IPad Discussions

[iiiNelson]

I'm thoroughly disappointed in this. This COULD have been everything that the Macbook Air WANTED to be. Instead we have a large and IMO overpriced iPod Touch. There are no inputs and expandability is relegated to potentially a $30-50 USB adapter. I'm not impressed at all. If one were to buy the 64GB 3G/WiFi version with the said adapter (plus tax) we're looking at $1000 and that buys a "decent" laptop. I really wanted to like this but I have no use for it and to be honest I already hated iPhones (that's another story though.) If I really just needed an e-reader I'd seriously look at the Kindle or Nook personally. I happen to still buy books though cuz I'm old fashioned like that I guess.

 

[Oxide Blu]

... Love my iPhone. Like my kindle. Give me a combo of both on steroids and I am totally excited.

A combo of both on steroids is going to set you back about 50% more per title purchased through Apple's store. $10/title from Amazon, $15 (or max of retail printed price)/title from Apple.

6 major publishers have signed with Apple -- Random House, the largest publisher, has not. Already the lawyers are researching the possibilities ... The 6 publishers could be considered to have colluded to raise the retail price of product (ebooks) to consumers. And that would not be just a little unlawful.

Interesting, the agreement with Apple allows a publisher to withhold a title from the Apple store if the publisher gets paid more per title elsewhere, e.g. Amazon. Amazon effectively subsidizes the ebooks it sells, hence the lower cost to the consumer. Apple will not, hence the higher price to consumers.

 

[Terry]

Or, for certain books, I could use the Kindle App on iPad and buy through Amazon...just like you can on an iPhone. This is clearly not going to be the answer for everyone. It fits into my value prop and will cut down what I travel with. Next week when I head to NY I will have:
iPhone
Blackberry - work
Laptop (depending on the trip sometimes I have 2 - one personal one work)
Kindle

If the iPad were here I would take about 3 pounds less stuff in my carry on bag. Which would be:
iPhone
Blackberry
iPad

A combo of both on steroids is going to set you back about 50% more per title purchased through Apple's store. $10/title from Amazon, $15 (or max of retail printed price)/title from Apple.

6 major publishers have signed with Apple -- Random House, the largest publisher, has not. Already the lawyers are researching the possibilities ... The 6 publishers could be considered to have colluded to raise the retail price of product (ebooks) to consumers. And that would not be just a little unlawful.

Interesting, the agreement with Apple allows a publisher to withhold a title from the Apple store if the publisher gets paid more per title elsewhere, e.g. Amazon. Amazon effectively subsidizes the ebooks it sells, hence the lower cost to the consumer. Apple will not, hence the higher price to consumers.

 

[stephengilbert]

Now if someone would explain how to download pix from a CF card....

 

[Terry]

Now if someone would explain how to download pix from a CF card....

Use the USB adapter and connect the camera?
Use the USB adapter and attach a card reader?

 

[tom in mpls]

Don't rule that out. On the iPhone you can have iTunes going (playing music) the background with other things - like email.

Yes, some Apple apps can run in the background. You can play your music while doing other things.

The problem with dumping pics into the iPad, besides the possible exhaustion of available storage capacity, will be viewing RAWs.

Terry, what happens to your Kindle books if you switch to a new platform? Will you lose them? I think that "iBooks" will be discrete files that one would own and can transfer around, just like a music file. Apple is using a standardized book format which bodes well for keeping a book even when you move along to a different device or platform.

Now if someone would explain how to download pix from a CF card....

Attach a CF reader via the USB adapter.

 

[monza]

Since iPads have built-in 802.11n WiFi ... iPad + http://Ez.com/smifi or http://Ez.com/vmifi = iPad on cell network without AT&T

 

[Terry]

Yes, some Apple apps can run in the background. You can play your music while doing other things.

The problem with dumping pics into it, besides the possible exhaustion of available storage capacity, will be viewing RAWs.

Terry, what happens to your Kindle books if you switch to a new platform? Will you lose them? I think that "iBooks" will be discrete files that one would own and can transfer around, just like a music file. Apple is using a standardized book format which bodes well for keeping a book even when you move along to a different device or platform.

Yeah - RAWs not only would be problematic but chew up space. Just sent someone an email saying "looks like I will be shooting RAW+jpeg going forward".

I don't think you can do much with Kindle books but if there is a big discrepancy in price and that was a driving factor in your buying decision, you could continue to buy from Amazon and read it on the iPad through the Kindle App that exists today.

This article about the iPad and photography from from Luminous Landscape I think is pretty good.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/tablet.shtml

 

[stephengilbert]

Attach a CF reader via the USB adapter?

As I understand it, the iPad has the same input as the iPhone, so it can be connected to a computer's USB port or the charging block, but I don't know of a way to connect a USB CF card reader to it. (The input end of the Apple cable is the male USB cable end.)

 

[tom in mpls]

Attach a CF reader via the USB adapter?

As I understand it, the iPad has the same input as the iPhone, so it can be connected to a computer's USB port or the charging block, but I don't know of a way to connect a USB CF card reader to it. (The input end of the Apple cable is the male USB cable end.)

Look at this picture (the adapter is at the bottom of the page). It looks like a standard USB port identical to one on any computer. Just plug a CF reader into it.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Here's an interesting application for tethered shooting:

http://www.ononesoftware.com/detail.php?prodLine_id=38

 

[stephengilbert]

Tom,

The pic does look like a standard (vs. mini) USB port.

Somehow, I had the impression that it would have a mini USB connection, but I haven't looked at the cable that came with my M8, and thinking about it it would obviously have the mini port on the camera end and and a standard one at the computer end. Duh.

Thanks, Steve

 

[jonoslack]

This article about the iPad and photography from from Luminous Landscape I think is pretty good.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/tablet.shtml

Hi Terry
I agree - great article - makes up for the lamentary 'Make Leica Like Everyone Else' articles.

Incidentally - do we KNOW that core image support (for RAW files) won't be in there?

One imagines that having ported iWork they'll be working on iLife as well.

I'm still wondering (hopefully) that there might be something for us with Aperture 3

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Just realized we can see our mobile me gallery on our Iphones. So if you want to view images while on a trip you can load up before hand. Might make a nice portfolio review with a client besides having them loaded

 

[simonclivehughes]

I can't help wondering if, a few months down the road, having learned what they can from the iPad, that we might see a version that runs OS-X, with more I/O options etc. Nice as the iPad is, I don't see it as a replacement for my MacBook.

At this point, to me, the iPad is a "nice to have", certainly not a "must have".

Cheers,

Simon

 

[jonoslack]

I can't help wondering if, a few months down the road, having learned what they can from the iPad, that we might see a version that runs OS-X, with more I/O options etc. Nice as the iPad is, I don't see it as a replacement for my MacBook.

At this point, to me, the iPad is a "nice to have", certainly not a "must have".

Cheers,

Simon

Hi Simon
With respect, I think that you are missing the point of the ipad.
Everyone else has been making tablet computers with 'proper' operating systems on for the last 8 years . . . . and nobody has bought them.

The idea is not to have something as a replacement for your MacBook - this is where previous tablets have failed. Anyway, why would Apple want you to replace your expensive macbook with a cheap tablet?

The idea is to have something which is as easy to use as an iphone - which basically means that it isn't a standard computer.

There is an excellent article on Gizmodo:

The Apple Tablet Interface

This was written before the announcement, but it made me understand what they were up to.

Of course, whether you want a device like this depends on you, but they would have been mad to bring out a 'me too' tablet device running OS-X.

I thought the most telling part of the presentation was:

75 million people already know how to use it.

Personally, like Terry, I'll be leaving my ebook reader behind, this will be great for a quiet half hour in the living room or a hotel bar to catch up on email, the net, omni-focus with something which will slip in the back of my small fogg bag (which I always have with me). I can then prop it against the flower vase on the restaurant table and read the latest edition of the Guardian . . . or Middlemarch or whatever. When flying I can watch the movie I'd like to watch on something which doesn't have to open up and sit on the tray. The 17"MBP can stay in the hotel room / office / luggage shelf.

Sure, it won't replace your macbook . . . but did you really think they were going to produce something which would?

all the best

 

[Guy Mancuso]

It's great for folks that don't have real computing power needs. I have 3 people in my household that really don't (not counting me of course) have a need all the time but they do occasionally. Let's pick the typical household apart . i will use my family as a prime example.

Jack 12 years old , Has Itouch and wants and needs wifi for games, music, do a word doc. for homework and print. Now word doc he could use IWork notes and than e-mail to my computer and either walk in my office and print or have me do it. So no real need for computing power. He does have a little cam but again he could upload with the SD card slot and I could store his images on my Drobo. Okay typical family may have a My Book you get the idea.

Cali almost 20 . Facebook, camera, web, email and the need to print . Pretty much the same league as Jack with regards to printing and storage. Has Iphone also

My wife Nancy. Has Iphone for corporate e-mail and such plus another Nextel phone. I pad i could actually maybe loose her Iphone but probably not because maybe Ipad is too much for everyday for her. Okay she travels a lot and i mean a lot. Ipad is perfect . She can get e-mail, web, e reader and and also create documents with IWork Notes

Now some limitations for all three Printing , Storage, e-mailing with attachments ? Not sure you can do this. Never tried actually.

Anyway somewhere in the household you will need a real computer that can store, hold backup data for all Ipads and control content on all three Ipads plus print and do normally computing stuff.

Now the ultimate geek answer here is have a IMac in the house and than all three Ipad users can use that as the central brains of it all. This does not count me but since i am here i have the computer so the Imac is really not needed but I'm just talking a typical family on how they could actually work it all out between people and also some don't need 3g either. Certainly in my case little Jack wifi only, Cali Wifi and Nancy could get by without it but buy a 3g unit in case

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Jono you posted the same time as me and again you added some typical situations that the Ipad makes sense. Sit in the house on the couch or a short trip to the park and still stay in touch with the world. The one thing that some folks could actually do as well is actually get rid of the Iphone and go to a basic cell phone and lower there monthly bills by a huge amount. My At&T bill is 370 per month. 3 Iphones , unlimited text and a regular cell phone it adds up really fast. Just imagine me dumping those Iphones or some at least obviously you have to figure this out in your own household on what makes the most sense and the Ipad may actually make no sense to some. But it is intriguing when you sit down and think about it's uses both the pluses and the minuses

 

[simonclivehughes]

Jono,

Point taken, but to me, it's just not a compelling must-have buy (as the iPhone was). I agree, however, that it would be very nice to be able to do what you illustrate in your post.

I know that the iPhone is a small platform, but I can do pretty much all I need to do before moving to a larger footprint (my MacBook). The iPad doesn't give a whole lot more than extra screen real estate. What I see lacking is the ability to run existing OS-X software, especially for photo applications. I know that apps will continue to evolve (as will their prices), but damn it, I already own a lot of OS-X software! Plus, I think to many people, the ability to interface with the Windows world (for Office/Exchange etc) is pretty much a requirement.

Re replacing the MacBook, I think they could certainly sell both devices given that the interface is so much better than we've seen to date with more traditional tablet devices. Time will tell.

Cheers,

 

[jonoslack]

Jono,

Point taken, but to me, it's just not a compelling must-have buy (as the iPhone was). I agree, however, that it would be very nice to be able to do what you illustrate in your post.

I know that the iPhone is a small platform, but I can do pretty much all I need to do before moving to a larger footprint (my MacBook). The iPad doesn't give a whole lot more than extra screen real estate. What I see lacking is the ability to run existing OS-X software, especially for photo applications. I know that apps will continue to evolve (as will their prices), but damn it, I already own a lot of OS-X software! Plus, I think to many people, the ability to interface with the Windows world (for Office/Exchange etc) is pretty much a requirement.

Re replacing the MacBook, I think they could certainly sell both devices given that the interface is so much better than we've seen to date with more traditional tablet devices. Time will tell.

Cheers,

Hi Simon
Sorry about the 'with respect' - inexcusable and I apologise
Did you read the other article I posted a link to at the beginning:
Wired Apple Tablet Article
What they're trying to do is to create a new class of device - hence the newspaper / ebook reader bias.
Trying to use your current mac software with a touch screen could be quite challenging (we sometimes use the iphone for RDP connections to clients ).
What I'm hoping is that there will quickly be lots of 'sub-apps' which link in with the main applications on your desktop. So you could have a 'sub-app' of Aperture which allowed you to create a project, collect files, view and sort, delete and maybe even adjust WB and exposure. Then, when you get home simply upload the project to your main Aperture library (substitute Lightroom for Aperture if you like). I think that the Adobe Photoshop iphone app is showing the way here.
I had an email back from Omni (we live by Omni-focus and Omni-plan) and they're certainly looking at porting their more used applications.

So the issue isn't whether you can run your normal applications (because with the touch screen issue they simply wouldn't) but whether there will be enough linking applications to make it work for the more geeky client.