iPad for your business application? 4 reasons to just say "No."

Have you ever had your tablet battery die right when you need it most?

Have you ever dropped your iPhone and cracked the screen?

...or how about trying to buy an iPad accessory for an iPad that is a couple of revs old?

iPads are great for some things...

They're great for casually surfing the web or subjecting your captive friends to pictures of your kids from the comfort of your own couch.

But, if you're using a tablet for warehousing/logistics, sales field updates for equipment, or use in industrial or outdoor environments - Drop the iPad.

(Not literally...you might break it!) 

iPads have a relatively simple, familiar user interface and are readily accessible (provided it is the most recent version), so they tend to be an easy choice for development, but there are some glaring limitations:

1. Can You Take a Hit?

Do you know anyone walking around with a broken iPhone screen?

Without trying, I can think of about a dozen - and these iPhones are only used in Consumer applications, not the abuse of an Industrial application!

You can make an iPad work if you buy the latest-and-greatest Otterbox case for $100, or you can choose a tablet with built-in holding features that has been designed to take a 1.2m drop. 

2. Dude, where is my Charger?

"...and, as you would be able to see from this graph, if my battery wasn't dead..."

In an industrial application, you need to be able to hot swap batteries, so your equipment can keep working as long as you can - you can't rely on a single, internal battery because every minute spent charging is many dollars lost.

You could buy a cumbersome external battery pack, or you could buy a tablet that has hot-swappable batteries and a 4-bay battery charger.

3. Do you have a USB?

Let's be real, Apple loves to keep everyone guessing about what peripherals will be available on their next-generation products (Wireless Charging, anyone?).

This is fine for the consumer environment (there are workarounds for plugging in USB for those iPads that don't have it and all of this ends up as a minor annoyance), but, if the peripheral you need disappears, this could make-or-break your product or service.

You could keep placing bets on what will be on the next iPad, or you could choose a tablet that comes with standard connections:

4. Splish splash

In rugged use, sometimes things get wet.

...but, when they do, they need to keep working. 

You could take your chances with a device that should be ok after getting wet, or you could pick a tablet with a suitable IP rating.

...and we won't even get started with iOS changes and security concerns...

Bottom line, pick the right tablet for the job.

The RiTab from BCM Advanced Research

Image Credits: (iphonesandrepairs.com, freeimages.com, bcmcom.com)