The iPad Camera Connection Kit - fixing a few of the iPad limitations

[pm]

So I know that the vast majority of GG&P hold the iPad in great disdain. Either they don't like it because they don't see the point of it, or they don't like it because it's made by Apple, or they don't like it because it's selling like crazy and they can't figure out why... or all three.

Regardless, I'm getting one... and one of the prime reasons that I decided to buy one was when I saw the iPad Camera Kit. I hadn't seen anyone mention it, so I thought that I'd post up about it.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A

For $29 you get an iPad SD-card reader, and an iPad USB connector. Now, of course, this being Apple there are lots of limits on these two connections, but still... they are useful. And probably the jailbreaking crowd will find some ways to open up their usability.

The USB connector can be used to connect a cheap USB keyboard to an iPad. Which is nice because USB keyboards are cheap and bluetooth versions (which the iPad can also use) are expensive. Apparently you can also hook a USB headset up to it... which opens up the possibility to use the device for Skype. It also allows direct hookups to most newer digital cameras. It does not work with the vast majority of other USB devices - so no external hard drives or external DVD drives...

Then there's the SD-card reader. So on my iPhone the biggest use of space is movies. I love taking movies with me on trips - and I travel a lot. If my plane is delayed, there's nothing that makes the time pass faster than watching some movie like Zombieland or back to something like Predator or something like that. But watching movies on my iPhone was never great... but it worked. So with an iPad, I get the bigger screen... but I presumed that the vast majority of my iPad storage would be tied up in movies but then I found out that the SD card reader can read and watch MP4's... so if I rip a movie over to an SD card I can (so they tell me and I hope it's true) watch that movie on the SD card. So I can fill my iPhone with music and apps, and then fill my 16GB iPad with whatever I want... and then still have some 16GB SD card that has all my movies... or even two 16GB SD cards for the really long trips.

You might think that this isn't a big deal - netbooks have SD card readers and they have lots of USB ports (and they have Flash and lots of other things the iPad lacks). But I have a Netbook and a big huge laptop... and for the non-business trips I want something a lot lighter with a lot better battery life. And I'll try an iPad now and I'm happy to hear it can read photos from my camera and movies from SD cards.

 

[zerocool84]

It really sucks you have to pay extra for something so simple like that but ya gotta pay to play.

 

[speg]

I did not know you could read video/music? from the SD cards... I asssumed it was just for importing photos from the camera. Nice addition if true.

 

[pm]

Zero, I hear you. The iPad should take SD cards, and it would be nice if they built a USB port in as well. So on the one hand it's frustrating to pay for what I should be getting anyway. But on the other hand... it's cool to have an SD reader for the iPad. And maybe iPhone once the hackers spend some time with iPad release 3.2.

I did not know you could read video/music? from the SD cards... I asssumed it was just for importing photos from the camera. Nice addition if true.

Not music... just mp4 video. I presume the intention is to enable input from a camcorder...

Here's the review from the USA Today. He tried some stuff. Couldn't get FlipHD MP4's to work:
http://content.usatoday.com/communi...-camera-connection-kit-accessory-first-look/1

Here's a guy who hooked up a thumb drive and imported an HD movie.
http://www.everythingicafe.com/foru...ks-with-ipad-camera-connection-kit-65229.html

I've seen some others post up that iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch mp4's will play.

The iPad spec page says that it can read and play 720p 30fps .mp4, m4v and .mov file formats. And people have shown that you can import .mp4 movies - the USA Today could import them, but not play them.

My iPad should be here Wed. And my camera kit will ship in a couple of weeks (not sure if it's released yet... I don't think it is). When I get it, I'll be sure to post back how the experimenting is going.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Which version do you have ordered pm?

I'm interested in the camera kit, but use CF in my Nikon, haven't seen if the CF readers are recognized yet.

I have a 16GB 3G on the way, (they sold out here in LA, every version) looking forward to tinkering with it. Not sure if the WiFi model goes to the kid or on eBay.

I have a source for some slick man bags (they have blemished models at 50% off, since it's distressed leather, it really just adds character) Anyway, they're moving their shop this week, and their stuff is all crated up, when they're organized, I'll post a link here for a few days before I post it on one of the major boards, so we have a shot at the blemished stuff @ 50% off...

 

[theeedude]

If you aren't in too much hurry, you could just wait a little longer for an Android tablet that has full featured file system, built in card reader, usb, hdmi, Flash, and native 1080p decoding.

 

[Pliablemoose]

If you aren't in too much hurry, you could just wait a little longer for an Android tablet that has full featured file system, built in card reader, usb, hdmi, Flash, and native 1080p decoding.

I'm going to let any Android tablets mature a bit, 1st gen Apple stuff is pretty safe as far as actually working.

I want to see the Android OS releases slow down in frequency and for the OS to mature a bit.

 

[pm]

If you aren't in too much hurry, you could just wait a little longer for an Android tablet that has full featured file system, built in card reader, usb, hdmi, Flash, and native 1080p decoding.

I thought about that. Still, my attitude is that I'd rather buy now and then sell on Ebay later if I find something that I like more. I will be travelling all summer long, I wanted an e-reader with internet capability and the space to hold a lot of movies and TV shows.

If there's an Android tablet that really rocks, I'll be in line for it (well, figuratively... really, I'll never line up for any high-tech device), and I'll sell my iPad for what I can get for it.

 

[Kaido]

As lame as it is, it does make perfect business sense - who would buy a 32GB or 64GB iPad when you can just buy the memory separately whenever you want to?

 

[QueBert]

As lame as it is, it does make perfect business sense - who would buy a 32GB or 64GB iPad when you can just buy the memory separately whenever you want to?

People like me who don't wanna pay $$$$ for something, and don't have a need to ever remove a memory card either. Maybe it's just my poor luck, but I've had 3 of the 4 memory cards I've bought die on me. All 3 of got took out of the device and hooked to my PC on a daily basis which probably lead to it. 32 gig MicroSD cards aren't cheap and 64 gig ones don't exist. I don't wanna mess with external storage. I want my device to have internal memory, it's cheaper and I don't have to worry about it.

 

[alfa147x]

I doubt those andriod tables (that have those features) are going to have a battery life or even form factor of the iPad

 

[theeedude]

I doubt those andriod tables (that have those features) are going to have a battery life or even form factor of the iPad

I sure hope they don't, that's another reason to wait.
http://www.slashgear.com/notion-ink-adam-flash-ipad-comparison-app-competition-0873197/

Particularly of note is the battery life; Notion Ink CEO Rohan Shravan highlighted Apple’s “Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music” [emphasis ours] estimates for the iPad, and pointed out that, thanks to Tegra’s frugality, the same Apple hardware with the NVIDIA chip could run for 2-3x longer than the iPad manages. That’s before you factor in the Adam’s Pixel Qi display, which stretches out the longevity even more, and of course Tegra is capable of outputting 1080p HD video whereas the iPad maxes out at 576p/480p via its optional component cable.

 

[alfa147x]

I sure hope they don't, that's another reason to wait.
http://www.slashgear.com/notion-ink-adam-flash-ipad-comparison-app-competition-0873197/

Most of those tables seem like vaporware to me.

 

[zerocool84]

I doubt those andriod tables (that have those features) are going to have a battery life or even form factor of the iPad

A usb port and a sd slot doesn't add anything extra. They don't even give you that.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I sure hope they don't, that's another reason to wait.
http://www.slashgear.com/notion-ink-adam-flash-ipad-comparison-app-competition-0873197/

I'll believe that about the battery life when they have the product in people's hands. I'm leery of the display, seems I remember it being pointed out that the image quality wasn't stellar. That is another big plus for the iPad is the IPS panel its using, and its one of the major things that I expect most of these other tablets will get wrong, going for a cheap TN based panel.

People on Head-Fi are excited about the camera kit as it allows you to bypass the internal audio components (both the amp and the DAC) and use a USB DAC.

 

[alfa147x]

A usb port and a sd slot doesn't add anything extra. They don't even give you that.

Wow I had a dumb ass moment there: I don't know what I was thinking

The only other thing is that this wont take off because their isnt a large company behind it. It looks like it uses a TN display, deal breaker IMO. Plus the place where Apple gets to normal people is build quality, this looks like a plastic POS.

We really can't say much till people actually can use it in hand at a store.

 

[alfa147x]

I'll believe that about the battery life when they have the product in people's hands. I'm leery of the display, seems I remember it being pointed out that the image quality wasn't stellar. That is another big plus for the iPad is the IPS panel its using, and its one of the major things that I expect most of these other tablets will get wrong, going for a cheap TN based panel.

People on Head-Fi are excited about the camera kit as it allows you to bypass the internal audio components (both the amp and the DAC) and use a USB DAC.

Wow that's cool!