Apple freaks all over the world were flat out falling over each other to be the first to get their hands on the new "it" thing to have. The new iPad.
On Friday it was Australia’s turn to whip into techno frenzy. As if the Australian Government had recognised Jedi as a real religion it was Geek Nirvana. People were queuing for hours outside the Sydney Mac store, with some having camped overnight simply to be among the first in Australia to get their hands on the tablet.
I was not one of them. Without being concerned with having to be the first in Australia to touch the shiny screen, I ordered one months ago and was happy to receive it around midday on Friday. To my surprise I wasn’t overly anxious to rip to box apart and calmly opened it at home alone that night.
First Impressions
It is gorgeous. Say what you want about Apple they know how to make a piece of plastic look desirable. I dare anyone to show me a piece of technology that feels so good in your hands and looks so good switched off! The iPad is truly a beautiful machine and it does exactly what it is supposed to do from Mac's point of view. It says you want me, you must have me, just touch me!!..... Once you do however you ruin it, but more on that later.
The unit is smaller then I expected but is still decent in its presence, and the thickness to weight gives you a sense of security. I don’t feel like I’m going to crack or break it if I handle it roughly. However I sense a stockpile of iPads with cracked screens will soon not be in short supply.
Once switched on the screen just looks awesome, the colours are amazing and it's apparent straight away this was born to be a tool of display first, a treat for the visual sense. It behaves essentially the same as an iPhone with the layout and icons being almost exact copies.
What use is it to us?
This is where things start to get cloudy. People are saying that there was no market for this, no need. People are sceptical because they wonder; what does it do that something else doesn’t already offer? People do have short memories, iTunes served absolutely no purpose what so ever, then the iPod appeared....Apple are masters at creating a market for their products alone, so just wait. I’m sure there is a reason we need this, Apple just haven’t told us what it is yet.
From a photography point of view however I believe there is already a market for it. Photos on this tablet look outstanding. The first thing I did was upload some photos and start creating albums and viewing slideshows. I was breathless for quite a while, everything looked so good, and for the first time in years I felt like I was holding a photographic print, only with a few touches I was looking at an entirely different print.
I can imagine handing this over to potential clients as a carry portfolio and having them oooh and ahhh over the high gloss images, and booking me on the spot. I can also see myself offering these as a product to clients. Forget wedding albums, have a wedding iPad!
Photographers are already offering Ipads as porducts to their clients.
This could become a dedicated photography tool.
Not that I can see. A quick search through the App Store will reveal hundreds of photography related applications, most of which offer basic editing tools and cool filters to apply to your photos. Whilst fun to play around with photography use in any professional capacity seems a distant vision, if not illusion.
What is offered however is a resource for photographers. There are some dedicated iPad applications that allow photographers to expose themselves to a multitude of daily professional imagery to engage and inspire. I am already loving the Guarding Eyewitness App that sends you a beautiful photojournalistic image to you everyday, with a pre existing back log of just over 100 images that you can sort through and marvel at.
I also see in the very near future applications to make the iPad an accessory for the professional photographer. Apps already exist on the iPhone that allow people to view and order images online. I will wager we won't have to wait too long to see an app that shows images in a professional portfolio setting with options to select and order images directly from a photographers website. Make bookings, show images to others, order prints and enjoy slideshows all on the iPad the photographer gave to you upon your first meeting. I can see this being a huge market in the portrait and wedding business. Imagine giving a bride an iPad as a wedding album. With the touch of the App Icon they see their images in a slideshow or on their own all within a skin that is branded to your business and with the touch of a button they are ordering prints for Mum and dad straight off your site.
What I like
- The look
- The feel
- The way images just pop on its amazing screen
- The ease anyone can skim through my images
What I don’t.
- Finger prints!!! Your first greasy touch of this beautiful screen and it’s never the same again.
- Lack of practical use for photography, although I never bought it thinking it would fulfil any actual applied photography use at all.
- Did I mention Finger Prints?
- People will say storage, but if you looking at storing high res images on this I would ask why? It is not a storage device.
The iPad has replaced my laptop at home, albeit I never used my laptop for any demanding tasks before. Simply surfing the net a bit and mucking around with photos as well as taking it with me to show a portfolio of work. The iPad trumps everything my lappy used to do and looks a whole lot better doing it.
However, outside the graphic artists I can’t see it being of any use to ordinary people. This won't stop it smashing all kinds of sales records I'm sure.
Glen.
