I've been taking a personal "crash course" on tablets the last couple of weeks.
Right now I'm on the fence whether to actually buy one, but I just can't see shelling out big money for a gadget which really doesn't replace my desktop, my laptop, my netbook, or my phone. (When they can do all four of those things then we'll really have a cool device!) Tablets are literally in a new niche all of their own. The main attraction to me is their relative portability, the ability to browse the Internet, and their rich media playback options (photos, videos, et al).
It will be interesting to see the post-Christmas sales which will likely happen for models which are being replaced with newer ones. And I don't believe the tablet market is even close to maturation yet, so I'd expect cheaper prices and even more functionality soon...
What are your thoughts about tablets and their intended functionality as it relates to photography gear?
cameron12x wrote:
gadget which really doesn't replace my desktop, my laptop, my netbook, or my phone.
There's the answer.
If you are a pro may be showing you portfolio to your clients? but you can still use a laptop.
There are specific uses for tablets but it's not worth the money IMHO, unless something like a 99$ HP touchpad(discontinued).
The problem won't stop just with tablet itself-you might need accessories and data plans.
I'm sure next year there'll be new product between tablet and phone?
I'm not sure they fit my workflow yet either. But they will be there soon.
I just bought my mom a Toshiba Thrive for Christmas and of course I've been setting it up...for a couple of weeks
I wasn't expecting too much but this has an SD slot two usb (one full/one mini), HDMI.
My reasoning: This is her first experience with a computer basically. She's played a few word games if we get one going for her. But she's turning 87 this December and she feels left out...no facebook (whatever that is), no email...
With the tablet I set up a couple of buttons/apps on the desktop and she should be good to go. And mainly, there isn't a bunch of shut down steps to worry with.
Frankly I like the fact that a "computer" device CAN be useful without Windows or Mac...makes me feel kinda warm and fuzzy.
Apple is supposed to bring out an iPhone (or iPad) next year with an 8" screen. Will that confuse the issue even more?
When I started looking at the tablet market, 7" seemed on the small side, and 10" seemed on the heavy side. So, a form-factor of 8" might just be perfect for me.
Virtual keyboards are still an issue (for me), however. I like the tactile response of a regular keyboard.
I'd like to see a device where a regular keyboard slides out from the screen, or vice-versa, where a screen slides out from a keyboard (in much the way some Smartphones are today).
Yes, it's a confused market with a myriad of choices which tend to overlap each other.
My advice if you are going to get one, is to get the iPad. I say that not because I am a "fan-boy", but because their customer service is top notch! The rest of the tablets you have to phone in for service, whereas Apple you simply just make an appointment with the genius bar. Supposedly the iPad 3 will be out in March - who knows. I just hope that they add a CF reader, or at least an adapter.
cameron12x wrote:
I'd like to see a device where a regular keyboard slides out from the screen, or vice-versa, where a screen slides out from a keyboard (in much the way some Smartphones are today).
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I've seen some where a keyboard is built into a screen cover. You can then remove the cover and insert the screen into slots on the keyboard/cover, making what is essentially a laptop shape.
My bigger problem is the lack of onboard storage versus the seemingly ever increasing size of raw files. It would be great to be able to use a tablet as a backup storage file, but that's a bit limited if you shoot a lot and use raw.
I've seen lots of photographers use tablets to rapidly review a shoot (typically one using human models), as they are easy to pass around and have wide viewing angles....Show more →
onOne make an iPad app that will control the shutter on the newer Canon cameras and there are several apps that will allow you to control both Meade and Celestron scopes.
The Nook Color can be rooted & an app called DLSR controller installed. http://dslrcontroller.com/
Does full tethered shooting on most Canon DSLR that have live view.
The Nook Color has been at $199 & have seen specials at $159.
Pretty tempting and just at the impulse $$ level
I am not into tablets, cell phones, Ipads and stuff like that, but I am thinking about buying this.
It should have enough trunk space for a couple of long lenses and a big tripod/head.
dswiger wrote:
The Nook Color can be rooted & an app called DLSR controller installed. http://dslrcontroller.com/
Does full tethered shooting on most Canon DSLR that have live view.
The Nook Color has been at $199 & have seen specials at $159. Pretty tempting and just at the impulse $$ level
Dan
Now that is pretty interesting application. How much does it cost?
I know there is a SD card (8/16/32 Gb) you can use to boot either to Android or the native Nook OS.
I'm not a kid and I use an Acer A500 to transmit jpg's when I'm in the field for publication. For now I'm sending the images straight out of the camera, and once I find an app that I'm happy with I'll do some light editing. Why a tablet? Low weight and long battery life. I'll also be doing tethered shooting soon using the DSLController app (beta). I bought it a few days ago, will test this week.
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