iPad Pro and FileMaker Go - A Marriage Made in Heaven
By Stuart Woodhouse, 3 January 2016
A few weeks back Apple announced the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil which is both big in size but also processing power. At the point at writing, we are still a few weeks away from seeing these in in-store.
This got us to thinking what will the ‘use cases’ be for our clients in terms of both developing for and using the Pro version of iPad.
For a number the iPad mini is perfect but this mostly relates to the form factor, size really does matter when you are climbing up on people roofs or working in a panel shop.
So conversely what will the additional real estate of the Pro offer clients and these are the four areas we have identified:
1. Complex apps where you’re working with a lot of data - A number of our clients are required to entered and collate a large amount of data, think measuring a six bedroom house for all window coverings (curtains, blinds, curtain rods etc). Each room has to have exact measurements taken and stored. Having the larger screen will mean things are more tactile and the smaller details are not missed.
2. In house displays - One of our clients has iPads running FileMaker Go on the ‘shop floor’. Once again, with the larger display the visibility of items not the screen will be greatly enhanced. There’s also the option of having a split screen, so both Go and another app are visible at the same time.
3. Apple Pen use - Where being able to draw or annotate is important or adds a lot of value. Think medical solutions where there’s an x-ray or body diagram that’s annotated or photos of damage or work to be be done where you can draw over the photo.
4. Smart Cover with Apple Keyboard - Apple are to produce a cover and keyboard that will essentially make the iPad into a tablet come laptop. It will give the user the best of both worlds and we can see that this will have some interesting areas for use with FileMaker. At the moment a number of clients have both a FileMaker Go and FileMaker Pro solution, potentially (and we say potentially, it will be interesting to explore) a solution can just be built in FileMaker Go.
We are always amazed by what clients want and need iPads to do. With the addition of the Pro this will only advance the opportunities for us to develop, and our clients to use FileMaker Go on the iPads.