Interesting disucssion topic over at the Digital Photography Review's Canon forum: how do you live with a digital camera but without a computer?
The question applies both to those who (1) can't afford a computer, or don't want the hassle of learning/using one; and (2) want to eliminate the computer from the digital photography process. HP, interestingly enough, appears to be one of those in the second category.
The three-computer related tasks are:
View Photos
You can view photos:
- on the camera itself; some now have extra large LCD screens.
- on a tv using the camera's NTSC/PAL connector or a box designed to show photos on computer, such as Sandisk's Photo Albumn box.
- have the photo lab upload the pictures to their Internet photo viewing site.
- on someone else's computer, either by copying the photos, or by viewing on an Internet photo site.
Print Photos
You can have photos printed:
- by most photo labs direct from memory cards.
- by color printers with integrated memory card readers, such as HP's PhotoSmart line (some even have a small LCD monitor for previewing image).
- by hooking up the camera to a printer that supports printing direct from the camera. Look for the PictBridge logo.
Storing Photos
You can store photos:
- on memory cards, which are getting cheap enough to become like digital photo albumns.
- on CDs burned by the photo lab
- on CDs burned by CD writers that read memory cards.
- on portable hard disk devices, such as the PhotoTainer, that read memory cards. (This device can also be used to view photos on its 3-inch screen, and display them on tv monitors. It does not support printing.)
Next Up: Wireless Connections
The common factors are the linkages: memory cards (and readers), cables (and connectors). On the horizon are wireless connections, such as WiFi and Bluetooth, that would allow cameras to communicate with viewers, printers, and storage devices without physical connection.
For example, CNET news last week reported that "Sprint is trying to goose its wireless data business by letting cell phone camera subscribers get printouts of their photos at Ritz Camera, Sam's Club, Wolf Camera and other retail outlets. Sprint believes its Sprint PCS Picture Mail is the first retail photo-printing service 'to be offered directly from the cell phone' rather than requiring customers to upload pictures to a personal computer before printing."
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