The trip to Nashville was anything but smooth. My flight was delayed twice in Sacramento and I ended up needing two connections to get to Nashville instead of one. Fortunately for me I had the iPad with its long battery life to keep me entertained for most of the trip. I started in Fresno at 3:00am PST Tuesday morning and arrived in Nashville at 11:30pm EST Tuesday night. I used the iPad to play games in the Sacramento airport during my first 3 hour delay. I made sure I stayed close to an electrical outlet to ensure that I had plenty of battery life for the flight. Between using my DROID heavily, landings, takeoffs and walking from gate to gate I had no trouble making it to Nashville on a single charge.

So how did the iPad perform? Well, it performed admirably. Besides playing games I used the iPad to catch up on a lot of reading. Prior to leaving home I downloaded quite a few PDF files onto the iPad using a combination of GoodReader and iRead PDF. I’ve mentioned several times on this site that I am not a fan of reading a document against a backlit screen. I stand firm in my opinion that an e-ink screen is better suited for reading documents, but the iPad performed well and I can certainly see why people are raving about reading on the device.

Other than playing games and reading PDF files I also found the iPad great for checking email and following my Twitter feed and Facebook updates. Of course I needed a wireless connection, but my US Airways flight from Phoenix to Charlotte had Gogo inflight wireless internet available, and every airport I seemed to be stuck in was connected; lucky me.

I arrived in Nashville late Tuesday, took care of business on Wednesday and prepared for my return flight home only to find out that my flight had been cancelled secondary to mechanical failure. Needless to say I wasn’t a happy camper. I’m sure frequent travelers have to deal with this from time to time, but I don’t travel often and this was a first for me. Bummer.

This is where things with the iPad didn’t work out so well. While I found the device a pleasure to use for reading, playing games, dealing with email and using social media, I found it difficult to use for any serious work productivity. The iPad just isn’t designed to take the place of a laptop. Typically when I have downtime I can generate a blog or two or work on something that I’ve been sitting on for just such an occasion. No luck with the iPad. The onscreen keyboard is good, but not that good. In addition the simplicity that makes the iPad such a wonder also creates some problems when it comes to doing a lot of the things I’m used to.

I have a friend and colleague that travels quite a bit and I asked him about using the iPad as a work machine while he’s on the road. He told me that he carries a portable keyboard, generates documents on the iPad and either syncs them to his desktop when he gets home or emails them to himself. Huh? That doesn’t sound like a great solution to me. I asked him why he didn’t just carry his laptop and work directly on documents without having to move them around. He just shrugged his shoulders at me. I’m still not sure what that means.

I finally got a flight home on Wednesday morning through Chicago O’Hare. Once again the iPad was in its element and became the focus of my attention as I used it to play more games, read and watch a movie (Transformers) on the return flight. Overall the iPad was a successful travel companion for much of the trip. With that said there are some things that an iPad isn’t well suited for, and for that reason I will continue to carry a laptop or tablet PC when I travel. I’m just one of those guys that feels more comfortable with a keyboard. For those of you that just have to use a Mac check out the MacBook Air. It is still one of my favorite Mac machines of all time. It would make an awesome tablet.

I spent some time looking over the Blausen website to see how this application is being promoted because the real value of something like this is when it’s used for education. Depending on the depth of the videos created, the Blausen application could be used to teach patients how to do things like administer their own insulin or inject themselves with enoxaparin. In a more advanced application of the video atlas one could use it to teach nurses how to flush ports, take blood pressure, so on and so forth. Not to mention the potential application in the field of healthcare education. I remember carrying around the Atlas of Human Anantomy by Netter during my first year of pharmacy school; among other books. The iPad and an application like Blausen could eventually replace the need to carry physical text books.

The Blausen app got me thinking of the uses for tablets like the iPad in pharmacy schools. Of course it’s not the iPad itself that’s the most interesting part, but rather the concept. The concept isn’t new as you can find reference to using mobile devices in pharmacy education in the literature. It just so happens that the iPad has many of the features necessary to make something like this a reality.

Things that would make a tablet useful in pharmacy education:

• Reading. Boy do you do a lot of reading in pharmacy school. It would be nice to see all pharmacy reference material available in digital format, including journals. Organizations like ASHP are finally starting to see the light and push into the digital age. I’m not completely sold on using the iPad for my reading needs because I still find reading on an LCD screen to be a terrible experience. However, new screen technologies might offer a better alternative in the near future. Whatever device finally makes the quantum leap into pharmacy schools it must handle PDF-like files, HTML, ePub formats, etc with ease. That means proper formatting, zooming, highlighting, bookmarking, linking, clipping, etc.
• The ability to electronically access reference material and medical literature. This isn’t a new idea as schools like Stanford are already making digital libraries a reality by replacing physical books with digital versions. The benefits are obvious: easy to carry, easy to access, easy to search. Not to mention access to the material 24/7. I’m not sure how I feel about this as roaming “the stacks” was part of my pharmacy school experience, but technology marches on and things inevitably change.
• Taking notes directly on the device. Tablets are good for taking notes, and what makes digital notes nice is the ability to tag them, index them, file them, share them and search them.
• Document integration. Remember riffling through papers trying to find a handout or a note on a specific subject? I do. Electronic media offers a better solution. I currently use a combination of Microsoft OneNote and Evernote to handle my information collection needs. I haven’t found an equivalent on the iPad, but I’m sure something will eventually make its way on to the device.
• How about online testing? Students could use devices like the iPad to take their exams in class. Using proximity technology students could load the exam on their device when they enter the room, take the exam and walk out without the exam remaining on the tablet. Or better yet, make the exams accessible via the web while in class then remove access when the exam is over. And this isn’t limited to multiple choice, which I despise. The ability to write directly on the screen takes care of that.
• Class syllabi and other reading material could be uploaded into class “folders” or online course “libraries” for student access. One stop shopping.
• Remote lecture attendance. I’m not a fan of this, but it’s possible with any computer, not just a tablet.
• Remote study groups. I remember reserving rooms in the library prior to finals in pharmacy school. Everyone would get together and study. Unfortunately the rooms were always too small and people got left out. Video conferencing might be an option. Again this isn’t unique to tablets, but it’s still an option. In fact, you can’t do this with the iPad because it has no video capabilities. The iPhone 4 does however.
• Applications to help students in certain subjects like biochemistry, organic chemistry, anantomy (see comment on Blausen Human Atlas HD above), etc. Applications for viewing molecular shapes and design like Molecules or iKinasePro would be neat. These applications aren’t necessarily ready for use in pharmacy school, but the foundation has already been laid. How about simple things like a periodic table (EMD PTE), or replacing your calculator, etc. We already know that mobile devices have been successful in helping students learn pharmacokinetics (Am J Pharm Educ. 2006 February 15; 70(1): 04). This is just an extension of that idea.

Things that needs improvement:

• Devices like the iPad need to have a better way to move reference material and medical literature on and off the device, mark them up and store clippings for later reference. Or better yet, create a cloud environment where one can manipulate the material online and have information synchronized across multiple devices.
• A Dropbox style interface would be good as one could work on items offline and simply wait for internet access to upload changes and update the information.
• A much better cloud presence.
• A collaborative workspace where students can share information, make notes, upload information, chat real time, etc; preferably in the cloud. This may already exists.
• A Skype like video conferencing system. As mentioned above, it would be nice for students to be able to speak to each other on their tablets while working on a project or simply studying.
• Full access to all forms of internet content, i.e. you can’t eliminate things like Flash until they no longer exist. As good as the iPad is, it falls short in some areas because Steve decided to go a different direction. A device for education can’t have those limitations.
• Docking options and OS capabilities. The iOS offers one of the greatest user interfaces ever designed for a mobile device. The simplicity and usability is reminiscent of the Palm OS. The problem, for me anyway, is that there is still a gap between the iPad and the desktop. The desktop offers all the functionality one needs, but is too complex for most mobile devices. And devices like the iPad offer the simplicity and mobility needed by students, but falls short in functionality. The concept is close, but not quite there. Developers will eventually take care of the issue as demand drives the market in that direction, but at the moment it’s just not quite right. For me the perfect tablet would be one that offers the simplicity of the iOS when mobile, but offers more complex functionality and options when docked as a desktop. Perhaps the perfect device will have a form factor like the Asus Eee Pads with full dock and multiple ports as seen in this YouTube video. Who knows.

And then as you finish your education, the device becomes your peripheral brain for clinical rotations and on into your professional practice. Just a thought.

The application allows you to locate your iPhone, send an audible and/or text message to your iPhone, remotely lock your iPhone or remotely “Wipe” your iPhone via the comforts of your iPad. Pretty slick.

The only downside to Find My iPhone is the required MobileMe subscription needed to set it up. I’ve had a MobileMe account for a while, but never had a use for it. I’m a Google man myself. Now that I’m packing around both an iPhone and iPad most of the time I finally have a reason to keep it.

My initial thoughts on using Find My iPhone were lukewarm. Nonetheless I decided to play with it a bit today, and now I’m convinced that it fills a void and serves a real purpose. It’s even given me a reason to keep my MobileMe account. With that said, I think this application should be offered as a free service by Apple. It’s a shame to offer a free application only to require a fee for the service.

The images below include screenshots of the iPad application as I sent a message to my iPhone and locked it. There is also a couple of screenshots of my iPhone after the fact and the confirmation email I received telling me what I already knew.

There’s a great look at the J3500 over at RuggedPC Review including photos and a video.

Press release:

Motion Launches the J3500 Rugged Tablet PC

Enhancements include advanced Intel® Core™ vPro™ processors, and a host of new options including dual touch technology, durable Gorilla™ glass and expanded storage capabilities

AUSTIN, Texas – June 22, 2010 – Motion Computing®, a leading provider of integrated mobile computing solutions, today announced the J3500 tablet PC. Built on the Motion® J-Series line of tablet PCs, the J3500 features Intel® Core™ vPro™ processors for enhanced performance, security and manageability. The J3500 also offers a variety of integrated features including touch technology, Gorilla™ glass, and expanded storage options.

New Capacitive Dual Touch
The J3500 with capacitive dual touch enables mobile workers to take advantage of the natural gesture navigation features built in Windows® 7 and other software applications. Optimized for digitizer and touch input, users can navigate touch-enabled software applications or legacy programs with smaller targets that require the accuracy of pen input. For more flexibility, palm rejection technology distinguishes between intentional and false touch while stylus recognition enables users to easily switch between input modes.

“Motion has long been recognized as an innovator in tablet computing, and is again offering new ways for enterprise users to enhance productivity through multiple interaction methods,” said Eddie O’Brien, VP Microsoft OEM. “Now, mobile workers can take full advantage of tablet computing, benefitting from the accuracy of pen input and the convenience of natural gestures, enhancing productivity as they navigate applications in the field.”

Enhanced Integrated Features
The J3500 also offers new features to help improve productivity and durability across Motion’s target vertical markets such as construction, field service and healthcare, including:

• Extra-durable Corning Gorilla™ glass, offering up to a 4 times improvement in breakage resistance1, and new anti-smear coating for improved visibility
• Enhanced system storage, with available 160GB hard disk drive (HDD), and 64GB or 128GB solid state drive (SSD) options and up to 4GB of RAM
• Improved 3.0 megapixel documentation camera
• Integrated Gobi2000™ mobile broadband with GPS

“Governments today must empower an extensive mobile workforce that depends on accessing information whenever and wherever,” said Darrell Lewis, VP of Product Management at Accela, Inc. “With Accela Mobile Office™ software running on the J3500, field workers in areas such as permitting, licensing, code enforcement, and public works, can take advantage of enhanced mobile computing capabilities in a sleek, rugged device.”

Intel Core vPro for Enhanced Performance, Security and Manageability
Now with Intel® Core™ i7 or Core™ i5 vPro™ technology, the J3500 offers a significant improvement in performance and enables Motion customers to experience:

• Enhanced remote management capabilities enabling IT technicians to repair and secure the PC from any location, even while powered-down or in sleep mode, enabling greater levels of energy efficiency and streamlined maintenance processes
• Increased security with fully manageable hard drive encryption, and Intel® Anti-Theft technology used with Computrace®, protecting valuable data in case of loss or theft
• Improved multitasking with smart technology that adjusts processor speed to support workload changes, providing power when needed and working more efficiently when possible

“Enterprises have embraced the J-Series line of Motion Tablet PCs based on their flexibility, performance, mobility and durability,” said Mike Stinson, Vice President of Marketing, Motion Computing. “With the J3500, we extend the enterprise benefits with a tablet PC solution that is powerful, durable, multi-functional and mobile, enabling mobile workers to significantly improve productivity and collaboration through real-time access to enterprise data in the field.”

Enterprise-Ready, Durable Tablet PCs
Tested to withstand harsh mobile work environments, the rugged and flexible J3500 Tablet PC meets MIL-STD-810G and IP-52 ratings to ensure protection against bumps, drops, rain or other conditions that can damage commercial-grade computing solutions. Additionally, the dual hot-swappable battery solution extends the computing day and enables easy replacement of charged batteries without interruption. Built to fit seamlessly into enterprise environments, Motion’s complete line of tablet PCs utilize either the Windows® 7 or Windows XP operating system, reducing the burden on IT and enabling mobile workers to manage the same applications available to office-based employees.

Availability
The new Motion J3500 is now available through Motion’s network of value-added resellers and distributors. For more information or to find a certified Motion reseller visit Motion’s Channel Resources page.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/MotionComputing
Facebook: http://facebook.com/MotionComputing

About Motion Computing
Motion Computing is a global leader in integrated mobile computing solutions, combining world-class products with services customized for the unique needs of target vertical markets. The company’s enhanced line of rugged tablet PCs, mobile point of care solutions and accessories are designed to increase mobile productivity while providing portability, security, power and versatility.

Motion Mobility Solutions offers a complete portfolio of products, services and support that helps ensure a successful mobile deployment for increased productivity, reducing project risk while delivering a more rapid return on investment. For more information, visit www.motioncomputing.com.
1 Based on internal Motion strength tests versus standard glass.

Shown are an iPhone, an iPad, a Dell Latitude XT2 tablet PC and a Motion J3400 Tablet PC . Each device has its own set of pros and cons. Like the iPhone which is ultra-portable, but a real pain to work on secondary to the small screen. The Dell offers incredible flexibility, but the battery life is ho-hum and it doesn’t take abuse well. The J3400 is actually a solid machine and works well in our environment. It’s tough and offers darned good battery life when both batteries are installed. I haven’t rendered an opinion on the iPad yet. The coolness factor is through the roof, but after that I’m not sure where it fits.

I have plans to make a video at some point demonstrating how we use the iPad in pharmacy practice, but time seems to be against me.

“…you might not be aware of the newest addition for Android® smartphones: Lexi-CALC™!

Lexi-CALC includes 65 medical calculators designed to assist you in addressing dosing, drug conversions, infusion rates, pharmacokinetics and more.

Purchase any Lexi-Comp® handheld product for your Android smartphone today and get 25% off! Take advantage of this special discount offer in celebration of the Lexi-CALC release!”

The 25% discount is nothing to shake a stick at as purchasing Lexi-Comp drug information databases can add up quickly. Lexi-CALC does not appear to be a stand alone application, but shows up as one of the databases in several of their packages.

According to the VisualDx website:

See – with VisualDx. Visual pattern matching is a proven innate human ability. With 65% of the population being visual learners, relaying important information through images is much more efficient than using text alone.
Visual clues are essential to accurate diagnosis, too. Half of all diseases have a skin or pattern clue, and 10-20% of a general practitioner’s diagnosis is visually based. Yet how do clinicians visually discern among common diagnoses – or diagnose a rare disease they have never seen?
Fast and easy to learn, VisualDx links clinicians to superior-quality medical images and information prepared by respected physician specialists – all available on site at the point of care.

Learn – with VisualDx. It is the only technology that delivers the intellectual power of the world’s most comprehensive medical image library combined with concise and regularly updated and reviewed clinical information, sorted by the most relevance to patient findings. Save time that would be otherwise spent consulting and indexing multiple hardcopy resources.
With about 5 minutes of training, begin rapid visual and iconic search entry of visible patient clues to enhance diagnostic processes.

Discern – with VisualDx. Study disease variations by skin type, age, or passage of time, unlike textbooks or atlases that nearly always depict classic or severe cases on fair-skinned individuals. VisualDx visual diagnostic decision support system differentiates common flu-like conditions from those possibly caused by a rare and unusual event, such as a bioterrorism act, as well as from conditions such avian influenza, SARS, or other emerging infectious diseases.
Problem oriented by design, VisualDx helps clinicians dynamically build a customized and patient-relevant pictorial differential diagnosis in seconds, drawn from thousands of medical images revealing variations in presentation between – as well as within – diseases.

Check out the video demonstration below.

And yes, it is available for the iPhone / iPod Touch. However, it doesn’t look like it is available for the iPad yet.

Upgrades include availability of the Intel Core i7 or Core i5 vPro Processors along with new levels of power and security. The big ticket items that caught my attention were the reported 50% performance improvement, hot-swappable batteries with 30% longer life, availability of a solid-state hard drive and the use of Gorilla glass as the standard display. C’mon, anything with “Gorilla” attached to it has to be cool.

While I’ve been critical of the C5 in the past, I find myself becoming more interested in the device with each improvement made by the company. It’s clear that Motion Computing is taking tablet PC use in health care seriously, and I have to cheer for any company that’s willing to do that.

More information can be found here (PDF), by going to the Motion Computing website or by attending an upcoming webinar that promises an overview of the C5v.

Here’s the email:

Motion Announces the New C5v Rugged Tablet PC Offering Enhanced Power, Performance and Integrated Features

Join us for a Motion-hosted webinar to learn about the latest C5v Tablet PC from Motion Computing. Built on technology that delivers increased performance and battery life, the new Motion Tablet PCs provide increased levels of performance, security and manageability. Motion Tablet PCs are rugged, lightweight and durable with new features and integrated components that adapt to a broad range of demanding and mobile work environments.
Motion C5v Features and Benefits include:

• Up to 50% improvement in performance
• Approx 30% increase in battery life
• Intel® Core™ i5 and i7 vPro™ processors
• Increased storage capacity and memory
• Display now standard with Gorilla glass for up to 4 times the strength in breakage resistance
• Hot swappable battery
• Web camera and 3MP documentation camera

My laptop has a nice 15″ screen, but weighs quite a bit more than my tablet PC and has shorter battery life. My Dell XT2 has a smaller screen, but is much lighter, i.e. more portable, and has the added benefits of being a tablet. I’ve found it much easier to work on the tablet in small spaces when compared to the laptop. In fact, I am usually unable to open my laptop on a plane because it doesn’t fit between me and the seat in front of me with the screen fully upright. For these reasons the tablet has been my mobile platform of choice lately. A tablet PC with a slightly larger screen would be optimal, but the only company that I’m aware of that still makes a tablet PC with a larger screen is Fujitsu; the Fujitsu Lifebook 900 series has a 13.3″ screen.

There’s only one real problem with the Dell XT2 tablet and that is its lack of toughness. The tablet has performed pretty well overall, but it is showing signs of wear and tear much sooner than I expected; I mentioned this briefly in an earlier post. My laptops typically don’t last more than about two years secondary to heavy use and my need for newer technology. Its about time for me to start shopping.

It’s important to understand that my mobile machines get heavy use in all kinds of interesting places – work, home, the cheer gym, Starbucks, track meets, sitting in my truck, etc – so don’t apply what I’m saying to the average user sitting on the couch at home surfing the internet or composing an occasional letter. My machines don’t get abused, but they certainly get worked. It doesn’t help that I’m addicted to this stuff and have a gadget compulsion that needs to be fed constantly. Anyway, with all this in mind I’ve started looking for a new device. I’d like to forgo the laptop and simply use a tablet PC full time, but I think I would miss the larger screen on occasion. So for now I’ve decided to stick with a tablet PC plus a laptop, and based on my track record with “business machines” I’ve decided to look at semi-rugged devices instead. This is a first for me and I’ve found the search to be quite exciting.

When you want a rugged device look no further than Panasonic’s Toughbook lineup. And I think they may have the tablet PC that I’m looking for. Toughbook’s new tablet PC, the Toughbook C1 isn’t available for purchase just yet, but should be available sometime in June.

The C1 features a 12.1″ multi-touch digitizer, spill-resistant keyboard, a drop resistant magnesium alloy case and twin hot-swappable batteries offering 10 hours of continuous use. And you get is all for 3.7 pounds with both batteries in place; 3.2 pounds with single battery.

And for my laptop I’m looking at the Dell Latitude E6410 ATG. This beauty offers an Intel Core i7-620M processor running at 2.66GHZ, a 14.1″ WXGA outdoor viewable touch screen, backlit keyboard, a gesture-enabled touchpad and a 9-cell lithium ion battery along with a host of other features. The E6410 ATG meets the MIL-STD 810G standards for shock, vibration, altitude, humidity, and temperature extremes. In other words, it’s one tough piece of mobile hardware. The only downside to the E6410 ATG is its mind blowing 6 pound weight. That may take a little getting used to.

You can get more information on the MIL-STD 810G standards at the Toughbook website.

The registration process is quick, easy and requires that you identify your profession and specialty practice area. There are some screen shots below that show the process. I’m not clear why they want to know your specialty area, but assume the application attempts to tailor the information to your area of interest.

I haven’t had a lot of time to explore PracticeRx, but the overall layout is nice and I found some of the small articles interesting. One annoyance is the pop-up screen that appears when you first log in. I understand the need to advertise, but a little more discretion would be appreciated.