So I continue to work with a wide range of companies and of course, the people in those companies. That gives me an anecdotal view into who is choosing a tablet over a laptop, desktop, or other computer. The answers may not surprise you.
So without giving away any sources, let me give you my top
1. Airline Pilots
At first glance you probably said, “Duh Mike, that didn’t take much to figure out.” You’d be right. What I can tell you is that iPad use of a common site at one airline shows a distinct upward trend that continues to build. These same pilots will sit in our workshops and show other pilots all the cool things they can do on their iPads. One pilot said, “I haven’t bought the iPad………..I’m waiting for the iPad 3.”
It make sense. These people are mobile, can afford a tablet, like gadgets in general, and it can make their lives easier.
2. Consultants
OK, I have nothing but anecdotal evidence to support this but Technology consultants love technology and a tablet is just about the ultimate eye candy. From within my company (Perficient) and what I see of other consulting firms, tablets are hot. iPads are really hot. It’s not uncommon to see both the laptop and the iPad out and being used simultaneously. Just this week I arrived at a client site for some a follow up to a Portal Roadmap and saw two of the three developers toting iPads.
3. Sales Professionals
It’s almost funny to put Sales right after consultants in a top 5 list. I see many sales professionals using the iPad. They use it because it helps them sell. If you don’t doubt me then tell me how you feel after a sales person gives you a personal presentation and then a demo on their iPad. Sales Professionals tend to earn more than your everyday Joe. Finally, it’s really easy to use an iPad and for this crew, that makes a difference.
4. Information Technology (IT) Professionals
When I hit any company in almost any industry, IT Pros can be seen toting their latest gadget. In many ways they are like consultants, they just don’t travel as much.
5. Parents of All of the Above
OK, this is a total shot in the dark but I think I see a dark horse trend here. Tablets are great for their portability and ease of use. Give a tablet to an aging parent. Make sure it can connect to wifi or just buy a 3G version. Buy a couple cool apps, a movie, and some books. Spend 15 minutes teaching your parent about it…………..then see what happens. I’ve heard from more than one person who has mentioned their parents. My family even chipped in one for my Mom. Yes, she loves it.
So as I noted, this list represents anecdotal evidence only. What are you all seeing out there?
Not only airline pilots, also GA pilots love it. I think there isn\’t a single industry that embraced the iPad like in aviation. Loads of aviation stuff is available from many new companies. Jeppesen even tested the iPad in different environements (cold, hot, cramped and other normaly bad things for electronic devices) until the FAA gave the nod for using it as a replacement for paper charts. And it makes it cheaper.
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