We are getting many requests for help on i Pad strategies for the enterprise. It's clear why. i Pads are a tremendously empowering technology that any employee can buy. My colleague Andy Jaquith has a report coming real soon now on the security aspects of i Phones and i Pads, and I'm launching research on case studies of i Pad in the enterprise. I am currently hearing about three business scenarios for i Pad and tablets, but I'd love hear of your experiences, plans, concerns, or frustrations. Ping me at tschadler(at)forrester(dot)com. Here are the three scenarios: Sales people out in the field. This is the Hollywood pitch deck scenario. The i Pad, particularly with a cover that can prop it up a bit, is a great way to scroll through slides to show a customer or demonstrate a Web site. In one situation, I heard that there's a competition brewing for who can manipulate the Web site upside down (so the client across the table sees it right side up) without making any mistakes. Now there's a new skill for sales: upside down Web browsing. Executives on an overnight trip. No, i Pad doesn't replace a laptop (at least not yet; more on this below). But it's great for email, calendar, reviewing documents, and presenting PDF or Keynote decks. Warehouse managers, retail floor staff, medical staff, and anybody else that needs real access to apps while on their feet. i Pad's form factor, battery life, mobile Internet access, panoply of applications, and touchscreen abilities make it a great device for these typically frustrated and under-served employees. Why retail floor staff? Because then a customer can be served with a custom order while they're looking at the too-small-but-way-cool sweater on the rack. So what can't i Pad (yet) do? Here are my top three requests: Full Microsoft Office support. Microsoft's missing a huge opportunity to build apps that can create and edit common.
Mario can't rescue the princess without his Fire Flower. Mega Man can't beat Dr. Wily without his Mega Buster. If you're going to save the world, you need the proper equipment-and a keyboard and mouse just won't cut it. Fortunately, you can get pretty much any mainstream console gamepad working on a PC, so you won't have to shell out megabucks for an X- Arcade Tank Stick to bring back your gaming glory days. Current Controllers: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii First off, if you haven't tried using your Wiimote on your PC, you're missing out. We've got a how-to on using your Wiimote with your PC already, but the abbreviated version is: Get Glove PIE. Xbox 360 controllers also aren't too tricky to get working, since they're made by Microsoft. If you have one with a USB cable already, it should work when you plug it in, but if you'd rather not be tethered to your PC you'll need to grab an Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver ( which will let you use up to four Xbox 360 gamepads and headsets at a time so you can brawl with your buddies. Motion In Joy's PS3 driver may be a little clunky, but it works. Stalwart Sony fans will have to install a driver for their PS3 pad-although the pad is automatically detected when you plug it in via USB, it won't work. You can find different homebrew drivers out there, but the most feature-heavy version comes from Motionin Joy, which supports both Sixaxis and Dual Shock 3 gamepads for Windows XP/ Vista/7 (32-bit and 64-bit). Motionin Joy's instructions are a little tricky to follow, but here are the basic steps: Download and install the Motionin Joy package. Restart your PC, and press F8 during startup (after the BIOS is done loading, but before Windows starts) to open the Advanced Boot Options menu, and pick Disable Driver Signature Enforcement. ( Doing this could potentially open up your PC to a security risk, so don't make it a habit.) Plug your PS3 pad in.
Download Now