Cloud and iPad: Making Working from Anywhere Easier
We typically write about big-picture technology topics, but technology impacts us at a personal level too, making things easier for business people to get their work done, while making their lives simpler. The new way we work is about doing what we need anytime, anywhere, with everything and everyone.
Cloud file sharing and content management paired with the iPad is a great example of how technology is supporting the new way of working. With iPad and cloud services for your documents, you’re not tethered to your computer, with all the gear (and weight) that comes with it. 
I have been traveling for a presentation series using the iPad, leaving the laptop at the office. Right away you can see how you can be more productive by slashing the amount of gear you’re carrying.
With an iPad, all I needed was the small charger cord (no wall wart!), plus a small video cable for presentations. I ended up just putting these into my pocket, but you could even put them in your suitcase, as you’re not typically going to need to recharge until the end of the day.
By the numbers, the difference is
- 13” Macbook, my computer bag with charger, cords and other gear? 10.4 lbs.
- iPad with case and charger cord? 1.1 lbs.
While that much weight doesn’t seem like much, any road warrior knows that it adds up over the course of the trip, and after a while you can find yourself leaning to compensate.
According to "Is Your Bag Hurting Your Back" on Everydayhealth.com, the number one disabler of people 45 and younger in the U.S. is lower back pain. The spokesperson for the American Chiropractic Association noted that when people empty their bags, they pull out water bottles, three or four books, keys, and coins, all which adds up to pounds and pounds of weight to be schlepped.
And then of course there’s getting through airport security. At least as of last week’s policy at O’Hare, tablets like iPad can stay in a bag or be put in the tray with other items; computers still need to come out to be scanned separately. One more point to making it easier with a little less scrambling at security.
Finally, there are also fewer items to keep track of and potentially lose, a factor for those of those that that are calling the airline lost-and-found.
All this was more than enough for me to become sold on the approach. On top of that, presenting becomes easier, and you get a bit of a wow factor.
So the next time you’re trudging through O’Hare and feel that twinge in your back, consider leaving the laptop behind, and enjoy the new way of working.
