Ipad for BU when traveling - questions

[The_Traveler]

I typically take a 5 year old netbook running a simpleton's kind of Linux and an external HD when traveling. It is heavier, more cumbersome and slower than an IPad which my spouse bought but which I use to browse the Interweb.

Is it possible to use an IPad, with my existing portable HD, to backup when traveling?
Ideally, I would use a card reader and store stuff on the port hard drive, using the Ipad only to manage the transfer and to hold a BU of the stored stuff (yes it has a large storage)

I resist spending lots more money and would like to utilize what I have.

Help, help, throw me information.

 

[TheLost]

You can't connect a hard drive to the iPad.

You can however transfer your photos to the iPad using the 'Camera connection kit' but you will loose your file names (iOS doesn't have a normal file system). Also, saving RAW files can be tricky.

In the end its a PITA...

 

[The_Traveler]

This is why I switched from Apple in 1985.
If there's something they think it's OK for you to do, then everything is great (albeit expensive)
But..., if they don't want you to do something, it's a total PITA.

(I was doing data analysis and the only stat program for the Mac didn't allow me to create different regression models. So over to PC and I think it was Systat, then SASS)

 

[ronlane]

Hey Lew, I understand not wanting to spend a bunch of money, and I'm not sure in your case what that means. But have you thought about something like THIS.

 

[kathyt]

I wouldn't recommend the iPad for any type of storage device. Mine runs out of memory all the time.

 

[tecboy]

You can store in Dropbox.

 

[The_Traveler]

Hey Lew, I understand not wanting to spend a bunch of money, and I'm not sure in your case what that means. But have you thought about something like THIS.

It's not really the money, I am just damn unwilling to buy yet another gadget for very short term, intermittent use.

Failing the IPad, I will try using a mini-Linux on a USB stick and plugging both that and the portable HD into a guest computer and monitor. I have 80 GB of cards so that the PHD is just a backup to satisfy my anal retentive needs to be safe.

Thanks for all the input.

 

[D-B-J]

This is why I switched from Apple in 1985.
If there's something they think it's OK for you to do, then everything is great (albeit expensive)
But..., if they don't want you to do something, it's a total PITA.

(I was doing data analysis and the only stat program for the Mac didn't allow me to create different regression models. So over to PC and I think it was Systat, then SASS)

I use SAS a lot in school, and it is NOT available at all on my mac. I only need parallels, windows software, and SAS...--Stupid!

And don't they make hard drives you can dump files to directly? One's with built in card readers or something?

Something like this?

NEXTO DI ND2730G Nexto Photo Storage Portable NESE-ND2730750G

 

[ronlane]

No problem Lew, I can see where you are coming from. I went on the assumption that it was a space/size issue to help lighten your load while traveling. I've got a work trip schedule in a few weeks and I am trying to figure out what to take with me and what not to take. I may not have a lot of time to shoot but I want to be ready if/when I do. Was thinking about getting another memory card, since I don't know if 3 will be enough.

 

[TheLost]

It's not so much an issue with Apple... but an issue of: its not what the iPad was made for.

<flame suite on>
As a software developer working day-to-day in a Microsoft corporate world (We are a Microsoft Partner and i hold a few MS certifications) i would take Apple hardware/OSX any day over the direction Microsoft is headed.

Apple hardware is designed better... built better... and more powerful then its competitors. OSX is sooooo much more then Windows could ever be.
</flame suite off>

... stop trying to squeeze orange juice from a banana.. The iPad is a tablet not a notebook

 

[cynicaster]

It's not so much an issue with Apple... but an issue of: its not what the iPad was made for.

... stop trying to squeeze orange juice from a banana.. The iPad is a tablet not a notebook

This seems to be the stock apologist answer whenever &#8220;unhip&#8221; people like me express bewilderment at the glass-ceiling limitations of the iPad.

Here we have a device that:

• Is light and portable
• Has several GB worth of storage capacity
• Has a brilliant high-res display
• Has decent processing power
• Costs 700 f#*king dollars

&#8230; yet, I&#8217;m supposed to accept&#8212;apparently, just because some marketing stiff at Apple says so&#8212;that it&#8217;s an unreasonable expectation that I should be able to pop a card full of photos into the device and review/store my work, without having to buy any kind of add-on accessory.

I find it absolutely absurd that I have to accept that I &#8220;just don&#8217;t get it&#8221; when it comes to a device that has pretty much always been a solution looking for a problem. Here we have a very simple problem, yet the iPad provides no solution&#8230; at least not natively.

I know, I know&#8230; &#8220;but not everybody cares about photography, blah blah&#8221;. That is true, but it&#8217;s also true that you don&#8217;t need to be a photographer to see the benefit in being able to transfer media to and from the device without needing a &#8220;cloud&#8221; and without being forced to slog through the wretched agony of iTunes.

I have an iPad, by the way, but I got it before I really got into photography 2 years ago. It sure would have been nice to be able to use the iPad as part of the hobby, but I guess I &#8220;just don&#8217;t get it&#8221; and the actual raisons d&#8217;etre of $700 Apple tablets are Facebook, Angry Birds, and eBooks.

 

[D-B-J]

It's not so much an issue with Apple... but an issue of: its not what the iPad was made for.

... stop trying to squeeze orange juice from a banana.. The iPad is a tablet not a notebook

This seems to be the stock apologist answer whenever &#8220;unhip&#8221; people like me express bewilderment at the glass-ceiling limitations of the iPad.

Here we have a device that:

• Is light and portable
• Has several GB worth of storage capacity
• Has a brilliant high-res display
• Has decent processing power
• Costs 700 f#*king dollars

&#8230; yet, I&#8217;m supposed to accept&#8212;apparently, just because some marketing stiff at Apple says so&#8212;that it&#8217;s an unreasonable expectation that I should be able to pop a card full of photos into the device and review/store my work, without having to buy any kind of add-on accessory.

I find it absolutely absurd that I have to accept that I &#8220;just don&#8217;t get it&#8221; when it comes to a device that has pretty much always been a solution looking for a problem. Here we have a very simple problem, yet the iPad provides no solution&#8230; at least not natively.

I know, I know&#8230; &#8220;but not everybody cares about photography, blah blah&#8221;. That is true, but it&#8217;s also true that you don&#8217;t need to be a photographer to see the benefit in being able to transfer media to and from the device without needing a &#8220;cloud&#8221; and without being forced to slog through the wretched agony of iTunes.

I have an iPad, by the way, but I got it before I really got into photography 2 years ago. It sure would have been nice to be able to use the iPad as part of the hobby, but I guess I &#8220;just don&#8217;t get it&#8221; and the actual raisons d&#8217;etre of $700 Apple tablets are Facebook, Angry Birds, and eBooks.

Check it out--you can easily connect SD cards...

Apple Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader - card reader - Lightning - MD822ZM/A - Audio/Video Cables - CDW.com

BTW, I'm an Apple addict. Everything they do is right and proper, and we are better off with their products.

Jake

 

[tirediron]

Okay folks, let's keep things on track and NOT turn this into an Apple/Microsoft or iPad good/bad thread.

Lew, yes, you can, BUT it requires "jailbreaking" the iPad and installing non-Apple approved software. My suggestion would be to get a cheap netbook and use that to power your external HDD.

 

[The_Traveler]

Okay folks, let's keep things on track and NOT turn this into an Apple/Microsoft or iPad good/bad thread.

Lew, yes, you can, BUT it requires "jailbreaking" the iPad and installing non-Apple approved software. My suggestion would be to get a cheap netbook and use that to power your external HDD.

I have a cheap netbook, it just irritates me to have this expensive device and not be able to use it the way it could easily be used just because someone doesn't want me to.

 

[TheLost]

This seems to be the stock apologist answer whenever “unhip” people like me express bewilderment at the glass-ceiling limitations of the iPad.

Here we have a device that:

• Is light and portable
• Has several GB worth of storage capacity
• Has a brilliant high-res display
• Has decent processing power
• Costs 700 f#*king dollars

… yet, I’m supposed to accept—apparently, just because some marketing stiff at Apple says so—that it’s an unreasonable expectation that I should be able to pop a card full of photos into the device and review/store my work, without having to buy any kind of add-on accessory.

I find it absolutely absurd that I have to accept that I “just don’t get it” when it comes to a device that has pretty much always been a solution looking for a problem. Here we have a very simple problem, yet the iPad provides no solution… at least not natively.

I know, I know… “but not everybody cares about photography, blah blah”. That is true, but it’s also true that you don’t need to be a photographer to see the benefit in being able to transfer media to and from the device without needing a “cloud” and without being forced to slog through the wretched agony of iTunes.

I have an iPad, by the way, but I got it before I really got into photography 2 years ago. It sure would have been nice to be able to use the iPad as part of the hobby, but I guess I “just don’t get it” and the actual raisons d’etre of $700 Apple tablets are Facebook, Angry Birds, and eBooks.

They make exactly what you want... its only 1LB heavier and ~$300 more.. Its called the MacBook Air.

The iPad is just a phone with a big screen. It can do some amazing things but IT IS NOT A TRADITIONAL COMPUTER..