Blog

By Felix Widjaja

When meeting up with the clients, laptop has always been my trusty companion. But on my last meeting, I decided to do something different. I bring the iPad on the first meeting with new important client. It’s not that I don’t trust the Macs anymore, it’s just the user-experience aspect on laptop doesn’t go very well in showcasing lots of web design portfolio images. And, they are not the lightest laptop in the world. Often my shoulder breaking down while carrying one of them.

Setup

I dragged our website design works to iPhoto, created a new album and synchronize it with the iPad. I don’t know if there’s any better way to do portfolio showcase in iPad, but I think there’s one out there. Using Photos.app to show non photographic images doesn’t sound very right in me. Although, it works out very fine.

Navigation

Usually when using laptop, I’m using the arrows on keyboard to next/previous the images. And first, I have to make sure if the audience are convenient to see the screen (you know, Macs screen are very reflective). When zooming on a work, i have to hit the shortcut. So I can’t get very far with the keyboard (usually I’ll have aching back due to extensive awkward body bent). Curious non-Mac client will want to touch the laptop and navigate for himself, but he will mess it up and demand a little help. The meeting flow is struggling.

In iPad, we navigate using fingers. The learning curve is very short and soon their finger will start fighting for territory in the iPad with yours. Cute!

Zooming is very simple, intuitive yet convenient. It will not disturb the meeting flow, not like the laptops.

Personal Experience

Showing a website design work to client using iPad is really something. The client will ‘hold’ the design in their hand and they have the power to navigate and zoom as like as they want. I’m sure it will work to any client, young or old, techy or non techy and never use an iPad.

Downside

• Photos.app designed to always zoom to fill up the empty space. Images will be forced enlarged. It’s something I don’t like while showing a newsletter, or small user interface work.
• Meeting up with 1 person is perfect with iPad, but not for a team of 4 or more.

Last

Laptop is still the number one choice for complicated tasks, especially for an undergoing project meeting. You’ll need your code editor, image processing, FTP client, and so on. For safety, bring them all to one meeting.

Sharing is caring