kennysarmy Posted October 15, 2012 Posted October 15, 2012 Hi Our SMT have asked me to investigate; if they all had iPAD's could they access a network drive so they could read previous meeting minutes etc. I've no idea if this is possible - my immediate reaction was to look at something like dropbox.... Any other views/ideas? Ta
AngryTechnician Posted October 15, 2012 Posted October 15, 2012 You would need a third-party app such as FileBrowser (not tested myself but have see it recommended) - there is no native support for connecting to a network share. Then you will also need something that can at least view the file format the minutes are in (presumably Office). Hopefully someone else can chime in with a decent one. Personally I'd tell them to just use the computers they already have and stop wasting money solving a problem that doesn't exist, but perhaps I'm just old-fashioned.
flyinghaggis Posted October 15, 2012 Posted October 15, 2012 If they just want to read notes/minutes of meetings/etc maybe something like a Kindle would be a better option?
tmcd35 Posted October 15, 2012 Posted October 15, 2012 If you set up a WebDAV server pointing at the required shares then you should be able to pick that up in Pages or QuickOffice or something similar.
HMCTech Posted October 15, 2012 Posted October 15, 2012 The SkyDrive app would word wonderfully on their iPads. However you would have to get them to save to SkyDrive in the first place which may be where it will all fall down?
HMCTech Posted October 15, 2012 Posted October 15, 2012 However you could just tell them to wait and get Surface Pro's when they are launched in the new year and join them to the domain.
Paid_Peanuts Posted October 15, 2012 Posted October 15, 2012 However you could just tell them to wait and get Surface Pro's when they are launched in the new year and join them to the domain. That's my standard response here!
Max_Power Posted October 16, 2012 Posted October 16, 2012 That's my standard response here! Another +1 for this. Tried various file browsers and cloud based apps, but the people utilising still expected to be able to see the shares on normal PCs, which then involved installed dropbox all over the place and they wanted to utilise additional shares, and their my docs etc and in the end it just became un manageable.
januttall Posted October 16, 2012 Posted October 16, 2012 Hi Our SMT have asked me to investigate; if they all had iPAD's could they access a network drive so they could read previous meeting minutes etc. I've no idea if this is possible - my immediate reaction was to look at something like dropbox.... Any other views/ideas? Ta My immediate thought is what happens when they want another share adding don't give your self more work managing a group of ipads by saying yes if its un fesable to manage them. i know here they would buy one get you to set it up and then ask you to share other folders so it looks like a windows machine and when you say no they will kick of and say that you said that i could be done. it might be better to suggest an alternative insted maybe a windows one. but we have SLT pushing for things because they look flashy not because there functional, and then they blame us when it wont do what they want it to even after we try to vito sugestions. sorry to bring this thread into a rant.
teejay Posted October 16, 2012 Posted October 16, 2012 Skydrive, Dropbox and the multitude of other cloud storage services work pretty well, although you do need to check on the security standards used as not all are compliant with EU Safe Harbour requirements (also some are compliant, but the data is stored in the US where the Patriot Act trumps EU Safe Harbour anyway:rolleyes:). As some of the meeting notes etc that SLT want to use are probably highly confidential, then this is an important thing for them to be aware of. Filebrowser works ok, it can be a bit of a faff but it does work. The only problem is when they are at a meeting and have forgotten to copy the docs across while in school, so you will also need VPN access that is compatible with the iPad. Webdav is probably the best way to go as it integrates better with the iPad, that or Skydrive as the data is stored in Europe but they do have to remember to sync the docs the want into Skydrive first. As an ex Apple basher, after using an iPad for the last month I have to say they are a great productivity tool, far better than dragging a laptop around, I would actually encourage use by management. Yes there are other devices available and yes technically Android and Win 8 slabs are going to be technically better, but I would argue that the iPad is the better option for management to use.
HMCTech Posted October 16, 2012 Posted October 16, 2012 and yes technically Android and Win 8 slabs are going to be technically better, but I would argue that the iPad is the better option for management to use. But why?
teejay Posted October 16, 2012 Posted October 16, 2012 But why? Ease of use from the end user perspective and quality of apps. Yes they can be a pita to integrate into an existing network, but that's a technical problem that can be overcome. As a technical person, I much prefer the Android tablet I had a trial of and do have an Android phone, but as a productivity tool for meetings etc I pick up the iPad.
zag Posted October 16, 2012 Posted October 16, 2012 Ease of use from the end user perspective and quality of apps. Yes they can be a pita to integrate into an existing network, but that's a technical problem that can be overcome. As a technical person, I much prefer the Android tablet I had a trial of and do have an Android phone, but as a productivity tool for meetings etc I pick up the iPad. +1 to that. We tested android and ipads. The ipads got 100% of the votes due to ease of use
tmcd35 Posted October 16, 2012 Posted October 16, 2012 +1 to that. We tested android and ipads. The ipads got 100% of the votes due to ease of use To be fair Ice Cream Sandwich is as easy to use as iOS6, I've just never been able to find the quality apps on Google (Pages, Garageband, AmpKit, etc, or equivalents). I actually like the latest Android OS, would happily make the switch if I could get the apps.
teklogic Posted October 16, 2012 Posted October 16, 2012 Just a side thought, could you not sent up a version of HAP (Home Access Plus) and access files through a website.
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