iphone to clear memory and regain the phone performance. Its the little tricks that keep their products working for years!
I think the I pad will work perfect for me. I run my whole business practically out of outlook.
I have a clipboard with my schedule on it everyday…then throughout the day it gets full of scribbles and notes and pricing for new estimates and whatever else.
With the ipad, If I can just input all of the info actually into outlook it will save me GOBS of hours. Then I can go back to the office and just synch it.
Then both the office comp. and the I pad will have the same schedule, notes, customers, ect…
Seems perfect to me. Although I may be missing something.
I don’t think it will ever support flash apple is at war with adobe. But it does support HTML 5 which is better than flash, so I think you’ll find many sites ditching all flash for HTML 5. I’m working on that right now for Wcr.
Oh and we are giving away a iPad this weekend here at Wcr. Stay tuned!
