Sent From My iPad: To Leave On or Not?

As anyone who has ever sent or received an email from an iPad knows, there is a short four word message automatically placed at the bottom of every email. That message is, “Sent from my iPad”. It is the default signature of the iPad’s email app. “Sent from my iPad” lets everyone know that you composed and sent an email using the iPad. Oh sure, it can be turned off or changed. But I’m guessing most people just leave it as is. I did, and I never thought much about it until recently.

A couple weeks ago, a fellow co-worker (not at the iPad fan) asked me if I was the guy always sending emails that said “Sent from my iPad”. I confessed that it might be me because I do a lot of work on my iPad. He informed me that he thought this was (and I quote), “kind of douchey”. I shrugged it off, but this bothered me. Why did the fact that my emails ended with “Sent from my iPad” bother him? And why was I being perceived negatively because of it?

I started to think about why I kept this message on my emails. I tried to justify “Sent from my iPad” by telling myself it was there to let others know I was using a mobile device. I typically type shorter messages when using my iPad and the auto correct feature of the iPad sometimes changes words I don’t mean to change. Therefore I reasoned, “Sent from my iPad” helped explain my brevity and typos.

But the fact is I turned “Sent from my Blackberry” off on my work issued Blackberry. I do not feel the need to let everyone know when I am using a Blackberry, so that is not entirely the reason. The only real reason I can think of for leaving this message on is that I like people knowing I have an iPad. I think it is the best tablet in the world and I enjoy talking about it. That is why I write for The iPad Fan. It is a pride of ownership thing for me, and I do not think I am alone.

In today’s techno-centric world people take pride in the gadgets they own, just as people take pride in the kind of car they drive. Backing up this theory, I receive emails from time to time from other non iPad mobile devices that end in “Sent from my…insert mobile device here“. Tech companies set these messages as the default signature and hope you do not change it as it is great free advertising for them. “Sent from my iPad” is most likely the Apple marketing department’s favorite feature of the iPad.

I decided to ask a few of my iPad toting friends what they thought about “Sent from my iPad” to get their perspectives. Did they leave it on? And if so did they get ever get flack for it? Here are a couple of the responses I received:

“I leave it on. I think the people you email are just jealous they don’t have an iPad.”
“I turn off that text. Nobody needs to know where it came from. There isn’t a text that comes up that says sent from my Windows PC or sent from my Mac Book”.

As amazing and useful as the iPad is, there is still a perception by some that the iPad is nothing more than an expensive toy for the rich. This sentiment is captured beautifully and quite humorously in the twitter account ipaddouche (which I found after I googled Sent from my iPad). I believe it is this negative perception of the iPad and iPad owners that may cause some to be turned off by “Sent from my iPad.”

I am curious to hear your thoughts. What do you think of “Sent from my iPad”? Do you keep it on or turn it off? For now, I will continue to keep it on.

Sent from my iPad

The author of this post is Lorne Lakin

Lorne Lakin is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and a Producer for HSN in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Lorne has worked in the TV / Electronics industry for the past 13 years.Prior to working for HSN, Lorne spent 5 years at ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut. When not talking obsessively about the iPad, Lorne enjoys spending time with his wife, son, and dog Cooper.

udiaz75

In
our company, we have an auto signature whcih gets attached to outgoing email
with your information and whatever marketing message/graphic we choose to add.
If we can dictate our corporate emails’ signature, then there is no reason that
people should not have the same right to do so.

I
am sure that everyone has some point has worn some sort of professional team
logo item. You probably wear it and see someone else wearing another team and
some comment may be made how their team sucks. They don’t pay you for that advertisement
so it seems to me a little hypocritical to state that the “Sent from my iPad”
is douche and a status symbol. The same can be argues by wearing a Polo (Brand)
shirt or American Eagle, etc.. They ALL have their “mark”.

So
wear your American Eagle and let me wear my “Sent from my iPad”
udiaz75

Thanks for that… it made me laugh
Liotcik

Smart phones just got smarter. Not you guys!
Ms. Anderson

I keep it on, I am on the road most of the time and reply/forward emails while on the go, so I keep it…just like I keep the ‘sent from my iPhone’ on too, clients understand I’m not in the office when they get my emails.

Sent from my iPad 4G 3rd generation (How do you like that! LOL…)
Marina

I keep it. I love my iPad
Ladybug

Lol, I love my Ipad, and I dont care what people think about it, like my cousins husband said to me last night: ” Be proud of it, its a smart little thing that not many people can have.”
Bean5959

My iPad is smarter than your kids.
Lerang

Writing a note I do not end with: Written with a Mont Blanc
Bobbie Oakland

I just exchanged a new iPad 2 because the mail functions didn’t work – including the signature. The signature doesn’t work on the new one either. It worked once and then never again. Does anyone have any idea why? I’ve tried everything on both iPads – from erasing the “sent from my iPad” and putting in something else to resetting the iPad to factory settings. Nothing works.
Daniel

“I typically type shorter messages when using my iPad and the auto
correct feature of the iPad sometimes changes words I don’t mean to
change. Therefore I reasoned, “Sent from my iPad” helped explain my
brevity and typos.”

If you are using the iPad for work, it’s VERY unprofessional to leave that message as an excuse for being lazy to proofread what you just sent. It doesn’t matter what you’re using, but the message should show respect to your recipients.

At the same time, yes, it IS douchey. Try imagining a person telling you “I drove here with my Bentley.”

- Typed from my goldplated keyboard with diamond monitor. -