Apple Tablet as Place to Dump Images?

<p>Just 64GB at max, and no Photoshop onboard, but I wonder if the new iPad will make a feasible place to dump photos from DSLR cards? The idea of displaying them on the big bright LED screen seems appealing. There is a camera connection kit I understand. And 3g coverage too. What do you think?</p>

<p>After suffering a system failure on a 2 month old $1399 iMAC which Apple chooses to regard as a software problem which isn't covered by warranty, I would say the dump is the proper place for the new Apple iPad.</p>

<p>If you shoot jpegs, maybe. No indication how it would handle RAW files. The 64GB is total storage. Depending on what apps/data one would have installed in the device, the remaining space would be considerably less. Screen appears to be glossy - great for increased color saturation and apparent sharpness - but also great as a mirror. If it's the same as the iPhone, you'll be constantly wiping off fingerprints and smudges. For photographers, it would have been better with a matte screen, standard USB slot, and built-in CF and SD slots and native RAW support like at least iPhoto. Maybe version by version 3 it'll be a better device. For just dumping images for backup an Epson device or a cheap $300 netbook with 160GB drive and built-in SD reader and standard USB ports does the trick.</p>

 

<p>Its probably good to show them but you would probably be better off using a macbook pro.</p>

<p>It was very obviously designed without input from photographers. There are no card slots, no USB, no iPhoto lite or something similar, and no built-in camera. To get photos into it away from a computer, you have to buy an accessory kit.</p>

<p>I'll probably get one, but I don't expect to use it for dumping photos. My older MacBook Pro will still work better than the iPad for that task. The iPad does seem like an almost perfect living room web device.</p>

<p>It's version 1.0. There will be new applications and, I expect, later versions with built-in card readers. All the same, I'd rather have a laptop computer with a built-in keyboard.</p>

<p>What I find funny about the Ipad is almost all the accessories they have make it into a normal computer. I wish they would just incorporate a touch screen into a macbook.</p>

<p>Well, you have to remember that this isn't what they designed the thing to do. Their photo dock has an SD reader I think and a USB jack, but no compact flash card. But it's about a pound and a half, and that appeals to me as does the size of the screen for seeing my pictures. It's true that it would need to be able to read raw files and maybe it won't be able to. But it's something to think about. I have an iMac and the reflective screen doesn't bother me. One can envision making a device aware application, something like iPhoto or even Photoshop lite with a plug in device with the appropriate reader. We'll have to keep our eye on it.</p>

<p>I heard some speculation that maybe what Apple is doing is trying to get to the next "concept" of a personal computer by means of the iPhone. In other words, conventional tablets have never worked because conventional operating systems didn't work that well without a keyboard. But this starts out with a device designed to do that, so maybe it can be evolved into something better than our current idea of a personal computer. Maybe not too. I don't want to be this much under Apple's thumb, but it is pretty and light and I'm tempted.</p>

<p>I'm not sure where the angst over stuff like this comes from. The iPad obviously wasn't meant to be a photo storage device or even a "normal computer". If they had tried to do that, they would have had to make compromises in other areas that they felt were important (price, size, battery life). It is supposed to be a new sort of device that fits in between a smartphone and a laptop.</p>

<p>As I said in the other thread, I don't see the iPad as any sort of a photography device. Nor do I think it was intended to be. It's just one of those "digital life" devices (kindle, slingbox, ooma, iphone, etc) that may or may not fit in with your specific lifestyle.</p>

<p>If you want a cheap and small photo storage device with wifi abilities, get a $300 netbook with a real hard drive.</p>

<p>I have one of those Josh, but this is lighter!</p>

<p>As a long-standing Mac mujihadi, I confess I don't get it. I can't see why this is going to be Job's greatest hit. Who knows, maybe the time is right, but very often Apple has been too early for the actual technology to really live up to the hype (remember Newton? Apple would rather not).<br>

It's cool, for sure. But is that enough? In any number of ways, it's too big to fit into my pocket.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I can't see why this is going to be Job's greatest hit. Who knows, maybe the time is right, but very often Apple has been too early for the actual technology to really live up to the hype (remember Newton? Apple would rather not).</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I'm not sure that this is going to be job's greatest hit, there are a lot of others to compete against for that (iphone, ipod, imac, itunes store, etc).</p>

<p>As for apple's failures, sure we all love newton jokes. But that was what....over 20 years ago now? And in retrospect, though it was a failure, it did predict many of the advances that would come to be commonplace. Aside from the newton, what large scale failures are there in recent apple history? I guess that little cube shaped G4 would probably be considered a failure. I don't know how hugely popular the AppleTV device has been, it surely doesn't get the press that the other "i" devices do. Then again, the numbers I have seen say that they are selling a million or so of them a year. So what do I know. I will say that the hockey puck shaped mouse that was shipping with imacs for a while was terrible. I guess you could call Apple's first foray into cell phones (Motorola ROKR) not a huge success. But that had more to do with Motorola's downward spiral than it did with anything else. But none of these are particularly large scale or on the same level as the Newton sales failure. The past 10 years have been very good for apple.</p>

<p>Given the fact that no company can knock it out of the park with every swing of the bat (Microsoft Vista anyone?), I think even apple-naysayers would have to say that the company has had a long list of hugely successful products over the past decade. Naysayers may see them as overpriced and dumbed down, but sales equal success in the business world. And it's hard to argue with the fact that the Apple app store has something like a million downloads a day.</p>

<p>Apple's stuff (particularly something like the iPad) isn't going to be for everyone. But from where I sit, they are doing a good job of pushing digital technology into mainstream acceptance and use.</p>

<p>I just picked up an iTouch on a whim and was very pleased with the simplicity of "dumping" my photos into the device. The resolution is nice and the ability to change from portrait to landscape at will is a nice feature.<br>

Apple is clearly targeting this audience for the iPad. Check their advertising video at about 3 minutes in (here: http://www.apple.com/ipad/#video). </p>

<p>The great thing is about a free market is we get to vote with our wallets. Don't like it don't buy it. Simple. If you've been screwed by Apple or some vendor yet again you have the freedom to blog, post and Tweet until you've extracted a pound of flesh from the vendor. <br /></p>

<p> </p>

<p>David... i was thinking the same thing. I think it would be a great device to dump cards onto and to review the photos. Adobe already has a photoshop app for the iPhone and I would presume they will make something for the iPad. I am a professed Apple fan who bleeds 6 color blood... And the iPad does look cool in so many ways.</p>

<p>The wounded finances of the publishing world aside, I think back to what college would have been like lugging around, well, a one pound hi-resolution iPad than all my Art History and other texts... Try sitting there with a copy of 20th Century Art and zooming in on a Cezanne or a Man Ray by flick your fingers.... that would have been awesome.<br>

I think that would be a huge market for them. Although I suppose most everyone would have a laptop anyway.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>If you want a cheap and small photo storage device with wifi abilities, get a $300 netbook with a real hard drive.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I use a Netbook with a 160 MB hard drive for photo storage, quick review and internet access during travel. For its cost, it works very well. But there are some shortcomings:<br>

1. The 1024x600pixel screen has a poor size and resolution for portrait oriented pictures.<br>

2. It is difficult to handle raw images. Canon's software can be installed only with tricks and DPP refuses to be started at less than 1024 x768 pix. Currently I use Picasa to view my Canon CR2 and my DNG raw files on the netbook. It does this job, but very slow.<br>

3. Color rendition and appeal on the (matte) screen of the netbook is poor, although I tried to calibrate it. I can live with that just for quickly checking and sorting my pictures but I wouldn't use it to show these photos to others.<br>

In the end, the netbook is a usable lightweight and cheap mobile photo storage and internet device. But if you want to present some photos to others or really enjoy them while on travel, a nicer display with a different aspect ratio would be welcome. Maybe Apple's next or third generation tablet will do what we need.</p>

 

<p>I assume the iCal syncs via mobileme to the iPad wirelessly. I think it would be fantastic to be able to pull pictures via mobileme to the iPad to show perspective clients also wirelessly. I use a laptop now, but it is sort of clunky and frankly the MacBook Pro screens are just ok. <br>

I was hoping for video chatting capabilities, but I strongly suspect that it was not put in at this time due to bandwidth issues (not great performance) and maybe concerns over expansion of sexting. <br>

It will be fun to watch the roll out of the device.</p>

 

<p>As a software developer I can see great potential in an iPad like device. The screen size makes many mobile, web based applications much more usable than they currently are on small screen devices like iPhones or Blackberries.</p>

<p>And I think that, with a full color screen, it will bring about a much wider acceptance of "eReader" devices, which are already having a major impact on the publishing industry.</p>

<p>But as a photographer I'll stick with my small notebook with its 500 Gig drive and card reader, at least for the time being.</p>

 

<p>You're all missing the point when saying "Apple screwed up, this can't replace my laptop" - it's not meant to replace your laptop. It's meant as a different category of device, for doing web stuff, some types of work (iWork will be available) but mostly - and this is the key to understanding the business angle - consuming media found on Apple media store web sites. iTunes, App Store and the new book store are sure to get a lot of customers from this.</p>

<p>Which is not a complaint - by introducing a new device that helps synergize their vertical integration or whatever the business people call it, <em>they're not doing anything wrong</em> - not unlike the people who keep making new movie versions of Pride and Prejudice, they're just selling a product that is for some people not including you, and you're free to use some other portable electronics instead.</p>

<p>i'll admit i'm a mac user - only iMac and iPod that came with the iMac. my iMac didn't get corrupted after 2 months (it's been going strong for 3.5 years) and i replaced hard drive and added memory by myself. i also downloaded all kinds of stuff on it that would've probably made bernard's iMac explode. </p>

<p>for people who say iPad doesn't have this it doesn't have that - it doesn't have it yet! and btw it does have usb - <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/">http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/</a> . by the time it's shipping you'll have thousands of applications for it that will do whatever you want. multi-tasking will be introduced within a year, probably this summer. you hate Apple that's fine just say it and move on... back to your clumsy Windows.</p>

<p>if you want a laugh at iPad's expense - <a href="http://creep.ru/interesnoe/1161040297-na-zlobu-dnya-fotozhaba-na-novyj-devajs-apple-ipad-14-foto.html">here you go.</a></p>

<p>This is the only thread I've really seen on the internet that takes a positive view of the iPad. I'm sorry, I just don't see it. There's giving something a chance and there is eating anything that comes out of Appleville, no matter what it smells like, I think this is the latter.<br>

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/f7a03edbd7/pee-wee-gets-an-ipad</p>

<blockquote>

<p>This is the only thread I've really seen on the internet that takes a positive view of the iPad. I'm sorry, I just don't see it. There's giving something a chance and there is eating anything that comes out of Appleville, no matter what it smells like, I think this is the latter.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Hahahahaha, really?</p>

<p>If you think a bunch of people posting "I'll buy it, but I can see why others wouldn't" or "Well I like the idea, but I wouldn't use it unless it had______ feature" is a fanboy thread, you don't get out on the internet enough.</p>

<p>A real fanboy (or hater-aid) thread would be WAY more over the top than this. There are plenty of each out there regarding the ipad if you care to look for them. I personally would ignore any where people don't even attempt to take an objective view of the device and what it was designed to do. Why? Because if you look, you can find all sorts of similar arguments on previous products from all sorts of companies that went on to be very successful. Not the least of which (and most closely related example) would be the iphone. Go find how many forum threads on the internet called it an overpriced under-featured proprietary locked piece of "I love Steve Jobs" jewelry in 2007. Then go look at the sales numbers for the thing today.</p>

<p>Steve Jobs/Apple and Bill Gates/Microsoft seem to bring out pretty strong feelings in internet forum people. But then again, so do Canon/Nikon, Ford, BMW, Rolex, Wal-Mart, Mcdonalds, and so on. But all are popular and all make products that millions are happy with.</p>

<p>people just need to compare iPad to Kindle and eReader not to a laptop. </p>

<blockquote>

<p>people just need to compare iPad to Kindle and eReader not to a laptop.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>That's another example of what I was talking about in my post above. The Kindle is viewed as a useless overpriced do-nothing piece of junk for a LOT of people. And they have posted their views on the internet for sure. But Amazon has sold more of those than I think anyone expected. Myself included. It is becoming a game-changer in its own way and we will see the results of it in future years.</p>