Quietly, over the last few days one of team from Tower Systems has been playing, like a kid in a candy shop, with our Point of Sale software on the yet to launch Apple iPad. Using some smart technology we have been able to gain a good feel for the iPad as a management tool for newsagents in their businesses as well as when they are on the road away from their businesses.
We have found the iPad very easy to learn and navigate and the 10″ screen very easy on the eye.
So, outside of application for newspapers, maagzines, books and other digital content, the iPad has good uses in business. It’sa terrific tax deduction for newsagents who like gadgets with a good business use.
Disclosure: I am the owner of Tower Systems – serving more than 1,700 newsagents with newsagency management software.
Mark, i know it is early days yet, but does the ipad link to a printer? Also is it likely to emulate all the things that a Lap top does such as using microsoft (or equivalent) product. I spose my real question is will the ipad make Lap Tops obsolete in the longer term?
Are you using something like Citrix or did the team actually pull apart the ipad to get it running Windows based software?
Craig, not as it sstands directly at the moment.
Jarryd, No pulling apart, just terminal emulation. Sexy though.
I must admit I haven’t kept up with the hype of the i-pad. Is it simply a read-only device or will there be applications such as word ect that you can actually do things with it?
If you can get Retailer to work on an iPad even before it is officially released, when will you do a full Mac OSX version for those of us who prefer Apple products over those of Mr Gates?
John, there are not enough business users of Macs to warrant native development. There are happy users of the Tower software on macs using software to enable this to run.
Hi Mark,
Great to see you figuring out how the iPad and other tablet computer can work in your business.
A few weeks back I wrote about some of the retail possibilities on Smart Company at http://www.smartcompany.com.au/business-tech-talk/20100406-why-i-won-t-be-buying-an-ipad-for-now.html
While I think it’s worthwhile for most users to wait, you’re absolutely right that it’s time for smart business owners to be experimenting with how these devices can help their business.