About ten days ago I purchased an iPad. It has been on my wish list since they first came out. My intent was to use it as a digital portfolio primarily. When I downloaded the images onto the iPad I found they were brilliant and crisp. It was better than I expected. Selecting and going through then is easy and intuitive. SO VERY COOL!
As I travelled I found the iPad a wonderful tool to check my emails and do a little surfing as I waited for planes. I could also use facetime to video conference with Janis at home. And it was free too!
Last night I decided to try my hand at a little drawing on the iPad. I downloaded two drawing apps - Procreate and Sketchbook Pro from the Apple store. It took seconds and both self installed. The apps were less than ten bucks each. I wanted to test drive both before I invested a bunch of time getting proficient. I noodled around for a few seconds and then did a quick drawing on each - less than ten minutes each.
Both apps supported layers, brush sizes, transparency and other features. Both were very similar in how they operated although the interfaces were a little different.
The first drawing done in Procreate was this one. I used six layers and simply layered each color on before adding another layer. I could save the drawing with layers or not and could export it with a tap of my finger. Nifty.
The second drawing was done using Sketchbook Pro. It too was done with six layers. Like Procreate I could save it with layers intact if I wished and export it effortlessly to other devices.
Now I'll spend a little time with each program before settling on one... I think I know which way I'm leaning but I won't reveal it yet.
As a portfolio the iPad excels. It is the perfect traveling companion and I enjoy it when I'm sitting on the couch watching TV. It looks to be useful for generating quick sketches which can be easily exported to my other devices.
The iPad is an awesome little device - perfect for the uses I plan for it. It won't replace my laptop, nor desktop but it has it's place for sure.
-grampa dan
[ July 03, 2011, 04:30 PM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
Posted by Kevin Gaffney (Member # 4240) on :
I've been using mine for a year Dan and would agree with your sentiments. As a portfolio, it's an excellent means of showing off our work. I certainly use mine a lot more than my laptop except during the workmday of course. Probably it's best feature is the range of apps available meaning it is customisable to suit each persons different needs. I like to watch lots of sport during the winter months so I get all the sky sport stations live on it.
Posted by Michael Clanton (Member # 2419) on :
I looked at getting one to do caricature portraits- there are some great stylus' out there to really get the full effect. Maybe before the end of the year...
our church's music leader recently got one and uses as a digital music stand- has 2 foot pedals to track thru all the chord charts- clips on a mic stand and he has everything at his fingertips- including the complete music library that is stored on another computer up in his office- a couple of clicks and he can get to anything...
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
I bought a new pencil sharpener last week. Posted by David Wright (Member # 111) on :
Sketch club and Art Studio woill round out your art apps nicely. Lot of squiggly lines in Sketch club.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Raymond, was it a cordless one?
Posted by Deb Fowler (Member # 1039) on :
Dan,
I won an IPAD from some sales I had and used it for my online classes for it to speak to me. Then the safari somehow got undone and I am hoping to get some help getting it back online.
But they are really awesome!
Posted by Kevin Gaffney (Member # 4240) on :
Isn't it interesting how attitudes change with time. I originally mentioned an iPad here twelve months back and they were mainly poo pood. Suppose the same could be said of mobile phones and fax machines through the years.
Posted by W. R. Pickett (Member # 3842) on :
Some people are slow to adapt. Some never do...
Posted by Dale Manor (Member # 4858) on :
HI Dan,
I have been using an iPad here for a while now. Rarely take my laptop on the road anymore. I also bought one for my lovely wife Brenda to use.
I would suggest trying the full blown version of Sketchbook Pro. At least go out and watch some of the rendering videos on Youtube. We use Sketchbook Pro for new product ideation.
I use my iPad along with an Apple TV unit...the ipad has an App called remote that controls whatever is on the tv....movies, iTunes. I also use it a lot for watching movies on Netflix. People were saying...why don't you just get a netbook. Because they do not do half the stuff that I do with my iPad.
Great little devices.
Posted by Amy Brown (Member # 1963) on :
I love so many things about them but I still have a need for being able to view Flash websites at times. Is there anything yet for Apple to translate Flash applications?
Posted by David Wright (Member # 111) on :
You are not going to replace a regular computer with one. Mine is used for taking out on jobs for estimating, great tool for archiving the estimates also. Bookkeeping on this would not work as well and no real designing either. Fun to draw and sketch though.
So yes, for most I would poo poo it and advise to keep your laptop. the android tablets have better multitasking capabilities though.
I am not sure what Mr. Pickett means about slow to adapt, to what? Quit listening to the gadget messiah , these are not life changing devices just well marketed consumer electronics.
Finally Apple got it right in the competetive pricing area on the Ipad with more applications then any rival. Never seen that before.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Amy, there are web browsers for the iPad that can translate Flash into HTML5 on-the-fly but they only work for video, not applications.
I'm looking forward to the iOS5 update due out in July which will make the iPad (and iPhone, iPod Touch) completely independent from computers. They're adding the ability for all updating and synching to happen over wireless via iCloud, and there will be no need to plug into a computer ever again.
Posted by Kevin Gaffney (Member # 4240) on :
Another great use I found for the iPad is using an app called evernote for logging job details. Can store photos measurements etc and gets synced back to your mac. Proved very useful at trade shows. Take a photo of stands products and business cads. Everything nicely organised and easy to find months later in portfolio setup
Posted by Dale Manor (Member # 4858) on :
I also wanted to mention that you can buy a pocket size projector for the iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad...
If you want to project a slideshow of your work or watch a movie up to 50 inches wide you can use the little Pico Pocket projector....they are battery powered, about the size of a cell phone and work pretty well.
to Amy....I really haven't missed the whole flash thing. There are specific Apps that run video and such. If I really have to see a flash site I just remote into my desktop computer and run it on there.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Dale, are you using LogMeIn Ignition or do you have some other sweet remote desktop app?
I'm using LogMeIn and they added a cool file transferring feature to their App where you can drop any type of file from any of your computers/devices listed on your account. While using the iPad you can copy the files to the iPad or put them onto any other computer/device on your account, remotely.
Posted by Dale Manor (Member # 4858) on :
Hey Mike...
I've used both Splashtop Remote Desktop and Desktop Connect with some success.
Perhaps I should give the LogMeIn version A try.....sounds like a good one.
Maybe we start a list of favorite Apps?
How about Mobile Monet HD....a fun photography filter. Ted....Education Planetary....a cool way to play your tunes!
Posted by Kevin Gaffney (Member # 4240) on :
Mine would be sky mobility, 1 password, flipboard, ipad folio, evernote. My family all use iPad a lot and they would of course have a completely different list.
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
Anything with cloud in it is the nemesis of all times.
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
Ian - of course it was cordless. It doesn't have to depend upon electricity at all. It has a little handle on the side that you turn and just like magic, it sharpens the pencil. I'm trying to keep up with all the new technology.
Posted by Joseph Diaz (Member # 5913) on :
I got a chance to see Dale's mini projector in person this spring. Very cool device. Is there a powerpoint app for the iPad? I would think that would be extremely useful.
Posted by Dale Manor (Member # 4858) on :
Hey Joe,
Keynote is about as close to powerPoint as I have found.
I used Keynote to do the slideshow at our wedding. The iPad version is sort of a light version of the iWork suite. Limited number of templates and transitions.
Posted by Sunset Regall (Member # 11140) on :
Dale....I'm delighted you know about TED !! My son-in-law is Production Engineer for TED Conferences. Daughter also free-lances for them.
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