Cheapest current tablet that’ll run navionics w/ AIS?

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fredrussell

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My trusty old ipad2 won’t run AIS via WiFi as its Processor is too slow.

I’m after a cheap Tablet to replace it. I hear Lenovo mentioned now and then. If someone could post a link to a 10” tablet for not Apple money, I’d appreciate it.
 
fredrussell said:
My trusty old ipad2 won’t run AIS via WiFi as its Processor is too slow.

I’m after a cheap Tablet to replace it. I hear Lenovo mentioned now and then. If someone could post a link to a 10” tablet for not Apple money, I’d appreciate it.
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I bought a Samsung Galaxy Active 2 off ebay. Used but as new for £145. The 2 or3 are more powerful than the original. Removable battery so you can keep a charged spare. You can even add a SIM card. Visibility OK in sunlight. And I think there are cheaper, more powerful options if you don't want the crash case and weatherproofing.
 
Go over to Banggood site and enter tablet and then filter for size ... get ready to be amazed.

I reckon once you start using Android and see what can be done - then you'll be cured of iPaditis ...

I have no connection to BG ... just a happy customer.
 
advantage with apple is you can run it on multiple devices, eg phone ( if same contract ) cheap ones are available on tinternet , £ 150 , must have inbuilt gps
 
cherod said:
advantage with apple is you can run it on multiple devices, eg phone ( if same contract ) cheap ones are available on tinternet , £ 150 , must have inbuilt gps
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If the App is Android compatible ... then you can run it on your Samsung .. Huawei .... whatever smart android phone ... AND often the Android Apps come in FREE and Paid versions ....

Contract ? Apple'itis again !!
 
Bilgediver said:
I do that with Android and Navionics and can even swap routes with others say if going on a Flotilla.
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Also that Android does not have the 'lock-in' that Apple has with its Online Store apps ...

I know several people who have given up with IPhones / iPads because of the difficulties to transfer or remove apps ... they've changed to Android and find the freedom so much better.

I accept that there are Software Authors out there that seem tied to Apple and it may not be available to Android ... but that gap is fast closing as people wise up to Apple.
 
earlybird said:
The Amazon Fire gets high praise as value for money. The OS is a customised version of Android so compatibility with AIS app needs to be confirmed.
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Check carefully that the model involved has GPS. I have a cheap Amazon Fire tablet, bought as a 'I won't get to upset if somebody steals my £40 tablet' device. Whilst it's pretty easy to add Android apps (after a bit of an initial hack so the Play Store will work) it does not have GPS.
 
My hack was to use an old Amazon Fire tablet (one of my kids old ones) and put it through the process that TwoFish notes above to get the Navionics app from the Play store . Whilst this tablet does not have GPS in built, it was very happy to receive GPS (and AIS) from one of the NMEA WIFI transmitters on my boat. This also improved battery life (as GPS does seem to drain Tablet batteries). A new Fire HD 8 is less than £100 (but clearly you need an existing NMEA WiFi on your boat, or buy one from the numerous suppliers out there).
 
earlybird said:
The Amazon Fire gets high praise as value for money. The OS is a customised version of Android so compatibility with AIS app needs to be confirmed.
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My wife bought me an Amazon fire a few Christmases ago but it wouldn't run navionics so I swapped it for a Samsung. Amazon Fire only good for shopping and reading e-books.
 
Last year I bought a Vankyo MatrixPad S30 10" Android tablet for exactly this purpose. Along with it, I also bought a waterproof case and powerbank so it can run all day in the cockpit and is fully watertight.

In hindsight, I'll spend more and buy a better tablet (Samsung gets my vote) when I need another. Simply because I find it very useful and use it a lot more than I thought. We primarily use it for Navionics and screen mirroring our Raymarine Axiom, but our uses have extended to adding the Kindle app and moving books from paper onto it, the odd movie or program, using it with our Osmo action cam as a remote display to see in hard to reach areas.

In summary, most of the tablets will do what you need. Just try and get the brightest one you possibly can.
 
I'm interested in this discussion - I currently have Navonics on an iPad, but would be keen to get the better screen quality of the Lenovo Tab P11 for *much* less than it's iPad equivalent, but have been put off by reviews that are generally pretty negative about Android on tablets. This is an example from the Techradar review for the Lenovo tablet: "Android on tablets is a problem. There is a critical lack of apps which recognize they are being used on a tablet, leading to scaling issues, stalls and crashes." So my question is - have Garmin done as good a job with Navonics on Android as their IOS version?
 
ghostlymoron said:
My wife bought me an Amazon fire a few Christmases ago but it wouldn't run navionics so I swapped it for a Samsung. Amazon Fire only good for shopping and reading e-books.
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My 4 or 5 yr old Kindle Fire HD 10 inch runs Navionics, Memory map plus Antares and AIS apps without problems. Dont know about Navionics+AIS, havent tried it. Its almost as good as my Samsung 10 inch, but half the price.
 
I picked up a 7" lenovo in las palmas prior to doing the ARC last year when the gps chip in my samsung 8" tablet failed. It has inbuilt GPS and runs navionics with no problems at all. We use it as the boat's tablet and is our backup navigation system. I think it was about 70EUR.
 
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