iPad - Can it replace your laptop ?

For the past couple of weeks I have been only using the iPad as my primary computer on the road. I want to see if it could replace my laptop and offer all of the functionality I needed on a day to day basis. I mean let’s face it, there are a lot of apps out there and we have to ask ourselves, what do you really get out of a fully blown out operating system such as Snow Leopard and Windows 7. Primarily, most of us use our laptops to connect to the internet, check email, generate documents in Word or Excel, upload photo’s to Facebook, manage finances, etc. All of which can be done on an iPad. I think we are so used to the idea that we need a traditional operating system to satisfy our traditional thinking. I would almost suggest that I think that the Operating System on the iPad is revolutionary in a since that it is completely different from the mainstream approach to computing or rather - our thinking of mobile devices. The Operating System it’s self is nothing revolutionary. We are used to having our data stored locally on our laptop and periodically we will back that data up, right ? I hope so. We are used to going to the nearest Best Buy and buying a software package and installing it on the computer from a CD that takes up a lot of space on our hard drive. I mean let’s admit it, it feels good (or sometime bad) to have a big box with lots of manuals and media for that new version of Office that came out. Not to mention the fact that the new software box smells good when you open it. I think we have grown accustomed to the fact that we need all of that stuff Windows or Mac operating systems has to offer. That is an old way of thinking. Why have we accepted long boot times, short battery lives, viruses, etc ?

The future of remote on the go computing is smaller, faster, more portable, access anywhere cloud computing. This is what the iPad is offering.

I think we will still have traditional laptops. But I project we will see more mobile devices like the iPad that will offer a more defined, simpler computing experience.

Benefits

1) No Boot times. Always ready.
2) While using Numbers (Excel), Pages (Word) or Keynote (Powerpoint), instant save. No more saving your document every few minutes.
3) Very long 12+ hour battery life
4) No mouse. Just use your finger
5) Lots of FREE apps
6) Very simple operationally. Grandma can use it
7) Easy to backup AND restore.
8 ) Standard interface. Every iPad is the same.

Disadvantages

1) Limited port connectivity such as USB
2) No Web Cam
3) There is no central Documents folder
4) Some compatibility limitations with traditional standard office applications

One would think that because of these limitations, you will not be able to replace your laptop. I dispute that. I believe you can. Admittedly, there has been occasions where I needed access to a MS Project file or something only my PC could do in which the iPad simply is not there yet technically. However, this has not stopped me from thinking that the iPad can and someday will replace portable computing as we know it today.

The Solution

I have tested many apps. There are a lot of great apps out there. Right now, I want to focus in on three apps that are an absolute must have on the iPad if you want to attempt to go completely remote. They are:

LogMeIn, DropBox and DocsToGo

LogMeIn is a software agent that gets installed on your computer at home that allows to to remotely connect to to from anywhere in the world using an internet connection. They have a free version thats works perfect in this scenario. Using the LogMeIn app ($29.99) available from iTunes, you can always connect to your PC at home, anytime, anywhere. I take it a step further and, using a product called VMWare I created a virtual machine running Windows at home on my desktop that I use for LogMeIn. So anytime I need to do something desktop specific in Windows, I can connect to my PC remotely and do it.

However, LogMeIn alone is not going to be complete with out DropBox. DropBox is a utility, (Free subscription for 2GB or less) that allows you to copy your files so that they are accessible anywhere. Any of your computers that has DropBox installed on it and configured will sync to your DropBox account. This includes your iPad. Your iPad can access your data on your DropBox.

But - having access to your data is not enough if you want to open your documents for editing. This is where DocsToGo comes into the picture. Picture it as a mini Office Suite on your iPad. It doesn’t offer all of the functionality that is available in a complete installation of Office, however, let;s face it if you are in the go and needed to edit a document, create a spreadsheet, etc., this is perfect.

One of the exiting things that the iPad or any future simular device has to offer that hardware that run solely on a Windows or Mac platform lacks is the growing developer base. Rather than relying solely on the Microsoft’s, Intuits, Adobe’s, etc to design and release a new software package, you have hundred of thousands of individual users developing software in a market that is exploding. It is much more economical for a individual to spend three or four weeks developing an App that meets a specific demand and sell for $1.99 rather than a huge corporation like Microsoft to devote the recourses in terms of development, marketing, packaging and distribution and compete in that same space. I think that some of the big players will continue (they already do) offer larger applications, at a higher price point.

I compare it alot like what Wikipedia would be like if only a few were to contribute to its content. However, open it to everyone and see how much more information and resources are available and all can benefit from it.

That’s enough for now. As you can see, we are well on our way to a new methodology in terms of portable computing. Like I mentioned earlier, I think we are going to see a lot of other vendors such as HP with their Slate, Dell and others offering similar solutions in the marketplace.