Which netbooky/ipady thing? Suggestions please

[Quidi Vidi]

Hi all, we are looking at buying an ipad type device for onboard but we are unsure which one to choose. I know similar threads have been started but things have moved on and we are a little confused by all the new technology although we are not technophobes and both have iPhones.
The uses for the device would be chart plotting, movies and music mainly. Originally we thought an older ipad 2 would be fine but now we are looking at the smaller ipad mini but we have not heard any reports on these being used onboard. That then brings us to consider the Nexus and windows devices and all of a sudden we are out of our depth and could really use the input of the forum so we can make an informed decision.
I know iPads have been used on board by fellow forumites, has anyone used any of the other devices for the above uses?
Do we need 3G as well as wifi to enable/improve GPS function? We are never out of sight of land and use paper charts but a plotter would be useful.
What is the battery life like and waterproof casing availability like?

I realise I'm possibly opening a very subjective can of worms and people will knock the various operating systems but I'm happy to use any OS as long as it does what I need it to.
I eagerly await your input as I have £300 burning a hole in my pocket and would like to get something sorted ready for next weekend!

 

[NickRobinson]

Hi all, we are looking at buying an ipad type device for onboard but we are unsure which one to choose. I know similar threads have been started but things have moved on and we are a little confused by all the new technology although we are not technophobes and both have iPhones.
The uses for the device would be chart plotting, movies and music mainly. Originally we thought an older ipad 2 would be fine but now we are looking at the smaller ipad mini but we have not heard any reports on these being used onboard. That then brings us to consider the Nexus and windows devices and all of a sudden we are out of our depth and could really use the input of the forum so we can make an informed decision.
I know iPads have been used on board by fellow forumites, has anyone used any of the other devices for the above uses?
Do we need 3G as well as wifi to enable/improve GPS function? We are never out of sight of land and use paper charts but a plotter would be useful.
What is the battery life like and waterproof casing availability like?

I realise I'm possibly opening a very subjective can of worms and people will knock the various operating systems but I'm happy to use any OS as long as it does what I need it to.
I eagerly await your input as I have £300 burning a hole in my pocket and would like to get something sorted ready for next weekend!

Hi everyone will support what they know, just like me.
I've just bought a sh Motorola XOOM, GPS very quick, 10 hour battery, one amp only on 12v. Ten inch screen great but won't fit in your pocket
No need for 3g to do nav/plotter. Mine has no sim, I'm currently tethered to my phone, so only one contract-
Nick

 

[Quidi Vidi]

Hi everyone will support what they know, just like me.
I've just bought a sh Motorola XOOM, GPS very quick, 10 hour battery, one amp only on 12v. Ten inch screen great but won't fit in your pocket
No need for 3g to do nav/plotter. Mine has no sim, I'm currently tethered to my phone, so only one contract-
Nick

Thanks Nick, that is one which i haven't looked into, sounds impressive. Do you use it for navigation at all? How do you waterproof yours?
I presume tethering allows you to check emails etc. Which would be useful, not something i had considered as i noemally use my iphone.
I don't have a problem with people supporting what they own or have used but normally these type of questions end up in a lot of willy waving and people slagging off others OS's which i don't find at all useful.

 

[RIBW]

I opted for a Windows netbook because it allows me to do:-
Offline passage planning using the chart chip out of my chartplotter in exactly the same way as I do it at home.
Play all of my music.
Surf for weather etc and send receive emails using either built in WiFi (local pub) or 2G/3G dongle

Video on board isn't of interest
Battery life is up to 9 hours
Everything is standard
Waterproofing is not needed - a small chartplotter is carried in the cockpit - never the netbook.
3G is useless in our rias but might be more use Pompey way

Another major plus is that if it should go overboard or be stolen I lose no data and 'only' £200.

I'll get off quickly to hide from the onslaught of the TOWIAs

 

[Vara]

IPad, soft waterproof case £30, Nav suite about £45.

10 hr battery life which with care will last 2/3 days in Nav only mode, definitely need 3G to give full GPS capability, and lots of flexibility for other web functions.

Slightly iffy vision in sunlight...but manageable.

No experience of any other tablets.

Ideal as back up to proper plotter.

Not certain you could do that for £300 new though.

eBay might be the answer.

Net book is not the answer as waterproofing and portability is a problem....t shirt earned.

 

[Quidi Vidi]

IPad, soft waterproof case £30, Nav suite about £45.

10 hr battery life which with care will last 2/3 days in Nav only mode, definitely need 3G to give full GPS capability, and lots of flexibility for other web functions.

Slightly iffy vision in sunlight...but manageable.

No experience of any other tablets.

Ideal as back up to proper plotter.

Not certain you could do that for £300 new though.

eBay might be the answer.

Thanks, this had been our original choice, buying perhaps a 2nd hand 2nd edition one from fleabay or similar. However i would like to look into the other types and sizes before we make our final choice, having looked at the price of chart plotters this seems to be the best way for us to go.

 

[NickRobinson]

Thanks Nick, that is one which i haven't looked into, sounds impressive. Do you use it for navigation at all? How do you waterproof yours?
I presume tethering allows you to check emails etc. Which would be useful, not something i had considered as i noemally use my iphone.
I don't have a problem with people supporting what they own or have used but normally these type of questions end up in a lot of willy waving and people slagging off others OS's which i don't find at all useful.

I will be using it onboard using memory map all UK chart package which I also have on laptop connected to Garmin 128 so belt and braces. I'll keep it on the saloon table, fixed safely.

I'm typing this. In the camper, at Gradbach Scout Camp, in the back of beyond......

Nick

 

[Quidi Vidi]

I opted for a Windows netbook because it allows me to do:-
Offline passage planning using the chart chip out of my chartplotter in exactly the same way as I do it at home.
Play all of my music.
Surf for weather etc and send receive emails using either built in WiFi (local pub) or 2G/3G dongle

Video on board isn't of interest
Battery life is up to 9 hours
Everything is standard
Waterproofing is not needed - a small chartplotter is carried in the cockpit - never the netbook.
3G is useless in our rias but might be more use Pompey way

Another major plus is that if it should go overboard or be stolen I lose no data and 'only' £200.

I'll get off quickly to hide from the onslaught of the TOWIAs

Daughter bought a windows smartphone today and i managed to prise it off her for twenty seconds to have a quick look, have to say i was impressed. Mother in law has a nexus 7 (android) which also seems easy to use. I was wondering if we really needed the 10" screen if we are not going to watch movies or catch up tv etc. although it would be a nice to have! Hence me asking for other peoples experiences, most seem to have gone with the 10" screen. Never having kept movies or music on my phone or laptop, how many GB's would you suggest to run the nav software and store a few movies and some music?

 

[Quidi Vidi]

I will be using it onboard using memory map all UK chart package which I also have on laptop connected to Garmin 128 so belt and braces. I'll keep it on the saloon table, fixed safely.

I'm typing this. In the camper, at Gradbach Scout Camp, in the back of beyond......

Nick

I have Navionics UK-Holland on my Iphone which is good but the screen is far too small to be of use at sea. We are only a 22 footer so not much room for a laptop and connected kit. I have a Garmin 60 which i use for lat/long and COG and SOG but we sail shorthanded and dashing down below to update plots etc is a pain as swmbo doesn't like to take the tiller or go below once we are at sea. My thinking is that a tablet would be useful as i would be able to see it from the cockpit or even keep it in the cockpit if it was in a good waterproof case. At the moment we only sail in waters that we know well and do most of the pilotage by sight, however i am hoping to furter along the coast to patures new this year.

 

[Rossynant]

I'm using Toughbook, CF 18. Secondhand, cheaply bought; not for a boat actually but field work.
Runs on new win XP prof (better than 'tablet' version normally in use). Waterproof, shockproof, matt screen well readable in daylight, can be used in cockpit. Proper serial port for GPS (there was a version with internal GPS installed, but not easy to find and new receiver for it costs a lot). Mine has a slot for big SD card (can double as spare disc) also not common on them but this is cheaper to install and worth it. I was told it can run powered directly from 12 V DC, but didn't try myself (yet). For music outside speakers necessary, the one in it not up to much - but waterproof

 

[Mrnotming]

Hi to all,
I'm using an Asus Google Nexus 7 32GB wi-fi only cost €245 (sayStg 199 perhaps?)
Tethers to iPhone4s easily and repeatedly.
GPS built in does not rely on anything else, just works.
Navionics Europe NOT available.
c-Map Jepperson Plan2Nav is available and seems ok apart from the inability to lock screen north up as yet.Charts cost maybe about €45 or so for Med area to Corfu or thereabouts.
Dropbox for cloud storage seems the biz.
Spotify premium for music is really good, especially if you have broad tastes in music and like stuff going way back as well as modern.
screen side camera for facebook/skype etc.
No camera per se.not missed as iPhone is fine.
only micro usb connection, no other sockets.
Some say the battery is easily user replaceable with some care.
Might be a plus in years to come.
Puffin browser is good for flash items, and has useful trackpad on its screen.Inexpensive to buy.
VLC player useful for odd video formats.
Some other file management apps are easily available from Google Playstore.
Android 4.2.2 is stable and fast on the quad core processor.Going back to XP on the Asus EEEPC 900 is like a bad dream now!Not worth upgrading with the present price of android tablets.
There is an office suite also, not tried it yet, as undecided about burdening myself with a bluetooth keyboard, kind of ruins the simplicity?

 

[nigelmercier]

If you have an iPhone, anything other than an iPad makes no sense.

 

[Pasarell]

If you have an iPhone, anything other than an iPad makes no sense.

I agree with this. I have an Android phone and an Asus Transformer 10" tablet running Android. They are both great and I wouldn't change them, but mixing Android and Apple seems to be adding complications unnecessarily. Stick with what you know and are happy with. From accounts here they both seem to work just as well as each other.
For chart system though I would avoid Navionics. All fine until you have a problem when their business model seems to be to ignore you for as long as possible and then when forced into a response to be as difficult and unhelpful as possible!

 

[Richard10002]

If you have an iPhone, anything other than an iPad makes no sense.

I have had an iPhone and iPad for several years. SWMBO has had an iPhone for a while too. Offered SWMBO. Any iPad, or tablet for Xmas - she chose a Nexus 7 with 3G, and is getting on fine with it.

I got a Samsung Galaxy S3 in January, and it runs fine alongside iPhone, ( more of an iPod now), and iPad with a bit of a learning curve.

If the OP can get charts on an Android, I'd say it was a no brainer, given the costs.

 

[Quidi Vidi]

I'm using Toughbook, CF 18. Secondhand, cheaply bought; not for a boat actually but field work.
Runs on new win XP prof (better than 'tablet' version normally in use). Waterproof, shockproof, matt screen well readable in daylight, can be used in cockpit. Proper serial port for GPS (there was a version with internal GPS installed, but not easy to find and new receiver for it costs a lot). Mine has a slot for big SD card (can double as spare disc) also not common on them but this is cheaper to install and worth it. I was told it can run powered directly from 12 V DC, but didn't try myself (yet). For music outside speakers necessary, the one in it not up to much - but waterproof

What sort of battery life do you get from it? Can the 12v connection be waterproofed?

 

[Quidi Vidi]

If you have an iPhone, anything other than an iPad makes no sense.

Having read previous threads I thought that the ipad needed to be 3G which would mean having another SIM card to pay monthly fees on. Which is why I am considering other platforms as they work stand alone for GPS, I would only need to tether them if I wanted to watch something off the Internet on a larger screen. Otherwise I would use my iPhone for Internet access, in fact I am using it now to type this.
Can anyone please confirm whether the Ipad needs to be 3G or not for navigation use?

 

[Vara]

Having read previous threads I thought that the ipad needed to be 3G which would mean having another SIM card to pay monthly fees on. Which is why I am considering other platforms as they work stand alone for GPS, I would only need to tether them if I wanted to watch something off the Internet on a larger screen. Otherwise I would use my iPhone for Internet access, in fact I am using it now to type this.
Can anyone please confirm whether the Ipad needs to be 3G or not for navigation use?

My understanding is that to get full GPS capability in IPad you need the 3/4G model as the GPS chip is incorporated in the sim doobri.

I am told that you don't need a SIM card in the machine to have GPS function.

Am about to remove my sim and report on the truth of that...edit on way.

With no sim full function GPS;

 

[DaveRo]

Having read previous threads I thought that the ipad needed to be 3G which would mean having another SIM card to pay monthly fees on....

As Vara replied, plus if you do have a SIM in it you don't have to have a contract, you can use a PAYG SIM. We use giffgaff in the UK, and Wind in Greece last year.

Ejecting the SIM is a bit fiddly. Tennisgirl's gold ear-studs works well.

 

[Vara]

Ejecting the SIM is a bit fiddly. Tennisgirl's gold ear-studs works well.

20p from the phone shop.
Bit bored this morning waiting for the lock

 

[Rossynant]

What sort of battery life do you get from it? Can the 12v connection be waterproofed?

Toughbook keeps some 3-4 hours, not connected to wi-fi and lightly used bit more; this is now 5 year old original battery so not bad officially it's said to keep 4-7 hours.
Connection is behind rubber plug, which has to be open to insert the connector; so probably would be possible to modify such rubber plug to put connector through it (spare rubbers are available); I use a power adapter for it and other things (universal kind), must try direct some day. This needs a plug for connection to be found, though. I believe will work, as adapter gives 15-16 V.