How does an architect use his iPad to get the job done and what iPad apps help get him through his day? TiPb’s iPad at work contest aims to bring you just such slices of the iPad life. Here’s DomArch's answer and as a small token of thanks we’re sending him a $20 iTunes gift certificate. If you want to see your name up on the TiPb home page and get a gift certificate all your own, head on over to the TiPb iPad Forum and share your story now!
As an architect, I knew as soon as I saw the iPad it would be helpful for my young business, and maybe give me an edge over some of my competition. Right off the bat, I realized that it was the perfect presentation tool for showing clients my work. Unlike a laptop, the client can hold the iPad in their hands as the photo album's built-in slide show showcases my portfolio. It's hard to describe the difference, but it's somehow more "personal" when they can hold the images in their hands; in addition, its less awkward than a traditional photo portfolio as well. But once I got started with it, I realized that that was the tip of the iceberg.
On the go, I can bring drawings with me as PDFs, and reference them at meetings, something I used to do with my iPhone but which is even more useful on the iPad because of the larger screen. The Adobe Ideas app and the Penultimate app have been incredibly useful for sketching out concepts and notes during presentations and meetings. I've been able to work on proposals and written specifications using Pages and both the on-screen keyboard and a Bluetooth keyboard. In the office, it has become my defacto email and calendar machine, allowing my desktop to become almost a true dedicated cad station.
The iPad is already more useful to me than I hoped it would be, but even better, I can see there is so much potential for better and better apps to come. I can't wait to see what people come up with for this great device!
What about you? Are you an architect? If so, which apps do you use for your job?
