TouchPad for business

[rickc1961]

hope this isnt redundant but thought i'd get a thread established to discuss experiences with the TP in the business setting.
I work in the IT department for a health care organization. I got the Touchpad to evaulate and have been working with it a few weeks to assess it for our organization. Thought I'd share a few thoughts regarding the use of the TP in the enterprise
The Good:
*UI
*Touchstone charging (one of our biggest support issues - users not plugging in)
*Just Type (takes some getting used to)
*Flash support
*Mail and calendar app

Whats needed:
*Stable wireless
*Fast, stable Citrix client
*Browser support for MS SharePoint (we use this for content management)
*Edit MS Office files
*File Sync app (Desktop to Tablet and back)
*Remote desktop app (we use Login)
*Enterprise device management tool (imaging, tracking, settings lock, app management)

For traction:
*Update, Update, update let me know there is an investment in the platform and good things are coming
*Invest with a partner to really use this in a business. Do a white paper, do some press relaeses. Make the business case.
By the way, this was written and posted using the TP.

[rickc1961]

Opps, this line should read *Remote desktop app (we use Login), we use "logmein". Darn spellcheck!

[dcbo89]

document editing, stable wifi, and wifi file transfer are the big needs for me. Though I will snap up a remote desktop app as soon as they become available.

I cant for the life of my figure out why the wireless is as flaky as it is, its sloppy and I really hope its fixed in this update

[cobrakon]

Originally Posted by rickc1961

hope this isnt redundant but thought i'd get a thread established to discuss experiences with the TP in the business setting.
I work in the IT department for a health care organization. I got the Touchpad to evaulate and have been working with it a few weeks to assess it for our organization. Thought I'd share a few thoughts regarding the use of the TP in the enterprise
The Good:
*UI
*Touchstone charging (one of our biggest support issues - users not plugging in)
*Just Type (takes some getting used to)
*Flash support
*Mail and calendar app

Whats needed:
*Stable wireless
*Fast, stable Citrix client
*Browser support for MS SharePoint (we use this for content management)
*Edit MS Office files
*File Sync app (Desktop to Tablet and back)
*Remote desktop app (we use Login)
*Enterprise device management tool (imaging, tracking, settings lock, app management)

For traction:
*Update, Update, update let me know there is an investment in the platform and good things are coming
*Invest with a partner to really use this in a business. Do a white paper, do some press relaeses. Make the business case.
By the way, this was written and posted using the TP.

What wireless are you having issues with? We run WPA2 802.11x with PEAP and it connects and works solid. The TPad does have issues "switching" from AP profiles (home and work for example) but once locked on, it works great.

What version of SharePoint are you running? I am a content admin for our MOSS 07 environment and am able to use and manage them from the TPad with no issues. Works amazing during meetings when new projects are discussed and I have the template framework up and running before the meeting is out.

File sync works great with both dropbox and box.net to and from the TPad. Have you tried either yet? As for the management, MobileIron is available in the catalog but I don't have experience with it. HP definitely needs to get the Citrix and Quick Office apps updated asap. Splashtop is working on an RDC app for webOS 3.

I too am evaluating the TPad for our BYOD pilot against iPad2, Playbook, and a couple Android tabs. I volunteered my device for a nomination for the project and now am talking to our HP rep about providing a couple more units to test. (we run 1000's of Proliants at the comp) Our intranet portal runs Flash and some of our user training material is in Flash, and our WAN providers NMS is full flash, which is a huge black mark on the iPads. Playbook is also getting a black mark because of the missing PIM (with BYOD there's no guarantee the user will have a 'Berry). So the Tpad and Transformer are the front runners for now.

[mobileman]

How about proxy support for wireless internet access?

[SCM]

I am using in a university/healthcare setting. I have had no wireless issues at all.

I agree with the need to have wifi file transfers. Dropbox and box.net both require files to technically leave our secure firewall. This, coupled with no boot level encryption limits what I feel secure saving to the device.

Document editing is a must.

A real remote desktop client would allow me to access our electronic patient record system. That alone would sell a bunch of units here!

Just found another: looks like contact groups do not transfer from Exchange. Need this.

[noseph]

Originally Posted by cobrakon

File sync works great with both dropbox and box.net to and from the TPad.

How are you able to use dropbox and box.net on your corporate network without proxy support?

[palmpre06062009]

Where can u set browser proxy if logged into vpn? i see it on ipad2...but can't find it on the TP. Can someone help? thanks.

[Rnp]

Hummm... and support to .zip or .rar files?


Best Regards...

[akshunj]

Hi Rick,

I agree 100% about the MS Office support if the touchpad is to be a contender in a business environment. One of the first things I tested when I bought my touchpad was MS Office 365. I knew there was no MS Office client for te touchpad, but I thought Office 365 might be a good workaround. Unfortunately, the online version of MS Office is heavily dependant on Silverlight and many features did not work.

[akshunj]

Originally Posted by cobrakon

What version of SharePoint are you running? I am a content admin for our MOSS 07 environment and am able to use and manage them from the TPad with no issues. Works amazing during meetings when new projects are discussed and I have the template framework up and running before the meeting is out.

Hi,

Are you able to view and edit office documents on your SharePoint site? I assumed since Office 365 didn't work that I would experience the same problems with SharePoint. I also manage a SharePoint site, but I haven't given the TouchPad a try yet. How does the TouchPad handle forms? I am currently building a helpdesk template to integrate into our farm.

Thanks.

[davidra]

Originally Posted by SCM

I am using in a university/healthcare setting. I have had no wireless issues at all.

I agree with the need to have wifi file transfers. Dropbox and box.net both require files to technically leave our secure firewall. This, coupled with no boot level encryption limits what I feel secure saving to the device.

Document editing is a must.

A real remote desktop client would allow me to access our electronic patient record system. That alone would sell a bunch of units here!

Just found another: looks like contact groups do not transfer from Exchange. Need this.

Neither the VPN nor the Citrix client will work with our Epic EMR, so IT would not support it, forcing me to get an iPad. BTW, the native iPad client doesn't do distribution lists from Exchange either, which is a major irritant, but at least there are multiple apps for Office.

[k4ever]

Originally Posted by Rnp

Hummm... and support to .zip or .rar files?


Best Regards...

+1

There is support for zip in homebrew (really needs to be in official catalog also) but the developers of the programs to access that support (terminals and file managers) need some fixes that are supposed to be in the 3.0.2 update. Document editing is also supposed to be in the 3.0.2 update. I wish HP would hurry on this update or release a statement letting us know the progress. It is getting close to the end of the month, which is/was the projected release time.

[ka1]

I love this thread.

Since we aren't allowed to upload anything into the cloud (and this is true in most big corporations where I've worked), the big issues for me are Citrix support, Remote Desktop client, and a stable internal WiFi connection. Wifi works great at home, but at work, even with strong signal, it seems to timeout but think it is still connected. You then need to disconnect, reconnect, and all works fine, until you pause activity, when it will once again timeout. I am not 100% sure if the issue is the Touchpad or my network, though I will say the iPads don't have this issue at work...

[Midway99]

I was hoping this would be more of a business tool, but today it is just not there. It allows me to check email - that's it. VPN doesn't work at my company, Cirtix not used, no supported doc editing solution.

This is not a productivity tool at this stage; it's really only a neat toy.

[hparsons]

Originally Posted by noseph

How are you able to use dropbox and box.net on your corporate network without proxy support?

Many enterprises do proxy without forcing the users to define a proxy system. It's done at the network router. Everything we do at my site is done through proxy gateways, but I don't have to define any of them on my client device(s).

[cobrakon]

Originally Posted by hparsons

Many enterprises do proxy without forcing the users to define a proxy system. It's done at the network router. Everything we do at my site is done through proxy gateways, but I don't have to define any of them on my client device(s).

Bingo. We run Bluecoat appliances behind our VPN concentrators and everything is done at the network level. No individual configuration required. As for the cloud hosting, we have access to Google Office, and are piloting with Office365.

[rickc1961]

Just checked back on the thread and really appreciate all the posts. Hope we can keep them going.
A few comments to some of the posts:
* I can hit SharePoint and browse it to a point but simply cant work with any files or content really limiting any true functionality
* Regarding the push-pull to and from the cloud, as one other post mentioned, we dont allow corporate documents to be placed on outside hosted, personal storage. Besides, its clumsy. I envision how Microsofts Live Mesh works in a peer to peer model. Drop it on a folder on my desktop, it sync's to the TouchPad. Or provide me an App like Homepipe or Tonido that allows me to connect to my folders when I need to.

I do have to note that when I hit the precentral page, it was ironic that the ad circulating through at that moment was for a Enterprise file management app FOR THE IPAD!
iPad File System - Mobile File Management - GroupLogic
Too Funny!

[mobileman]

My TouchPad is as good as a paperweight in my office. My iPad, Android and WP7 devices can all connect through my proxy to the internet. How HP can advertise this as a business device and not provide proxy support is really incredible. It also pretty incredible that some people here can keep making excuses for HP.

[antijingoist]

Not buying a touchpad because it'd be a paperweight. I am doing the loaner prog so I can develop for it, but a tablet without a dvorak keyboard would be useless. Except for watching movies I suppose...