Office For iPad (and do we really care ?)

Office for iPad has been released (and do we really care ?). 
Microsoft have finally released a version of Office specifically designed for the iPad. It consists of 3 apps (Word, Powerpoint and Excel) plus the OneNote app that was released a while ago. What are they like? 
Well -in fairness to Microsoft - they haven't done a bad job. The apps have been designed specifically for the iPad and it shows. They work smoothly - without all the clutter that the desktop versions have ( I know some people will say you can hide all the tools on the desktop version - but I have always found you need some things showing and are stuck with them all). 
Out of all the apps Word and OneNote are the best.  Word has most of the functions you would want but with one major omission ! You can't print. Maybe this will be fixed in the future. OneNote is fairly good. I have been using it for a while. It links nicely with your desktop version (whether windows or Mac - in case you didn't know -there is a desktop version for Mac now). It doesn't do audio and a few other features that are in the desktop version. But for an iPad app - pretty good. Powerpoint was never as good as Keynote on the desktop and that is still the case with the apps. If you really need to view presentations done on a windows machine then it might be handy. But then again Keynote will run Powerpoint presentations as well. Excel is often the default for people who do a lot of spreadsheets and will probably remain so. It appears to have most of the functions people need. I am not an extensive user of spreadsheets and find apples Numbers and Google Sheets fill my needs.
For people who want to view Office documents, as they were rendered,  on the iPad - then Office is a big win.  Also, one aspect I am impressed with - the ability to insert tables. It is one of the reasons I have always come back to Pages for my note taking on the iPad. Very few apps will enable you to insert tables on the iPad. Pages will and now so will Word and OneNote.
Will I personally be using Office for iPad in the future ? No I won't. Mainly for the same reason that very few Educational orgaisations will as well. You can download the apps for free (Microsoft boasted that Office had 12 million downloads in the first week) - but you can't use them without an Office subscription at $99 a year. No organisation I know of has moved past Office 2010 or 2013 for this very reason. You have been able to edit and save Office files with other apps for a while now - so there are already other things in place if you need them. iWorks is free and actually contains more features then Office.  Fraser Speirs did an interesting comparison between the two.
I identified 75 word processing features and compared Word, Pages and GDrive on iOS. Pages has 61, Word 57, Google Drive….18.Of 54 high-level spreadsheet features: Excel: 39; Numbers: 42; Google Drive: 23.
For people who really need Office and already have a subscription - then they are fairly sound apps and will do a good job.

For the rest of us. iWorks is free. Keynote still outshines any other presentation app on the iPad. Pages is still the smoothest word processor on the iPad. Other apps will view and edit Office documents when needed. Then there is also Google Docs. 

Travel, work and an iphone- doable ?

How practical is it to do work while you travel using an iphone ?

I have just returned from a 6 week trip to Borneo (Sarawak, Sabah) and Cambodia. It was my first time of travelling with any form of technology. Previously I have thought the beauty of travel was to get away from being contactable! My - how things have changed.

So - what did I take ? Not much really. But, as my wife was travelling with me I  will explain the set up that was used by both of us and why.

On a previous trip to Borneo (2008) we took a group of people with AETA ( Asia EducationTeachersAssociation) to Borneo. One of the group broke their ankle - we therefore purchased a cheap mobile phone to be able to arrange insurence, hospital, ecatuation flights etc. We therefore decided a mobile phone would be necessary on this trip.

I proceeded to ensure my iPhone (3Gs) was unlocked. Yeah - I know - an old model - but many of us neither have the money or the need to continually upgrade. I wasn't a high phone user. Ring me and you will get a 2 minute conversation and I didn't use it for much else. The idea was to get a Malaysian sim to give us emergency contact as well as data.

My wife was taking her iPad 2. She teaches Indonesian and was going to continue contact with her class through an Edmodo classroom she had set up for this purpose. It was only the wifi model but we figured that wifi was fairly extensive now and we could tether it to the phone for the more obscure locations. We really didn't want to be carrying 2 full size iPads and 2 phones - so it was one of each.

How practical did it work out - and what sort of uses did we put them to?

I set up the iPhone with a Malysian sim - so I had phone contact with the outside world as well as Internet connection. I started using my phone in ways I had never used before. Because all travel documents are now digital I had 3 main storage areas. My email ( with a folder called "travel" ) for any emails related to the trip. Evernote and Google drive, where copies of documents, hotel receipts, flights etc were kept.

The day to day use of the iPhone was mainly to check email. I could do this easily at most hotels ( using wifi). My phone at home, as I mentioned, is a fairly simple affair. But I did download a few apps that I found useful. Malaysian Airlines has an app that allowed me to keep up to date with flight times, changes and my eticketing. An app for currency conversion. Trip Advisor - for other people's opinion of things. Even a guide book in iBooks - not very satisfactory on the small screen.

I used Edmodo to check on my own class, as well as make a few postings. Handy on the phone but a very cut down version and not overly useful - other than checking posts and making a post. Edmodo on the ipad, however, much more useful. My wife used the ipad for postings, assignments and grading in Edmodo.

To give visual support to postings the iPhone was used as a camera. The size of the phone was more suitable for using on the street than the full size ipad. I would take photos on the iPhone, put them into photo stream and they could be picked up by the ipad. An interesting observation we made on this trip was the amount of people we observed using an ipad as a daytime camera. Not to mention the number of people using phones - which is not surprising considering the quality of some of the phone cameras.

Elephants on the river bank: A photo from the iphone - from a boat on the Kinabatangan River central Sabah (Borneo)

I also used the phone to record audio and video which was emailed to others. Not good quality - but basic enough. I at times listened to music that I had stored on the phone. Not often - as the battery life was fairly limited.

The main document programs I used were Evernote, Pages and Google drive. I tended to jump around a little - from one program to another - trying to find what worked best. Pages tends to be my favoured word processor on mac and ipad. With the iphone, it also showed up to be the smoothest. Out of the three - it was the only one who could do tables on the iphone. I tend to use tables a lot within documents - so this was a plus.

I was using this for a while until I discovered I had accidentally deleted a section of my document. In Pages on the iPhone - there was no version or undo function. This did create an issue for me.

Because I had a lot of the travel documents (pdf's, emails and notes ) in Evernote, I decided I would give it a go for general use. It worked well. If fact I kept a general travel diary in Evernote. I like Evernote for it's simplicity and functions such as hyperlinks, voice memo's and reminders. But I hadn't really used it as a working journal. It worked well- but also it didn't have any version or undo function. Although the ipad/computer version has tables - the iphone version does not. Still - I perserved  with it - and it worked ok.

I also use Google Drive ( and of course Google Docs). As you can see I am a little all over the place as far as work flow. The iPhone version of Google Docs (document)  won't give you tables but you do at least can select spreadsheet - so that is a bonus. Although a simpler version than the ipad or computer Google docs - they worked out fairly well. Like Evernote I had a number of documents stored in Google drive - from pdf's of visas, travel information etc. It has the advantage of storing all types of files - PDF, Pages, doc etc. I ended up starting and doing most of this blog in Google Docs.

As you can see I tended to jump from one to the other ( Evernote, Pages, Google Drive). Which one was best on the iPhone?  Although none of them had an undo function ( and I mean where you have accidentally deleted something and want it back) - at least with Google Docs, you could open the web version and select a past version of your document. I'm sure this will also be available with the new web based iWorks as well. But at the moment I found Google Docs the best.

The more I used the iPhone - the easier it became. But it still was not as easy as using the ipad. Typing on the iPhone was slow, cumbersome and painful. Obviously they are not designed for this but with apps being customised for the phone - there must be a lot of people doing it.

My conclusion after 6 weeks ? The iPhone is usable in a pinch. I was surprised at how quickly I could use it towards the end. The apps are all cut down versions ( naturally! ) and miss some useful functions but are at least useable. The touch pad is not a good size for any extended typing. The worst thing about it - the battery life ! Having to charge every night ! Sometimes during the day. When you are using the phone for typing, web browsing etc it is surprising how quickly the battery drains. I also noticed that heat seemed to drain the battery even more quickly. These are roles the ipad is designed for and handles well. What about the phone as a phone ? I must admit I only made a few local calls. No overseas ones. We ended up using FaceTime ( on the ipad) to talk to people back in Australia. With wifi available in most places this worked extremely well.

My end thoughts. Next time I would definitely invest in an ipad mini. It is the perfect compromise size  - without having program's cut down further. Although Google Docs, Evernote, Pages, Evernote are cut down versions from the computer versions, the ipad ones are fully usable and much more pleasant to use. The ipad mini is a smaller size with full size features and programs. The iphone - too small, apps cut down even further and battery life that is near on impossible for this sort of use.

Work Flow - or something useful !

People are always curious about other people's workflow - what apps , programs , and add ins they find useful. I 'm also of this ilk. On computers - what programs do they use? iPads - what apps do they find useful ? Photography - what camera, lenses, aperture do they use. I think it is an aspect of a certain persons curiosity - and I must admit I am one of them. I’m not sure what it says of our personality - but, hey- I’m being truthful. 

One conclusion I have come to over the last few years is the old “KISS” theory ! Keep it Simple Stupid ! If it is too complex 

• you won’t spend the time getting to know it.
• you won’t use it.
• it doesn’t matter “how powerful” the program is - you will never use three quarters of it. 
• you will move on to another program (therefore wasted and unproductive time).

So - What apps or programs do I use ? I suppose for background I had better explain what devices I use. I have an iMac for school administration, and MBP laptop which is my classroom machine (which also goes back & forth from home), an iPad and iPhone. Like everybody else now (regardless whether it is business or connected with Education) my “productivity “ time doesn’t operate just in work hours. The pros and cons of this is a debate for another time - but the reality is a lot of us are “producing “ at odd hours and across multiple devices. 

OK - to start. Probably the hinge for all my devices is Pages. It sounds cliche but I must admit it has become my favored  word processor. I do have Office for Mac as well as having to use Word in a Win environment but Pages is my firm favorite and I do 90% of my word processing in it. I use to be a Word and Publisher user but find Pages does nearly everything I want to do - quickly and simply. There are a number of “powerful” word processors out there - but whats the use of having a Ferrari to drive in School zones. Pages also goes across the apple platform - laptop, ipad, iphone. Calendar (or ical) I also prefer and use across the platforms. I tried Google cal, Outlook cal and a few others but came back to Apple Calendar. I just prefer it’s layout and what I can put in it. 

Another firm favorite for the Mac is Growly Notes. I have mentioned this one before. Unfortunately it is for Mac only (not ipad, iphone or PC). It’s a fantastic program (and free) that is probably closest to OneNote on a PC. You can include audio notes, pdf’s, lists, charts - the works. I use it a lot for planning, using as a day book, lessons etc.You can create tabbed books for topics or sections. I wish Growly Notes could carry across all platforms - but hey,  it’s free, so I can’t complain.

Next is Evernote. I use this extensively for web clipping, emailing web pages, articles etc to my Evernote account. I use it both for work and personal use. I am presently looking into how to effectively use it with a class. Evernote works on all platforms and devices. You can create notebooks that you can share or search. My main use - web clipping (without leaving the webpage), emailing an article (it has a built in email address that will save items directly to your notebooks). 

On my iPad I use many of the same programs ( for obvious reasons  - they sync). Pages, Keynote, Calendar, Evernote. Another one that I now find indispensable is Goodreader. I had thIs app for about 6 months before I saw the value in it. At first I just couldn't see what the fuss was. Now I use it for any document or PDF I need. I make folders for the different subjects or topics - save any related pdf’s, documents etc. It’s my first search for any “documents” I want on the ipad. 

Daily Notes is one I use for day to day brief notes of importance. I have set up a batch of tabs labeled “Week 1; Week 2” etc. I make notes about parent meetings, student behavior etc. Because it is related to a calendar - “week 1” can be used for Term 1; 2 ; 3 etc -. This way I have a record of brief important school related notes etc that can be accurate to dates etc. 

The trouble (advantage !) of ipads is the uses they have - school administration; record keeping; apps for students direct use; apps for making material for students; Professional reading; goofing off with a book or game. So when we start this debate - what exactly are the boundaries ? So the next few are for classroom use but not subject apps. More - what I  utilize in the classroom. The first one is Showme. If you like the Khan Academy approach - you will love this one. You can make little blackboard videos, with voice on how to do something (say like - how do I divide by tens ?). The little video can be replayed by the student on the ipad as many times as they like (until they get it). You can also embed these in a website or blog. The next Smart Notebook. Exactly like the Notebook software on the interactive whiteboards. Because the ipad doesn’t do flash - not everything will display exactly the same. But considering most teachers use the IWB as a whiteboard/overhead projector - this app has the advantage of you taking the board to the student. A similar one to this is Educreations.

Another handy one is Splashtop2  This one will mirror your computer (regardless which operating system is open). You can walk around the room with the ipad controlling what is appearing on your computer/smartboard etc. Works well - very handy. Edmodo is of course a firm favourite for my virtual classroom. Available on all formats but I tend to use the ipad app. The students of course use the computer based web interface.

When it comes to personal use the list becomes endless. But a few I will mention are; 

Zite: great for organizing your professional/ personal  reading. Make your own magazine type internet reading. I use it all the time.

iTunes U: It really is a great learning tool. 

National Geographic Today: Great if you like photography or a NG reader. Can be used with the students as well. 

There are heaps more I use and a lot more I experiment with (and don’t go back to - although they might be perfectly fine), but these basically constitute my daily list of useable apps and my workflow. Not very exotic - but I have found after experimenting with a lot - these are the ones I come back to.

One - I forgot to mention - which is a God send for printing from the iPad - HandyPrint (use to be called "AirPrint Activator"). You load this program on your computer - which allows your iPad to print to any printer associated to that computer (wireless or plugged in). I have used this for printers both at home and at work (same laptop). Works everytime - especially for those of us that don't have new airprint  printers.

iBooks, Textbooks, iBooks Author and Education.

Apple have come along and changed the game again. I must admit I was quite excited about the announcement today regarding the education aspect of what they are doing - for a number of reasons.

Firstly - I was pleased to see a commitment to Education by Apple. For many years Apple seemed to be embedded in Education and the creative side of computing (with Windows taking care of corporate and personal). That seemed to all change with the introduction of the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Suddenly their focus was personal items. Your iPhone, your iPad - if you can use it in the corporate or educational world - fantastic - let us know how you are doing it ? From day one, educators saw the potential of the iPad in education - but were more or less left to their own devices on how to utilise, deploy and administer them. Australia, for example is still waiting to obtain educational licensing for apps. I thought that todays announcement singled a return to at least some interest in education.

Secondly. To me the real power of the iPad was not going to be fully realised until teachers were able to construct their own apps or have a direct say in the materials that they wanted their students to use. Yes, you could construct your own apps but the skill needed was beyond most peoples ability and patience. Plus the waiting to see if it would be approved by apple.
Enter "iBook Author". This little gem will allow anybody to construct their own course material, with a minimum of fuss and deliver it directly to their students. My understanding at this stage is that you can construct your own ibook and put it through the ibook store (with apple's approval) or simply deploy it directly to any iPad under your administration. This has to be the biggest break through for educators since the iPad was introduced. iBook Author i is a "Pages" type program that allows you to construct your own ibooks including video, audio, interactive media, keynotes etc. It has the same layout as Pages - therefore is very easy for anyone familiar with iWorks to operate. Just what we have been waiting for. I also wonder if it is going to be the introduction of a new iWorks (iWorks 2012 ) ? It even has a preview - which allows you to link to your iPad or iPhone to see what the end product will look like. After trying to construct ePubs through Pages 09 - this is a very welcome feature. You need to use iBooks Author on a mac running Lion. There has been some early criticism over having to run it on a mac and the end result being only usable on the iPad (not Android) - but hey - what do you expect Apple to do !

Thirdly, related to number two, having actual book companies coming on board to construct actual text books that will be usable in the education environment. Most companies see this as a good thing and are willing to invest the time and resources into producing quality, usable texts. This was something I expected when the iPad was first released , but never really happened. It does seem that now this will finally get under way. Quite a number of publishing houses have come on board and hopefully the number will grow.

The next aspect that excited me - was that of iTunes U . I had been an extensive user of iTunes U but it always seemed like it was buried away and not often updated. I was pleased to see it now has it's own app for the iPad. It stores any podcasts you have downloaded. This elevates it's profile - therefore I will assume a lot more material will start to appear - and relative to other countries outside of the United States.

All in all an exciting day for educators. While the bulk of the population will wonder "where is the new iPad?' or "what are the new specs of the new mac pro?" - educators will be excited about todays releases (at least I am). New iBook app ; iTunes U app ; publishers on board for text book publication and iBook Author program for mac - to construct your own interactive ibook material.

Let's now see how the year pans out.