[StefMercury]

If you don't ask you don't get, right?! While I agree it may seem futile to throw these things into the debating pot - I am a long term observer of the Omnigroup and have seen how all of their apps have evolved as they migrate to iPhone and iPad - this doesn't stop them evolving and embarking on new strategies! It is clear they are already working on a cloud solution for email processing based on replies they have given in these forums.

In one of the AllThingsDigital interviews, Steve Jobs did in fact cover in some depth how the iPad would in fact catch up with devices like the Mac. Specifically, he stated we were a number of years behind in terms of SOFTWARE. This reply came in a Q&A session and he was absolutely right.

Yes. Apple impose some fairly heavy duty restrictions in iOS. That, I get and there is little point in debating that here. But so long as developers maintain the PC attitude in their development, then the longer we remain in the stone ages in terms of how software performs on devices like an iPad.

Getting back to email processing as ONE example. I agree. In iOS it would suck using the OPEN IN! But let's clarify a few points. Firstly, Omnifocus on the Mac does not support email processing. What is available is nothing more than an unstable hack. Omnifocus has a steep enough learning curve as it is, let alone messing with AppleScript. Yes, they have made it fairly easy but with each new Mac OS release things have broken and let's not talk about how bad it works with single page PDF's to multi page ones. It just isn't a good enough platform.

I have a MacMini server in my office running our own built Filemaker Pro solution. On that, I have Omnifocus installed to process emails. It sucks! It is unreliable! And I have given up trying to make it work 100% of the time, which it should.

The Macbook Air 11" is probably the best computer I have ever owned. It is an amazing device. But it is not practical to walk around a factory environment. You see, I am efficient as I possibly can be with my time. Every second counts for me.

I disagree with you entirely in respect of the iPad. In my own company, the iPad paved the way for me to develop our own solution. Our industry is so bespoke NO SOFTWARE exists whatsoever. But it is a combination of hardware and software that is needed.

My staff are not technically literate in anyway. And our environment is not suitable for laptops! Let alone the learning curve etc.

The iPad literally transformed how we did our business. I have spent over 3000 development hours building a solution that had I paid developers to do it for me, would now cost in excess of $500,000. I categorically will tell you it would not have worked without the iPads. The all day battery life - the ease of use with the touch screen - made it possible and worthwhile to develop the solution. 2 years in and in administration alone, we save in excess of $20,000 per year in costs! I won't bore you with the other savings.

Software developers can adopt two attitudes. The first is to NOT innovate around the usability and restrictions applied by Apple. The second is to actually innovate. Good developers will find ways around the issues of interface and functionality.

Sure, the OG have limited resources; output is slow if not generally well thought out. But if we the customers don't push for better transparency no matter what platform we CHOOSE to work on or HAVE TO WORK ON (given our location, context etc.) then it will surely never happen. Yes, it may never happen anyway, but as I said in the first line....if you don't ask, you don't get.

Finally, it is not inefficient to use an iPad or an iPhone for that matter. Have you ever read email on an iPad or iPhone? If you have, let's follow the form.

Open email - in most cases you don't know the content. The email needs to be processed to your GTD Inbox. Damn. Can't do that. Software restriction! That's time wasted. That's inefficient. But the reality is, most of us will frequently check and even respond to emails on these mobile devices. If a few taps later and the email had been processed as necessary, that is time saved. Read once, do it once, that's my motto. As it stands today, I process my email into Evernote. I have a keyboard shortcut setup to add the tag I need for task handling into the subject line and I can generally process an email in around 4 seconds off to my less than perfect task management system setup in Evernote. And it is less than perfect. But better than OF until such time as they create that complete transparency between their applications.