June 10, 2010

Apple's iPad is a quick hit: With 2 million units sold in less than two months, it has become a fixture in coffee shops and airports.

But do you need one for your small business?There are enough excuses if you want one to justify the purchase.

Like what?

1) If you do ANYTHING involving creating or editing web pages or tools, you're going to want to have an iPad to test them on. The tablet trend is not going away, and depending on your business, iPad and iPhone users could soon become a nontrivial percentage of your customer base. If you want to make sure they're having a good experience with your products, you need to know what that experience is like, right?

2) Part of excelling at your business includes knowing about next-generation technology and business tools. How can you know what iPad apps are out there without experiencing them firsthand? How can you think about extending your business (or your clients' businesses) to tablets without knowing what they're like?

3) It could actually be a useful, productive business tool: For example, if you aren't going to use a lot of computing power, it might be the only device you need to take on a business trip, instead of a bulky laptop. (Especially if you fly coach, where it's hard to even open a laptop screen.) The iPad can even open, edit, and display PowerPoint-style presentations. An analysis of the iPad App Store shows that 20 percent of the bestselling iPad apps are "productivity" apps.

 
4) It's a great prop for your reception area when you're not using it. Cheaper than a giant saltwater fishtank, and your guests will be impressed!

5) It might help you save money on equipment purchases: If it's powerful and functional enough for your mobile and portable computing needs, you might be able to delay or cancel buying a new laptop. Starting at $499, the iPad is not that expensive.

Join the conversation ( 5 )

• Clinton Hodgkins 1 year 5 months and 6 days ago

  

  The iPad is the best thing i have ever had for business, it is the final piece in the puzzle of the paperless office. My most used app would have to be Evernote. i never lose notes. They all sync to my Laptop and my imac wirelessly and there so easy to find. i use evernote for every meeting i attend. Not to mention docs to go when delivering speeches you can edit your speech minutes prior to delivery or even use other apps as a remote to deliver powerpoint presentions. The iPad is not perfect yet but it is indispensable in my eyes.

• Carl van Bolderen 1 year 8 months and 2 days ago

  

  I like the iPad but for me to consider it, it needs to be an independant unit not having to rely on another computer to download software updates, it needs a usb for local storage and ability to print wired.

• Tom Goosmann 1 year 8 months and 5 days ago

  

  It's a great meeting aid. Let's get our hands out from under the table surreptitiously clicking away on smartphones. I prop my iPad on the table, emails stream in, meetings notices pop up, and if someone says "wasn't there a..." or "what's the name of that..." I quickly have an answer in my browser. It's not the final word on what tablets will do for us, but it's a great start.

• OLUBUKOLA ASHAOLU 1 year 8 months and 5 days ago

  

  Being a web developer, I must say that getting an iPad for development would make a whole lot of sense. But I'm still not convinced that enough people have it to justify the purchase, but we'll see.

• TJ McCue 1 year 8 months and 5 days ago

  

  Dan, these are great excuses, I mean reasons, to consider an iPad. I was just at the SAP SapphireNow event in Orlando and I think 50% of the vendors there were giving away an iPad as a prize. That's a lot of giveaways and maybe another reason to consider it -- you could pull in a lot of traffic to your store, your booth, your online presence with such a giveaway. But then, you don't have it any longer... Reason to go get another!