Why the iPad is so popular

by John on November 13, 2010

iPad sales figures released last month show that in the first 80 days after release last spring, Apple sold three million iPads. That’s about triple iPhone’s figures for the same period. In the quarter ending last month, Apple sold 4.2 million iPads.

iPads are increasingly being used in business environments in locations where traditional devices would be not normally be used.  For example, some companies have adapted their production systems to support the iPad, allowing supervisors to input results and report issues directly from the shop floor.  Management can view up to date reports and make crucial decisions in near real time. Other uses include mobile sales support, health care and real estate, where up to date records and reporting are important to clients.

Why is the iPad is so popular?

1. Weighing in at just 1.5 pounds, it’s easy to transport

2. An intuitive touch interface that supports gestures, similar to the iPhone

3. A choice of connectivity options: WiFi only, or add optional Cellular support

4. The iPad App Store has over 200,000 apps and counting, not all are business apps, but many are low cost or free

5. Features a high resolution 1024 x768 screen with a decent pixel density (132 pixels per inch), making it easy to read

6. Can operate WiFi data connected up to 10 hours between charges

7. Built in speaker and microphone

8. Built in tilt and accelerometer

9. Printing support (coming in iOS 4.2)

10. Enhanced data protections, secured using the device’s passcode as an encryption key (coming in iOS 4.2)

11. RS-232 Serial Port can be supported via io Networks adaptor (inside the adaptor)

What are the iPad’s downsides?

1. Certain content, such as word processing, spreadsheets, design and the like are best do on a laptop or desktop

2. No built in camera

3. USB through the a proprietary connector

4. No Flash support

5. In the US, cell connectivity is limited to AT&T

6. GPS is not fully supported

7. No Drag and Drop file management

8. No SD card reader built-in

9. No support for an external video connection, such as DVI or HDMI

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Geolocation

by admin on November 5, 2010

Geolocation

Geolocation is the act of locating where you are using networking information, such as your current IP address and wireless access points that are nearby. Privacy is an important aspect, so you’ll notice a browser prompt asking for permission to run. You’ll see the browser security prompt whenever a request for the geolocation feature is being made in a format similar to popup window permissions. A typical prompt is something like “example.com wants to know your location” and two options: “share” or “don’t share”, with an option to persist your permission.

Geolocation on devices with WiFi typically give fairly accurate results, while geolocation based solely on Internet IP will be accurate only to the region of your Internet service provider.

For more information:
Geolocation API Specification from W3C
Gears (Deprecated) Geolocation API from Google



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iPad in the Enterprise

October 30, 2010

I’ll be honest, I was very sceptical about the iPad’s place in business, or even as a useful personal device for that matter. When the iPad was first announced by Steve Jobs at an Apple Keynote January 27, 2010,   I couldn’t help thinking it had “all the things you hate about cell phones and [...]

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Welcome to Great for the Enterprise

October 25, 2010

Great for the Enterprise is a site dedicated to technologies best leveraged by larger businesses. We’ll look at emerging technologies with growth potential, as well as established solutions that provide greater ROI and long term stability, and rate these on their applicability to business. With the technical landscape constantly changing, there will be a lot [...]

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