Photo courtesy Apple.com
April 22, 2010
I am sort of an Apple geek. Since 2001 I have owned and still own and purchase Apple’s laptops, desktops, iMacs, iPods, Airports, and iPhones – of which I have owned all 3 models and will be getting version 4 as soon as it is released this summer. I swear by their products. They are built extremely well, work without problems, and do what I need them to do for both work and play.
Most people who know me just assumed that an iPad would be added to my collection as well. Yet as of right now, I am just not compelled enough to go out and get one. For me there just isn’t quite enough need there right now.
I have to confess – I have not yet seen one in person yet. But even still, I have done my research and while there are some aspects of it that interest me – primarily the large screen – I can’t justify buying what really just seems to be a larger iPhone.
I spend a lot of time on the road in my RV traveling, photographing, and selling my artwork at art festivals. I travel with my iPhone, MacBook, and 27″ iMac. I get wireless internet on my iPhone, and with my Verizon wireless MiFi 2200 which allows my iPhone, laptop and desktop computers all to connect to the internet at the same time via wifi through the Verizon card. (See my review of the MiFi 2200 here). With all three devices close at hand, where does the iPad fit in?
For me, it just doesn’t. I can get a lot of work done on my iPhone, such as searching for directions, doing quick internet searches, email checks, some blog updates, etc. When I am done driving for the day, the laptop is there to take over doing more intense emails as well as updating my blog and website, doing a quick scan of photos taken during the day, and other business I need to take care of. Photo editing and processing is saved for the iMac.
If I had an iPad, what would I use it for that can’t be done on any other device I have? I can’t import my RAW camera files into it to edit. It has no camera on it, meaning it can’t take photos and can’t be used to video skype. It won’t fit in my pocket like my iPhone does. In fact, if I had one, it would probably travel with me in the same case as my laptop.
About the only use I can think of that would be beneficial to me would be to use it to show my portfolio of images. That could be helpful at some of the fine art festivals I do, yet not enough reason to go out and get one just yet as I have done well enough without the iPad.
I probably will eventually get one – but most likely not until it features a video camera. Having the ability to import and store RAW camera photos in the field would also sway me rather quickly. Until then, I will be passing on the iPad for now.
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Hello, I am Matt Suess, a full-time fine art landscape photographer based in Phoenix, AZ. I have been a professional photographer for over 20 years - first as a photojournalist and now as a fine art photographer. My work has been both published & collected worldwide.
I currently travel the Southwest in my RV photographing and selling my artwork at juried art festivals in AZ, CA, CO, NM, UT and TX. All my work is done by hand by me. I do all of my own printing and mounting/framing to provide you with the best possible fine art photograph.
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Matt, I just picked one up. Its clearly device for consuming media, not a tool for getting work done. I don’t see any near-term version of the iPad being useful for a working photographer in the field (raw conversions, backups, etc). That said, I needed one in order to develop an app for displaying portfolios of images in a clean way, so the thing is a testing platform. But boy is it fun, and the display of images on it is really sweet. Given your iPhone and laptop, the iPad does not fill much need for you. Except for streaming movies from Netflix perhaps.