The iPad is going to change the engineering world

The iPad has landed, and the computing world will never be the same. That goes for our little corner of that world in engineering and design, too.

Before I go any further, I'd like to state that I am not a "Mac fanboy." I've never owned a Mac, and even when I was working with them at the University of Rochester 20 years ago, where Macs outnumbered PCs 20 to 1, I firmly believed that Microsoft was going to become the world standard desktop computing plaform -- which it inarguably has.

That being said, in the mobile world, the iPhone has set the standard. If you're looking to do something on a mobile device, chances are it'll be available in the iPhone. And with the innovation that Apple has enabled with the platform, people are doing things on their iPhones that nobody would believe could be done on a small mobile device just a few years ago.

So when Apple announced the iPad a few months ago, I was very curious. The iPhone can do lots of things -- users can Tweet, Facebook, blog and even look at 3D models with 3DVIA Mobile. But the small form factor that makes it perfect as a smartphone also limits it's ability to do the things that can be done with a larger screen, such as a laptop or netbook. On the other hand, a netbook really isn't a device that can be used as naturally as an iPhone; the desktop-oriented nature of Windows gets in the way. Enter the iPad.

The iPad has only been out for a few days, and things are changing rapidly. Already, I have used SolidWorks Lab's "Drawings Now" to view uploaded SolidWorks drawings, and while  the 3DVIA Mobile app for the iPhone doesn't look all that great scaled-up on the iPad, it works.

Using a $12 remote desktop connection app, I am also able to connect to my Dell M90 wirelessly, and use full-blown eDrawings that way. It's pretty slow to rotate 3D models over the remote connection, but for 2D drawings it works quite well. I can double-tap zoom into views, use the measure function, and even a few of the redline tools. It's not perfect, but I'm doing all this stuff on a device that's only been out for 72 hours using tools that weren't designed for the iPad in the first place.

Oh, yeah -- I've also dropped the PDF versions of the SolidWorks and Enterprise PDM Installation and Admin guides, the What's New In SolidWorks 2010 document, and a few technical whitepapers. Folks, as an e-reader the iPad is a no-brainer. I've got about twenty pounds worth of printed material in the iPad right now, and they are available any time, right alongside any computer I'm using -- just like a printed manual or library book. Except these electronic books have hyperlinks in their tables of contents :)

As time goes on, I am sure there will be bigger and better things coming for the iPad with respect to engineering data access (and even content creation, I believe). Stay tuned to SolidNotes and I'll be sure to give updates as they happen.

But I can say this: the iPad really is a game-changer.

Comments

[Mark Kannel]

nicely done, Jeff. Thanks for the good read.

[Alex Meyer]

I am planning on picking up an iPad when the 3G models come out and cannot wait to see what sort of exciting engineering apps come out for it. It's nice to see that the engineering community is already starting to analyze where the iPad might best fit in. As a manufacturing engineer I would love to be able to call up drawings on the floor and sketch things out for operators.

[CAD man]

It won't change my world because I don't want one. Also because there plenty of other devices out and coming out that can do everything that the ipad does and so much more. I really don't understand the fixation. It's a phone with a big screen that's completely locked down unless you crack the super secure uncrackable device, which by the way has already been done. So take that same money and buy a real engineering device with twice the hardware, software and freedom.
But, to each his own.

[Jeff Setzer]

I believe the iPad as a platform works as well as it does because it has more oversight than other platforms, and I think the iPhone has already proved that out. Installing and running software is a no-brainer on the iDevices, which isn't the case on Windows. In our own technical support activities with customers, we see more and more problems with people installing software without sufficient privileges, or having other software interfere during the process, or having something else install later and then break something that was installed beforehand. The average person just wants to say "install" and "run" and have it work -- they don't want to know about the Windows Registry, or access levels, or manually shutting down anti-virus or anti-spyware.

[fcsuper]

Sorry, I'm not buying this, nor am I going to buy the iPad.