Author Topic: iPad: What do you think?  (Read 11282 times)

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missliz

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Re: iPad: What do you think?
« Reply #15 on: Apr 06, 2010, 04:39 pm »
I'm waiting for iProp, the brushed metal prop table with a glossy, editable surface and nead little icons for all the props.  Ideally with a trashbin that automatically resorts the table when stuff gets misplaced.

Of course I also want a party and a pony, but these are just as unlikely.

Hah! How about iPlaces, which sets all actors at appropriate entrances with correct props/costumes at a set time?
I personally would like to bring a tortoise onto the stage, turn it into a racehorse, then into a hat, a song, a dragon and a fountain of water. One can dare anything in the theatre and it is the place where one dares the least. -Ionesco

Jdylewski

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Re: iPad: What do you think?
« Reply #16 on: Apr 23, 2010, 02:23 pm »
I recently purchased the iPad and am going to see what happens.  I have a one-act coming up and will use it as my book.  I've downloaded a few apps to see if they work for stage managing.  First is a pdf reader Goodreader.  Rehearsal - its a app made for iphone - you can upload scripts, write notes, record, place photos.  I think you eventually have to pay for uploading - i'm still looking into it.  So far I was able to upload my one-act on pdf for free.  Bento for project management (calendar, tasks etc), Notes pro and Stick it.  The Complete Works of Shakespeare.  I already love the ibook over eReader and Kindle.  Kindle came out with a iPad app.  I'm going to see how that works, i love the Kindle library and would love to have all my tech theatre reference books on the iPad.   There is also ipad versions of word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation which i will upload in the future.   I'm not paying 30 buck a month for 3g so i'm just using wifi for email and internet on the ipad.  I'll wait to see if my carrier will eventually include ipad.  I won't be starting the one-act for a few week yet.  In the meantime I'm just playing with the apps. 

Jan

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Re: iPad: What do you think?
« Reply #17 on: Apr 25, 2010, 03:02 pm »
I thought I would hate hate hate it but I loved loved loved it!!!! Granted the worse thing about it was the fact there is no camera, but it was so easy and convenient to use.
Downsides: no cd or flash drive component
But it is lightweight and easy for transportation and it LOOKS cool as hell!

I have a small portable laptop already and probably wouldn't  (couldn't afford to) purchase it myself anyway, but I recomend it if you are okay with the no flashdrive thing (I kinow I wouldn't be)

Enjoy!
Mae Frankeberger
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"Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist"
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babens

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Re: iPad: What do you think?
« Reply #18 on: Apr 25, 2010, 07:03 pm »
I was neutral towards it until playing with one at the Apple store.  Now I really want one.  However, I am determined to wait a year or so until they release the next generation, because then it will be an even more viable option to completely replacing the laptop.  That, and according to the tech specs, you need Mac OS 10.5, and I'm still running 10.4 and can't afford to upgrade my OS and purchase such a fancy new toy all at once.

On_Headset

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Re: iPad: What do you think?
« Reply #19 on: May 03, 2010, 01:35 am »
I'm waiting for iProp, the brushed metal prop table with a glossy, editable surface and nead little icons for all the props.  Ideally with a trashbin that automatically resorts the table when stuff gets misplaced.

Of course I also want a party and a pony, but these are just as unlikely.

Hah! How about iPlaces, which sets all actors at appropriate entrances with correct props/costumes at a set time?
iWish, which allows the stage manager to fulfil the director's most esoteric whims ("...and could you fly the unicorn in over the audience from the balcony with a fireworks display? I saw it done in the West End back in the 80s, so surely we can handle it!") with nothing more than half a roll of gaff and the blood sacrifice of a chorus member.

More seriously, I do like the idea of a tablet device for use in stage work, but I have such a strong distaste for the App Store model of software distribution (and particularly how Apple treats their application developers) that I'm quite prepared to wait for a comparable Windows or Linux-based device before I dip my toe in. I should be allowed to install whatever software I like on my device without needing Steve Jobs' approval or paying him extra for the privilege.

babens

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Re: iPad: What do you think?
« Reply #20 on: May 03, 2010, 01:51 am »
Related to the iPad, and the power wielded by Steve Jobs, I heard an interesting interview on NPR this weekend.  They were talking about how Apple has been extremely successful in not only bringing new technology to the forefront, but also in killing off technology that it deems unuseful and/or obsolete.  According to the interviewee Apple was responsible for truly popularizing the mouse, killing off the floppy disk drive, as well as making the idea of CDs obsolete (which I think, while not completely obsolete, are on their way out, and you can't deny that iPods have already killed portable CD players).  They even talked about how many websites are already beginning to adapt to Jobs's hatred of Flash, noting how even the NPR website (among others) is stripping away Flash content to make sure it is compatible with iPhones and iPads.

Mac Calder

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Re: iPad: What do you think?
« Reply #21 on: May 03, 2010, 02:44 am »
True, but the same could be said of any market leader - they will pick technologies that they consider GOOD, and they will promote the hell out of these features on their units, they will limit access to those they don't agree with (ie remove a floppy disk). Other manufacturers look to the market leaders to see what they are doing, see that the market leader is encouraging the move from floppy disk, and see that they can save money by following that example. So they do it too. It is called trend setting.

Hi, My name is Mac, and I own a computer with a floppy drive and I have 2 USB floppy drives. 

Look at any market leader in any industry, and see how they shape the products of their competitors.

On_Headset

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Re: iPad: What do you think?
« Reply #22 on: May 03, 2010, 02:20 pm »
Also noteworthy: fully 51% of the lighting boards I work with still have floppy drives as the only means of backing up/exporting/importing data.
Related to the iPad, and the power wielded by Steve Jobs, I heard an interesting interview on NPR this weekend.  They were talking about how Apple has been extremely successful in not only bringing new technology to the forefront, but also in killing off technology that it deems unuseful and/or obsolete.  According to the interviewee Apple was responsible for truly popularizing the mouse, killing off the floppy disk drive, as well as making the idea of CDs obsolete (which I think, while not completely obsolete, are on their way out, and you can't deny that iPods have already killed portable CD players).  They even talked about how many websites are already beginning to adapt to Jobs's hatred of Flash, noting how even the NPR website (among others) is stripping away Flash content to make sure it is compatible with iPhones and iPads.
I don't object to market leadership or getting rid of Flash or even Steve Jobs personally. What I object to is the idea that my hardware manufacturer gets total control over my access to software, and will charge me for the privilege. If they don't like a program, or a program doesn't meet their standards, or they don't like a developer, then they can not only refuse to offer the software, but delete the software from my unit if they decide to withdraw it from sale. That's just not on with me.
« Last Edit: May 03, 2010, 02:22 pm by On_Headset »

babens

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Re: iPad: What do you think?
« Reply #23 on: May 03, 2010, 07:34 pm »
It's amazing how we in theatre sometimes keep some old technologies hanging on by a thread.  I think we are also the only industry to still utilize mini-disk players.

KMC

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Re: iPad: What do you think?
« Reply #24 on: May 03, 2010, 08:23 pm »
Also noteworthy: fully 51% of the lighting boards I work with still have floppy drives as the only means of backing up/exporting/importing data.

This is a touch off topic - but the reasoning here is that quite simply the theatres you're working at haven't yet or can't afford to upgrade.  It's been probably been at five years or more since a console with a floppy drive was made. 
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