Apple iPad (64 GB) Wi-Fi / 3G 9.7" Tablet - MC497LL/A

The Apple iPad.  Those of us who own one have recently been called less than flattering names for daring to use it and enjoying the experience!  For me the device fulfills several different functions I have been meaning to purchase in separate devices, like an e-book reader, portable music player for my master bedroom, and electronic photo frame.  Why buy all three of those devices when the Apple iPad does all three functions in one neat silver (albeit expensive) package?

But now the business I work for is evaluating them for, well, the business, and because I was a pioneer with my personal iPad I was asked to head up the project.  And since the tablets if purchased and handed out would mostly like go to those who are either in the field or travel habitually, I decided to purchase (3) iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G versions.    

The iPad 64GB Wi-Fi /3G Facts

No matter what (hardware) version you chose the Ultra-Portable, 1.6lbs (1.5lbs if 3G is not installed) iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/ 3G is a simple device with very few moving parts.  The power button sits on the top of the device on the right, while a standard 3.5mm headphone jack is situated on the far left.  Along the right edge of the 0.5" thick iPad you'll find the screen lock and volume control switches, while the bottom of the 9.56" long device is reserved for speakers and the USB/power port.  The USB port is proprietary so, no, you cannot plug a USB memory stick into it, but with the provided cord you can plug it into your computer and into an outlet to recharge the device.

The silver-bodied iPad can be had with 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of memory, and all iterations are fitted with a 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high performance, low-power processor.  Internet connectivity is through either Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), and or 3G: UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz) and GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz).  Bluetooth 2.1 EDR is also provided with either configuration.

The 9.7-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen multi-touch color display offers 1024x768 resolution and can display multiple languages and characters simultaneously.  The IPad is fitted with an ambient light sensor and the device supports 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable and 1024x 768 with Dock Connector to VGA adapter.

Audio playback response frequency is 20Hz - 20,000Hz and the iPad supports the following audio formats:

o   HE-AAC (V1)
o   AAC (16 to 320 Kbps)
o   Protected AAC (from iTunes Store)
o   MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps)
o   MP3 VBR
o   Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4)
o   Apple Lossless
o   AIFF
o   WAV

The iPad can view the following document types:

o   Images (.jpg, .tiff, .gif);
o   Documents (.doc and .docx (Microsoft Word), .txt, .pdf, .rtf);
o   Web pages (.htm and .html);
o   Keynote (.key);
o   Numbers (.numbers);
o   Pages (.pages);
o   PowerPoint (.ppt and .pptx)
o   Outlook Contacts (.vcf);
o   Excel (.xls and .xlsx)

Signing Up for 3G
 
All of the iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G devices I have purchased thus far use AT&T for their 3G service.  There are two plans at the time of this review: $14.99 for 250MB a month data package and $25.00 for 2GB date package.

Like the Wi-Fi antenna the 3G antenna can be turned off and on at will; the 3G antenna is on out-of-the-box.  The first time the 3G is turned up, you will be asked to fill out account information including credit card number, and during this process you will be asked to choose a 3G package.  After entering all of the information the AT&T network took about (5) minutes to complete the process and activate the 3G on the iPad. 

Note: unused data package byte (for lack of a better term), cannot be rolled over from month-to-month.  Conversely, if your plan minutes run out during the month AT&T will not automatically anoint you with more; more minutes can be purchased from the IPad, but it is a manual process.  However, the package will be renewed at the end of the 30 days, and continue to renew every 30 days unless stopped. 

3G Usage

So far I have had few issues utilizing 3G; whether at the office or one the road the signal has remained strong and throughput is acceptable, though not quite on par with a strong 54G connection.

Microsoft ActiveSync

Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, setting up the iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G to use Microsoft Exchange via Exchange ActiveSync is simple and easy; all told it took less the two minute to start receiving my business e-mail on the iPad. 

In contrast it took me over two weeks of frustration and calls to Microsoft to get ActiveSync to work on an HTC Windows phone and even after we verified the connection the phone never did reliably download e-mail.  It was a disappointing and eye-opening look at why Windows Mobile sales are so abysmal.

After I established the connection via ActiveSync I verified inbox functionality by reading, responding to, forwarding, and moving, e-mail.  The iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G even allows you to choose whether or not you want to download your business contacts and calendar; sweet! 

And once connected I am able to control password usage, minimum and maximum length, age, complexity, and expiration via an Exchange ActiveSync policy.  The policy can also control other aspect of the iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G's including third-party e-mail account creation; Windows SharePoint Services and Windows File Shares access; message size limits; attachment downloading, as well as a host of other security related features and functions.

And yes, I can even wipe the iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G from the Exchange server, and as long as the tablet remains a part of the ActiveSync policy it will continue to wipe every time its powered on unless it is either removed from the policy or check is removed from the radio button instructing ActiveSync to "Perform a remote wipe to clear mobile device data."  

VPN Access      

Yes, the iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G has VPN access and it actually work quite well.  There are three options: L2TP, PPTP, or Cisco IPSEC. Like Exchange ActiveSync the VPN functionality was surprisingly easy to set up and get going, all one needs to know is what information to plug in and away we go! 

VPN took less than a minute to set up and configure, and once complete I was able to log into my company Intranet and thanks to some (free) Apps I was able to RDP into my workstation from the iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G; again, sweet!  Yes, the lack of a mouse makes maneuvering around the desktop somewhat challenging, but I could still get around the desktop and use it.  Note: there are paid versions of the Apps I used that offer crude mouse functionality. 

Like all of the network components on iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G VPN can be togged on and off at will. 

First Impressions: 

Like my personal iPad, I really, really, really, like the Apple iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G I have been testing.  Naysayers aside this thing is cool and I am happy to own one and even take it out in public like I did today!  I love being able to take my favorite book(s) with me when I am on the go, and I have the ability to stop at a Wi-Fi hotspot and plugging into the Internet in order to read the latest news, get the weather, run an application, etc. 

But, I really like the fact that I can take the lightweight iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G with me everywhere and still gain access to my pre-selected books, magazines, music and images, not to mention a seemingly endless supply of useful applications.  And lets ot forget the Internet and business e-mail.   

Setting up the iPad is easy if you have iTunes installed on your computer.  It is through iTunes that the iPad is initially set-up, updated, and backed-up.  And it is through iTunes that music and image files can be downloaded and used on the iPad.  The interface also gives one a graphic representation of how much drive space is left, and what is consuming it. 

iBooks the e-book reader that is specially designed to work with the iPad is not preloaded unto the device, I had to download it from the iTunes Store; not a big deal.  Once downloaded e-books can be download either directly (through iBooks) or via iTunes.

When I connect the iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G to my work computer and launch iTunes, it automatically sync's the two transferring any e-books I may have bought into iTunes.  Conversely, any e-books I purchase via iTunes are synced with the iPad automatically.  Email is still synced wirelessly via ActiveSync.

Setting up Wi-Fi is easy enough; the antenna is always on and looking for new connection.  I set up the iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G to use the secure wireless setup at work; I typed in the pass-phrase via the incredibly handy keyboard and surfed the Internet; simple and easy.  Since I bought the iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G I have taken it out frequently to places that offer free Wi-Fi access and in only one instance did I have an issue connecting.  Nice!  And even then I effortlessly switched to 3G and, instance access. 

Heat & Noise

There is neither of both; end of story.

Conclusions

So, is the iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G ready for the enterprise?  I say yes with a few caveats; chief among them is the inability of the tablet to truly manipulate Microsoft Office Applications without the assistance of the Documents-to-Go application ($9.99).  Second is the inability to truly mirror the iPad screen on a monitor.  Video can be presented onto the screen-via a $30.00 adapter-but we have yet to get a PowerPoint presentation to do so.  Lastly, is the lack of available USB port(s) or a memory card reader that will accept memory devices and help you keep files organized on-the-go, as well as the ability to truly turn the iPad into a mobile office.  As it stands now any document you want to work with must be e-mailed and then opened.  However, the iPad was never marketed as a laptop, or laptop replacement, so... 

Not that these problems cannot be overcome, but they are limitation that a laptop and even netbooks do not suffer from.  However, hands down, the Apple iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G is a performance winner, and one heck of an e-book reader! Yes, the entrance fee (799.00) is steep, and enterprise customers will have to think long and hard at the cost, however the iPad now has a certain "cool" factor that is hard to escape.  The more large enterprise adapt the iPad and find practical uses for it, the more popular it will become in the hall of corporate America. 

So far the iPad 64GB Wi-Fi/3G has more than lived up to my expectations and I have fun testing the limits of its ability to operate effectively in the enterprise environment.