iPad Lawyers

I’m back from spending several days in Chicago for the American Bar Association’s annual TechShow conference. As always, I had a great time and met many readers and MPU listeners, which is kind of awesome.

While last year, the iPad was a novelty at the conference, this year it almost appeared to be standard issue. Almost everyone had one. During my talk about technology at trial, I looked out to a packed room and was able to count the number of open laptops on one hand. Just about everybody else was using an iPad. The title of this post is “iPad Lawyers” instead of “Tablet Lawyers” for a reason. In three days I only saw a few Kindles and one Samsung. Every other tablet was an iPad.

The reason this seems such great news for Apple is that the law profession is legendary for it’s disdain of the Mac and its love of Windows. I’d venture that a healthy majority of the iPad toting lawyers I saw don’t own Macs. While the glut of iPads at Macworld | iWorld didn’t shock me, at the ABA conference it does.

I know that real competition for the iPad is supposed to show up any day now but in the meantime, I can’t help but wonder how that game of catchup plays out with all of these users getting attached to their iPads. Times are a’changing.

See Me at the ABA Techshow

As I write this, I’m sitting in John Wayne Airport preparing to board my flight to Chicago and the American Bar Association’s annual TechShow. If you do anything related to the profession of law to pay for your shoes, you really should be there. This is not your average collection of blowhard lawyers but instead the premier technology-minded professionals from around the country. I’ve been attending for years and never thought I could have so much fun with lawyers.

If you are attending, I’m giving a session tomorrow on technology at trill and Friday on going paperless. I’ll also be at the show’s Concierge Desk tomorrow at noon. If you are in Chicago, make sure to seek me out and say hello.

OmniFocus Communication Perspective and MPU 78

Kourosh Dini posted an intriguing OmniFocus screencast where he uses a combination of perspectives and TextExpander snippets to track “Waiting for” tasks. I’m not entirely sold (yet) but it is really smart. Also, Kourosh joined me on MPU 78 to talk about his technology workflows. (Kourosh is a physician.) While I started the interview with the best of intentions, we inevitably digressed into an OmniFocus nerd-fest. Get the episode over at 5by5. Also, don’t forget to subscribe in iTunes.

RSS Sponsor: PopClip for Mac

When Apple announced they were bringing iOS features “Back to the Mac” with OS X Lion (and doubled down on it with Mountain Lion), the iOS implementation of copy and paste was not included.

PopClip is a clever Mac app that brings iOS-style copy and paste to OS X, and raises the question of why Apple hasn’t done this already. If you’re curious as to how well it works, the answer is: pretty well. The most common sentiment in the user reviews is: “I’m hooked.”

If you have a Mac, you should check this out. You can download a free demo at Pilotmoon Software. The full version costs $4.99 on the Mac App Store.

Home Screens – Reid Trautz

This week I’m heading to Chicago for the ABA TechShow. TechShow is the best collection of attorneys on the planet. It is lots of great technology talk without the ego nonsense that usually comes with a big group of lawyers. The chair of this year’s TechShow is my friend, Reid Trautz (Twitter), who tirelessly works to make this show happen. So Reid, show us your home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

Zite is my favorite news magazine reader. iHome+Sleep is my new morning alarm clock when dropped into my bedside recharger/speaker bar. Of course, the just-released ABA TECHSHOW app made my home screen!

What is your favorite app?

I really think Notability has quickly become a productive must-have app. It does the work of several others I now rarely use.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Scrabble. I know Words with Friends is far more popular, but I grew up playing Scrabble.

What is the app you are still missing?

I’d like a dictation app that is truly integrated into email and my calendar. It might exist, I just haven’t found it.

How many times a day do you use your iPhone/iPad?

I use my iPad 10 times a day when away from the office especially when on the road, but I use my iPhone far more day in and day out.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

The form factor. I think Apple and Steve Jobs got the size, weight, shape just right. I’ve read more books in the past year than the previous four without a iPad; also, kicking back in a comfortable chair with the iPad makes late-night work less of a chore than with my laptop.

If you were in charge at Apple, what would you add or change?

I’ve been a MacBook user for at least 5 years, but use a PC at my office. I really miss having both the Backspace and Delete keys on my Mac.

Anything else you’d like to share?

One thing. Buy David’s iPad@Work book. I learned a great deal!

Thanks Reid.

For more home screens clicky here.