Uses for an ipad as a technician?

[reggiep]

OK, go with me on this one.

Staff have been invited to put in a bid for items that they would like for their department.

We are not teachers but we thought the two of us techies might try and bid for 1 or 2 iPads.

The problem with that is I have to write a bid explaining what we could do with them!

 

I brought mine in to see if it could be used and so far I have decided we could...

Use lanschool to view users screens

Access our helpdesk

Access our hardware database

 

hmm?

 

Anyone have any ideas or are you even using one in school now?

 

Thanks

[north-ict]

Inventory/audits?

 

GAMES.......lol jk

 

But you can also suggest that it could be a test platform as well to try things out on before making the mistake of buying ten million pads for the school :|

[penfold]

The obvious one would be to have experience to provide support for staff who bring theirs in?

[3s-gtech]

Quick Google of tech support issues

Access to heldesk

Somewhere to scribble down notes, serial numbers etc

Camera to help audit

Remote access to machines

Easy demos for web software (like, how to upload in Moodle)

These can all be done on Android too, no lock in there.

[glennda]

bugger all waste of money?

[localzuk]

I've always considered a tablet for support to be a possibility - it would basically useful for:

 

Password resets,

Quota checking,

Helpdesk checking,

On the spot fix searching when you're out and about.

 

However, you'd need apps for the first 2 things to be any use (touch screen to do server admin via RDP is not fun).

 

So, unless you're buying a super cheap device, they're not worth it.

[Arthur]

The iPad as a SysAdmin's Tool « Ars Technica

[mac_shinobi]

The iPad as a SysAdmin's Tool « Ars Technica

 

Listening to music whilst you're working ie patching in data points, testing wi-fi ( if you can get an app for that ) and per above checking e-ticket system and remoting onto machines ( client / servers ) etc

[Arthur]

testing wi-fi (if you can get an app for that)

Not sure if there is an iPad app for that, but MetaGeek are releasing an Android version of their Chanalyzer software soon. You will need a Wi-Spy to go with it though.

 

http://i.imgur.com/36u0K.png

[Arthur]

Listening to music whilst you're working

... or playing games when you are on the phone to Dell, HP, Lenovo etc.

[mdench]

very expensive mouse mat?

 

iPad Used as Mouse Pad… Didn’t Think Of That, Did You? | Tablets & Tablet News

 

iPad Used as Mouse Pad… Didn’t Think Of That, Did You?

[Jamo]

Shouldn't the fact that you are asking about 'what can I do with it', show that it is a nice to have rather than a necessity? lol

[mac_shinobi]

Shouldn't the fact that you are asking about 'what can I do with it', show that it is a nice to have rather than a necessity? lol

 

Would an android type tablet be better and cheaper ie Asus Transformer or there abouts ?

[jedmondson]

overlook - Home is a good app to use. have it on my S2 it has an i thing app as well.

[Arthur]

Would an Android type tablet be better and cheaper i.e. Asus Transformer or there abouts?

Depends on the apps you want to run I suppose. The Transformer Pad Infinity or 300 look like good alternatives to the iPad, but the Transformer Prime should probably be avoided.

[lollettuk]

Tea / Coffee tray? Sure you can get 6 - 8 mugs to take to managers everyday???

[DSapseid]

Im just about to put forward my case for one each for the 2 of us here. My reasons so far are below:

 

- Modify user account information (including passwords) and pc information (locations for printer mapping)

- Update print credit

- Monitor switchs using HP PCM

- Remote control any machine whilst on the move (VNC)

- Able to recieve emails wherever we are to recieve fault reports (no helpdesk)

- Somewhere to writedown notes (serials) - saves paper therefore more green

- Camera to photos of serials, damage etc

- Show staff how to do tasks on there machines via VNC

- RDP onto servers to fix things on the move

- Wifi testing

 

Already have apps bookmarked for all of them apart from the wifi testing so all prepared.

 

Also the primarys that we support are looking to buy them so another reason is that we need one so we can effectively support there needs.

[reggiep]

bugger all waste of money?

 

Come on n ow, we are trying to get a toy. Don't spoil our fun!

[glennda]

Come on n ow, we are trying to get a toy. Don't spoil our fun!

 

Theres getting toys which are a waste of money and theres getting toys which are not - this IMHO would be one that is a waste of money - you can get tablets a third of the price which do the things you need

[Jamo]

My phone does most of those things on the move!

 

Plus it has a flash for getting behind those desks at the computers when there is no light to take a picture

[reggiep]

Im just about to put forward my case for one each for the 2 of us here. My reasons so far are below:

 

- Modify user account information (including passwords) and pc information (locations for printer mapping)

- Remote control any machine whilst on the move (VNC)

 

Which apps do you have in mind for these two tasks?

 

Thanks

[themightymrp]

Grab yourself an Apple TV to got with it and you can stream video to a projector I'm sure there must be some use for it...... maybe? I've got one here and have struggled to find a worthy use for it. What app allows the HP PCM management?

[DSapseid]

Which apps do you have in mind for these two tasks?

 

Thanks

 

For AD this one thats a paid version that lets you manage multipe domains or the free one here just does one domain.

 

For VNC i use this one.

 

I have these both on my iphone already and are brilliant

[enjay]

I think it would be sensible to get one, and if I have anything left in my budget at the end of this year, I might get one.

 

There are definite educational uses of iPads (some of our teachers are already making use of their personally-owned tablets), and if the school had one, you could investigate these options better, lending the tablet to a department for a lesson, a month or whatever. It would either a) stop you wasting thousands of pounds by buying 30 of them and then finding they're not as good as hoped, or b) add weight to the argument supporting a request to buy 30 of them.

 

From a support point of view, it would also allow you access to your emails from anywhere (useful way to fill that otherwise dead 5 minutes while a PC reboots), plus access to a "helpdesk" (take that term however you wish - online ticketing system, task list, word processor document, etc), ability to look up support articles while by a dead PC, or a printer/copier/switch which isn't near a PC. I do all of these support tasks on my phone, and find it invaluable.

[HodgeHi]

If you're running webhelpdesk they have an app that hooks into their help desk system. It's not a native iPad app and it isn't all that great in fairness, but it's a start. You can also access it by web address.

 

I use my iPad to VPN onto the remote servers from home, using the built-in VPN.

I use Remoter VNC to access my Apple and Windows servers.

I use StudyWiz's E-Locker app to remotely access all of my documents stored in my home dir on the server, remotely.