I've had an iPad for about a month now. I remain convinced that the tablet format is a game changer. There are pros and cons and fans and detractors for various devices. In the long run it will be interesting to see how the market shakes out. There is of course the iPad, various Android devices (the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 just coming out now is highly anticipated), and the Blackberry Playbook. And don't count out Microsoft. They will be late to the game, but their Windows 8 concept may gain some traction.
I'll give some examples of how I have found it useful for work. Most of these things could be accomplished on a laptop – but a tablet wins out on portability, ease of use, and startup speed. One aspect that wins big time over a laptop is its unobtrusiveness. Using it when other people are around, such as in a meeting, or when giving a presentation, removes the barrier of the screen.
I recently gave a presentation on social media and the law to a client group. I have given that presentation before, and put it on the iPad to review it ahead of time and update my speaking notes. That was done at night and over a weekend. I then used it during the presentation to keep on track. The powerpoint was on a computer that was already being used for the meeting, but it is possible to connect the iPad to a projector to run a powerpoint.
Yesterday I was on a panel at a Chamber of Commerce presentation on social media. To collect my thoughts for that, I used the iPad to cut and paste and edit from the larger presentation. Then used it during the presentation for speaking notes, and to jot down some references from the other speakers.
It is starting to become a tool in my quest for a paperless office. It is very easy to use to review and mark-up documents, which can be then either emailed to myself or sent via dropbox to deal with in our document management system. I have been marking up documents for some time on my PC using a Wacom tablet. Using the tablet is just as easy, if not easier.
I have also started to use it to take handwritten notes when talking to clients. Old habits die hard, though, and I am not yet to the place where I automatically grab it instead of a pad of paper. Perhaps I need to keep it front and centre on my desk and put the pad of paper behind me.
To mark up documents and take handwriten notes (I'm a lousy typist – the on screen keyboard is actually quite easy to use) I bought a capacitive pen. You can use your finger, but I found that it is easier to use the pen.
For those wanting to know more about specific apps, here's an article from law.com entitiled How the iPad Can Increase Lawyers' Productivity.
what kind of "pen" do you use to write on the iPad? I need to buy one.
I bought a Targus stylus at Best Buy. I bought that one only because it was what they stocked. It seems to work well.
If you Google "ipad stylus comparison" you will get several articles comparing different brands, such as this one
http://www.imedicalapps.com/2011/02/ipad-stylus-review-best-handwriting-touch-screen/