IPad Software ?

[RupertW]

No I don't have a MAC (or an Iphone) and therefore have no cloud access.

We only have Windows 10 on laptop and dessk top.

Does this mean that an IPad is useless for anthing other than Apple programs ?

It will only run IOS apps but the Dropbox suggestion works well for viewing things. I rarely use a PC or anything else except the iPad and have used it that way for a decade. It’s my notebook, email, web browser, only chartplotter, fiction library etc etc

 

[Daydream believer]

Sea dog I don’t know if you have a chart plotter but before you ditch the iPad one of its greatest features is ability via an app to display stuff on plotter in handy form . Clearly might not be relevant if no plotter to pair but it does in effect mean your plotter is wherever you want it so you can track Progress happily from the sofa or berth or under the spray hood etc while others are up top etc. iPads comes in different storage sizes so it’s quite hard to overfill larger ones for just marine use. Maybe take your pad down to local club or marina office and cadge some free advice on set ups?

Unfortunately older Ipads will not do this for newer Garmin chartplotters- As i have just found out
At least , if someone can tell me how, then please do, as it is extremely frustrating not to be able to plan & load load routes whilst sitting down below in the cabin

 

[oldgit]

A Technophobe comments................
Having recently and reluctantly gone down the Ipad (Cellular/GPS)Navionics route , suggest, as others have done that you need to decide now exactly what you want to do with any device you want to use in the future.
If you want to enter a whole new world of wonderful navigation possiblities then an IPad is probably the most popular route but you will be forced to learn how the Ipad works and how to get the best from it.
If all you want to do is merely find a device to store stuff on and be immediatly familiar with operating then stick to a windows or Android device.
Love the Ipad and Navionics and its technical wonderfulness, but most of its advantages ? could well manage without and miss the simplicity and the basic lack of complications of my windows Laptop.

At our club all the younger and tech savvy skippers are using IPads and constantly praise its infinate advantages, my old LapTop with Seaclear did the job perfectly well and in a couple of respects was more useful.

Ferrinstance....On my Windows/Seaclear setup when calculating the time a journey will take, you can alter the speed on the different legs of the journey and could therefore accurately get an ETA.
Try that on your Navionics, you can only enter one speed for the entire journey,.
If and when you can find where to alter this somehere in the depths of the software.

 

[Just_sayin']

".If and when you can find where to enter this somehere in the depths of the software"

Menu. Me. Boat.

Not exactly buried.

 

[oldgit]

".If and when you can find where to enter this somehere in the depths of the software"

Menu. Me. Boat.

Not exactly buried.

Ta. going to print that out
Any suggestions as to how to enter the fact that it is actually quite possible your boat speed might alter during the journey in this wonderful bit of navigation kit
Suspect that whichever genius wrote the software had never been anywhere near a boat in their life unlike the Seaclear ?

 

[Just_sayin']

Sorry, no, I only use it for planning as I have large MFD's around the boat which interface with the iPad.

I've just set up a dummy route from which I can see distance, speed and time

I guess you have to be moving for the speed to register and give distance and time. Quite normal.

 

[tudorsailor]

A Technophobe comments................
Having recently and reluctantly gone down the Ipad (Cellular/GPS)Navionics route , suggest, as others have done that you need to decide now exactly what you want to do with any device you want to use in the future.
If you want to enter a whole new world of wonderful navigation possiblities then an IPad is probably the most popular route but you will be forced to learn how the Ipad works and how to get the best from it.
If all you want to do is merely find a device to store stuff on and be immediatly familiar with operating then stick to a windows or Android device.
Love the Ipad and Navionics and its technical wonderfulness, but most of its advantages ? could well manage without and miss the simplicity and the basic lack of complications of my windows Laptop.

At our club all the younger and tech savvy skippers are using IPads and constantly praise its infinate advantages, my old LapTop with Seaclear did the job perfectly well and in a couple of respects was more useful.

Ferrinstance....On my Windows/Seaclear setup when calculating the time a journey will take, you can alter the speed on the different legs of the journey and could therefore accurately get an ETA.
Try that on your Navionics, you can only enter one speed for the entire journey,.
If and when you can find where to alter this somehere in the depths of the software.

In case the OP finds that his iPad does not have GPS but he now wants to have a tablet device, he ought to know that iPad is not the only device that runs Navionics .

Without wishing to get into an Android vs iPad war, can I respectfully point out that - as far as I know - Navionics on Android works the same as on an iPad. So I can interface with my plotter and send waypoints etc. I can also use the Raymarine apps to see and control the plotter display on my phone or tablet. I an make routes but yes, I cannot vary the speed during the route

If you have an Android device, then one can use the SailGrib WR app for routing. This uses your Navionics charts and combines them with GRIB file downloads to give you weather routing. You put in the parameters of your vessel and then you can run the route at different start times. You can then see if its better to leave early or later and if you will be motoring or sailing!

TudorSailor

 

[seadog30]

Thanks for all of the comments, however I already have a proper GPS chart plotter on board for nav and an old phone and a radion for communications.

The only use for the iPad is to hold ref documents and perhaps act as a note book or log.

My best plan is to clean out an old laptop that I have and to download scanned document via a USB stick.

The Apple system seems to be a solution looking for a problem.

Regards all

 

[tudorsailor]

Thanks for all of the comments, however I already have a proper GPS chart plotter on board for nav and an old phone and a radion for communications.

The only use for the iPad is to hold ref documents and perhaps act as a note book or log.

My best plan is to clean out an old laptop that I have and to download scanned document via a USB stick.

The Apple system seems to be a solution looking for a problem.

Regards all

If you are going to use an old windows laptop then I would suggest the Dropbox solution. All your documents will be synchronised and no need for messing around with USB sticks. Simply put the scanned document in the Dropbox folder on your home PC. When you are off to the boat, make sure your laptop has been connected to the internet and hey presto, your scanned documents are on the laptop.


I would still consider getting a simple Smart Phone.............it is ever so useful

TudorSailor

 

[[163233]]

Christ, I'm an IT guy and I'm baffled now.

 

[Daverw]

If you are going to use an old windows laptop then I would suggest the Dropbox solution. All your documents will be synchronised and no need for messing around with USB sticks. Simply put the scanned document in the Dropbox folder on your home PC. When you are off to the boat, make sure your laptop has been connected to the internet and hey presto, your scanned documents are on the laptop.


I would still consider getting a simple Smart Phone.............it is ever so useful

TudorSailor

Dropbox, iCloud and MS OneDrive all work the same, multi device and auto sync over PC,laptop, phone or iPad

 

[franksingleton]

I am not clear what the OP is saying.
we use a laptop at home and away because I find it most convenient for saving docs, emails, financial details etc within my direct control, not in the cloud. Internet access is via Three or local marina WiFi.
The IPad is great for navigation, we use iSailor but there are others. We use DigitalYachts AIS GPS but could use Bad Elf for GPS as my iPad, unlike my iPhone, does not have GPS. What else do I need?

 

[langstonelayabout]

Out of interest why is everyone going on about Dropbox?

I run a Windows 10 laptop and an iPad. I use the iCloud application on my W10 laptop and it stores and back up stuff nicely between iPad, laptop and iCloud. If you want a bigger backup facility it'll cost you 79p/month, but only if you want.

iPads with SIM slots have GPS inside and can work as chart plotters. WiFi only iPads don't and can't.

You download apps to your iPad via Apple's Appstore. Many are free, some not. Your choice.

Storing files on iPad? Well, you can do it fairly easily via iCloud or USB/Lightning but it wouldn't be my first choice. Out of interest, take a look into your iPad's 'Settings' app, select 'About' and it should tell you the 'Model Name', what 'Software Version' is installed and the iPad's memory 'Capacity'. Now you know...

So, aside from browsing this forum or buying stuff on eBay, what do you want to use your iPad for? There's bound to be an app for it...

 

[franksingleton]

Out of interest why is everyone going on about Dropbox?

I run a Windows 10 laptop and an iPad. I use the iCloud application on my W10 laptop and it stores and back up stuff nicely between iPad, laptop and iCloud. If you want a bigger backup facility it'll cost you 79p/month, but only if you want.

iPads with SIM slots have GPS inside and can work as chart plotters. WiFi only iPads don't and can't.

You download apps to your iPad via Apple's Appstore. Many are free, some not. Your choice.

Storing files on iPad? Well, you can do it fairly easily via iCloud or USB/Lightning but it wouldn't be my first choice. Out of interest, take a look into your iPad's 'Settings' app, select 'About' and it should tell you the 'Model Name', what 'Software Version' is installed and the iPad's memory 'Capacity'. Now you know...

So, aside from browsing this forum or buying stuff on eBay, what do you want to use your iPad for? There's bound to be an app for it...

That sounds very like what we do. The WiFi IPad needs Bad Elf or other inputs for GPS.

 

[duncan99210]

I use my wifi iPad mainly for planing purposes and to display AIS data in the cockpit via a wifi link to the AIS transceiver. That also gives it position data but I tend not to use it for navigation. I also use it as manual library for just about everything on board: most manuals are available to download as pdf files and when I get a new bit of kit the first thing to do is to download the manual. Saves a lot of space and weight.
By backing up the iPad regularly, I know the library is up to date and can be retrieved if the iPad dies or goes missing. Transferring files from pc to iPad can be done via my iCloud account - no need for Dropbox which I never really got on well with.
But the real bonus for me is using apps such as Captains Mate (CA members app) which have a wealth of information on just about anywhere you go. Yes you need an internet connection but that’s not very difficult to achieve.