Do you have any mixed feelings about the new Apple iPad? I definitely do. I feel excited about the possibilities of it, but on the other hand, my brain is saying, “Okay really Kyle, is this something you need & can’t live without?”
If you’re not an Apple user, if you don’t have an iPhone, a MacBook, or an iPod Touch, you probably don’t even see why the iPad is a sweet little invention. Just think about how the iPhone literally changed the mobile phone industry. I never intended on leaving my former mobile carrier until the moment I saw the keynote presentation on the iPhone and then began counting down the days.
I think most photographers would agree that the iPhone is the ultimate photographer’s phone. I’ve experienced many instances where I needed to have my portfolio on hand and thanks to my iPhone, my portfolio is always with me.
When I stood in line to purchase the iPhone, I really had to justify the expense which was hard, but I asked myself if I thought owning an iPhone would bring me enough additional jobs to pay for it. It turned out that it was a wise investment for me personally, because I’ve received quite a number of additional jobs from its mere presence.
Now, I’m not saying that the iPad will end up as the same kind of great investment for me as the iPhone, but I can definitely see some benefits for a photographer owning one, such as:
-Portability in showing your portfolio at any time and any place
-The iPad Camera Connection Kit which can import photos through the camera’s USB cable or directly from the camera’s SD card through the reader
-Having your photos displayed on a big, beautiful screen to potential clients
-The overall professionalism it gives your business
-The ability to access all of your albums and/or files from your computer via MobileMe
-Easy navigation from your slideshow presentation directly to your calendar to book an appointment with a client
On his twitter, photographer Jeremy Cowart said, “The iPad will be the first publishing platform to ‘really’ take advantage of image resolution. Sweet. Everyone polish up your retouching.” I could not agree more!
This could help the photography industry which really does excite me, but I’m certainly not as confident that purchasing the iPad is a no-brainer for me like it was for purchasing the iPhone. They priced the iPad at $499, but that’s the “bare bones” model. I think most photographers would need the 64GB model with 3G for $829, which is quite more expensive in comparison.
As a speaker, I can also see the benefits for owning the iPad for presentations. No more flipping & fumbling through papers; everything you need is ready to be scrolled through at the tip of your fingers. For pastors, they can use one of the many Bible applications alongside their sermons.
This time around you won’t find me standing in line for the first rush of iPads, but if photographers out there can find a sure-fire way to get a great return on the investment, I’d definitely rethink hopping on the iPad train. So, I’d love to here the reviews from all you out there who purchase them. Happy iPadding!
We can definitely see you owning one of these Kyle!
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