I doubt this. Even Photoshop CS4 cant open Nikon RAWs (actually NEFs but they are RAW files) by default, you have to install a plugin. How do you install plugins for the iPad? Make it as an App that runs a script? We can only hope someone will make that, and then we can hope Apple will approve it, which they wont.
The other possibility is that RAW support is built in. Strangely, Apple doesnt list supported picture formats on the specs tab for iPad, only video, audio and mail attachments.
Its a shame, bacause if its one thing the iPad could do great, its being some sort of picture database for photographers on the go (yes, even pros).
Im talking about people that wait with photoshopping until they come home, but needs a device that is small and light -- and still has a great, accurate screen with good contrast, which it seems like the iPad has. Also, photojournalists that needs to send back pictures from the field in a hurry dont do photoshopping themselves anyway. A lot of these actually use netbooks with internet USB sticks now. They need light, not processing power, and they dont need the keyboard for scrolling, viewing and sending the best photos back to the editorial staff.
Yes, the iPads will be great as "picture-frames" for showing family jpeg-photos in the living room (it even looks like a picture frame), but pro and enthusiast photographers will probably have to look at the competition.
Which is a shame, because with a good screen for viewing, acceptable storage space, built-in 3G and upload-via-mail support, this device is actually very much like what many photographers is looking for -- its just missing that little extra, probably RAW support (and no way to install plug-ins) and certainly no built-in support for CF or SD cards -- although the latter could be solved if some 3rd party makes a CF to dock connector plug.
Oh .... and it might also have something to do with digital rights management.
