There’s a great article written by Mark Crump for The Apple Blog regarding using the newly announced iPad for business uses, that echo what I’ve often told people since the official announcement of the device. As somebody who uses Macs for daily work, business use on the iPad was indeed at the forefront of my considerations for such a tool. Certainly, there is more to it than just being able to run the iWork suite on it, though it is definitely a boon.

A lot of folks have been disheartened by the iPad, calling it little more than an oversized iPod Touch. And sure, it’s fair to make that comparison. Both devices use iPhone OS, and both devices share a large amount of functionality, as well as expansion protocols wrought by Apple’s proprietary Application Store.However, it’s important to remember that iPhone OS is still simply an embedded version of OS X, and as such it can handle a lot of what developers throw at it. Obviously nobody is going to be running Xcode or Maya on an iPad anytime soon, but for the traveling professional, this device may just be what we’re looking for.

It’s extremely portable – far more so than a comparatively bulky Macbook Pro, and decidedly lighter to boot. That makes it ideal for any kind of commute, or airline travel. It’s a very sexy piece of equipment for the folks who need to give presentations and conduct meetings, and since it’ll connect to most projectors, the effective usage of the device won’t be reduced.

And for folks who subscribe to the GTD model of productivity, it’s a great reminder to work lightly while on the go. Let’s face it, if you’re on the go, what are you REALLY going to work on? The iPad is great for email, keeping up on articles, a bit of word processing, Keynote-ing and spreadsheets. For most people, a Macbook Pro or other comparable laptop is just over the top, and creates distractions.

Anyway, take a look at the article for the more verbose read, but come on back here and let me know what you think in the comments!