Bad couple of weeks if you like Apple and Nikon

Pretty disappointing news these past couple of weeks, especially if you're a nikon shooter who edits on a mac. Expectations were very high, products presented were very weak.

First, apple presented the iPad, which most mac loyalists call the iSuck. As in, this device sucks. I wonder what genius over at apple said "Man, I love my iPod Touch, I wish it was bigger. I know! we should make a bigger iPod!!!!" Just like the iPod Touch/iPhone, you can't multitask nor can you run flash content. And Steve Jobs' touts this as being more useful than a netbook. Really? I'm gonna try to blog, run dreamweaver, iLife, iChat, listen to music or play Hulu on the web, on the iPad? My dell hackintosh netbook can do all of that easily. It costed me only $500 to build (with extra ram and 64gb runcore SSD) I may not have a multitouch screen, but I have a nice keyboard, trackpad and a right mouse click.

What all of us wanted was Mac OS X as a tablet. Instead we got a P.O.S enlarged iPod with no camera and usb port! What is also depressing is the existence of an app store. Sure it's great that it is there for the ipod/iphone but, a tablet is suppose to be a productive device, a real computer for christ sakes! Why an app store? oh yes, it's all about making money and I understand that but, don't they think their macbooks, mac mini, imac and mac pros make money too? I want to be able to install what ever I want on it, and if the app is malicious that is my own damn fault and I deserve it. I have yet to download any malicious apps on my mac computers in the 6 years I've used them. Developers are jumping off the app store ship very fast, mainly due to apple's strict restrictions of what app gets approved.

This also looks like a terrible eBook reader. No color, bright lit, lcd or LED screen can match the efficiency and readability of eInk technology, found in the Kindle, Sony reader and Nook. I could leave my sony reader on for a week before charging. The iPad would likely let me read for 3-6 hours before I have to find a dock to charge it in.

I'm going to hold off and wait until Apple wakes up and delivers a real tablet. The iPad will be seen in the hands of people with money to burn, and hipsters who hangout at starbucks all day. I'm sure there are some of us out there who would like to have it, just to have it. I really can't picture myself justifying ownership of this device. I wanted to like it but, the more I think about it, I may use this to strap to the headrest of my car seat, so my kids may watch Tinkerbell and elmo on those long road trips.

Now on to Nikons' most recent announcements. We got new coolpix cameras folks... And check this out they have more megapixels than all of their DSLRs (other than D3X of course). Megapixels doesn't necessarily mean better image quality. Nikon did that to satisfy the uber n00b crowd who THINKS megapixels are everything. They are not, no one with a 14mp Coolpix is going to outgun nor outclass a professional with a D700. That's asides the point, most of us expected a rangefinder and two new professional lenses. Instead we got f'in coolpix.

I love Nikon, I have invested a ton into Nikon gear except, Coolpix cameras. I bought my wife a canon sd880 and recommend ONLY canon point and shoots to my friends. Canon, in my opinion, makes some of the best small cameras out there. Hell, I'm eyeballing a second hand G11 at the moment, only because it would be nice to have a small camera at times when I don't want to lug around my beastly Nikons. Eff the coolpix! Not even good for consumers and I don't recommend them. I'd recommend a Canon, fujifilm or Lumix cameras before any Coolpix.

I have no intentions of buying any more gear this year, since I have a big mortgage now. Unless I fall into a pile of money somehow or, get more stable work shooting on my off hours, then will I be happy if Nikon releases the 24mm 1.4 AF-S prime.