Well, it’s here, my personal copy of the iPad. Yes, I was one of the people standing in line the first day to get one. With all the hype, I thought I’d write a little review from a photographers perspective.
I’ve never liked laptops. They were a necessary evil to drag to client presentations, grab email, and stay connected while traveling. Laptop screens are never good enough for serious editing chores or color correction, the battery was always running down, and they are slow. Therefore, I was always tied to my main system for anything important. So far I’m extremely confidant that the iPad will be able to replace my laptop. I’m busy adding slide shows, portfolio images and album samples to my iPad so I can test it with upcoming client presentations. Web-surfing, Email, Facebook and Twitter are a pure joy to use and update. If you have a netflix account, you can watch movies instantly.
I have the wifi version, and one thing I noticed immediately, is that many apps are web based. Once you loose your wifi connection, your functionality is diminished. Unless you have a mobile hot-spot in your car, you wont be able to access some functions until you reach your destination, a nearby McDonald’s, or Starbucks. For me, I’m fine with that. I have an iPhone for emergencies, so I don’t need constant access. If your the type that needs constant connection, or travel to areas without good wifi connectivity, you might want to wait for the 3G version.
I’m very impressed with how photographs and video’s display on my iPad. I’ve showed my portfolio to a few friends and a couple clients already, and so far everyone has been blown away. Personally, I would love to have my wedding proofs and wedding album delivered pre-loaded on an iPad, in addition to, or instead of a traditional album. It seems like the perfect way to carry and show off your images. I’ve been asking that question over the weekend to everyone who has viewed my presentation, and so far everyone has been a definite YES! So, here’s a little poll for all my past and future clients reading this blog. Actually anyone can chime in.
It’s hard to describe how this would look, so here’s a little album slide show sample. Just click on the image and it will take you to a new page and start the show. This will give you an idea of a album show that would start automatically. In addition, you could flip page to page and enlarge any image at will. Of course you would also have a folder of your favorites and all of your proofs. Eventually you will be able to connect the iPad to your TV for a larger viewing experience. I’ve had a couple of requests already, if you have any ideas or requests, drop me a note.
[caption id="attachment_201" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Opening page Bacara Resort album"]
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The question is: If I designed a custom electronic version of your album, along with a favorite images section, a wedding slide-show and a section for all your proofs. Would anyone be interested in all of this delivered pre-loaded on an iPad?? The next question would be: Would you want a traditional album also, or would you be happy with just the electronic version.
[poll id="2"]
