Regional RE-Views, the official newsletter of the Palm Beach County Regional MLS, was forwarded us to by a colleague who works for a local luxury real estate broker. The article talks about the limited real estate functionality in the base iPad.
Apple iPad as Mobile Device Limited by Lack of IE
The Apple iPad is an amazing device with loads of flexibility and a wow factor that should not be underestimated in listing presentations. On it you can store home photos, virtual tours, videos, brochures, live maps and many other materials regularly presented to clients. Unfortunately, the Palm Beach County Regional Multiple Listing Service (MLS) doesn’t allow access from anything other than Microsoft Internet Explorer.
That the iPad runs the Safari browser exclusively seems to make the iPad a non-starter according to the trade publication. After all, if you can’t access the MLS with the iPad, it is far more anchor than sail.
Many Web Sites Require Internet Explorer
While the world wide web was designed with open standards and general interoperability in mind, some web sites were designed specifically for and only allow access from Microsoft Internet Explorer. This has been a problem for years for people with Apple or Linux computers. By designing a web site specifically for one browser and one operating system, you are limiting the number of potential visitors. Many of the roadblocks mentioned in the real estate trade publication can be bypassed using a Citrix solution.
HostMyIT Brings Microsoft IE8 to iPad
Fortunately, DedicatedIT has a method for bringing Microsoft Internet Explorer to the Apple iPad: our cloud / hosted infrastructure solution, HostMyIT.
- Nearly any device (iPad, iPhone, Android, laptop, PC or Mac) can access a full suite of applications – even if they aren’t able to be installed or run natively from that device.
- Your business will no longer need a server of its own.
- Employees can work from anywhere with full functionality.
- Never worry about backing up or hurricane preparation as they relate to IT again.
Here is what one of our clients said the first time he used it:
Live IE8 Trial from the Apple iPad
Waterfront Properties and Club Communities, a luxury real estate brokerage in Jupiter, FL was an early iPad adopter. They have a WiFi model, two 3G models and are looking at more.
“The inability to access the Regional MLS data from the iPad was a speed bump for us,” said Matthew Steinhoff, the Waterfront Project Manager. “Fortunately, DedicatedIT was able to quickly craft a Citrix solution. With IE8 running on the iPad, there is no reason why it can’t replace a netbook or laptop mobile use and for presentations. Accessing the RMLS through Citrix on the iPad is transparent.”
Great, but how can I benefit from this? I would absolutely love to use IE on my iPad for the same reason.
-Jerry
@ZoomJer
Jerry,
You would need access to a Microsoft Terminal Server or a Citrix server that was hosting Internet Explorer for you. There are a few ways to accomplish this:
1) Do it yourself – if you are a geek, this is your best method.
2) Have your IT department do it for you – if they already have this type of technology available, it’s VERY simple to add IE and allow you access.
3) Contract with a cloud provider – There are many companies – DedicatedIT included – who provide applications to people across the Internet. Why stop at IE; we can even provide you full Microsoft Office and your line of business application.
Need IE on my iPad. Can you direct me to actuall website.
Paula
Adam – does your company provide cloud svc. I need IE as does all other real estate brokersf for my IPAD2. I also need to use Excel and Word – help is appreciated. Mark
Mark,
We provide a full suite of applications. Take a look at our Virtual Office offering for more information.
How can I get IE on my iPad? I do not have a business but I would like to use it for work and be able to access my outlook and use word.
I did it with RDP but i think it is the hard way to do it. Maybe the option to install Windows Xp/7 on the iPad is a much better way.
Anyone any suggestions ?
Have a nice day!
Our firm is just now starting to incorporate ipads into our day to day real estate business. I look forward to checking back with y’all to see any other great ideas you may have…right now I am off to get internet explorer working so I can search for homes for clients.
Do you have a solution to make the ipad with formsimplicity as well?
This is our contract provider and I need this functionality on the ipad as well.
Same question! How can i use IE on Ipad? Thanks
If you really want to make a difference, its not about making the iPad have IE for specific sites, its forcing the sites to be standards compliant and not make things only good for one browser. You need to complain to MLS and all these sites. Put pressure on them to change their ways, not the other way around. Its 2010 for god’s sake..
It is a sorry state of affairs that everyone is trying to get IE to work in environments that it wasn’t made for, just because one backwards or bullheaded or incompetent group of programmers doesn’t want to put forth the effort to make their product interoperable with standards.
very informative. thanks for posting it.
The big question is why the Florida MLS regions join the 21st century and update their platform specific sites to open source? It’s not rocket science to do this! Do they have a reason for limiting access specifically to users of Microsoft software/hardware? Wouldn’t it be common sense to permit ALL platforms to access their information? Don’t they want to support ALL realtors?
I noticed all the gripes about people not making sites that work across all browser types, how about Apple making hardware that allows all browser types to be installed? We need to press Apple to open up their playing field too!