Don’t get me wrong. I love my iPad. There are just some thing that apple really didn’t think about the iPad when it comes to businesses. Unfortunately Apple has never really listen to businesses because they think they know what is best for everyone.

These items in this list are not any particular order.

1. Can’t authenticate or have a single sign on using something like Active directory.
2. Ending support on a device after 3 years is crazy! Did you know you can’t get any more updates on the first iPhone?
3. Pretty pricey considering all the enterprise things you can’t do with them.
4. Terrible for entering data
5. Very shiny. You might have to make the screen bright to read anything
6. Have you ever looked at the screen for finger prints? I bet you can guess what the person’s password is.
7. If you make the screen bright the battery life goes from Great to OK
8. Each iPad can ONLY be synced with one computer at a time.
9. You have to have at least 1 Credit card associated with EACH iPad/itunes account. What company would give that out!
10. Putting files onto the iPad is not easy because there is no input mechanism other than iTunes
11. You have to install iTunes on at least one computer
12. No way to centrally manage the iPad.
13. If someone puts a password on a device, resetting the password can be a pain in the but if they forget it. Can’t do it remotely.
14. You have to get a case for each iPad. They scratch very easily
15. Constantly cleaning the finger prints off screen
16. Installing extra apps on the device to read PDFs. By default you can’t read PDFs
17. Can’t play Flash
18. Can’t print
19. Charging Chord is ridiculously short. Can’t charge iPad unless off on most PCs.
20. Can’t easily connect to network Shares to get to documents
21. Can’t encrypt the device

The iPad is an entertainment device and not an enterprise device. It never will be an Enterprise level device unless they address #’s 1,2,4,6,8,9,10,11,12,13,16,18,20, 21

I am hoping Blackberry will allow companies to centrally manage their Playbooks when it comes out. Currently admins use BES to control everything about the Blackberries. That is the reason why RIM dominates the enterprise smartphone sector. If Apple doesn’t come up with something like that I can’t see them really making any REAL headway into the enterprise.

I saw a really funny pic on Facebook  the other day and I thought of it after the setup of the iPad.

You will see how setting up the iPad is like the “paying customer example”. While the setup really ticked me off, you will see I am pleasantly in love with my device.

The missing iPad manual – Un-packing the the iPad

When you get home from purchasing the iPad you are going to be very disappointed in a couple of things. There is no real manual and the tiny bit of information that is given will be obsolete as soon as you update your iPad.

The missing iPad manual – Setting up the iPad for it’s first use

First thing I recommend you do is charge the device for a couple of hours. Darn it. You probably wanted to use it right away right? Guess what? Because you can’t replace an iPad battery you really want to make sure you fully charge the device from the beginning.

Now that you charged the iPad you want to turn it on, connect it to your wireless router and read a few websites. Well… again you will be very un-happy. As soon as you turn on the device it say “connect to iTunes”. Apple no longer ships iTunes on a DVD. You have to download it. Again. You have to wait.

Ok. Now you download iTunes and install it. You now connect the iPad. Yippee. 3 hours later and I can finally read a freaking web page! Crap.. Disappointment again. Now it is asking me to enter a name for my iPad. Oh well this won’t take long.

What! Now I HAVE to enter my credit card number? WHAT??? Haven’t I given Apple enough? Ok. Enter the information. Side note. I don’t know about you but what kid has a credit card? Is this done yet? Nope. Now I need to create a freaking Apple ID?!?!? Ok enter that info. Then go to my email and confirm that I am who I say I am.

Just when you think you are done. There is an update from Apple. It will take around 10 minutes to apply this update. This update helps with battery power, the ability to play music in the background. It also changes the functionality of the switch above the volume buttons.

Picture this. Any company other then apple that makes devices. Let’s say your stove, your microwave or even your fridge manufacturer. Can you imagine if at some point say the button to broil get’s changed to the timer button? How about if you Microwave had a button that said “defrost” was changed to “Level High”.

1. Would you be upset?
2. Would you take that and then continue to say the company that does something like that is the BEST ever? Probably not!

Apple changed the position lock on the side to a Mute button. While I understand the device should have had a mute button and it should have gone where the position lock is located. They didn’t do that. They just get up one day and change it on you. I will show you later how to get that functionality back.

Just when you think things are done the darn thing needs a reboot.

Time to go to bed

The missing iPad manual – Tweaking the iPad

Questions I asked myself when setting up my iPad:

The missing iPad manual – How to install an Application on the iPad.

Let’s add some app? How do I do that. Well you can do it through the browser. Using your favorite search engine should bring you to the iTunes store page. It will tell you how much something costs or how to download it. Look for the applications I recommend that you download. You can also search for apps in iTunes on your computer.

The Missing iPad manual – Reading PDF

You need to download and install iBook in iTunes. Once downloaded you need to go to the file menue and import file into library. Pick your PDF’s and sync the iPad.

The Missing iPad manual – How to connect to a Wi-Fi network

Go to Settings – Wi-Fi – Make sure Wi-Fi is on, You select your wireless network and enter the password.

The Missing iPad manual – How to connect to delete an App off the iPad

To delete an application off the iPad you will need to hold down the icon on the iPad for a few seconds. When it starts to shake how you should see an “X”. Use this to delete the app. You can also do it in iTunes. iTunes doesn’t actually delete it. It just sends the file to your recycling bin.

The Missing iPad manual – How do I lock the screen position on the iPad since the patch?

Well here’s how it used to work (I Prefer it to the new way):

Now you have to

1. Make sure that you have the orientation that you want the iPad in.
2. hit the home button twice (quickly) – A menu on the bottom will now open up.
3. Slide your finger to the right.
4. Do this till you see an iTunes like interface. (It should normally only take one swipe)
5. On the right there is an Orange IPad symbol (Why orange???) and to the far left there is a circle with an arrow on it. If you touch it, it will put a lock symbol in the middle.

Now the screen won’t accidently flip on you.

The Missing iPad manual – How to save a picture off the internet on an iPad?

Touch the picture and hold down for a few seconds. You will be prompted to save the picture.

The Missing iPad manual – How to use Remote Desktop on the iPad

You have to pay for it but the only program I have found that does a good job is called “Desktop Connect”.

Is there anything else that a new iPad user might wonder how to setup on their iPad? Let me know!

Unlike the Dell’s and Hp’s of the world, Sony refuses to publish the hardware repair manual of their laptops. While most Designs are fairly straight forward, my Sony VGN-FW140D is very hard to get at things like the LCD inverter and Tube. I looked on their website and didn’t find any documentation. I then called Sony to see if they could email me the information. I spent nearly an hour on the phone. Just for them to in the end say, we don’t give that information out except to our Sony Authorized centers. I then told them I run my own computer repair business and asked how I could become one to get the information. They then told me I couldn’t become one.

I called Advance here in Winnipeg. After talking with the Tech he informed me that they don’t even do Sony repairs because Sony doesn’t even send them the repair info even though they were a Sony Authorized reseller! Believe it or not the are only 2 places in Canada that you can send your Sony in for repair. One is in Calgary and the other is in Toronto.

After doing more searches online I have seen some “repair documents” for other Sony machines and they are not pretty. They show how all the parts go together in one cramped little piece of paper. Non of the parts are labeled and with all the lines with for the screws almost blocks some very key parts!

I must say that I really really love the screen on this machine. I rivals an Apple MacBook Pro for color quality and design. Unfortunately when Sony is this bad I refuse to support them. Speaking with money (or lack there of) is sometimes the only way companies will stand up and listen.

PS – I still think Dell is the best when it comes to repair manuals. Everything is laid out nice. They have all the docs right on their website. When you order a part they also include instructions inside the box.

To reinstall your laptop to the factory settings / "out of the box" settings, please follow these steps. It worked for me, and should work for you.

ALL DATA WILL BE ERASED ON YOUR HARD DRIVE IF YOU PROCEED. YOU WILL NEED TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE THE POWER ADAPTER PLUGGED IN. DO NOT SWITCH OFF OR RESTART YOUR COMPUTER DURING THIS PROCESS.

1. Hold down the power button for 10 (ten) seconds to switch off your machine.
   Please note: Holding down the power button on the machine forces it to switch off. Any unsaved data will be lost.
2. Press and hold the 0 (zero) key and at the same time, tap the power button once to switch on your notebook.
3. When the machine Starts beeping; release the 0 key.
4. When prompted by the warning screen; select Yes to continue with the system recovery.
5. Select Recovery of Factory Default Software; click Next.
6. Select Recover to out-of-box state. Click Next again.
7. Click Next to Start recovery.

I hope you find this step by step solution helpful for you.

A small portion of drive space on your new My Passport or My Book hard drive has been used to create a Virtual CD (VCD). The VCD contains the WD SmartWare installation software, the encryption and password protection application, User Manuals, and other resource files. The VCD looks like an actual CD volume and appears on the screen each time you connect your WD drive to the computer.

The VCD is necessary if you wish to install WD SmartWare or if you want to use the encryption and password protection features on the drive.

If you don’t wish to run WD SmartWare or use the security features, you can disable the VCD following the steps below. The VCD can be re-enabled by running the VCD Manager.

I love the look and durability of Western Digital’s MyBook. I normally recommend these drives to home and small businesses for backup devices. The last few versions of MyBook’s come with a Virtual drive that tries to install some backup software and other “goodies” that small businesses don’t usually need. In fact I tend to find this software causes some issues on servers. I wish Western Digital would give a more automated process of removing the Virtual CD drive when you first plug in the device. *hint*,*hint* WD.

1.) Plug the device into a computer but not on a Server. You’re going to have to download some software and most servers block downloads via policies.

2.) When you first plug it in it is going to ask you to install some software. Just like you learned when you were a kid “Just say no to bad software”.

3.) You will have to download some software from Western Digital to remove the WD SmartWare Virtual Drive. To do this go to this website. Once there you have to select the version of WF Mybook you own. In my case it is just the plain jane MyBook drive.

4.) Click wether you are on a PC or Mac. I chose PC.

5.) You are going to need to click the utilities button on the right side of the screen (See screenshot)

6.) Clicking on the utilities button should bring you to this page.

Here is the steps that WD recommends using to remove the software:

There are two steps to this update. You’ll find detailed instructions below.

Step 1: Update the drive firmware (recommended)

Step 2: Download and run the VCD Manager.

IMPORTANT: The following precautions should be taken before installing the firmware update.

• Before updating the firmware on your My Book or My Passport drive, make sure you have an additional copy of your important information.
• Do not disconnect your My Book or My Passport drive during the firmware update process, as this could potentially render the drive unusable.
• All AntiVirus software MUST be disabled.
• All Anti-Spyware software MUST be disabled.
• ANY and ALL programs that would require drive access during the update MUST be disabled .

Step 1: Update the Drive Firmware  (last updated 8/5/10)

1. Disconnect all external drives from the computer except for the My Book or My Passport drive you want to update.
2. Ensure that the My Book or My Passport drive is connected to a USB port on your computer and if you have password protected your drive, make sure to unlock it or remove password before you begin the firmware and software update process.
3. Download the Firmware Updater for Windows.
   
4. Unzip the file and double click the Firmware Updater for Windows.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the firmware update.
6. Turn off the drive – For My Passport, disconnect the USB cable. For My Book disconnect both USB and power cables.
7. Wait 10 seconds. Reconnect the USB/power cables.

Step 2: Download and Run the VCD Manager  (last updated 9/16/10)

1. Download VCD Manager for Windows to your desktop.
   
2. Unzip the utility and double click to open the file.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to hide the VCD.
4. Turn off the drive – For My Passport, disconnect the USB cable. For My Book disconnect both USB and power cables.
5. Wait 10 seconds. Reconnect the USB/power cables. The VCD should now be hidden.

1. Come up with a way to get ipad apps working FLAWLESSLY on the Blackberry Playbook. This would most likely involve using a conversion process. We all know it’s the apps that made the ipad the ipad. By allowing Blackberry users to have access to thousands of apps right of the hop would be a huge boon to RIM. They should offer this as a FREE software download and make it very user friendly.
2. Make sure to tweak the powersetting on the device. Because it is so much more powerfull then the ipad they have to make sure it isn’t a juice bug.
3. Don’t forget who where you came from and who REALLY loves you RIM! Businesses are what got you to where you are. Make sure that the devices are secure and play well in business environments. Remember it’s the consumer market where your image will come from. Don’t play second fiddle to Apple or Google.
4. Continue to improve BES. BES is a server software that allows Blackberry to sync with Server Software like Microsoft Exchange. Honestly this is the one two punch because there is no other phone provider that allows you to do this. If it wasn’t for BES Rim you’d be in MUCH worse shape. I applaud you for giving BES express away free to small businesses.
5. Make sure that it looks good and feels good. You also have to make sure it more rugged then the ipad.

What do you think?

I will first go over how to change the Blackberry Maximum Security time on Blackberry Manager:

On the Home screen click on:

1. Global Properties
2. IT Policy
3. In IT Policies click the “…” box
4. Select the policy you want to change
5. Click Properties…
6. Click Device-Only Items
7. Select Maximum Security Timeout

Your screen should look like this:

When entering the number keep in mind you can’t just enter any number. You have to follow what Blackberry wants you to set as the Maximum Security Timeout Policy.

The numbers you can use are:

So for example 3hrs is not an option. You can however select 2hrs or 4hrs.

How to change the Blackberry Maximum Security timeout in the Administration Service

This is the replacement for Blackberry Manager. I find it is much easier to find the Blackberry Maximum Security timeout setting in this application.

To change the security timeout follow these steps:

1. Login to the web interface
2. Click on Policy
3. Click “Manage IT Policies”.
4. Click on the IT policy.

In the policy Click on “Edit policy

Click on Device only.

Click on the The Maximum Security Timeout text box. The valid range for the value of this rule is 10 through 480 minutes.

Change the Blackberry Maximum Security Timeout on the Blackberry phone:

Once you have changed the policy on the server or if you aren’t under policy control then you can easily change the settings on the phone:

Change the Security timeout to what ever time the device will allow you to change it to.

Thomas: We are pleased to announce that magicJack customers have now received our latest magicJack upgrade. This upgrade includes the following benefits:

Thomas: -Less bugs

Thomas: -Superior call quality

Thomas: -Works on Windows and Mac

Thomas: -Easy to use

Thomas: -and much more

Thomas: There may be some magicJack users that will no longer have their past contact list available. Please create a new contact list. Our latest upgrade, with advanced features should prevent this from ever happening again. We apologize for any inconvenience. We are not be able to restore contact list.

We are not able to restore contact lists? Did you tell me about the upgrade?

NO!

Did you warn this could be an issue?

NO!

Is there a way to backup contacts?

NO!

Is all my phone history gone?

YES!