Living with the Apple iPad (part 3)

Back in May I talked about the launch of the iPad in the UK. In July  I wrote about some tips for purchasing and using an iPad. In August I updated this with further tips, mainly on syncing with a PC. Now after 10 weeks of use, where the iPad has hardly left my side, here is a further update looking at what’s good and bad about the iPad.

Firstly why buy it?

I just love it. This emotional response far outweighs any of the negative logical points below.

I love its neat size. I love the touch screen and its magnification features. I love using standard apps such as email and Twitter in a portable format. I love that I can run iPhone apps at a size that makes them much easier to use. I love …. The list goes on. The device itself just works beautifully. It runs at least all day on one charge.

It was bought principally for passive use - to read websites and documents and watch YouTube videos  - but also to write and run simple business presentations. But what I’ve found is that I’m spending much more time on it writing stuff – tweets, notes of meetings, emails, etc.

So would I be better off with a Windows netbook or small laptop? That is the question I’ve been researching in terms of buying another device.  Without going into too much detail:

• Netbooks provide a similar size screen, or slightly larger, with the advantage of a “proper” keyboard
• Netbooks running Windows (Starter Edition) or Linux can run Word, Excel, Powerpoint, other PC apps, and Flash videos on websites (see below) which the iPad won’t run
• However Windows Starter is a heavily cut down version of Windows, so I’ve been focusing on smaller “laptops”, with and without a DVD drive (which netbooks do not have)

The conclusion I’ve come to is:

1. Use a smaller laptop (or maybe a netbook) to run PC software, Flash, and/or if a lot of data entry is needed
2. Run an iPad for everyday tasks and ultra-portability. Unless a laptop was necessary, like really necessary, it would be the iPad by my side

What tips are there for purchase?

As I mentioned in the earlier articles:

1. Go for a case such as the InCase instead of a screen shield. The InCase acts as a protector and a stand, both for own use, but especially for running slideshows and business presentations
2. Think twice whether it’s worth spending £100 on the microSIM socket models. This sum doesn’t include a 3G contract. The new MiFi devices from Three and Vodafone (subject to coverage) are £50 or less, and can be shared with your laptop and other WiFi devices, again excluding contract. But the charge doesn't last very long, so you need to carry a mains or car recharging cable.
3. Also think twice whether it is buying more than the 16GB RAM version. More is only needed if you are likely to want to store lots of videos or pictures.
4. But as neither the RAM nor the 3G slot can be upgraded later, go for the best model you can afford.

I have also found it useful to lock the screen in the landscape position, so the “menu” button used to change apps is always on the right (or left if you prefer).

But what are the frustrations?

There are a few principle frustrations, none of which relate to the device itself, in two main categories:

1. Limitations in the software provided as standard by Apple
2. Limitations in the third party apps, especially PC software that has been rather too heavily cut-down for the iPad

Limitations in the software provided as standard by Apple

Out of the box, the system has five fundamental frustrations:

1. The Safari web browser does read PDFs, but does not have a “Find” function. For these and longer web pages, it’s all by eye!
2. No support for Flash. You can watch YouTube videos and BBC iPlayer, but most other videos or sound streams on websites cannot be viewed. This means you cannot watch or listen to any live TV transmissions nor videos embedded on the BBC website, amongst others. (But note that as Flash crashes regularly on a PC, a non-Flash standard such as HTML5 is preferred as a future solution)
3. Difficult to load photos from a PC. All photos wanted on the iPad must be held permanently as a copy in one specific folder on the PC, otherwise what is already on the iPad gets overwritten and lost
4. It is not multi-user, so confidential information cannot be hidden if you let someone else use the device. It would be far better if there was a simple set-up for multiple log-ins and a public folder, similar to Windows
5. The absence of left and right arrows on the keyboard can be a bit annoying, especially when trying to correct spelling mistakes. 

(Tip: You can get around the lack of arrow keys in two ways (a) by tapping on the beginning or end of a word, and (b) by holding your finger down on a word until a mini magnifying glass appears, and sliding held-down finger to move cursor. There are also "Undo" and "Redo" keys hidden on the second and third levels of the keyboard, accessible by pressing the numbers and then symbols keys)

The three principle optional apps which are available at a small charge are poor:

• “Pages” for word processing is OK, as it can read and write simple Word documents. For writing notes, I tend to use the standard “Notes” app instead
• “Numbers” spreadsheet is almost unusable for new spreadsheets, but can read and write simple Excel
• “Keynote” for presentations is actually quite good, but can’t be used to run anything but simple imported Powerpoint or Mac Keynote presentations (suggestions welcomed for any workarounds!)

The “Office2 HD” app for iPad at only £4.99 is supposed to have much better Word and Excel read and write functionality (so you can edit a Word document and send it on). This is officially only for 97-2003 (XP) versions, but not 2007 or 2010. I have just downloaded it, and will try it out with a range of Office versions and report back later.

Otherwise you need to try out compatibility yourself. Fonts are likely to be a problem, and you will need to standardise and coordinate things like this if necessary.

Limitations in the third party apps

The iPad runs on the same operating systems as the iPhone4:

• All iPhone apps run on the iPad, in “portrait” mode but with a x2 button that magnifies them to fill the available screen
• Specific iPad apps are also available, designed for the iPad screen

These are all downloaded from Apple’s “ iTunes” site, whether the apps are free or chargeable. The site clearly groups apps into iPad and iPhone.

Native iPhone apps tend to be very good, albeit formatted for the small size of an iPhone screen. The following major apps are currently only available in iPhone format :
•    Facebook (plus third party clients in iPad format)
•    LinkedIn
•    Foursquare
•    MetOffice (with information no more accurate than on PC)
•    Some newspapers, such as the Guardian

Native iPad apps are often cut down versions of PC apps. These tend to have frustrating omissions. It’s as if the iPad version of each app was rushed out at minimal expense. To take a few:

1. YouTube: The iPad version does not run playlists, so each video has to be run independently, and when each video finishes the playlist sequence not visible to see what next to play. Fortunately frequency range and response virtually indistinguishable from a standard PC, using the same standard headphones, so I’ve gone back to using the PC when available. In addition, I’m finding a YouTube video opened from a Twitter or similar link does not run until clicking to run in the Safari browser
2. TweetDeck: This keeps crashing at random (the only app to do so) and is missing several standard features, such as not being able to see details of a person. This means that it is not possible to start following a person mentioned in someone else’s tweet. There has been no update for over 2 months, despite many recorded complaints
3. Twitter’s own iPad app: This is not a patch on either the “old” or “new” Twitter PC apps.

So in Conclusion

The iPad is certainly a tremendous piece of kit. It is far more than just a gadget. What works well, works very well indeed.

However, it would just be good for the software issues mentioned above to be fixed sooner rather than later. Then the iPad would be just brilliant!

Social Media - Customer Generated Comments - Blessing or Curse?

We discussed a business using location services such as FourSquare a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that they are great when people comment positively about you to spread a good word.

But whether you are a venue or another type of business, what if there are any negative comments?

Negative comments can be genuine, but they can also be spurious and indeed defamatory – perhaps from competitors or disgruntled employees.

How you deal with these is crucial. In my experience a genuine complaint that is well handled produces customer loyalty that you just don’t get by always getting it right!

Conversely dealing well with comments which are clearly wrong or exaggerated is equally important. Anything you put on a website will speak volumes for you as a venue.

So news arrives from the US that some 300 venues or more are clubbing together for a possible “class action” against TripAdvisor. This is one of the more established and respected customer feedback sites.

So how should you react to negatives?

Firstly it’s obviously worth monitoring what’s being said on feedback sites like FourSquare and TripAdvisor, and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. If you spot something critical that looks genuine, how are you going to respond? Privately? In public on the site? Both?

But if there’s something clearly ridiculous, what’s the plan? Should you ignore it, flame it, address it coolly, or go legal? Does the website provide venues with a mechanism to tackle such comments? It all depends.

But if nothing else, remember that anything you say online will stay online. With Google caches and the like, any comment will stay somewhere online no matter what you try to do to remove it!

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Escaping Excel Hell - Solutions for Planning and Forecasting

Financial planning is key for any business. Each business is different, so a flexible system is required.

For this reason Excel is often the natural choice for the job. But anything more than a very simple model becomes very difficult to build, and certainly difficult to maintain.

There can be issues with aspects such as:

• Ensuring there is a 3-way P&L, balance sheet and cash flow. This is especially important where finance needs to be raised, or plans need to be made within cash constraints.
• Virtually impossible to check formulae do actually work as expected across the whole model
• Extra trouble adding up various entities reliably, be they departments, business units or companies (consolidation)
• Difficulty when sales need to be looked at in a number of dimensions, such as territory, market, product variants etc
• Issues with allowing multi-user access
• Confusion trying to deal with versions as the planning process develops

It is therefore preferable to use a system made specifically for the job. Something which is sufficiently flexible to handle each business and its needs as they change over time, yet provides a strong multi-user platform.

Systems available for small and medium sized businesses were no match for those affordable by large businesses. Now strong cloud systems are becoming available at a price that also makes them attractive to medium and small businesses. These systems not only address the issues above, but provide benefits such as remote access, encryption, automatic backup and disaster recovery.

If you would like to talk about these options, do contact me by email at challisc @ camwells.co.uk or by phone on +44(0)1628 632914

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Social Media - Twitter Limits - Will They Affect You?

Ordinarily you can tweet on Twitter without any real restriction. But there are actually limits, which are worth bearing in mind, at least for business use. Or if you retweet and reply a lot.

Business Performance Management - Dashboards - Good, Bad or Excel?

The idea of management dashboards, taking the automobile concept into performance management, has been around since the 1970s. Best practice has advanced considerably, not least as technology has provided ever more powerful and cheaper solutions.

But as with anything powerful, the opportunity to do more harm than good is ever present. Cheap tools make it tempting to do a DIY job. That could prove very expensive.

CIMA, the management accountants, have produced a useful paper that sets out the role of management dashboards within the overall topic of performance management – “Improving decision making in organisations - Unlocking business intelligence” . This was published in September 2008, so some of the details are a little out of date - for example Microsoft PerformancePoint has now been incorporated into SharePoint, but dropping the budgeting  functionality.

CIMA also run a series of public Masterclasses that cover dashboards. Discounts are available for CIMA & ICAEW members and some other people - see details for each course, pages 10-13.

Or if you want to cut straight to the chase, do give me a call on 01628 632914.

In any case a lot of people like speedometer “gauges”, as in the graphic above. Here is an example that can be incorporated into Excel, for which a free trial is available.

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Business Models - How could you emulate Poundland?

So the story goes, a man bought 10 pairs of reading glasses from Poundland for £1 each. That's £10 he reckoned it cost him to save his marriage. He was going to put a pair in each room so he stopped bellowing to his wife to help him find his one existing pair.What a good idea! (But see comment below)

In Poundland every item is one pound. With some 299 stores after 20 years of trading, they make substantial, rising profits. So how?

They won't say exactly, but there's two streams of business:

1. Specials. They buy surplus stock, such as end of lines or cancelled orders. That way their suppliers avoid a major loss.
2. Regulars. They offer items that usually sell for just over a pound, by buying in megabulk directly from the manufacturer at the lowest possible price. 

For items selling just below a pound, they can provide manufacturers with megabulk purchases to justify special packs not made for anyone else, such as 1.5kg bags of sugar instead of 1 kg.

Poundland also runs on super-slim margins, relying on high volume through their stores to deliver profits. Admin costs are cut by making everything one sales price. 

In negotiating buy price, they also offer swift payment. None of this 60 day malarkey the big boys impose on struggling suppliers. Payment can be right with delivery, possibly on order. Now wouldn't the world be easier to trade in if everybody did that?

The trouble with that idea, of course, is that not everything flies off the shelves the same week. I remember a trader from my youth that was selling cut-price jeans. Demand was high, and the list of stores expanded rapidly. Then bang! Bust! They had to pay suppliers before they had sold enough to cover their costs, and the money ran out. It's called "over-trading"and is a major risk of rapid growth. Poundland apply sound business sense and clever use of systems.

So here's another case of everyone winning... manufacturers, customers, landlords and indeed fellow retailers who appreciate the extra footfall. And Poundland earns the profit.

So how can Poundland's principles be applied to your market?

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Cloud Computing – Is the Big Issue “Control” or “Trust”?

What is the big issue in using cloud computing? “Control” or “Trust”?

At the ICAEW IT Faculty’s seminar on Cloud Computing last Friday, several questions were voted on at the end by the delegates. Having listened to various presentations, their main concern about using cloud computing was “loss of control”.

The industry itself, through the “Cloud Industry Forum” (CIF) is launching a Code of Practice on 18th October. This seeks to provide advice to buyers so they can make an informed choice on what they call “Cloud Service Providers”. This includes certification of specific providers against agreed criteria and information. CIF says it’s about “trust”.

Trust and control go hand in hand. If you cannot control the systems directly, who can you trust to do it?

One of the speakers at the ICAEW seminar usefully compared traditional outsourcing with SaaS Cloud (Software as A Service). There are several similarities, such as buying in specialist expertise. and moving from up-front capital to monthly expense.

But there are also substantial differences. The key one is that outsourcing agreements are typically negotiated one-to-one, whereas most SaaS services only offer standard terms. Take it or leave it.

So if you are going to outsource running any of your business applications (apps) to a SaaS cloud provider, especially business-critical apps, who are you going to choose? Who are you going to trust?

As I’ve said before I am “positive but cautious” about using SaaS cloud, and therefore about recommending clients to do so. There are substantial benefits possible, such as remote access worldwide, improved disaster recovery and typically lower costs. But there are some key risks and pitfalls that need to be managed by the provider and/or user.

My discussions with leading members of the cloud provider community have concluded that, in general, industry “best practice” is not yet good enough for business-critical apps such as accounting and ERP. There are however some providers with first rate offerings.

The CIF initiative is effectively a good first step in defining “best practice” for the industry. The Code of Practice  is asking providers to set out aspects such as how they provide “Provisions for Service Continuity”, the exit paths available, and the level of liability insurance carried. It also asks for background information about the provider.

Let’s see how this develops. In particular let’s see whether it adequately defines “best practice” and engenders trust. Then let’s see whether more people are prepared to cede control and grasp the benefits of the cloud.

News Update - Monday 27/9/10

Here's the pick of the last week's news stories:

Mobile Payment  The new smartphones and the apps they can carry produce a number of business opportunities – incluidng writing and selling apps, and getting involved with the apps such as with Foursquare. Making payments via mobilephone is becoming more common. Now VISA’s payWave is being trialed on the New York subways and taxis.This requires a physical change to the phone, in putting a card into the phone’s memory slot. But what if you are already using the slot? Nonetheless micro payments are becoming a reality, which opens up all manner of new services.

Outages in Social Media: Both Facebook with a two and a half hour outage, and Twitter with a re-tweeting issue.These certainly show these services are not infallible. As businesses place greater reliance on them for marketing and customer service let's hope the problems don't get worse.
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Cloud Security: Of more concern is the Interpol chief’s Facebook account being hacked and the unease in the US that the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) was enacted way back in 1986 and needs to be updated. Potential cloud users such as the UK Government are also concerned about powers in the US Patriot Act. Together these make using US-hosted cloud services a real issue.

Longevity of Apps: Microsoft has announced that their “Live Spaces” blogging platform will close and some 60 million users will be migrated to Wordpress. This follows their withdrawal in the last couple of years of MS Performance Point planning functionality and MS Money. Whilst the potential withdrawal of software apps has long been an issue when selecting software, Microsoft seem to be making a splash of it.

New Twitter, new revenue. The launch of a new Twitter client and new ways the company is trying to make money provide opportunities for businesses to leverage Twitter


Attending meetings on an iPad New apps available