3foldComm

My iPad 3G arrived at 12:23pm on Friday, April 30…barely meeting the announced “late April” release date. While annoyed at waiting weeks past the WiFi version release, all was forgiven as I unboxed my new toy…er, business tool.

Yes, I mocked the name when first announced. Yes, I whined about certain missing features. None of that mattered as I got my chance to experience life post-iPad. Even with a fraction of the apps available to the iPhone and no Flash (EVER! if Steve Jobs has his way), my first weekend with the iPad was splendidly productive.

20 things I accomplished with my iPad in 48 hours:

1. Note taking for a meeting via Evernote, which I synced with my account and was accessible on my work computer before ever leaving the conference room.
2. Updated a blog post via the WordPress app.
3. Checked out a client’s competitors’ websites during a strategic planning meeting.
4. Created a website wireframe design for a future project.
5. Edited a presentation in the Keynote app.
6. Found a pair of shoes sold out at Nordstrom and ordered them online before leaving the mall.
7. Ordered food online for pickup while waiting at a red light.
8. Watched a Netflix instant watch movie while a baseball game played on my TV.
9. Caught up on the news with multimedia editions of AP, BBC, New York Times and USA Today.
10. Streamed NPR audio programs from while driving around town doing errands.
11. Had a VoIP argument with a friend in Kentucky about horse racing and unfortunate equine names.
12. Watched an online marketing training course while sitting on my patio.
13. Finished 3 books I’d started on my real Kindle via the iPad Kindle app.
14. Caught up with Twitter updates in the  Tweetdeck app.
15. Spent far too much time figuring out where constellations and planets were in relation to my sofa and refrigerator thanks to the Star Walk app.
16. Recorded several terrible karaoke versions of Glee songs with friends in the Glee app.
17. Caught up on several dozen blogs while enjoying the sunshine at the park.
18. Used the IMDB app to win an argument while at the movies.
19. Made hotel reservations for a weekend getaway.
20. Pretended not to enjoyed the attention from people asking, “Oh, is that the iPad?!”

While goofing off with the iPad was endlessly entertaining, what was very clear was how much this little device can increase productivity. Particularly for business users, and especially those in the marketing industry, the uses are abundant. From monitoring analytics on the go, to outlining strategies, from mapping projects to keeping up to date on real-time trends, the iPad takes mobile from emerging tech to game changer.