yes. this is a real photo

Yes, this picture is real. Not bogus. That is Windows 7, running on an iPad. Now, if only we could get OS X to run on it. Oh, the irony…but I digress.

But for those people working in IT who have been trying so desperately to convince themselves that they actually NEED an iPad, this may push you over the edge. This screengrab is basically an iPad running an application called the Citrix Receiver which connects to an updated version of Citrix’s XenApp, and into Windows 7. Voila. Multitasking is officially on the iPad–but the irony is so thick here. It’s brought to the iPad only by using Windows on it. How could Steve Jobs think for once that this wouldn’t happen? How could he leave such a gaping hole in functionality on this device that has been specualted about for the past 3+ years by IT pundits and fanboys alike? No matter. It’s left for another blog post elsewhere. The real point here is that this thing might ACTUALLY be usable for IT folks around the world.

In my particular role as a Consultant/Engineer, it’s already been brought up in talks with some of our clients in the Medical field. Doctors LOVE tablets. They love the idea of strolling the halls on rounds being able to literally tap their reports into the system in a ultra-sleek, fully-functinoal, sexy, and paperless fashion. Until now, tablets have always come up short in at least one of those categories. And the thing is, the iPad comes up WAY short as well. (Not in the ‘sexy’ category, mind you, but just in the ‘functional’ one).

Citrix has been developing the XenApp update for the iPad for quite some time now. It’s almost as if they were working WITH Apple to bring forth the functionality; which wouldn’t make a lot of sense on the surface. However, looking further, it’s yet another glimpse of Jobs’ Genius. Apple gets to market its iPad as the iPod Touch’s Steriod-laden big brother, touting ‘simplicity’ all along the way. Meanwhile, they allow the development of a 100% integrated support for Citrix, which then brings a full-fledged SysAdmin weapon to a company’s IT organization–granted there are adequate WiFi support. Doctor’s can now walk down halls touching to their heart’s content, and looking good while doing it. Zoom around the Fisher-Pricey but gorgeous iPad interface one moment, then boot XenApp and slip into a Citrix session running Windows 7 (plus multitasking) the next. Apple has quietly reached the pesky IT demographic for the iPad.

Actually, there is a public report now of a medical facility in Oregon that has already offically begun a rollout of about 5 iPads using the Citrix Receiver to run Windows 7 and NextGen EMR application. Do not forget–the iPad was released less than a month ago.

Citrix has already put the demo video on their website of the Citrix Receiver for iPad. iPad Citrix Receiver
Which speaks volumes–seeing is believing.

As a fanboy who has posted here before about Apple, I had no inital interest in the iPad. I have an iPhone, and this to me was just an expensive toy with functionality that was severely lacking. When asked by my peers not long ago about Citrix’s ability on an iPad, I quickly scoffed at the idea saying it wouldn’t work. Urged to open my own mind about the idea, I did my research. And while I will stand my ground about the iPad’s functionality natively leaving much to be desired, as an IT professional I cannot be short of bouncing in my seat when I see this Citrix capability to run a Windows desktop over WiFi or 3G (hopefully, 4G soon). And with the announcement of iPhone Software v 4.0, which DOES do multitasking and folder support, I can only think that the iPad will get better very soon, allowing us to run Citrix/Windows session WHILE we oh-so-elegantly zip around the sleek native apps on the iPad such as eBook reader, custom You Tube and eBay apps and the like.

The iPad might be in my sights after all. And, it might as well be, since I can easily see this as a tool to be adopted by enterprise organizations everywhere. Be Prepared.

Now, if we can only get Apple to move to Verizon…

But I have a bit of a bone to pick with Apple. The monolithic company chose not to side with consumers and geeks like myself when they rolled out their iPhone 3.1 Software Update, and I took it quite personal. In our stead, Apple seemingly crumbled under the backstage pressure from its main iPhone carrier in AT&T. At least, that’s what myself and almost every other outraged iPhone user with a techy-side to them thinks when we realized that we could no longer tether our Macbook (or PC laptop) to our iPhone to enjoy Internet access no matter where we were. Outrage! And here we were, being good best-practicing users, keeping our gadgets up-to-date and secure, only for this (albeit ‘hacked’) feature ripped out right from our cozy iPhone sitting so happily docked to our desktop.

Some time ago, long before 3.1 dropped the freedom-killing hammer on our iPhones, a rather savvy Aussie named ‘Ben M’ (http://help.benm.at/help.php) released a simple Carrier File Config file that allowed the tethering feature to be installed on the iPhone. In seconds, this “feature” simply turned your iPhone into a network adapter, extending your ALREADY PAID FOR Data Plan from AT&T to your laptop via Bluetooth or USB connection. And thus lies my question:

If I am already paying for an unlimited Data Plan from AT&T, which is mandatory with every iPhone plan with the carrier…why is tethering any more detrimental to their business plan?

I do not have a reasonable answer to my own question.
Quite honestly, I only see benefits to this feature for AT&T:

1. It will create a scenario where people will actually increase their usage of data over the AT&T network, thus INCREASING their need for AT&T’s service in GENERAL! Hence, retention goes up, and attrition goes way down…

2. It lessens the need for people to shell out money to AT&T’s main competitors like T-Mobile, Verizon, and like, when they reach hotspots owned by those competitors. Just think—Starbucks surfing’ using AT&T and not T-Mobile…

3. It’s a perfect opportunity to begin repair of AT&T’s public image with the country. Just think, allowing tethering for free would undoubtedly retain AT&T’s client base from fleeing to Verizon a WHOLE LOT MORE than making us pay for it…right?

Ahh…but alas my geeky friends, this is a clear-cut case of corporate greed at its worst. AT&T’s network is clearly robust enough to handle the bump in traffic it would incur if tethering was released countrywide. They must fear the tempting thought of users being able to surf the net via their network from the much more pleasurable experience of a laptop rather than the subsidized iPhones they pawn off for Apple. So, my plea is:

Hey AT&T…I already PAY for your DATA plan—so why do you care HOW I use it?

This is a simple matter of endpoint control, and for shame on Apple for allowing it to happen. I recall their veiled threats to release an iPhone for Verizon, and perhaps they need to shake up AT&T a bit to loosen some of the belts (and wallets) on the board. Yet this move is nowhere in sight for as much as I can see, and let us not forget that tethering via other smart phones on other networks like Sprint is, and has been, possible. So what’s the bully-act about?

And in summary I say with a sigh that my fandom of Apple will still live on, and my contract to AT&T will be renewed in January for another 2 years. This might make me just another hypocritical voice in the void screaming for change but never really in position to make the move myself, admittedly. You see, the iPhone simply does it better than the rest. It’s speedier, silkier, sexier, sleeker than any Smartphone I’ve ever tried, and well, I am just too lazy to switch to another carrier due to a technological grudge I may be carrying against The Man. And AT&T will soon charge me to tether, and I will pay it. And it’s the price I pay for freedom. The Freedom to sit in a Starbucks drinking my $5-latte only to update my Facebook page because I JUST HAVE TO AT THAT MOMENT, ok?! Or, to have the ability to reach into my knapsack and type up a begrudged letter like this one in a remote park, and to upload it to this server, when typing on my virtual iPhone keyboard will never do…

It’s these Freedoms I will pay for. And Apple and AT&T know it. So, who’s the sucker now…? Me…

…until that wiley Aussie releases the next hack, that is.