Construction Technology: Year of The iPad

There is no question that Apple, www.apple.com has ushered in a new age of portable devices.  With the launch of the iPad this year, more and more companies are empowering their employees with the new mobile device.  While the iPad is not a fit for all construction companies, it does have the industry discussing the use of tablets out in the field.

Since the launch of the iPad in April, needs for construction companies have relatively stayed the same.  Contractors still require timely communication with field employees; access to realtime information including, payroll, daily logs, work orders and schedules.  Prior to April of this year there were solutions available to contractors that could help accomplish all of these items; how is the iPad any different?

Prior to iPad's launch, field employees had to work with limited graphical displays of mobile phones.  Trying to find the right solution was tough.  The alternative to a tiny mobile device was the laptop which is bulky and comes with a relatively high expense.  The great power of the iPad is its ability to deliver a full desktop experience regardless of location.

The iPad paired with the right web solution can provide realtime access to information from remote time keeping and field reporting, to service management.  hh2 Web Services has seen the continually growing trend of mobile solutions in the construction marketplace and recently announced full iPad integration for Sage STE Service Management with the release of hh2 Field Service.  hh2 plans to release other remote applications supported under the Apple iPad platform.

Construction companies are acknowledging the lower cost of entry when compared to other tablet devices on the market.  Although, there have been some concerns in the field regarding the iPad's durability and glare issues.  For more information on how to address these issues, refer to my prior blog entry "iPad Built for Construction" 

With the technology advancement of the iPad, construction companies will have greater options when it comes to remote time entry, field reporting and service management.

Jason Morrison
hh2 Web Services
www.hh2.com

iPad Built for Construction

Just like the iPhone being used in the construction industry, the question most often that comes up is "what kind of abuse can it take"?  Is the iPad worth the investment to construction companies looking for a mobile field solution?  Just how durable is the iPad on the job?

I have now owned my iPad for a few months since it was first released.  After seeing several durability tests performed online, it was apparent that the iPad with it's large screen is more acceptable to damage.  Small drops on to pavement showed glass damage to the screen.  The durability of the iPad was not near the same as the iPhone when dropped from the same distance on to a hard surface.

The following video demonstrates the durability of the device from a small drop:



The device clearly does not hold up to any hard surface drops. The alternative is to use a durable case such as the new Otterbox Defender series for the iPad.  Using the case now turns the the iPad into a valuable field solution that can hold up to the daily abuse on a construction site.

This next video reviews the Otterbox Defender case for iPad:



The case appears to be solid  and the price of $89 is relatively inexpensive for this type of solution.  You can see in this next video a much better outcome when using a durable case like the Otterbox:



Drops from the same level using a durable case prove that the iPad can hold up to a beating on the job.  Always protect your investment. With proper care these devices can last a long time and prove to be a great tool out in the field.


Jason Morrison
hh2 Web Services
www.hh2.com

A Better Way of Field Reporting

Ensuring that a job is completed effectively is not based solely on a finished product; there are lots of factors that need to be considered.  Managing a job requires the collection of field information at every stage throughout the project.

This single task can be a very time consuming process that involves creating hand written reports, which then have to be submitted back to the main office.  This process makes it difficult for construction companies to review different stages in the project life cycle because they do not have immediate access to the data.

Through technology and the use of hh2 Web Services, construction companies can better assess their jobs through web based field reports.  Hh2 Field Reports enables field workers to replace paper with netbooks and tablet PC's.  Valuable job information along with photos and other project -critical data is shared remotely using the web.  Company management is then  able to analyze the daily information in  real-time  and print out the reports using Adobe PDF or Microsoft Excel.

Having field reports is an important component when analyzing project quality and safety.  Incidents and safety issues can be documented instantly.  This information can be very useful in future projects and occurrences of litigation.  With the ability to collect job information from the field in real-time, construction companies can be more effective at identifying performance trends as they occur.

In conclusion, there is no longer a need to fill out handwritten reports … be sure to visit http://www.hh2.com and see how hh2 Field Reports can help your construction company better manage field reporting over the web.  

Jason Morrison
Director Project Implementation & Training
www.hh2.com

The Impact of Mobile Apps

Whether you are looking for a better way to log employee time on a project, take measurements on the jobsite, or access important hr documents, the right tool for the job is one you most likely already have: a smartphone.  With advancing cell phone technology, the industry is benefiting from the development of construction productivity tools found in mobile applications.

Photo courtesy of Toolmonger (http://toolmonger.com/2008/08/05/five-toolmonger-uses-for-your-iphone/ )

For jobsite field employees looking to simplify a day on the job, there are a number of simple, mobile construction apps available in the marketplace.  Recent examples are applications that can turn your phone into a ruler, a unit converter and calculator, or a leveling device.

Mobile app developers such as hh2 Web Services  has also led to an array of new apps with much more complex functionalities.  These solutions take construction productivity software to the next level by integrating key aspects of the jobsite onto a mobile platform which enables businesses to be more efficient and cost-effective.

Apple (www.apple.com) has recently unleashed the Apple  iPad.  The iPad is quickly becoming a staple technology for the construction industry with it's amazing power and price.  The iPad's mobile technology is ideal for construction companies, where portability and accessibility is key.

hh2 Web Services has recently released their iPhone and iPad, "My Documents" app that allows hh2 users to access their paystubs, company documents, employee benefits and the ability to submit a change request to the home office.  Employees having access to their information in the field proves to be invaluable and has an immediate cost savings to the company.  Examples include the discontinued use of mailing paper paystubs and miscellaneous company forms to employees.  hh2 plans to release a mobile app for Remote Payroll which will give office and field employees the ability to job cost time from their iPhones.

Jason Morrison

hh2 Web Services

Director Project Implementation & Training

www.hh2.com

Forecasting Your Way to Efficiency

Service Management,  Payroll, Field Reporting, and Human Resources are four areas that have a huge impact on the construction industry.  I am always amazed by the cost savings and efficiency gains achieved when I help implement one of these four web based solutions at hh2.  I work with clients every day that are managing their projects the "old school" way and are looking for change.  Although the construction industry has been built around brick, mortar, steel and hard labor, technology has a huge role in this field.  

Wireless technology has changed the playing field in the construction industry.  Project  Managers and field superintendents are no longer tied to a desktop, or lugging around large laptops to access or update job information.  Gone are the days when construction technology amounted to faxing in paper time sheets.  Consider new alternatives to managing your business through the latest technology.

 The use of advanced technology has lagged in the construction industry.  Several reasons include the boom and bust economic cycle to which the industry is subject, which can make it difficult for companies to maintain consistent technological progress.  Also, it takes time for technology to be embraced on the jobsite.  While this is partially true, in my experience I have found that contractors are quick to adopt new technologies once they discover the dramatic effect it has on their job efficiency.  

If these obstacles can be overcome, the application of web based technology will have numerous benefits. Something as simple as communication between the office and field employees has been revolutionized by technology.  hh2's success in web based construction services is a testament to the many construction companies who use our products remotely.

A recent success story includes a testimonial from a large contractor who was able to cut payroll processing time from 30 hours to three.  The time saved using hh2 Remote Payroll,  was rolled over to  other office activities sensitive to tight deadlines.  

In conclusion, let hh2 Web Services help you implement and change your business by managing information in new, dynamic ways and by creating collaborative data paths to interact with crews, contractors and customers.  Isn't it time you take advantage of technology and find ways to be more efficient?

Jason Morrison

hh2 Web Services

Director Project Management & Implementation

www.hh2.com

Why Companies Need HR Software

I just got done doing another company implementation of hh2 Human Resources. It got me thinking, "Why aren't more companies using hh2 Human Resources?".

The way construction companies deal with human resources has changed over the past several years. One factor could be contributed to the advancements in technology, all of which have had a huge impact on the way companies do things internally and online . There are many HR software applications designed to meet the high demands of the human resource industry. Finding one that meets your companies HR needs can be a real challenge.

Meeting the Needs of Our Clients

If your company is like any of the other HR departments that I have seen, you have a great need for a system that will track, manage, and store employee information. It is much more than just storing company information, it is about streamlining HR processes and having company files at hand when needed in a moments notice. Basic HR tasks such as updating employee records, managing company benefits, reporting, these are all essential features to HR administrators. But what about all of the specific needs your company has related to the construction industry? Have you ever considered making paystubs available to your employees online? Are you currently capturing employee certifications, safety trainings? What about employee evaluations and are you comparing performance by employee classification? Are your employees able to access import company documents remotely? The answer to these questions have a dramatic, financial impact on your company.

Every construction company is different, as are the HR needs within your company. hh2 Human Resources was designed to meet these needs and the growing demands of the construction industry. The core functions of hh2 include tracking employee information, evaluations, location management, certifications, enterprise management, safety meetings, company benefits, documents, and much more. Most importantly hh2 HR is web based opening the door to new opportunities for your employees. Security is setup to grant employees the ability to see paystubs and other valuable information such as employee handbooks, training documents or employee files.

Impact on Company Revenue

I have seen companies save time and money on simple things like paystubs. By making employee paystubs available online through a secure login, employees can view and print out paystub information as needed.

Being able to track employee evaluations and performance using hh2 has helped our clients better manage employee pay raises during economic shortfalls.

Properly tracking employee certifications and training meetings has potentially saved our clients from ongoing litigation battles. Today, there is now a bigger need to have these types of events documented and tracked. All of which can save or cost your company big money.

Great News

Choosing hh2 will benefit your company greatly. It is done through a few of the examples I have shared with you. All of which can be easily addressed in hh2's online HR web service.

The positive change in your human resource department will be very noticeable. Your company will be much more efficient, your data will be located in one secure location, and your business procedures will be refined to save money.

As you work hand in hand with your employees and hh2 specialist, you will see the huge advantages of using hh2 Human Resources online. I promise things will be less chaotic, money saved, and you'll have piece of mind knowing your data is safe.

Hopefully I get an opportunity to work with you soon. I look forward to your success.

Jason Morrison
hh2 Web Services
Director Project Implementation & Training

iPhone: Built for Construction

What kind of abuse can an iPhone take?  If a construction company were to invest in iPhones for its workers or technicians, they would want to make sure that a year later, their investment is still intact.

I have owned my iPhone for nearly a year, and most of that time I have either had no protective case or very slim cases that just give the iPhone a little bounce, should it fall.  My iPhone has survived countless falls and one total underwater submersion.  It took a day for the speakerphone to start working again after my 18 month old threw it in a thankfully empty toilet.  The iPhone can definitely take some serious abuse.

The following video demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of iPhone durability.



The device is surprisingly robust. Below is a video of the iPhone being dropped 3 stories from a rooftop and although the case takes some serious scratching, the screen survives.



An impact that does not put a focused pressure point will generally not affect the iPhone. But dropping your phone from waist height can break your screen if it lands wrong or a small object hits the screen directly.

So what can be done to protect a company's investment?

Buy a screen protector.
There are many kinds of screen protectors including ones that will hold up to harsh environments. Below you'll see a demonstration of a product by zagg.



Buy a protective case.
I would recommend the Otterbox Defender for construction use. Below is a review so you can see how it works. It combines a hard plastic case, a silicone outer case, and a built in, hard plastic, transparent screen protector. With this your iPhone can take a beating. I have purposefully dropped my iPhone with this case hundreds of times without a scratch.



Replace the screen if it breaks.
iPhones can have their screens replaced if necessary. They are fairly inexpensive and easy to do in house. The glass digitizer can be replaced for about $40 and if the lcd is damaged beneath that, you can get it replaced for about $80. This is much more cost effective than replacing the device. Our construction company has had about 15 iPhones for about a year and has only had to replace 1 screen so far. The below video demonstrates the procedure and informs you where you can go to buy the parts (http://www.pdaparts.com).



Tell your people to be careful.
These devices are as robust or more so than other devices in their category. Just use common sense and take good care of the device and it will serve your construction company for years.

iPad: The Right Tool for the Job

The easiest way to describe the iPad is that it is a large iPod Touch. However, this description is not meant to belittle the device. On the contrary, an iPod Touch with a large touch screen allows it to be used in so many additional ways, that it becomes something else entirely. For the Service and Construction industry, the iPad is now a tool worth considering, and in many circumstances, it is the right tool for the job at hand.

First, consider the form factor. The iPad is very light, durable, and portable. Its size, at approximately 9.5 inches by 7.5 inches is a smaller footprint than a piece of paper. Its 1.5lb size is lighter than most netbooks and pretty much all laptops. Its aluminum body and no moving parts, makes it very durable. Apple also sells a bifold case that protects the screen when not in use.

Next, the wifi and cellular 3G connections make this device easier than most to connect to the internet. Also with this device comes unprecedented flexibility with the cellular 3G connection. You are not bound to any kind of contract. AT&T Wireless provides the 3G service, but the service is billed month to month through the iTunes account registered with the device. This means that if wifi suits your needs, you can just run wifi, but when you are away from a wifi network, you can enable 3G service at any time. It is $14.99 for 250MB of data transfer or $29.99 for 1 month of unlimited access. And although Verizon makes a big deal about AT&T's footprint, AT&T has the fastest and highest rated 3G service in the country.

The GPS capabilities of the device is worth consideration as well. With this device, a company has the potential of tracking its technicians' location and using the information to strategically allocate resources in real time. Just sending GPS coordinates on a regular schedule does not require significant bandwidth and makes the device the least expensive device on the market to deliver the GPS coordinates of the technician. Smart Phones and dedicated GPS devices charge much more for the internet connection than the $14.99 iPad plan.

There are also a host of other reasons to consider the iPad as a tool of the trade. It is touch driven and extremely user friendly. Even the seasoned construction workers that fall into the technology impaired category can pick the device up and use their finger to point at what they want to do. Installing industry specific software, and updating the software when needed is effortless. Also email and accessing the web is brought to a whole new level on the device as Apple has spent considerable time optimizing these applications for the iPad. Also, the convenience of having a device that is instantly on, allows you to pick up the device and use it when you otherwise would not want to wait to get your laptop or netbook ready.

But the single biggest reason that the Service and Construction industry should consider the iPad is the price. The iPad is a fraction of the cost of a Tablet PC but with a greater feature set. Granted, there are some things that the iPad doesn't do, such as execute windows software, but for many companies as long as the device has the software the company needs, the advantage of a $630 field replaceable device (for the 16GB 3G device) outweighs the several thousand dollar Tablet PC. Companies not requiring 3G service can get the device for as little as $499, and like the iPhone the screens will be replaceable via low cost kits so if the device is damaged, it can usually be repaired.

The iPad has superior form and function to netbooks but at a similar price tag. Although some netbooks are under $400, these are very skimpy on the storage space, cpu, and memory and wouldn't compare favorably to the iPad. When it comes to the comparison versus laptops, I believe it will come down to whether or not the software is available on the iPad that the worker needs to use. If it is there, the iPad will replace many laptops out in the field as well.

There you have it. The iPad is sleek, durable, user-friendly, and inexpensive. Software is being developed to make the iPad the ideal mobile client for many major software applications. hh2 Web Services is happy to announce their hh2 Field Service client to work with the construction and real estate industry. Contact hh2 Web Services for more information.

The Multitasking iPhone

The iPhone has dominated the smartphone market for quite some time.  It has done so many things right that the only way to compete against it is to attempt to turn its strengths into perceived weaknesses.  In effect, if you can't make a better device/platform, try using misleading marketing to muddy the water.

The iPhone OS, that runs on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the upcoming iPad, was engineered to support multiple applications running concurrently.  Apple does this with its own built-in software but prevents third party developers from doing so.  It does this for performance, security, and usability reasons.

Apple has created a sleek and elegant platform where users can easily jump from one app to to another by returning to the home screen and launching another app.  It is two taps on the device folks.  Apple encourages developers to save the state of their apps so that users returning to the app can pick up where they left off.  This method ensures the app that is currently open has access to the vast majority of the resources the device has to offer.  This means better performing apps, the ability to execute much more complex software, and an extended battery life.

If multiple apps were allowed to run in the background, it would be more difficult to prevent malicious software from executing unwanted code or to capture the user's activities.  The fact that the device shuts down the execution of software and frees up the memory that the application was using makes the system more secure from outside threats.

On an iPhone you really don't have that much screen real estate to begin with.  So you can really only be working in one app at a time anyway.  So the need for multitasking can really be divided into two camps: the need to switch apps quickly, and the need to have certain collaborative functions of your apps running constantly.  For the first, its only two taps...enough said.  Its in the developer's hands to make the app launch quickly and smoothly.  The second need is legitimate.  Apple has its innovative push notification service that partially solves this problem, but not in all circumstances.

Rumors abound as to what Apple will do in its subsequent iPhone OS releases.  I expect Apple to add something akin to a windows service that will not allow full apps to run in the background, but will instead allow a "lite" version without an interface that will allow selected functions of the app to continue.  I'm sure Apple will police what goes on in these "lite" services, but this will eliminate the technical hurdles developers face trying to develop collaborative apps that would otherwise require the app to be opened at all times (An app that reports a technicians GPS location perhaps).

What I know is that Apple will do, or not do, whatever it takes to protect the user experience.  And Apple's 2.5 billion app downloads in 2009 demonstrates that it's user experience reigns supreme.

The iPad and the Flashless Web

One complaint that I have heard from iPad critics is that the iPad will lack Flash support.  They make the claim that without Flash, the 80% of websites out there that use flash in one way or another will be useless.  Critics who obviously do not understand the mass appeal of the iPad, try to categorize it as a tablet and then criticize it for not conforming.

The iPad is a mobile device that runs the iPhone OS but lacks the phone.  It is essentially a oversized iPod Touch with an optional 3G data connection.  As a result, the iPad is not a Tablet computer, nor is it a Netbook or Ultra Mobile PC..  It is not subject to boot up times, sleep, hibernate and does not run a full sized operating system such as Windows 7 or Mac OSX.  It is the first of what is sure to be a new category of devices that is instantly on when you need it, runs games and multimedia like a champ, can access the web, email, social networking and all the software on Apple's App Store.

At the time of writing this post, there are no mobile phones out there that run Flash.  Why?  All the nice animations, sound effects and video have a cost.  And that cost is the Central Processing Unit of the computer or mobile phone running it.  For mobile phones, taxing the CPU means wasting battery life that you can literally feel as the waste product of the CPU, heat, turns your phone into a personal hand-warmer.

Although 80% of the websites out there have Flash on it, most of those sites utilize flash to do banner ads, or smaller home page animations meant to capture attention but only serves as "eye candy", and is not critical to the site content or navigation.  Is this "eye candy" worth the price of a dramatically reduced battery life?  Apple thinks it isn't.  And the lack of Flash hasn't stopped all the millions of iPhone and iPod Touch users from spending several hours per week browsing the "Flashless" web.

Apple has publicly criticized Adobe, who makes Flash, for not making the software more efficient on both the full sized computer and on mobile devices.  Apple has also made comments endorsing the emergence of HTML5, a new standard which would allow multimedia to be played in a browser without a plug-in.  The emergence of this technology would allow Apple to render multimedia in its own Safari browser without Flash or Quicktime, Apples current multimedia plug-in.

With the popularity of Apples mobile devices, it has considerable clout.  Many sites out there are beginning to rethink using Flash and are designing their sites to be more mobile device friendly so that they can provide a similar user experience as those tethered to their PC or Laptop.  Apple has already proved its users can operate just fine in a "Flashless" web, the ball is now in Adobe's court to keep that from happening.

The iPhone gets a Hardhat

In an earlier post, I spoke about how the iPhone can be used in business.  But what about the construction industry?  The people there know that they face unique challenges and chief among them is the environment thier phones are subjected to.

After managing the use of phones of many makes and manufacturers for a large commercial contractor, I can tell you that not only are they up to the task, but many characteristics make them uniquely qualified to do it.

iPhones have a very nice touch screen.  It has crip colors and multitouch sensors and serves as the primary method of human interaction.  It also serves as the number one way to ruin your iPhone.  Even if the device is still functional after you crack your screen, its beauty is past and your enthusiasm for using a device with parts of the screen malfunctioning will wane.

For critics of the iPhone, it all stops there.  There is no mention of what to do when this happens or how to prevent it from happening in the first place.  They just want you to think that your investment is wasted and you must now purchase a new device without a contract...ouch, thats expensive.

Fortunately, the iPhone is more resilient than that.

For starters, you can get some very nice cases for the iPhone that can add a little protection and style on one end, or go all the way to military style ruggedized cases.  Many of these cases are minimalistic in design and yet will provide considerable protection during an impact.  Otterbox makes cases that are stylish but effective, and they even make a model that will make your iPhone survive running over it with a truck.

Now lets say you drop your naked iPhone.  For starters, the screen isn't that fragile and the rest of the unit has no moving parts so the most likely thing to happen is that you might scratch the corner of the outer shell.  But lets say it comes to the worst case scenario and you crack your screen. 

Fortunately, the iPhone allows you to replace the screen. There are low cost kits you can buy that have a few small tools that enable you to revive your fallen iPhone.  You simply use a suction cup to pull of whats left of your screen, disconnect three cables connecting the electronics, plug in the new screen and push it into place.  There are videos on YouTube demonstrating the procedure.

For the quality of the device, ease of use, and availability of business software, the iPhone stands well ahead of the competition.  With protective cases suited to the environment and the ease at which to can replace the screen in case of an impact, it is capable of holding up on job sites as well or better than other cell phones with far inferior feature sets.  As more software pops up targeting the construction industry on the iPhone, there really isn't a compelling reason to not suit the iPhone up for work.  Just make sure you (and your iPhone) don't forget your hardhat!

The iPhone Goes Corporate

I have heard iPhone critics say that although it is an outstanding consumer device, the iPhone is just not ready for business.  They have implied that corporate email and software are best used on a Blackberry.

There are many aspects of the iPhone that not only make it suitable for corporate use, but superior.

First, it brings all the advantages of a well designed, user friendly, smartphone, including mobile access to email, web, IM, calendar and business applications.  You might say that all the smartphones offer this, but some simple statistics show that the iPhone does it better.  According to AdMob, the iPhone accounts for over 50% of mobile traffic, despite only having about 2% market share on mobile phones.  This shows that iPhone users are much more likely to use their phones for use on the web. 

Second, the iPhone has a well designed Software Development Kit or SDK.  This refers to the the development environment and coding frameworks that allow a programmer to develop software for the iPhone.  Although detractors quickly state that is done in Objective C, and its syntax is quite different from most modern programming languages, its primary strength is that once you learn it, you can develop highly interactive software with very few lines of code.  This means businesses can build extremely intuitive and interactive mobile software that interacts with its corporate networks, for a fraction of the cost.

Next, the iPhone has an App Store that few rivals can dream of.  More and more business oriented software crops up there every day.  According to Forrester Research, Apples App Store had over 2.5 billion app downloads in 2009. The rest of the industry combined only did 16 million. This shows that iPhones users are much more likely to install and use mobile software on their phones.  Thanks to the app store, mobile software is effortless to download, and the iPhone alerts you with a small red badge when apps you have installed have been updated.  This means businesses have a way of deploying software accross their enterprise in record time.

Finally, lets talk email.  I know many Blackberry users rave about their email, but I have failed to see someone not give Apple the win when seeing their features side by side.  For one thing, the iPhone does not require a subscription or a special dedicated server for integrating with Microsoft Exchange.  Like other smartphones, the iPhone ties into the web interface built in to Exchange and it takes seconds to set up.  I have seen seasoned IT professionals take weeks setting up the link between Exchange and the Blackberry server.

The iPhone is affordable, user friendly, and opens up new avenues of software creation and deployment.  If there is a downside, it is simply that they are too much fun to use.  From an IT professional's point of view, if you tell your employees that they must use a complicated piece of software, but only provide them with a sub-par computer to do it on, you are not likely to have a successful adoption of the software.  However, if you tell them they must use the software on a platform and device that is a pleasure to use, your chances of adopting the new technology and making a positive impact on the bottom line just went up.

Better dress your iPhone in a suit, because it about to take over your office.

Disclosure:  Our construction company is rapidly deploying iPhones accross our Management Team and Jobsite Supervision because the devices are just so effective.  We have started building software for the iPhone simply because it is easy to use, deploy, and it is always at our employee's side.

The iPad will rip it up!

The iPad has been much maligned since its announcement a few weeks ago. Everyone seems ready to second guess Apple on what critical features were left out. It seems that most professional analysts are afraid to endorse it because they’re worried what will happen if the iPad is not a success. I guess it is easier to find an excuse to why you were critical of a product that was successful then to explain why you endorsed a product that was a flop.

To me the question of whether or not the iPad is going to be a success comes down to a few simple questions: What would my family and I use it for and how is it different from other devices on the market today? I believe I am part of a large number of people uniquely qualified to answer this question because I own an iPhone, Kindle, and a really nice netbook.

Movies
We are probably not going to watch movies at home on this. We have a much larger hi definition television for that. However, I can definitely see us entertaining our children with this on Road trips. Our aftermarket DVD players in our vehicle are on their last leg and their seven inch screens are too hard to see from the back seat. Also, having the movies digitized and available on a device will save us the money of having to replace scratched DVD’s all the time. Although iPods can do the job as well, their screens are just not big enough to let multiple children share at the same time.

Web Browzing
If I am going to do some serious research, I will use a full size desktop computer. And when I say desktop, I mean my PC running Windows 7, the best OS on the planet. But when it comes to browzing the web during leisure times such as while relaxing in a chair or at night in bed, this device really makes sense. The instant on feature allows me to use it without waiting for it to boot, wake up, or log in like a netbook does. Also when not seated at a desk, netbooks are awkward and unweildy. The iPhone OS has proven itself on the iPhone as a very convenient tool for casual web browzing and now that the iPad has come around, it should be even better.

Reading
Both me and my wife were excited to get our Kindle (2nd Generation) a year ago. Its screen looks great in bright sunlight and its battery life is measured weeks instead of hours. So why did I quit using my Kindle when I got my iPhone? Because as much as I would like to claim otherwise, I don’t read my Kindle on the beach on bright sunny days. I usually find time to read at night. I use the Kindle app on my iPhone because it has a backlit screen and is just as easy to use. I can turn the light off and read while my wife gets some sleep or vice versa. The larger screen of the iPad will only make it better. However, I might continue using my Kindle app …we’ll see.

Music
iPods are the undisputed king of music. The iPad has full iPod functionality and if the speakers are good enough I could see my wife using it to do her irish dance when she is not at home. Otherwise we’ll stick with our iPhones.

Email
With email, I think this is a situation where the convenience and usuability of the iPad will allow us to use it in a more leisure way. We’ll be able to respond to email while sitting in a couch or in bed instead of seated at a desk. I expect my wife to use this as her primary email device while at home, and her iPhone while away. With the enhancements they have worked into the email application, this should be even better.

Gaming
I have discovered that the iPhone is a pretty decent gaming device. My kids and I are all addicted to Bloons TD, a tower defence game involving a never ending onslaught of balloons that must be popped. The flash PC version is more complicated and has more levels of strategy and so I cant wait until I see what kind of upgrade comes out with the iPad. The nice thing about gaming on the iPhone OS is that most games are very inexpensive. Since the iPhone OS has such an outstanding software distribution model (2.5 billion apps downloaded in 2009), it makes it a lot easier for game developers to charge less money to a larger audience. Also, we know that $.99 or $1.99 is so small an amount most people don’t think anything of it and are more likely to buy on an impulse. For me and my kids, it means spending less money on Wii and PC games.

Office Apps
My wife and I both write. Sometimes, you get the itch to write at night or during other leisure times, but you just don’t feel like sitting down at a desk. Since this device supports Apples new iWork platform, this provides a legitimate alternative to using a laptop in bed or on a couch. My wife thinks her words through carefully and doesn’t necessarily need to type fast while writing and so I don’t believe the virtual keyboard will be a problem. But the real advantage comes the next day when she can take the iPad to her desk and pick up where she left off with a dock and keyboard.

App Store
With access to the Apple App Store, there is no telling what other uses people will come up with for this device. I’m sure the best uses for this device are yet to be discovered. But with a device that is so portable, convenient and simple to operate, the potential is enormous.

When I think of all the ways that my family and I will use this device, I can’t think of a reason not to buy one. I don’t think I’m alone either.

Will the iPad kill the Netbook? Probably not, but it will do some major damage. Many people who own netbooks will need to execute software that requires a full version of Windows. But for the netbook people that just want to browse the web, send email and do social networking, most will eventually switch to the iPad. I personally spent almost $700 on my hp 2133, so I dont think price will hold them back.

Will the iPad kill the Kindle? No, but it will take a big chunk of its target market. People that read outdoors will stick to the Kindle. People who read mostly at night will probably switch to the iPad and take advantage of full color content.

For Apple, I’ll predict 8 million of these sell in the first 12 months. As for me, I’ll selling both my netbook and my Kindle on eBay.

iPhone Breakthrough

When you get your first cell phone, it is a life altering experience. You are now connected. You can reach anyone you want anytime you want…if you can remember to charge your battery. But now cell phones have become so common place that it is increasingly being viewed as a necessity. Now people have moved beyond the basic cellular service and are experiencing the increased feature set of smartphones. The ability to be connected, not only by voice, but by data and the plethora of data services hosted on the cloud is truely a breakthough in mobile technology.

When I bought my first PDA, the Dell Axim, but ended up leaving it in my desk drawer I discovered that mobile technology wasn’t yet meant for primetime. Although it had many cool features, it was a second device I had to carry with me and it was just too awkward to use effectively in everyday life. After that experience, I resisted moving to a SmartPhone because although I recognized that mobile technology was necessary, it just wasn’t worth the hassle for mainstream America.

When the iPhone was released, I noticed a significant amount of industry buzz that flared up and it seemed as though many businesses were really taking SmartPhones more seriously. I think much of it was due to the fact that Blackberry and other device manufacterers such as HTC stepped up their game and started producing much higher quality devices.

Since my Sales Director used a Motorola Q, I decided to give it a try. At first, I was impressed with the Motorola Q’s features and capabilities. Although web browsing was very painful, the ability to stay in sync with my email was very nice. But as time wore on, I found that I used it less and less for email and with the keys being so small, I had trouble dialing phone numbers without hitting a wrong key a larger percentage of the time. In short, I found the Motorola Q to be a decent PDA, but a terrible phone. I went back to using a clamshell flip-phone from Samsung.

Then HTC came out with the Touch Pro. By then I had started looking into the iPhone but since I was a Microsoft fan, I didn’t seriously consider buying one, I just wanted to know what features Microsoft was behind on. I was impressed with HTC’s touch screen and navigation. I thought it was a little sad that HTC had to build a UI abstraction to make Windows Mobile more usable, but I thought hey, Microsoft will get this figured out, there just a bit behind.

The HTC Touch Pro was the first truely usable smartphone that I had ever used. It’s web browsing was a little painful because the zoom feature was a bit clunky, but I did use it. The email was usable and the large keyboard was great. For a while, I was really happy with it. But once again, as time rolled on, I found myself rarely checking my email with it. Although texting worked well enough, the UI just wasn’t friendly enough. And sometimes the navigation froze for several seconds while I was switching from doing one thing to another.

About this time, one of my employees showed me his iPhone, and I was anxious to show him how my HTC Touch Pro was superior. Although my phone had better technical specifications, his phone seemed so much simpler and so much easier to do common things. And although I was a Microsoft fan when it comes to their desktop, enterprise, and development technologies, I came to the conclusion that they missed the boat entirely when it came to mobile, and although HTC did a great job in trying to make up for it, they just couldn’t.

A few weeks later, I realized that I left my HTC phone on the airplane as I was leaving security, and they wouldn’t let me back in without a boarding pass. The airline’s office was closed for the night and after calling all week to see if it turned up, I knew someone had walked off with it for good. I decided to try the iPhone. At that time the iPhone 3G was the current model, but everyone expected a new version, so I went back to the Samsung until the 3Gs was released and bought one.

The most I had ever used my cell phone for anything other than calling was probably 20 min per day. Right off the bat, I realized that emailing, texting and web browsing took on a whole new level of usability. Returning email was a piece of cake as was texting. But the web browsing was unbelievable. Here at hh2 Web Services, we build web sites and the iPhone’s easy multi-touch pinch zooming capabilties made it easy to view the full size website and then effortlessly zoon the section you wanted a better look at or to read the text. There were a few occasions right off the bat where I someone called and referenced an email while I was out of the office and I was able to pull the email up during the call and respond to their questions.

Lets also not beat around the bush. I don’t just use my iPhone for business use. The iPod functionality is oustanding. My three year old daughter loves watching movies on it, especially the short films Pixar puts on the end of its DVD’s. Also, there is a thriving gaming industry with the iPhone. By looking in the App Store one day while I was bored waiting for my wifes turn to dance at an Irish dance feis, I discovered tower defence games. They involve much strategy and are very addictive.

The iPhone is definitely the most impressive and useful peice of hardware released in the past 15 years. It has accomplished what many before, and after, have not. It has brought the majority of things that a person uses his or her desktop or laptop for to a personal device that is small enough to fit in your pocket and useful enough that you wouldn’t go anywhere without it. Now, I never forget to charge my cell phone. Its just too important to forget.