Will Business Users Buy Into the iPad Without Multitasking?

By Jennifer LeClaire

As with many new Apple products, once the initial hubbub dies down there remains a single question: Is it ready for the business market? It didn't take long for analysts to start trying to answer that question as it relates to the yet-to-be-released iPad.

Of course, Apple is positioning the iPad as a business-appropriate device, complete with its Microsoft Office-compatible iWork productivity suite and the iPad's VGA output that sets the stage for business presentations. There's also support for Microsoft Exchange and the device was designed with security in mind.

All that being true, some, like Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT are skeptical. He describes the iPad as a sort of Swiss Army tablet that only allows users to open one blade at a time. That, he said, puts Apple at a disadvantage in the traditional tablet market of doctors and other mobile professionals.

"While the company should be commended on the iPad's lightness and form factor -- it easily qualifies as yet another company product design triumph -- the keyboard, docking station, and peripherals required to make the iPad a more truly useful business productivity tool undermine its vaunted form and portability," King said.

The Missing Features

Some of the iPad's strategic shortcomings, as King called them, include the GSM microSIM cards and the lack of multitasking capabilities. The multitasking issue may be the iPad's biggest flaw because it prevents the device from fully qualifying as a notebook replacement.

"At heart, Apple's new device is designed more for the passive consumption of digital content than its active creation. That does not mean the iPad will only be used for web-based entertainment. People write novels on cell phones and smartphones are quickly becoming increasingly powerful handheld computers," King said. "But traditional notebooks and even netbooks remain far better tools for conducting serious business and performing key work tasks."

What's more, King said, companies are beginning to worry about how easy access to social networking and other online distractions is affecting employee productivity. How likely is it that those organizations will invest in a device designed specifically for those sorts of activities? Not very, King said.

Techno-Hip Exec Appeal

Still, analysts believe there are a few business scenarios where the iPad could provide value. King sees it as a stylish and highly portable tool for making presentations. It also works well as a means for regular business travelers to catch up on simple e-mail, read documents and e-books, and perform other tasks made easier by the iPad's larger format.

"We also believe that, like the iPhone, if companies initially resist the iPad's charms, next-generation devices will almost assuredly include additional business-friendly features," King said. "In fact, it would hardly be surprising if Apple attempts to address especially vociferous complaints during the two months until the iPad becomes commercially available."

Of course, it's likely that Apple will encourage its App Store developer partners to build some business tools and applications for the iPad. King won't be surprised to see "digital cognoscenti" and "techno-hip executives" toting an iPad, and that could cause the device to catch on in business circles.