iPads in the (small) workplace

[sjwk]

Hi there,
We've got a couple of requests for iPads here in the workplace which I want to bounce some of scenarios off people. I've looked through the Enterprise docs, but they're perhaps overkill - we're only a small educational institution so don't have a lot of resources to spare settting up an infrastructure for two iPads. I'm not too bothered about centralised deployment of apps or managed configuration but the users who would get these do have some questions:

1: they want it as a shared departmental resource rather than belonging to a single person. Not in terms of multi-user, but in terms of multiple people being able to put files onto it (i.e., give it to the office junior to load up with files before the manager takes it out to a marketing presentation). Is that possible? I know I read that it can only be synced with one computer/iTunes, but what if all of the office computers had iTunes using the same shared account? The Enterprise docs say that iTunes is optional, but in that case how would you get data onto it?

2: one of them is going to be shared by two people (us in the IT department getting it for 'testing' most of the time, on the understanding that when they need both simultaneously we let them have it back ) Is the best thing with that to use backup/restore to switch it between users? I'd rather that it didn't go back and forth with apps and data belonging to the other person - they'll have financial stuff on it that we don't want to be responsible for, and I'd be reluctant to buy apps if it was on an account that wasn't 'mine' for when I buy my own

3: Assuming we do backup/restore to switch users for 2, is there any way to install (some) apps to the device rather than the user. Or would I need to buy two copies of a particular app to run on one device when synced with two different accounts? Is this something where centralised app deployment would help? I'm guessing I can't have this both ways which is fine, as long as I know...

Thanks for any comment,
Steve.

 

[TheBritishBloke]

1. It can only be synced to ONE COMPUTER.

2.You couldn't backup/restore, because even if you restore, you then have to put all the apps and files back on separately.

3. You can just redownload the app on the account which you've already bought it on.

Doesn't seem like what you're talking about is a viable solution.

 

[sjwk]

1. It can only be synced to ONE COMPUTER.

That's what I thought, although there seems to be some confusion as I'd seen one thing that implied that only purchased stuff needed to be hooked to one computer, and the enterprise docs say that iTunes is optional but didn't say how you used it without iTunes! We could look at something like DropBox for transferring files to it from computers not synced to it. There won't be anything confidential. These are all things I need to consider.

2.You couldn't backup/restore, because even if you restore, you then have to put all the apps and files back on separately.

That wouldn't be a huge problem - when we change the iTunes account associated with the device we'd want to redo the apps and files anyway. Chances are this would only happen once in a blue moon - this was just a way for them to get one for us in order to support them with it - something I have no complaint with!

3. You can just redownload the app on the account which you've already bought it on.

Doesn't seem like what you're talking about is a viable solution.

It's still viable, just need to address the issues but it's useful to know what those issues are in advance of them turning up... personally I don't think it's necessarily the right device for what they want to do with it, but it's their budget...


Thanks for the feedback.

Steve.

 

[spammerhamster]

Totally ignoring your scenario which isn't working (explained by above poster):

If it's just for sharing resources, you should look into some cloudservice like dropbox to share the documents. You can create multiple account, and have one dir to be shared between all these accounts.

Each ipad can have their own dropbox account and you get what you need. Sharing of documents, with the option to have separate accounts, and the office mule can prepare documents on his/her cheapass computer for the manager without touching the fancy iPad.

As for apps. just use the same account, and you can manage everything through your IT's itunes (1machine) and you have the option to have the app available to 4 other iDevices.

 

[chanticleer]

If it's just for sharing resources, you should look into some cloudservice like dropbox to share the documents. You can create multiple account, and have one dir to be shared between all these accounts.

Each ipad can have their own dropbox account and you get what you need. Sharing of documents, with the option to have separate accounts, and the office mule can prepare documents on his/her cheapass computer for the manager without touching the fancy iPad.

This is what we do in our office. We upload documents and emails to Evernote and view them using the Evernote app. The only potential disadvantage to this is that you need an internet connection when opening the app so it can sync with the Evernote server, but this shouldn't be a problem.

Tangentally, we're currently experimenting with the Nozbe project management service too. The iPad app works really well and, because of Evernote syncing, means that we can tie certain documents to certain projects very easily.

 

[spammerhamster]

This is what we do in our office. We upload documents and emails to Evernote and view them using the Evernote app. The only potential disadvantage to this is that you need an internet connection when opening the app so it can sync with the Evernote server, but this shouldn't be a problem.

Tangentally, we're currently experimenting with the Nozbe project management service too. The iPad app works really well and, because of Evernote syncing, means that we can tie certain documents to certain projects very easily.

you also need to have an evernote pro account to allow offline synching of the notes.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

2.You couldn't backup/restore, because even if you restore, you then have to put all the apps and files back on separately.

The couple of times i have had to restored a Touch from the iTunes backup, this is NOT the case. It put everything back on it just like it was when I made the backup.

In fact, because apple tied the app data to the app, it is the only way for some apps to get their data back. Apple should be shot for this, but i digress....