Corporate Network iPad

When it comes to shiny objects, many executives exhibit a levelof self control equivalent to that of an insane magpie hopped up on energydrinks. They see the shiny object. They buy the shiny object. As a way ofjustifying the purchase of that shiny object, they come to you, in the ITdepartment and tell you “I want to be able to do work with this on our network –make it happen!”

They don’t know exactly what they would do with it, onlythat, as a electronic shiny object, there must be some way of doing some formof work with it.  This is the world’srevenge for you figuring out remote desktop from your PSP so you could manage aserver and write off Little Big Planet as a business expense.

The current shiny object of choice is the iPad. Already staffin IT departments across the planet are being be confronted by people who havejust purchased an iPad. People who want to use that iPad in some way to dosomething that is work related.  Anythingthat is work related. Because then the iPad is a work expense, just like yourPSP, right? And if they are doing SERIOUS WORK with their iPad it goes frombeing the affectation of a cyber-dilettante to a must-have-productivity-item ofthe on-the-go information-worker.

WinAdmin: I need myiPad to manage the severs.

WinAdmin, iPad Edition allows you to make multiplesimultaneous RDP connections to servers and workstations. You can connectthrough FQDN or IP address, but this app (and as far as I know all iPad RDPapps) do not support Network Level Authentication, meaning that you may need toalter the remote security settings. This app supports right clicking throughmulti-touch and has shortcuts for common functions such as CTRL-ALT-DEL. Youcan learn more about it from the iTunes store link: http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/winadmin-ipad-edition/id364898965?mt=8

DropBox: I need toget files on my iPad

DropBox is one of many applications that allows you to syncfiles on your computer with files on your iPad. It functions in a similar wayto Live Sync/Live Mesh. The free version allows you to keep 2 GB of stuff in your“dropbox” and you can pay for versions that will sync up to 50 GB. Dropboxallows you to build up a set of nested folders on your iPad, something that youwould find challenging otherwise. You can also “daisy-chain” your dropboxfolder with other sync tools; I have my dropbox folder synced across Live Meshand SharePoint Workspace, mostly because I was using them beforehand. You canlearn more about it from the iTunes store link: http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/dropbox/id327630330?mt=8

Pages: Need to lookat Word docs on the iPad

To review and modify Word documents on the iPad, you need toinstall some form of word processing application as, at present, the version ofMicrosoft Office on the web does not allow editing of documents through theiPad browser. Of the applications available, Apple’s Pages does a good job ofconverting files in doc and docx format for viewing and modification on theiPad.  A lot of features, such as commenting,are not supported. The basic rule is the more funky you get with your Wordfeatures, the less likely they are to work in the converted document. You getthe documents on to the iPad either by emailing them to yourself, or using asolution like DropBox. You can learn more about it from the iTunes store link:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pages/id361309726?mt=8

KeyNote: Need to lookat PowerPoint presentations on the iPad

KeyNote is Apple’s presentation software solution. Keynoteon the iPad allows you to view PowerPoint presentations on the iPad, evenpresent them if you have the iPad VGA adapter. You get the presentations on tothe iPad either by emailing them to yourself, or using a solution like DropBox.The current version of KeyNote does not allow you to review PowerPointpresenter notes, which is something one would hope is rectified in futurereleases. You can learn more about it from the iTunes store link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/keynote/id361285480?mt=8

Numbers: Need to lookat Excel spreadsheets on the iPad.

The same rules that apply to Word docs and PowerPointpresentations apply to Excel spreadsheets opened using the Numbers app. Goodfor document review, but perhaps not entirely appropriate as a replacement for Excel.You can learn more about Numbers for iPad from the iTunes store link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/numbers/id361304891?mt=8

Evernote: Almost Kindalike OneNote

Until OneNote is made available on the iPad, EverNotefunctions as a sort-of replacement. Which is hardly a ringing endorsement Iknow. Unlike the other apps I’ve mentioned here, Evernote syncs automaticallyto the web and to your Evernote PC app. You can dump notes to and fromeverything. I’ve found my own iPad exceptionally functional as a note-takingdevice and as a games platform (but this is an article about productivity so Iwon’t mention Civ Revolution, Command & Conquer and Fieldrunners). You canfind out more about Evernote at http://www.evernote.com