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Just Two

By on March 8, 2012 in Apps, Legal Workflows, Opinion

I recently met with some lawyers to prepare an “iPad for Lawyers” presentation. I wanted to see how these lawyers were using the iPad so I could tailor my presentation to their work.

The small firm I met with had recently implemented an almost completely paperless workflow. They used iPads almost exclusively when presenting at hearings. They were readers of Tabletlegal and other legal/tech blogs, had heard my prior presentations about using the iPad and one had even attended TECHSHOW. In other words, these lawyers were not technophobes nor new to the iPad.

We talked a little bit about workflows generally before turning to discuss the apps they use to run their practice. I paged to a fresh sheet in my Moleskine expecting to take down a long list of new and old favorites. Instead, the more senior attorney answered simply:

Just two. Dropbox and PDF Expert.

The younger associate echoed the response.

Same for me. Oh, and sometimes I use Keynote.

To read the legal tech blogs (this one included), one might guess that a power user would need 10, 20 or more apps to truly incorporate the iPad into his or her practice. It’s no surprise, really, considering the headlines:

  • “Best apps…!”
  • “Top apps…!”
  • my favorite, “Must have apps…!”
  • and the jam packed “60 Apps in 60 Minutes”

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with these roundups or the apps in them. Heck no. To be sure, I’ve created and delivered these compendia myself and will be so doing so again in March at the ABA TECHSHOW. A curated list from someone you trust can be a great way to weed through the hundreds of thousands of apps on the App Store. But the story of the lawyer only needing two apps is more than an isolated anecdote. I’ve seen the same thing with other lawyers as well as in my own practice. While new apps are fun to explore and the stuff that drives many tech blogs, the answer for most of us can be much simpler.

With the exception of the built in apps (mainly Mail), an overwhelming majority of my iPad practice revolves around just four apps: PDF Expert, Notesy, Keynote and only just recently CloudOn. Sure, I use Reeder and Instapaper to consume news, but to make the stuff of my practice, the list is pretty short.

Does that make me any less of a “power user”? I don’t know. The way I see it, a power user doesn’t necessarily use more apps. To me, a power user is a person that gets more yield from the same amount (or less) of effort. For many people (perhaps especially lawyers), more apps can just create friction.

I think this is actually a great thing for a lawyer on the fence about whether to include the iPad or any other piece of technology into his or her practice. It doesn’t take a complicated workflow of apps, duct tape and bailing twine to make it work. Even for someone like me who has used the iPad since day 1 and downloaded hundreds of apps, the few apps I’ve settled on are all I need. When I think about my iPad workflow, I’m more interested in increasing my yield/effort ratio on the few apps I use than adding more tools to the drawer.

Spending time with apps or tuning your workflow is expensive time. You can’t bill for it and worse yet, it’s time not spent with your family, friends or whatever else you love. So if you are considering the iPad or other technology in your practice, don’t sweat the apps. You may find yourself enjoying greater productivity with just a handful.

Or maybe just two.

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iPad 3 Rumors Roundup

By on February 15, 2012 in Opinion

Rumors are flying fast and thick about the iPad 3, so I thought I’d throw together a quick summary along with my thoughts about what we might see.

  • Launch Date. I think the reports of an announcement for the iPad 3 on March 7 are probably accurate. That doesn’t mean the iPad will be available that day. Apple has dropped new iPads on a Friday (iPad 2 released at 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 11, 2011) and on a Saturday morning (iPad 1 released 9:00 a.m. Saturday, April 3, 2010). Based on this, I’d expect the iPad 3 as early as Friday, March 9th or Saturday, March 10th. I just hope it is released before I have to go to Chicago for ABA TechShow on March 28th.
  • Retina Display. You can count on this. Expect the same size display with 2048×1536 resolution, double that of the iPad 1 and 2. I expect the March 7 announcement will display apps that take advantage of this extra resolution, like Infinity Blade 2 and Real Racing.
  • 8 inch iPad?. No way, no how. I don’t care what you read in the Verge, I just can’t see Apple adding an 8 inch iPad to its product line up. Doesn’t fit the story of their other devices, doesn’t have a compelling use case, nothing. I do suspect that they test other size devices all the time for research reasons or just to throw off technology blogs, but this is nothing that will ever see the light of day.
  • 4G/LTE. Despite being more or less confirmed by Apple’s unofficial media outlet the Wall Street Journal, I’m skeptical. Unless the iPad 3 is as thick as my old Property Law hornbook, I don’t see how it will be able to drive the new Retina display and support a (notoriously power hungry) 4G radio while still offering the same battery life.
  • Thicker. From what I’ve read about the new Retina display, a slightly thicker form factor seems likely to accommodate the additional battery. Anyone with a form fitting may still be in luck. The predictions call for only a 1 mm increase in thickness.
  • Better Camera. You bet. In fact, a thicker device makes it easier for Apple to include a better camera. All that said, I’ve never used the rear facing camera on my iPad 2 and I only use the front facing camera to video conference or FaceTime chat. This is not terribly important to me.
  • A6 Chip. I think the faster, A6 chip is a given. What we don’t know is whether it will be quad core. Latest rumors I have read point to a dual core A6 chip with improved GPU, but no quad core. I’d think the graphics bump in the GPU is more important to driving the new display than quad core. That said, I can’t think of a time I’ve complained about the processing speed of the iPad. This is more one for the developers: apps we haven’t even seen yet. I won’t miss a quad core, but would love to see what developers can squeeze out of it.
  • Siri. I can’t think of any reason why Siri would not be included. I’d love for this to be the case as I am constantly holding the home button of my iPad expecting Siri to accept my voice commands. I’ll be glad when that muscle memory is not going in vain.
  • iPad 2 Discontinued? I don’t think so. Expect the iPad 2 to continue to be available at a lower price point, much like Apple does with prior iPhone models.
  • Will I Be Getting One? I still don’t know. If I didn’t write this blog, I’d be hard pressed to justify another new iPad. Heck, even with this blog its a bit much. But other than season tickets for the Portland Timbers, tech toys is one of the few places I splurge. I’ll probably decide after I see the announcement. If I do upgrade, it will be primarily for the Retina Display and Siri. Quad core, LTE and camera won’t really change my use case much.

So there you have it. What features are you most looking forward to?

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More About CloudOn for Lawyers

By on February 12, 2012 in Apps, Cloud, Opinion

I recently wrote a couple posts about CloudOn, a new app that brings full Microsoft office applications to the iPad via a virtual workspace. Since that time, a similar app, OnLive, launched (to less than stellar reviews and comments) bringing a full Windows 7 virtual workspace (including Office applications) to the iPad. While I find these apps technologically interesting and of importance to our profession, I think they are far from the best of tablet computing.

Rather than capitalizing on the strengths of the iPad, these services bring the worst bits of desktop applications to our tablets: overpowered software, cluttered, unintuitive interfaces and uninspired design. I’ve always believed that the best apps are the ones that make deliberate choices about what features to include (and exclude) and how best make those features available to the user. These virtualization apps have done the user no such favor. The result are tools ill suited for the device and a chore to use. These apps require that the user bend to work as demanded by the tool rather than the other way around.

Even with those criticisms, I think these are important tools, especially for lawyers so I’ll continue to cover them (at least CloudOn) at TabletLegal. Without a doubt, when you need to regenerate table of contents, create tracked changes in a document or properly format a brief for filing, there is no tool other than a full version of Microsoft Word that will help you do that. Also, from writing this blog I know that many attorneys are reluctant to try non-Word based workflows. For these people, these apps provide a familiar writing environment and require little change in one’s workflow in order to use.

So what do you think? Are apps like these a step back for iPad users? Would all that venture capital money been better spent on developing a native touch-based Word clone?

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Thoughts on the Lawyer’s Post-PC Era

By on March 9, 2011 in Opinion

Post-PC.

Unlike a graphic designer or an engineer, a typical lawyer’s computing needs are relatively modest. Words and ideas are our stock in trade and PC horsepower (a “truck” as Steve Jobs analogizes) is simply overkill — as is the associated bulk and expense. Instead, post-PC devices for lawyers need to provide efficient and effective ways of capturing, developing, and communicating our ideas with clients, courts, and colleagues.

The above is a snip from a guest commentary piece I wrote that is up over at Law Technology News about what the post-PC era may mean for lawyers. Would love for you to check it out.

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iPad 3.0 in 2011?

By on February 9, 2011 in Opinion

Another thoughtful post from John Gruber at Daring Fireball with his speculation about what the future holds for iPad development. John speculates, like the rest of us (and as reported by the WSJ), that late-March or early-April will bring iPad 2.0 with a processor bump, a front facing camera, more RAM and a slightly different physical configuration. He goes on to theorize that the next iPad (2.5?, Pro?, HD?) could come as soon as September 2011 and perhaps feature Retina Display type screens, the next version of iOS or other improvements. Annual revisions to the iPad would then follow on the September schedule to optimize holiday sales.

The main feature in iPad 2.0 that I’m looking for is the front facing camera and the processor improvements but I don’t think either of these things changes the basic device from a lawyer’s use perspective. I am excited to see what iOS 5 will bring and how app developers will be able to leverage the new OS with the improved power of the next generation iPad

Worth reading in its entirety.

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iPad Not a Novelty. Replacing Laptops?

By on December 24, 2010 in News, Opinion

This recent Business Insider survey of 500 iPad owners reveals some interesting statistics.

Suggesting that users are finding more ways to incorporate the device into their daily routines, a large majority of users report use of the device increasing after the honeymoon period. I suspect this has a lot to do with the expansion of offerings in the App Store as new things to try continue to appear daily.

Nearly a third of users report that the iPad has become their primary computer. I don’t see this as a trend for lawyers, as the need for desktop horsepower isn’t going away in the law firm anytime soon. I can imagine more lawyers replacing laptops that they now carry as a second machine to and from the office.

A full 40% report downloading between 20-50 apps. I’m certainly in that category, but I don’t think that is necessary to make the iPad a very functional work machine for lawyers. Rather, I think a lawyer would only need 4-6 apps in addition to the stock Apple apps to make the device suitable for day to day use by a lawyer.

The survey also asks some interesting questions comparing the iPad to the new MacBook Air. I have certainly looked closely at the tiny 11 inch model and thought about whether I would be better served by it compared to the iPad. The survey suggests that these are simply different devices. Of those reporting that they own both, only 4.2% report that it has caused them to use the iPad less. Over 75% consider the iPad/MacBook Air not to be an either/or decision. And, of the 25% that do think they serve comparable purposes, 80% would choose the iPad.

While interesting, it is hard to draw many conclusions about these statistics without knowing about the computing needs of these users. The right fit really depends on your workflow. As I’ve mentioned before, I think the core of a lawyer’s computing needs are fairly basic (reading, writing, Internet, mail, calendar) and are easily handled by the iPad.

My iPad use has certainly gone up since my purchase. What about yours?

(via TUAW)

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Enterprise Adoption of iPad: What about Lawyers

By on October 28, 2010 in Opinion

The Unofficial Apple Weblog writes today about a Forrester report (subscription required) authored by Ted Schadler about the impact of the iPad in the enterprise market. While not discussing lawyers or law firms specifically, I considered how Schadler’s findings might apply to law firms.

  • iPads Are Replacing Laptops. This is fairly unsurprising. Most computer users have a limited list of computing needs, many of which are handled more than adequately by the iPad. When coupled with the added benefits of the iPad (instant on, light weight, long battery, lower cost compared to many laptops, etc.), the replacement phenomenon isn’t surprising. I haven’t seen more than anecdotal evidence of laptop replacement among the lawyer set which is surprising considering the typical short list of lawyer computing needs: reading, writing, email, calendar, contacts, internet. All of these are handled well by the iPad. However, lawyers often deal with lots of files. File management on the iPad is much different than on a PC and does require some extra effort.

  • iPads Are Replacing Paper. Again, no real surprise here. The iPad is great way to replace all kinds of materials that would otherwise be printed. In the legal field, I don’t see this attitude among lawyers in large numbers. I know many of my colleagues feel they can only edit or review a document in its printed form. Also, my quick survey reveals few legal treatises available in eReader editions (though ample law school and bar exam study materials are available for the iPad). Perhaps the willingness to abandon paper is an attitude that will grow with the next generation of legal professionals (assuming they can get law jobs).

  • iPads Are Creating New Efficiencies. The example in the Forrester report is of the ability of sales personnel to use the device to customize a customer’s order on the showroom floor. There are certainly some legal specific apps and some apps published by law firms, though I don’t see these as yielding huge efficiencies for lawyers (though nice tools, to be sure). Two areas where I do think the iPad offers lawyers huge opportunities for efficiencies is in document review/annotation, particularly of PDF files, and access to legal information (cases, statutes, treatises). As to PDF document review, Both GoodReader (iTunes link) and iAnnotate (iTunes link) offer very good PDF review and annotation tools though they aren’t specifically designed for high volume document review. The iPad offers a way for lawyers to easily bring what otherwise would fill boxes of documents and review those easily. Similarly, with an iPad a lawyer can have volumes worth of books easily accessible at the touch of a button – whether stored locally (though as noted above, this hasn’t appeared yet) or accessible via the Internet. I haven’t yet seen the first story of extensive and comprehensive document review being conducted on iPads, though I am sure the time is coming.

Schadler notes that the absence of a native Microsoft Office suite of apps may slow adoption in enterprise. As applied to lawyers, I think this is unquestionably the case. I know that the posts on this blog about Microsoft Word compatibility issues get far and away the most hits, comments and emails.

Word compatibility was a top question I received in a recent presentation to a group of lawyers and CPAs. This surprised me at least as to this particular group of lawyers as I know that all of them use their assistants to finalize and format everything in Word. In actuality, all they really need is a way to get text down on paper (screen) and their assistants handle the rest. Even with this reality, a native Word app is seen as a must by these users (I realize that lawyers that practice without assistants may not be similarly situated).

Any barriers that you see to further penetration of the iPad in the legal market? What type of app or resource could make the iPad as ubiquitous as the yellow pad?

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Finding the Right Hammer: iPads, Laptops and Lawyers

By on September 13, 2010 in Opinion
Hammers

Hammers by doug_bucci on Flickr

It has never made much sense to me to ask whether an iPad can perform laptop functions (or whether a laptop can perform iPad functions). I remember reading this bit from a month or so ago and just recently had a debate about the device with a colleague at work. My colleague maintained since a laptop could do everything an iPad could do (literally untrue, but true insofar as a lawyer’s primary uses are reading, writing, email and Internet), that the iPad was a waste.

The metaphor I use with people is that practicing law is like building a house. There are lots of things to be done and many require different tools. While you could drive all the nails in your new construction with a large framing hammer, really it is best to use the best hammer for each particular job: a framing nailer for the walls, a finishing nailer for the trim, a roofing hammer for shingles, etc.

The iPad is a specialty hammer in the toolbox that fits certain tasks far better than a laptop. The opposite is also true. Some people think it is too much hassle to carry multiple hammers or some people have practices where they can always use a framing nailer (sit at a desk for all tasks and use a desktop). For my workflow, not only is the iPad a far better fit than a laptop for lots of little tasks in my practice, it gives me more flexibility than a laptop in how and when I can perform legal services. That benefits me and my clients.

Generalizations about whether an iPad is a tool or toy for lawyers are just that: generalizations. The better question is whether there is room or need in your particular toolbox, based on your type of work, practice needs and style, for a specialty hammer.

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What the iPhone 4 Announcement May Mean for the iPad

By on June 8, 2010 in Opinion

Lots of great stuff about the iPhone out of Steve Jobs’ keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference this morning. Almost all of the keynote was dedicated to the new iPhone, though a few data points were shared about the iPad:

  • over two million sold in the first 59 days (that is one every 3 seconds since launch day)
  • 8,500 native iPad apps currently in the App Store (unfortunately, 8,400 of them kinda suck, IMO)
  • Those native iPad apps have been downloaded 35 million times (17 apps per iPad)
  • 5 million iBooks downloaded in first 65 days (22% share of total eBook sales)

So, a successful product by pretty much anyone’s measure. I was hoping to see some data about use in the enterprise – but I think it is still a bit early.

The balance of the keynote was mostly about the new iPhone 4 and its operating system, iOS 4. I thought I’d buzz through the key announced features and consider whether and to what extent we will see these things on the iPad.

  • FaceTime (Hardware/OS). This was Steve’s “one more thing,” and it is an new open standard protocol for video chat/phone calls. While we don’t have a front facing camera in the iPad yet, I wouldn’t be surprised to see one in the next version of the iPad (indeed, the frame seems ready for one). I think video conferencing would be a natural use for the iPad.
  • Cameras (hardware). This is subsumed into the prior point somewhat, but I think a front facing camera on the iPad makes sense. Note that the cameras going into iPhone 4 have a backside illuminated sensor. Without getting into a bunch of camera geekiness, suffice to say that this is more important than megapixels. I would happily take a sensor with greater light sensitivity over more megapixels anyday (you should too). Also, they didn’t shrink the size of the megapixels – which is a good thing. A bigger pixel can absorb more light. So, your 5 MP picture of your friend at the dimly lit bar will look way better than the 8 or 10 MP picture taken with a camera without these features. Yeah, the camera companies really focus on megapixels because they are easy to advertise…but just trust me on this one. I’ve never thought a rear facing camera makes sense for the iPad, but it seems easy enough to include (EDIT: after thinking about iMovie for iPad, this makes more sense now). I’ll go out on a limb and say we’ll see better versions of both cameras in the next version of the iPad. LED flash too.
  • Thinner (hardware). iPhone 4 is 24% thinner than iPhone 3. While impressive, I don’t think the iPad will get much thinner. I think the iPad’s thickness is important for its structural integrity. A thinner device might be less rigid which could lead to a somewhat flimsy feeling device. If the iPad gets thinner, it won’t be materially so.
  • iMovie (app). So, they are cramming a version of iMovie onto the iPhone. I’ve shot and edited a couple movies with my iPhone using ReelDirector. While fun, I wouldn’t make a habit of it. Just too small of an interface to work with video. By contrast, the iPad would be an ideal tableau for compiling a quick movie. Enough space to manage clips, build transitions, manage projects, etc. I think iMovie for iPad is an almost certainty. In fact, it might even arrive in advance of the next version of the iPad.
  • Retina Display (hardware). They’ve crammed a ton of pixels into the screen of the new iPhone: 326 per inch (the human eye can detect 300 ppi from 10-12 inches away). That is four times the number of pixels on the same size screen. The iPhone 4 will have 78% of the pixels as the iPad. By way of comparison, the current iPad has 132 pixels per inch. I fully expect this new display technology in the next version of the iPad. Note that a better screen means apps can display more intricate images. Those pdf files with even the smallest text will look great on screen. May also mean more precise input.
  • Better Glass (hardware). This is related to Retina Display. Lots of adjectives for this new aluminosilicate glass: 20 times stiffer than plastic, 30 times harder than plastic, more scratch resistant, more oil resistant…John Gruber says the new manufacturing process effectively fuses the screen and the glass making the display look like it is painted on the glass rather than resting under it. You’ll see this in the next iPad I suspect.
  • Gyroscope (hardware). Will make games cooler. Yeah, they’ll stick this in the iPad as well.
  • Ambient Light Sensor (hardware). I don’t think this got much mention at the keynote, but I saw it mentioned on one of Steve’s slides. An ambient light sensor would automatically scale down brightness when you are in a dark room, scale up when outside, etc. Good for power management and matching what the user expects. No reason this won’t make it to the next version of the iPad as well.

Many of the new iOS features will work just fine on the iPad. The iPhone 4 gets them this month while the iPad has to wait until this fall. Nothing lawyer specific here, but at least the first 3 promise to be key improvements that all users will enjoy. The features getting most the ink include:

Two features will be hitting the iPad later this month in the form of improvements to the iBooks app. While small, these are actually very usable improvements for lawyers who use pdf files a lot. Those are:

  • pdf support
  • highlighting, notes and better bookmark support

While this won’t replace GoodReader for me, I may move some of my “permanent collection” (e.g., key statute chapters) into the shelves of iBooks and use GoodReader and the like for the files moving in-and-out.

Looks like a great revision of the product. Sadly, I’m not eligible for a regular price upgrade until May of 2011. For full consideration of the iPhone announcement from the iPhone perspective, be sure to check out Jeff’s post over at iPhone J.D. For those with two hours to kill, enjoy the full keynote below.

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Lawyers: Is the iPad Right for You?

By on April 12, 2010 in Opinion

The Daily Kos posted today an excellent take on an issue I’ve been noodling for some time. Rather than rehash extensively, I commend it to your attention.  I like this article especially because it is from a technology user, but not someone who is a technology pundit or self proclaimed hacker. Kos concludes:

My iPad scored big as my new travel machine. I needed it for basic word processing, downloading and viewing business documents (like the PPT presentation), web, and email. It did those tasks perfectly. The lack of third-party multi-tasking was at most a mild-annoyance, as I had no problem switching between Tweetdeck and whatever other task I was working on at the time. On my laptop, I can switch between apps near instantaneously. On the iPad, it might take 4-5 seconds, and that mild annoyance will be gone with the new OS upgrade this fall.

Will this work for you? Beats the shit out of me. It depends on what your job is, whether there are apps that fill your needs, whether you’re happy or not with an on-screen keyboard, and whether you care enough about “open versus closed” systems to let Apple’s heavy-handed control over the device’s hardware and software bother you.

For me, all I care is whether a device makes my life easier. I could give a shit about whether the hackers love or hate it, or how much hype something has. The iPad filled my needs seamlessly, with only minor hassles. It was better than a laptop, allowing me to travel more efficiently.

Key takeaway here is really figuring out what you need. I think the use case Kos describes is pretty typical of most lawyers. Add that to the “family friendly” features that many people use at home (photos, music, videos, games, internet, etc.) and the iPad becomes a pretty compelling tool.

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