Tested with a macbook pro and a mac mini server, each sharing the iTunes library to a first generation iPad.
Requires:

• shared local wifi connection
• ios 4.3 device
• iTunes 10.2 or greater on a Mac or PC
• An AppleID

A.  Enable Home Sharing in iTunes on primary iTunes machine(s) 

 --  In iTunes menu .. Advanced->Turn on home sharing..  enter AppleID when prompted

B.  Tap into the Home Sharing from the iPad 

 -- Settings->iPod->Home Sharing.. enter the identical AppleID used on the Home Sharing machine when prompted

C.  In the iPod app on the iPad

 --  Tap the "Library" icon in the list of available media.  A "Home Sharing" panel appears which allows switching from "My iPad" to any listed shared libraries.  

Shared libraries automatically appear to iOS 4.3 devices when they are on the same wireless network, using the same AppleID credentials.  The network setup is zero config for the user in other words.

In Pictures:

iPad Favs folder listing from library "My iPad" , listing is from last sync, not from sharing.

Select a different shared library.  Share names are based upon user login names for machine in question.  "Doug Brethower" on macbook pro, "dougbrethower" on mac mini server.

Note in this case, a couple of music videos are now available in the iTunes share, that were not available from iPad syncing.  Ritchie Blackmore's "Man on the Silver Mountain" and Robin Trower's "Bridge of Sighs"

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ritchie-blackmores-rainbow/id404206

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bridge-of-sighs/id263386585

Unlike any of the competition, Apple, updates are:

• incremental
• easy
• include new features that people actually want
• old features remain intact 

http://www.apple.com/ios/

Apple shows no indications of slowing to let competition catch up.  

Rather they seem bent on increasing the speed of innovation, while lowering hardware costs.

Manufacturers report orders that would equate to roughly 65 million iPads available in 2011 based upon screen purchases.  "DigiTimes, which has good sources in Apple's Asian supply chain, regularly publishes credible reports about Cupertino's production plans. This is not one of them."  --  http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/12/29/65-million-ipads-in-2011-not-likely  They go on to say that they do believe in the possibility of 45 to 48 million iPads shipping in 2011.

Using articles strictly gleaned from Fortune Apple blog, If Apple wanted to sell 65 million iPads in 2011, how would they do it?

Reduce the Price

iPad already sold direct for $429

Sell them for $399 per.  That is in line with what people believe they are worth.  If that doesn't keep them flying off shelves, drop the price to $350.  http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/12/02/how-much-is-an-ipad-worth

Production costs for iPad estimated at $230.  http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10451132-1.html  Add front and rear facing cameras as per Touch 4G at slight additional cost.  Maintain a healthy profit margin on each sale, while competition struggles to gain traction for lack of sufficient volume to obtain similarly favorable component prices and profits.

Remove the Mothership Requirement

Make the iPad stand-alone capable.  This needs to happen someday, make it soon.  It is not beyond the realm of possibility or even probability.  All that is required is some server power.  It makes the iPad an infinitely simpler sale to a casual consumer.

The North Carolina facility could take the place of a mothership for iPads, making them stand alone self-sufficient computing devices.  http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/10/27/apples-invisible-server-farm/

To maintain some margin, possibility of subscription based ~$5 per month for guaranteed backup storage and similar amenities that were formerly provided by a connection to a local computer system.

It really works, and it really works slick.

Get the Find My iPhone app , install it on the iPad.

First time it opens, you will be prompted to sign up for the free version of Mobile Me if you are not already a Mobile Me subscriber.  The current free version is dedicated simply to finding iDevices.

Then on a computer, login in to http://me.com and enter the Mobile Me credentials that apply to the device to be found.

Find iPhone, Searching

Find iPhone, Found

Find iPhone, Send Message

Find iPhone, Message Finished

What it looks and sounds like on the iPad.  http://lakedata.net/index.php/eng/Apple/Find-My-iPhone

Multi-tasking on the iPad .. http://www.gilsmethod.com/multitask-ipad-ios42

PDF files, the Portable Document Format is a standard way to communicate electronically across platforms.  The advantage is that documents render visibly the same on Windows, Apple, Linux and unix operating systems, with no additional software required.  That makes the PDF format ideal for email communications, and document storage.

Creating PDF Files

In Mac OS X, creating a PDF is easy.  From any application with print functionality, print to PDF is a button click that selects PDF format rather than sending the job to the printer.

Print to PDF in OS X

Then the pdf file can be emailed as an attachment or stored for future reference.

iTunes

PDF capability is a well hidden feature in the latest releases of iTunes.  

When e-Books became available for sale in the iTunes store, pdf storage came along for the ride.  iTunes is a dead simple way to store and distribute pdf documents, especially onto mobile devices .

1.  Print your content to PDF.  I just re-discovered some excellent content by Martin Bauer on the Web.  The old way is to print this to paper and stuff it in a cabinet or drawer.  Later it is "Let me think, which rathole did I stick it in?"

Now it is simply Print to PDF, save it to the desktop with a descriptive name of "Martin Bauer Content MMT Missing Link"

2.  Next, drag and drop this PDF creation from desktop onto the iTunes icon.  If Books was not already a listing in the left pane of the window along with Music, Movies, etc, it now appears.

PDF Files Listing in iTunes

3.  The file remains on the desktop, delete it, email it, whatever else needs done with it immediately.

4.  The PDF file now syncs with iPhones, iPads, mobile devices in accordance with iTunes settings for the device.

PDF Books on iPad

5.  Also, the PDF file may be restored to anywhere in the file system on demand.  Drag and drop it from iTunes to the desired location.

I know how much everybody likes to buy printer ink and finely hammered out dead trees, but when you don't have the time or money, this can make a handy interim solution.

Bonus

An added bonus, is that once in iTunes, the PDF document can be categorized using the same folder structures used to organize music collections.  That way a single file can automagically appear in numerous folder locations as needed, without creating multiple copies or shuffling the file about.

On a Mac OS X desktop, a Spotlight search will locate key search terms within PDF documents located in the iTunes structures.  Finding reference material then becomes as easy as Command-Spacebar and start typing.

Create folders in iTunes to organize PDF files

Filed under random thoughts.

Organizations strike gold when they serving 90 percent of people in a given market, with 100 percent of what they actually need.

Easiest to sneak in there when the 90 percent do not even understand the core functionality, or that they need it.  Best to be sure dedicated newbies can pick it up and use it over a long week-end.  Be sure everyone in the target group can easily afford the price of admission.

• DOS
• Apache
• MySQL
• PHP
• Google
• iTunes and iPod
• Twitter
• Apple iPad

Then be willing to say this is it.

 
While continuously improving, incrementally, regularly, in ways that the vast majority of users understand, so they do not get lost. (Vista, too long, not incremental).

Besides that, an idea only has to survive long enough in the target market to make enough connections while people adapt to change.  People are extraordinarily resistant to change, so that will not be overnight.  The more complex, the more time required.

Except for the iPad.  Relative to any of the rest, it is a true overnight sensation.  All it required was a few years and tens of millions of satisfied iPhone and Touch users to seed the market.  Stark simplicity in a field dominated by complexity didn't hurt.

Generally, the more parameters involved, the more complex the design, the longer time to market domination or the more impossible to dominate.

DOS, twitter, Google, almost instant market domination.  Very simple, yet great ideas that few initially understood.

Apache started out with 100 percent market domination and 100 percent of the mindset, so they had nowhere to go but down.

Not sure where that leaves PHP and MySQL.  

PHP was easy for a dedicated hobbyist programmer to pick up over a long weekend and hack something together.  The popular alternative of the day, perl was relatively incomprehensible as was the code it generated.

MySQL was both easy and cheap.  Likely that is why it did not take it long to dominate a market ruled by costly and complex.

Next up in user level operating systems, OS X orUbuntu?  Much more likely it will be ios and Android. Easy, cheap, do 100 percent of what 90 percent need.

For small business server systems, OS X on the Mini Server is perfectly positioned, easy, cheap, 100 percent for 90 percent.

Content management on the Web, eZ Publish, easy, cheap, 100 percent for 90 percent.  After install and setup that is.  Then anyone can use it.  Importantly, if everyday users with a little web development experience want to get in and tweak, they can find their "tweak point" and attack it over a long weekend.

Now I understand why I like the iPad, the Mini Server, and eZ Publish so well!  They embody the future of technology.  The three together are practically a self-sufficient technology ecosystem, that is oh so simple to setup and use, yet can be tweaked to easily serve 100 percent of the info tech needs for 90 percent of the users.

Apple Market Capitalization

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/09/23/apples-market-cap-hits-262-88-billion/

Innovation energizes people, re-invigorates stale processes and adds VALUE top to bottom!

Every day, more businesses reap the rewards.

• "With hundreds of iPads already in employees’ hands and thousands more in the works, Hyatt keeps finding new ways to use iPad to streamline operations."  --  http://www.apple.com/ipad/business/profiles/hyatt-hotels/
• "We use Apple technology to boost customer loyalty, improve productivity and employee morale, and maintain reliable, low-cost operations,” says Caswell  --  http://www.apple.com/business/profiles/roastingplant/  
• "Ideal for both communications and training"  --  http://www.apple.com/business/profiles/ocsd/  

The iPad is the highest-scoring product that American Consumer Satisfaction Index has ever tracked .

More.. 

http://www.apple.com/business/profiles/  

http://www.apple.com/ipad/business/profiles/

Apple, and their customers, are on a roll.

Not to get hopes up, but definitely a development that bears watching and further research.

Reported in SF Weekly August 11, 2010  -- http://www.sfweekly.com/2010-08-11/news/ihelp-for-autism/

With all of Apple's work in accessibility , do you wonder if they may have had some idea already?

You may want to save the info somewhere for future reference instead of just the link.  I think this is one of those sites that expire content for non-subscribers.

When I tried the print button on the SF Weekly site, it first blew up the Safari browser, then loaded a single blank page dated December 31, 1969 a couple of times.

Toggling Reader Mode in Safari Browser

When I switched into "Reader" mode, thinking I would have to to print a page at a time, the whole story appeared without advertising.  Fourteen pages quickly printed to PDF for later reference.

14 pages when printed to PDF using Reader view

While tidying up this blog entry, I tried loading the article using the SF Weekly print button and it worked.  So maybe just a temporary glitch on their site.  

Still interesting how easily the Reader view in Safari got the site to cough up the whole article in one chunk. 

The iPad surely holds the current title as the leading personal sized multipurpose digital device of all time.

A category possibly began by the Newton?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton_(platform)  

I personally would never get an iPad for a kid.  They will do fine with a Touch for a lot less money.  iPads are for the whole family, or older users that want to cross the digital divide without all the tech mumbo jumbo of computers.  Good vision and great dexterity, required on the ipod Touch, are not necessities on the much larger surface of the iPad.

An app paradigm enforces simple, discreet, focused applications.  Priced at free, or not a whole lot of money each, they allow people to focus on what they want to do, instead of the technology that may be required to do it.

A full fledged laptop or even a netbook may be able to do most of this, but not nearly as simply or to the same level of user interface quality.  Portability and battery life are other considerations that favor the iPad.  And the possibilities are just beginning to be explored.  This affordable, medium sized touch screen has only been out a few months, expect more great things as the technology matures.

An internet connection is required for some, but by no means all of these features.

Alarm Clock  --Built in, Calendar with alarms

Audio mixer  --App http://www.groovemaker.com/ipad/features/  Free and $9.99 versions

Audio player  -- see iPod

Audio recorder  --App, Voice Memo  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/voice-memos-for-ipad/id364295267  $1.98

Calculator  --App Pcalc http://www.pcalc.com/iphone/index.html  $9.99 or free lite version

Computer Terminal Display  --App iSSH http://www.zinger-soft.com/iSSH_features.html  $9.99

Computer Productivity Suite  --Apps, numerous, including MS file types --  http://www.dataviz.com/products/documentstogo/iphone/index.html?device_id=735  $14.99

Computer Monitor , Second Screen --App, Air Display http://avatron.com/apps/air-display/  $9.99

Dictation machine  --App, Dragon dictation  http://www.nuance.com/news/pressreleases/2010/20100402_iPad.asp  Free --  Internet connection required

Digital Picture Frame  --Built in

Doodling  

 Finger Painting --  http://www.phonedog.com/2010/04/16/ipad-app-review-doodle-buddy/  

 Etch-a-Sketch/drawing tablet --  http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/incredible-beyonce-ipad-finger-painting

eReader , for viewing and reading, or have text read aloud to you. --Built in 

 --Apps are many, digital Yellow Pages are free, internet connection required --  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/white-yellow-pages/id349502924  Free

Fax machine  --App, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fax-print-share-for-ipad/id363282155  $8.99 + per fax charges

Game Controller  with wii like motion sensor 

 --Apps, too numerous to count, cards, chess, right on up to modern day 

 --  http://www.tuaw.com/2010/05/25/tchess-pro-for-ipad-is-very-very-good/

Gaming Display  for multiple devices --App  http://www.padracers.com/  $4.99

iPod  --Built in, audio, video player

Lighting and special effects  

 --From free to whatever you want to pay, flashlight, strobes, etc. 

 --  http://ibeams.gedalia.net/

Mobile email and Web browsing  --Built in,  wifi standard, 3g cellular service option

Music player  -- See iPod

Navigation System , Maps are built in, require internet connection. 

 --App, http://www.alk.com/it/copilot/ipad/  $29.99

PDA/PIM  Personal Information Manager, Simple Version --Built in 

 --Works with Exchange  http://www.apple.com/ipad/business/

PDA/PIM Complex  Too numerous to count 

 --For example works with Sharepoint http://southlabs.com/detail.aspx?id=SharePlus  $9.99

Remote Control  for Home Entertainment 

 --App http://itunes.apple.com/app/remote/id284417350  Free 

 --Apps to control many popular home media solutions

Thumb Drive , mobile file storage --  Built in, requires custom setup in iTunes

Touch Screen Display

 --App, home automation http://www.perceptiveautomation.com/indigo/touch.html  Controls other hardware and software. 

  --App Malaysia Airlines http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/25/malaysia-airlines-now-offers-ipad-check-in-video/

Walkie Talkie or Intercom  --App  http://iphonemart.net/application/bluetooth-walkie-talkie/  99 cents

Weather Station  --App http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-weather-channel-max-for/id364252504  Free, ad supported

A phone dialer, like the ones you could hold up to any handset, does that simple touch tone tech work any more?  If so, it would be handy to output the tones through the iPad speaker to dial numbers from any phone.  Could not find that capability anywhere, if it is available.  Possibly there is no longer need in the cell phone world of today. 

Roughly $3,000 worth of electronic paraphernalia if purchased individually.  Likely nobody needs them all, but by replacing just a few, the cost of the iPad may be largely offset.  All built into one thin package with excellent tech support for the hardware and basic operating system.   Mobile life tech support showdown results at http://www.laptopmag.com/mobile-life/tech-support-showdown-2010.aspx?page=15  And remember, it has only been four months after first release.  The best is yet to come, as software matures based upon how people actually use the device.

The iPad gives a simplified pathway to digital media in an increasingly digital world.  Nobody needs to know, nobody need care whether it is a device or a computer. --  http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/ipad_the_first_real_family_computer.php

iPad home page  --  http://www.apple.com/ipad/business

The real magic is how quickly innovation begets innovation, as decision makers are given an "awesome" new tool that allows thinking outside the box.  Then the focus turns squarely toward improving the flow of information, outside of classic Information Technology constraints.

The question is no longer "how to input xx into a spreadsheet".  It is how best to track the number of bolts in bin 21.

DRY

The old database mantra of DRY, Don't Repeat Yourself, comes to mind immediately.

The current, soon to be classic way, repeat yourself.  Buy everyone a spreadsheet, teach everyone how to use a spreadsheet.  Try to figure out a way they can all collaborate with their spreadsheets.

The new way, real time updates of just the critical piece of information needed.

Information transfer can now be in the simplest formats for provider and consumer.  Use email or a lightweight Web form.  Fill it out just in time.  Post it wherever needed on the network.  The information is immediately available, has traveled the shortest path to get there, and is not duplicated elsewhere.  

From that point, with all info digital, data is easily archived, searched, and transferred as needed.  Data management finally gets simpler than pen and paper, instead of so complex that nobody knows for sure what the heck is going on.

Data as data.  

Use plain text, an email, a video chat, whatever works for the worker .

Some of the financially oriented types may still want to put some of this data into a spreadsheet.  Nothing wrong with that.

But there is no longer a need to force everyone into learning and using spreadsheets just because that is the only thing the financial types understand.

There is no longer a need for archaic duplications of user interfaces, softwares, training.  Productivity gains should be noticeable, as the burden of artificially imposed data management practices is lifted from the shoulders of people who just want to do their jobs.

We will look back on these days and wonder how people ever got anything done.  All the time wasted working on computers, when all that was needed was the right devices and some architectural information management.

How much Apple can a shoe box hold?

A lot. Apple is a devices and innovation company above all else.

First in is the Mini Server

A terabyte of storage and full server capabilities including file, database, email, Web serving, and podcast producing all on an unlimited client access license.

http://www.apple.com/macmini/server/

Next the Touch and Nano

The Touch  can do about 95 percent of what most people need in the way of information technology, and is easily slipped into a pocket.  Unlike the iPhone, no camera is included.  Also no long term service contracts!  Other than that, much the same device.  At least until the new iPhone starts shipping.

 --  http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/

The Nano  is an engineering feat that any manufacturer would be hard pressed to match.  

8 or 16 gigs of digital media storage for music, video, photos, and podcasts.  Also:

• Voice memos
• A pedometer
• Built in microphone and speakers
• Video camera with special effects
• FM radio tuner with live pause and resume
• Stop watch
• Alarms
• Calendar
• World Clocks
• Address book
• Notes

And a real pretty little screen in a package that weighs less than two ounces. 

 -- http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/

The inevitable iPad

A pretty good stack of them can fit in a shoebox with Touches and Nano's and Mini.  In this setting, it becomes obvious how well an iPad fits where nothing else does, device-wise.  Big enough, but small enough. --  http://www.apple.com/ipad/

Cloud computing with server and clients, within the form factor of a shoe box.

Macbook Pro is a Monster

Pictured is a 15" model.  It will not fit.  Laptops are kind of taking over the old roles of workstations.  They are a nice form factor with a real keyboard and major processing power..  Carry it in one arm, a shoe box in the other, and be ready for just about any information challenge or just having fun.