iPad as a "Digital Album"

[pirateRACE]

I've mentioned across these forums that I am really excited for the iPad as a "digital album". I figured I'd elaborate on my thoughts and see if others are excited for these similar possibilities.

In this age of digital photography, more and more pictures are being taken and shared via email, facebook, flickr, and so on. The only time I print photos are to insert in Christmas cards, fill a new frame or give to my grandmother who doesn't have a computer. There really hasn't been a good way to share and view these digital photos in person that is as enjoyable as looking at prints/albums. It's not much fun to crowd people around a desktop computer screen or pass around an opened laptop awkwardly. Every set-top box in my house (PS3, DVR, Wii, TVs etc) has options to view photos/video but trying to interact with those photos means someone with a remote pressing a button and waiting for the images to load.

I look at the iPad as a much more enjoyable way to share/enjoy. When the iPhone first came out, flicking through my photos was always one of the first things I would show people. And unlike traditional photo albums, you could play your home movies as well. With the arrival of the iPad, we get that same interaction as the iPhone, but we add in a 10" screen. Additionally when synced to a Mac you can browse by events or albums, select friends and family via facial recognition or browse by your travels on a map. Plus when your done with the iPad, you can dock it on your sofa table and turn it into a beautiful digital photo frame. All this doesn't even take into consideration what may be lurking in the minds of developers as new ways to share/view/edit our collections.

I think the iPad ups the ante and is the perfect digital album.

 

[miles01110]

In this age of digital photography, more and more pictures are being taken and shared via email, facebook, flickr, and so on. ... There really hasn't been a good way to share and view these digital photos in person that is as enjoyable as looking at prints/albums. It's not much fun to crowd people around a desktop computer screen or pass around an opened laptop awkwardly

So instead, you advocate crowding around a 10-inch handheld? Ok.

 

[diabolic]

It will be quite a bit easier to pass around a 10" handheld than a laptop.

 

[firteen888]

I'm excited for this too. It's going to make a great digital photo frame when I'm not using it.

 

[gwynne]

It will be quite a bit easier to pass around a 10" handheld than a laptop.

Yeah. One thing I haven't bothered adding to the 'what will you use it for' threads is the pass-around aspect...because I don't think my living room scene is typical of most people's. My husband, my friends and I are all tech professionals/nerds, so it's really not unusual for 75% of the room to have a laptop open--and then we end up trying to hand around these MBPs and whatever to show each other stuff.

 

[Bodhi395]

So instead, you advocate crowding around a 10-inch handheld? Ok.

I think he was advocating passing around the ipad, not crowding around it.

He was just illustrating that if you had a desktop computer your would have to crowd around it and if you had a laptop you'd have to awkwardly pass it around. Passing around the sleek and light ipad solves both those problems.

 

[r0k]

There are a lot of low cost digital photo frames around these days. Of course they have a power cord dangling. Will I want to pass around an iPad with my photos on the thing? Perhaps. I just went and took a look at an app I have on my iPod Touch called Gallery. It links up with my MobileMe gallery. The only problem is it requires a network connection to see everything. Still, I must admit that the ability to share photos by passing around a 10" screen device is an attractive use case for iPad, even if I have to "pre download" the photos somehow in order to be able to see them when I'm not around wifi. There is a feature to bring over iPhoto albums to the iPod/iPhone Photos app when you sync via usb. I have it set to take the 10 most recent albums, but it only happens when I'm tethered to my Macbook via USB. I'd really like to see Apple come up with a way to sync everything via wifi including apps, music, photos and more.

 

[pirateRACE]

So instead, you advocate crowding around a 10-inch handheld? Ok.

See below.

I think he was advocating passing around the ipad, not crowding around it.

He was just illustrating that if you had a desktop computer your would have to crowd around it and if you had a laptop you'd have to awkwardly pass it around. Passing around the sleek and light ipad solves both those problems.

Exactly.

 

[goobot]

So instead, you advocate crowding around a 10-inch handheld? Ok.

this. you think a computer screen is bad but a even smaller screen is better? this thread makes no sense. the tv is bigger and involves just s much work if not less and a laptop is just as easy to pass.

 

[diabolic]

this. you think a computer screen is bad but a even smaller screen is better? this thread makes no sense.

If you read the thread, it makes perfect sense. Passing around a 10" handheld tablet is a lot easier than crowding around a monitor or passing around a laptop. It's also easier than connecting to a TV.

 

[gwynne]

this. you think a computer screen is bad but a even smaller screen is better? this thread makes no sense. the tv is bigger and involves just s much work if not less and a laptop is just as easy to pass.

Strongly disagree. Most of the laptops in my house are 17" MBPs. I can't hold one out to someone at arm's length easily without two hands. (I'm a chick and I have weak arms, shut up.) Even setting that aside, it's a no-brainer that the iPad will be easier to pass around on the sofa.

 

[Bodhi395]

If you read the thread, it makes perfect sense. Passing around a 10" handheld tablet is a lot easier than crowding around a monitor or passing around a laptop. It's also easier than connecting to a TV.

I agree 100%!

Thinking about it, imagine you just went on a trip and want to share your photos when you go over to some friends or family members houses. You could bring your laptop over, which is heavy and pretty awkward to pass around easily, and the battery life usually isn't that great. You could email it to their desktop computer(if they have one) and you would have to crowd around the screen in probably a side room. You could somehow get it to display on their tv, but that would most likely take connecting a laptop or camera, and would be a big thing with finding a wire or getting it to display correctly.

OR, you could put the photos on your ipad and carry the 1.5 pound device and sit on their couch and pass it around like a photo album and let them all flick through your photos displayed on a beautiful 10 inch screen.

To me, I think the iPad is the best solution.

Edit: I also just thought of another reason the iPad is great for showing photos, you can easily turn it on its side and see wide photos, and then turn it back to see tall photos. You can't do this on a laptop.

 

[pirateRACE]

Great point, Bodhi395.

Also, we have to realize that not everyone are as "connected" as we are. I have many times tried to share photos with my inlaws/parents/non-mac users/the technically challenged and had to hover over them while they fumble around on my MacBook trackpad...

"Hit that button."
"The whole trackpad clicks"
"No, click over there."
"Cancel out"

I could hand them the iPad with the latest pictures of the grandkids and they would swipe through them without a single command. Hell, I could hand this thing over to my 85 year old grandmother! Oh great.. cue the "iPad is for old people" trolls!

 

[diabolic]

My wife owns a photography business and we can easily see potential in using the iPad for demoing albums to clients.

 

[FlashHead]

I think this is one of the key aspects of the iPad that the naysayers just don't get. It's capable of a great many things (if not everything), yet does a few things very, very well. Some people will want just for the one thing it does very very well that fits perfectly into their life.

The iPad will arguably be the best way to share media of any kind in an impromptu intimate situation. Aside from the casual sharing of photos with family and friends, think of the photographer, interior designer, sales people with catalogues or for myself, as a director, needing to share ideas with designers or set diagrams with a cast member, perhaps even keeping digital scripts with blocking notes on it. I imagine there are a lot of professions where this could become someone's best friend. And then you take it home and get all the casual "couch surfing" type of benefits everyone will enjoy.

Other people will have different primary uses of the iPad, whether it's as an e-book (PDF) reader, commuting companion, children's backseat DVD player, game console, document work station, navigation tool, Sling player, note taker, or perhaps dozens of other uses that will become more obvious as apps are developed.

It doesn't have to do everything if it does something you need better than anything else.

 

[paulisme]

I'm really looking forward to using the iPad as an "instant photo album." Any time there's a family gathering, I'm pretty much the designated photographer, and invariably I have someone who wants to see the pictures I've taken that day. My solution until now was to try to show them on the postage stamp-sized LCD screen on my Nikon D70, but the older folks in the family can't even make out the pictures. This way I'll be able to plug in my camera, transfer the pictures and have an instant, browsable photo album that even grandma can use.

 

[Alchematron]

I also look forward to sharing my iPad with others as a photo album

But they better be careful with handling it especially them little rascals!