Thank you Peter. Very helpful. On 18/03/2013, at 7:53 AM, Peter Hinchliffe <hinch...@multiline.com.au> wrote:
> > On 16/03/2013, at 9:17 PM, Michael Hawkins <michael.hawk...@mjhawkins.com.au> > wrote: > >> I'd like to buy an iPad for a friend who is a school principal, plus cover >> which includes a keypad. One intended use is to make notes then send to >> school Windows computer or server. Also wants to be able to use Excel and >> send spreadsheets. I don't know the first thing about iPads. Any suggestions? > > The first thing for your friend to realise, and in my experience is one of > the most difficult things to get across to potential users, is that the iPad > is not a substitute for a full-blown desktop or laptop computer, and neither > is the software which runs on it. Apple themselves clearly position the > device somewhere between a mobile phone and a laptop. I have known too many > people who have had high expectations of having the iPad work like a low-cost > computer and have been quite disappointed and dismissive when they find that > it's not. Used properly, an iPad will augment your regular computer, but > certainly won't replace it, unless your entire computer use revolves around > social media and email. > > Much of what he wants to do will depend on what his school network allows. > For example, if he has the tech savvy to set up a VPN connection to his > school or if the school even allows it, that can be done directly from the > device. Again, depending on what the school allows, he can use a variety of > other services to allow file transfer between his iPad and the school > computers, perhaps the most well-know being DropBox, but they are many > others, most of which have iOS interfaces. If the school has tight > restrictions on services such as these (and many do) he can always fall back > on email to transfer documents back and forth to himself. > > Regarding Excel and notes files, there are several "Office-like" products > available for the iPad (Microsoft do not provide Office for the iPad). Being > a Windows user, he probably won't be interested in Apple's own products in > Pages and Numbers, but a quick search of the iTunes store will reveal plenty > of alternatives. Once again, I must reiterate that he will not be able > replicate his "desktop" experience with any of these. All such solutions > necessarily contain compromises to cater for, among other things, the single > window, mouse-less working environment. I'm not able to offer any useful > advice as to the relative merits of the various Office-like products out > there, but he'll find plenty of review and opinions on the web. > > As long as your friend uses the iPad within its capabilities, I'm sure he > will find it a very useful and ultimately compelling device, and will > probably end up using it for far more than editing Excel files. > > Peter Hinchliffe Apwin Computer Services > FileMaker Pro Solutions Developer > Perth, Western Australia > Phone (618) 9332 6482 Mob 0403 046 948 > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > Mac because I prefer it -- Windows because I have to. > > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- > Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> > Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> > Settings & Unsubscribe - > <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> Settings & Unsubscribe - <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug>
