Tablet for everything

I am using an iPad2 to supplement my Garmin 2010 plotter. The Navionics software, Europe HD, has considerably better cartography than the Garmin for Greece, so I use the iPad regularly when approaching anchorages and ports. As in another current thread, the gps has recently become unreliable and lost our position for a couple of passages but currently seems to have sorted itself out. As a Microsoft user for many years I find the iPad extremely frustrating to use but there is no doubt it does most things very well.

No axe to grind regarding iPad versus anything else as this is the only tablet I have owned.
 
Never quote me on this, but what Apple does, they do quite well. The problem is that, by their own admission, they see the tablet as a media consumption device. If you are looking for a "tablet for everything", then look at Android devices. They are less closed and have an architecture that can address most tasks without the need for a laptop as well. Apple is a hardware manufacturer, Google is not - Apple don't want to produce a tablet that can impact on the sales of their desktops and laptops - they want you to buy an iPad, iPhone and a Macbook.
 
Just to add my four penny worth, I use an Asus TF101 with keyboard (15hrs battery life!) as a backup yes in direct sunlight it is difficult to read, but so is my Garmin plotter. The Apps installed are:- Navionics, Plan2Nav (better than Navionics) and Gps Nautical Charts, very good.
I have never had any problems with the Asus, it does what it says on the tin and IMHO better value than Ipods, but a word of warning if you are buying a tablet, make sure that it has a GPS chip, some units rely on the mobile networks for position finding.
Jon
 
I borght Bellfield software and dongle for my netbook.

Not yet used it onboard. Seems to work and from home I can pick up AIS from Southampton Docks, about 5 miles away using the emergency telescopic Ariel.

There is no CPA supported which I felt was an omission but otherwise a good bit of kit for under £150.

Not sure if it would work with a tablet.
 
I have an I Pad with Navionics and tried the cheap screen covers and then discovered the Mediadevil anti-glare matte clear screen protector.It really does make a big difference in daylight.There is a you tube video about it and how to put it on to the screen.Mine was about £15 from amazon and there are 2 in the pack.Do a google.
 
If money isn't the issue, buy an iPad. If money is tight, wait a bit, save up, and then buy an iPad. The alternative is to save a bit of money and go for any of the Android devices. The Nexus is the best of those that we have alongside iPads at my place of work. But it isn't an iPad.
 
Highndry said:
If money isn't the issue, buy an iPad. If money is tight, wait a bit, save up, and then buy an iPad. The alternative is to save a bit of money and go for any of the Android devices. The Nexus is the best of those that we have alongside iPads at my place of work. But it isn't an iPad.
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Which can be an advantage depending on what you want to do with it.
 
Highndry said:
If money isn't the issue, buy an iPad. If money is tight, wait a bit, save up, and then buy an iPad. The alternative is to save a bit of money and go for any of the Android devices. The Nexus is the best of those that we have alongside iPads at my place of work. But it isn't an iPad.
Click to expand...
Recently my colleagues and i were offered choice of iphone or samsung galaxy s111. The image conscious extroverts chose iphones and the introvert tech heads chose samsung. Approx 50/50 split. Form vs function. Not unnaturally peeps often and always in spirit of mutual help compare offerings and try and justify/ratonalise their choices.
Fact is that (android) galaxy s3 does more things better and faster and on a bigger better screen than the iphone.

I have MX mariner which is a version of OpenCPN on my android and it is an astonishingly good chart plotter - except that you cant see it in full sunlight! This is the biggest problem with such devices be they android or windows or apple.
In desperation when single handing and not wishing to leave the cockpit to go below I threw a towel over my head and my phone and found i could view it easily.
So maybe all that these devices need is a hood like the old photographers used?
cheers
 
John the kiwi said:
In desperation when single handing and not wishing to leave the cockpit to go below I threw a towel over my head and my phone and found i could view it easily.
So maybe all that these devices need is a hood like the old photographers used?
cheers
Click to expand...
The first generation of iPads came with a black screen cloth almost large enough to do that with. My fourth generation one didn't! :(
 
Cagey
Apologies for using acronyms- RTE = Radar Target Enhancer. I had an Echomax- X installed at the masthead at the beginning of the season. It was interesting to see the tracks of the clusters of big ships( they clearly feel safer travelling in groups) in the shipping lanes when sailing to Cherbourg and back Whitsun week, I.e. they clearly altered course at some distance to avoid us. We had v.poor visibility on the outward leg.

Boreades- I've set up my SH VHF/GPS on top of the half bulkhead over the nav station. (Same place as old Garmin). Signal excellent using internal antenna and locks on in a fraction of the time the old GPS did. Not a bad radio either.

Simon
 
You should choose the software first. MXMariner is superb - better than Navionics to my mind (which won't do grib) but it's a personal choice and there are others such as Memory Map too. Don't forget to check that charts are available for all the areas you need. As pointed out a few times though AIS will either need an Internet connection or an AIS engine and aerial. I don't how far out into the channel the shore stations that feed the Internet AIS Live type stuff actually reach but there could well be gaps in their coverage. If you've got a large plotter already an AIS engine to feed it may be a better option if it is compatible.

If you want to go tablet the best for daylight use are the Asus models with a thing called IPS+ (yes, I've compared them side-by-side with others - one of the perks of my job). This does eat battery a little but is noticeably better than both the Nexus 10 and and the iPad 4 which are probably the next best to view in sunlight. There are a surprising number of "ruggedised" Android tablets out there and some very good cases for the iPad and mainstream Android tablets. In all cases going "rugged" will compromise on the ability to view in sunlight. I'd recommend getting a salesman to let you take the tablet of your choice outside the shop on a bright day (while he stays with you of course) so you can see what it's really like - and remember that even that doesn't really reproduce the brightness you get on a clear day on the water.

If want a 7" tablet then the Nexus 7 is definitely a better piece of hardware than the iPad mini but not to the extent you should get a Nexus if you prefer iOS. Whether you prefer Google/Android to Apple/iOS is personal preference. Both "just work" unless you break them. In general Android is a lot more customisable and also has features such as widgets - this can be a disadvantage as well as an advantage. In general the industry believes iOS has fallen a tiny bit behind Android recently but iOS 7 has just been announced and appears to offer some big improvements - they leap frog each other anyway. Ignore any generic comments about the number of apps available for one or the other or about apps needing to be written specifically for tablets - there's tons for both. It may be worth checking that a particular app you want is available in the OS you choose though.
 
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