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The answer is YES. 8 reasons to buy an iPad for your team room.

Will you buy an iPad?  That was the question.


8 reasons to buy an iPad for your team room.

  1. Easy to carry to meeting (compared to laptop and power supply).
  2. Makes a person look smart compared to the person with the laptop, power supply, wired mouse, wired web cam that needs to get up and walk around the conference table to get a close-up shot of the white board.
  3. Apps that are designed to work instantly and quickly give the information you need without minutes of drill-down menu clicking and searching.
  4. Instant on (compared to opening a laptop that has its lid shut - because shutting the lid is a sign that you are present and paying attention to the meeting).
  5. Everybody else is doing it.
  6. Having fun is a goal for everyone (even your boss).
  7. Have a need - there is an App for that, 65000 of them.
  8. Facetime - video calls that just work.

Want to connect remote Agile teams?  I suggest you buy an iPad 2 for each team location.  Use it as the video conference system - cost $1000 (2 wifi iPads).  Benefit - instant easy access to the members of the other team via a shared video conference system that is portable, easy to setup, easy to use, gives high quality images.  And does more than just video - it becomes a communication tool. 

April 13th UPDATE:  I mentioned this to a colleague and he suggested that if one could link the FaceTime video on the iPad 2 with Apple TV via the AirPlay protocol then one would have an awesome video conference tool.  Imagine the easy of use with two remote locations using iPads with FaceTime chatting and the ability to put the remote video on the big screen (Apple TV large screen TV or projector).

I don't believe Apple has enabled this video sharing over AirPlay... yet.  But I've asked for it.

May 2012 - UPDATE:  Team Bazinga! at dis-located Scrum stand-up (Dallas & Poland) meet via iPad (unfortunately a Skype one sided video call) and PC.  Use of a very portable video camera is obviously in use.





Related Links:

Bashing the iPad - but will you purchase? Jan 2010

The Macalope Weekly: Say, this iPad thing may really take off

What competes with an iPad? 

What replaces co-location in Agile?

Agile tools for your iPhone/iPad

Long Distance Communication Timeline  it ends at FaceTime

Comments

David said…
Will FaceTime work with AppleTV via AirPlay?

If so then I'm thinking the iPad 2 will make the best video conference tool on the market. With a $100 AppleTV on your conference room flat screen you now have any remote team member on screen easy-breezy.
David said…
A good 2010 article on FaceTime and the open/integrated protocols used by Apple vs the closed protocols used by other video calling systems (Skype).

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/06/08/inside_iphone_4_facetime_video_calling.html&page=1