iPad Fever

I went out this morning to get a few shots of the first day of iPad sales at a local Apple store in Reston, Va.

OK, I actually went to play with an iPad and figured it is a news event, so pictures would be a good idea too.

No, I did not buy one, but I do want one. Even my wife, who is skeptical about the “latest and greatest gadget”, said “this thing is so cool.”

There was a pretty respectable line formed when we arrived but that was only for the buyers. The window shoppers where allowed in at 10 and we started to play.

And as she said, the thing is pretty damn cool. Very quick, responsive and one of those things that you just want to own because it IS so cool.

We will definitely wait until the 3G version comes out so it is truly mobile, but from what I saw, I like it.

I think just from a photographer’s standpoint, if you did nothing else with it but use it for a showcase for your portfolio, it would be worth the money. If you think about what you can spend for a really slick looking book and then the time and costs of printing, either professionally or on your home inkjet, and then the work of updating the book whenever you need to make changes, an iPad would be worth the money.

You would be able to update quickly by simply moving photos onto the iPad. You could keep multiple versions of your portfolio in folders so you can have your sports book, wedding book and any other version you may have all in one place. Want to show off your multimedia skills? Just as easy.

Yes you can do this with a laptop, but trust me, when you see the thing in person, and see the slick case made by Incase that also acts as a stand to prop it up on a table, you will see what I mean. The damn thing is just cool.

And we all want to be cool.