Traveling for Business With The iPad

I have read numerous articles about folks leaving their laptop behind and going just iPad on a business trip. Until recently, I have only traveled on vacation with the iPad, and I always took a laptop for "product creation" (photos, movie slideshows, etc.) in case I needed it. I have noticed that I rarely pull out the laptop anymore. It is just much simpler, and enjoyable, to grab the iPad.

As mentioned, I recently took a one-day business trip and decided to leave the laptop and go solo with the iPad. I noticed a number of things, some obvious and some surprising. In no particular order, here are some observations:

1. Packing and airline check-in process. It felt weird to pack my luggage and not include the weight of a laptop! It has been over 10 years (prior to traveling with laptops) since I have experienced that. It is very liberating. Going through check-in and security and not having to tear my bag apart and through the computer in a tray almost felt wrong (everyone else was stepping through the drill). Not me and I enjoyed it.
   In addition to not packing a computer, I did not pack ANY paper or files to take with me. All of my content was pre-loaded on my iPad (or accessible remotely). In fairness, I did pack information and client handouts, but that was for other attendees at the meeting. All of my materials reference was done on the iPad.
   
2. Airport waiting. In both airports I was in, wi-fi was available and it was free. I don't know how long it has been this way, but it's about time. Clearly, airports have come to realize, like restaurants, coffee houses, and just about any other retail establishment, that free wi-fi is necessary to not lose customers. While walking through the airports, I paid particular attention to how many laptops or mobile devices I saw in use. Nothing scientific, of course, but I saw a lot of cell phones, a noticeable amount of laptops in use – 25 or so, and a total of 5-6 tablets (all iPads I believe). Regarding the laptops, I noticed that the majority of folks were reading email or surfing the web. Of course, that is much easier on a tablet device. No question about that.
   
3. Rental car check-in. Rental car agencies still offer to rent GPS navigation systems and satellite radio units. I have these resources on the iPad (navigation and Internet radio apps), so I saw no need for either of these. In fact, I was able to look up the navigation app, search for hotel directions and have them in front of me before the check-in was completed. It was surprisingly easy and fast. Of course, using the tablet in the car requires 3G access, which I have. The smartphone could also have served the same function.
   
4. Productive moments I noticed. While sitting in the airport, on the plane, or elsewhere, it was very easy to pull out the iPad and get 3-5 minutes of work done, even if it was just 3-5 minutes. That was noticeably huge to me. I typically would read magazines or some other material that I had brought along to fill the down time. So what did I work on and accomplish:
   1. Picture editing for a family collage I am planning
      
   2. Roughing out of a collage format in the KeyNote app
      
   3. Progress made on an iMovie project I am also working on
      
   4. Accessed pictures from my home computer (remotely) and downloaded to my iPad (for the above projects)
      
   5. Responded to work emails (a lot more effectively than from my phone)
      
   6. Delivered a powerpoint file to a client…by accessing the file from my office remotely, downloading it to my iPad and emailing directly to client
      
   7. Accessed the local public library and "borrowed" an ebook (Tom Clancy's "Hunt for Red October"). Downloaded to my iPad in the OverDrive app.
      
5. Hotel room. Two things – the TV never went on and there was no real "set up" required. The hotel offered both Ethernet and wireless access. I believe that wi-fi will become the dominant form of internet access before too long, since the iPad and other tablets do not connect over an Ethernet cable.
   
6. Client meeting improvements. During the client meeting, all work was done from the iPad. Presentations were broadcast through a projector seamlessly, including some GoodReader app documents that I was surprised worked. Some other ideas on this front were less effective, but overall, I was fairly impressed with how well it worked.
   

Overall, it was a noticeably pleasant experience traveling this way. I had no thoughts about needing a laptop at any point during the trip.