IPad for software developers

Since a few weeks I’m the happy owner of an iPad. My laptop got stolen while changing planes on a recent trip and since that happened I have been using a desktop computer. The theft of my laptop gave me reason to figure out how useful the iPad might be for everything else other than software development. I found myself reading a lot on the device. I used it for navigation on a recent road trip which worked great due to the integrated GPS and the Google Maps application.

Then I found myself using the iPad next to my desktop computer as it were a book while I was learning writing code for iOS. That was a pure coincident as the book about the topic was on the iPad.

Now I have changed locations and am using someone else’s desktop computer for software development. The screen is much smaller than what I have at home and again I find myself using the iPad next to the keyboard. This time to access the issue tracker, look up things on the web, to read and answer emails and even to chat via Google Talk.

Yes, I would do all these things on the screen of the desktop computer I’m using - if that screen were larger and the machine had more memory.

But then again my mind starts wandering and I am wondering … What would make a device like the iPad very useful for software developers that you cannot achieve with a larger screen?

For example in a pairing situation only one developer drives the keyboard while the other is the navigator. The navigator is supposed to watch, plan and think ahead. Could the navigator get some benefit, some help out of using a tablet? A tablet is much less intrusive and distracting than a clamshell laptop.

Could it be used as information radiator? Maybe messages from the continuous integration server appear there. What about team communication in cases where not everybody sits in the same room?

I’ve started to think about it. I believe I will put off the purchase of a new laptop for a while … This post was written on the on screen keyboard if the iPad! It’s an interesting experiment.