The iPad has a fair sized screen to be honest, and the quality of shots in the newest ipad is unreal. Thousands more pixels than even some of your best laptops out these day. So the clarity will be there.
I would imagine a bulky laptop, especially an old with with poor battery, is just too unreliable and difficult to allow the customer to concentrate on the job when you're holding it in a tight bathroom trying to show them the pictures and browse the web while it's balancing on one arm or the window cill.
The iPad they can hold while you walk around the room pointing and things, and telling them to swipe the screen to seen the next picture when they're ready.
It's top class stuff IMO - especially when I hear of electricians using them to give there and then impressions on their building of solar panels and the likes just by taking a picture and converting it to a cartoon style drawing, and then it automatically sticks 2 or more options of panel layouts on the roof. Can use GPS, the built-in compass, and other features to pin point the sun and whatnot too. Imagine that!
I can't wait for such common tradesmen apps to be available worldwide. You should see some of the investment that goes into apps from american manufacturers of products. I wish they sold them all over here and launched the apps here too!
You would definitely scrap that bulky laptop for one if TTA bought out some range of unique apps for the
tile trade. I promise you.