iPad - Thoughts

MExcelsior

MExcelsior

Member
Oct 23, 2006
497
Iowa
Boat Info
2007 310 SeaRay DA
Kohler
Engines
Twin 6.2 MPI Bravo III
How many of you think that the new Apple iPad (which has a built-in GPS) will be a significant contribution to boating navigation?

Mike
 
Not significant, but maybe a contribution as a backup or additional navigation aid. I wouldn't think of it as a charplotter replacement. I was a little bummed to tell you the truth. My iphone does more right now.
 
TurtleTone said:
Not significant, but maybe a contribution as a backup or additional navigation aid. I wouldn't think of it as a charplotter replacement. I was a little bummed to tell you the truth. My iphone does more right now.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean ... I was bummed too. Hopefully it will evolve like the iphone. I think they are going to make a ton of money.

Every single parent will feel almost obligated to purchase one of these for their sons and daughters.

Modern parents will get the "warm and fuzzies" that they are helping their kids develop their reading abilities, and the kids will have their gaming device. XBOX, Playstation and Wii..... look out.

To create an analogy, this device is to reading what treadmills are to working out. Everyone starts off with the intent of using it for the purpose for which they bought it, but at least you can watch movies on the ipad when you get tired of reading. Now, if only we can get Steve Jobs to design a treadmill that can be used as a sofa.

Mike
 
I too was a bit underwhelmed... But Mike you got me thinking... I have the Navionics app on my iPhone and used it all last season. It performed flawlessly for me. It would only be better on the iPad.. IF the resolution was not upscaled in some manner that did not degrade the chart... At $499 + $9 for the charts its not too bad... I wonder how daylight viewing is on that screen. I know my iPhone suffers...

It is really I think aimed at netbooks and is to be a Kindle killer I guess???

I can't really justify the cost just yet, need to see more...
 
I'm not convinced it has true GPS. The wording they are using is vague (at best) and makes me wonder if it is using the location-based services gps stuff from cell towers. It appears the "assisted gps" (whatever that is) is only on the AT&T versions of the thing. Like the iTouch versus the iPhone. One way to get long battery life would be to ditch a traditional gps chipset.

I'm a little disappointed as well. It seems this is a very closed platform... I was hoping for a couple of things. Right now, I can hook my Nikon D90 up to my MacBook Pro with Nikon's Camera Control Pro software and completely control it... it's great for taking pictures on a tripod. I was hoping this thing would be able to do that... They has some sort of funky camera connection but it appears to be only for downloading photos. Is there even a version of iPhoto or Photoshop available for it?

I also thought it would be good on the boat... but it appears a little weak right now... maybe generation 2 or 3...
 
TurtleTone said:
Not significant, but maybe a contribution as a backup or additional navigation aid. I wouldn't think of it as a charplotter replacement. I was a little bummed to tell you the truth. My iphone does more right now.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. The iPhone/iPad will continue to supplement but it wouldn't be a smart chartplotter/GPS replacement. Apple is a consumer electronics company, not a marine electronics company. As cool as they are, the iPhone/iPad cant tolerate dedicated marine use the way your Raymarine or Garmin can.
 
Sorry I could not help myself (Grin)

In the meantime, we have a couple of questions about the iPad:

1. Is there some kind of alternative tablet I can use in case I have to go swimming?

2. How will it stand up to other tablets if I pour a test tube full of blue water on it?

3. Will the 16-, 32- and 64-gig varieties be referred to as "light," "regular," and "super"?

4. Sometimes I leave food in my laptop bag. Can you make one that makes it smell like a light, spring rain?

5. I'm a cheerleader. Is it possible that the tablet could come flying out in the middle of a routine?

6. Can I still wear white pants? Will it make them look bulky?

7. Will my boyfriend be able to go to the Apple Store and buy it for me without being embarrassed?

8. If I pelted a shy girl with latent telekinetic powers with iPads, wouldn't she die?

9. If I have sex when I'm using the iPad, do I have to lay down a towel?
 
Actually, I think the high-end version is called the maxi-pad.

You lose your moderatorship?
 
Just wait a few more months when Google comes out with the Nexus 1Pad. It will have a faster processor, better screen resolution, a camera, GPS and sell for $10 less then the Ipad. :grin:
 
I would like to add all of the boat manuals I have in .pdf format to it, to use as a quick reference item.
 
Alegria said:
I too was a bit underwhelmed... But Mike you got me thinking... I have the Navionics app on my iPhone and used it all last season. It performed flawlessly for me. It would only be better on the iPad.. IF the resolution was not upscaled in some manner that did not degrade the chart... At $499 + $9 for the charts its not too bad... I wonder how daylight viewing is on that screen. I know my iPhone suffers...

It is really I think aimed at netbooks and is to be a Kindle killer I guess???

I can't really justify the cost just yet, need to see more...
Click to expand...


This would require Navionics to redo all of their charts into a higher resolution to work on the iPad. So you'll most likely have to pay for the iPad version too. You'll also have find some kind of mount for the thing so it's not bouncing all over the helm. If it's built anything like the iphone, one wave over the bow and that puppy is toast. I lost an iphone the beginning of last year like that.

with wifi and 3G, if someone came up with a dedicated marine application for boats, maybe made a rubber case like thing, then I would consider getting it.

Maybe build in an anchor alarm that shoots emails, charts, tides, weather overlay, marinas, google searchable, wifi NMEA instruments, log book, motion sensors, and buddy location, all into one app.That would be cool. A marinized iPad. So if a company like Navionics came out and did this, then I would buy one.

In fact, I may pitch it to them if they haven't already thought of it.
 
Four Suns said:
I'm not convinced it has true GPS. The wording they are using is vague (at best) ...

... Is there even a version of iPhoto or Photoshop available for it?
Click to expand...

I don't think that it is true GPS either but there will be more apps in the future such as iPhoto, etc.

I'm downloading the SDK right now and will play with it tonight to see what's what.
 
i think it will have a GPS chip inside. Reading a little on the network assisted GPS and how my gps in the iphone functions, it looks as if it gets the rough area via cell towers and wifi while it acquires satellites. I think it only acquires half the satellites as a full blown GPS plotter does. It also jumps between satellites and triangulation as you go inside. So even if you aren't out in the open, it's still location aware. One of my GPS programs actually tells me when it's toggling between GPS and triangulation.

iNavx had an update where they shutoff the triangulation option somehow, which made the program virtually useless if you didn't have a GPS signal. It would put you at 0/0 which is right off the coast of africa. So I think the whole location backend is dependent on the network assisted GPS so that if you do go indoors, it's still functional.
 
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yes, there are apps that will allow you to print from the phone, so I imagine the iPad will too. you can fax from it too.

I also have a lite version of photoshop that does the basics. there's another app that is much more indepth and has all kinds of filters and effects you can add, then reorder the stuff. very slick.

I also have video editing with the ability to add music and transitions between clips. works nice. you can trim clips, throw them in a timeline, re-arrange them, then stick music under it and it keeps the original audio too. Not a bad $4 program.
 
I also think they made a big mistake on the multitasking. This is a big device... and if you are "surfing the web", you want your other network aware apps to work in the background...
 
I agree, but I think multitasking is coming in June, at least that's the rumors for the OS4 update. Everyone thought the update would be announced this week, but I guess not.
 
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