iPad vs. Nexus 7

X3 Skier said:
I did a test the other day at home with the Bad Elf plugged in and with Pandora and FF active and it lasted over 7 hours, more than I would fly any day. Plug it in overnight and it's good to go the next day. I do keep a charger in the flight bag JIC but never had to use it in the airplane.

Cheers
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Can someone please explain to me the reasoning behind plugging in another, separate GPS (like Bad Elf)? I have never had any problem using the iPad's built-in GPS -- or the Nexus's.
 
Jay Honeck said:
Can someone please explain to me the reasoning behind plugging in another, separate GPS (like Bad Elf)? I have never had any problem using the iPad's built-in GPS -- or the Nexus's.
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No 3G, wifi only so no GPS unless you have an external.

I did use my iPhone 3Gs without the bad elf and when I replayed CloudAhoy, I had two missed approaches that I swear I greased. :D

Cheers
 
Mafoo said:
Then don't buy one. They are not going to stop making the 9.7 inch model.

All things equal, I prefer choice, even if I don't personally chose to buy it.
Click to expand...

Oh. That works.

Jay Honeck said:
Can someone please explain to me the reasoning behind plugging in another, separate GPS (like Bad Elf)? I have never had any problem using the iPad's built-in GPS -- or the Nexus's.
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If you happen to have a wifi only model, you don't have a built in GPS.
 
To be sure I understand the premise of this discussion, is the fact than some guy can't figure out how to manage a big monitor the reason a small one is better?:rofl:
 
X3 Skier said:
No 3G, wifi only so no GPS unless you have an external.

I did use my iPhone 3Gs without the bad elf and when I replayed CloudAhoy, I had two missed approaches that I swear I greased. :D

Cheers
Click to expand...


Um, my iPad is no 3G, only wi-fi -- and the internal GPS works just fine.

Edit: Whoops -- just checked. My iPad has the ABILITY to be 3G, but I never hooked it up to a data plan. Thus the built-in GPS.

For those who inquired about buying it, the lack of 3G was important. Sorry about that -- it DOES have that ability.
 
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wabower said:
To be sure I understand the premise of this discussion, is the fact than some guy can't figure out how to manage a big monitor the reason a small one is better?:rofl:
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No, but that's one of the main reasons the Nexus 7 is better in-cockpit, IMHO.

Unless you've got a big, blank space in your panel -- or you don't mind covering up a lot of real estate that already has instrumentation in it -- the iPad just plain doesn't go anywhere other than your lap.

That's not optimal.
 
Jay Honeck said:
First impressions:

Screen brightness/readability: A tie. Both are gorgeous and bright. The Nexus is just a smidge better in direct sunlight, but later-model iPads have brighter screens. Both disappear with polarized sunglasses at certain angles -- an aggravation.
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I just read, in your RV "report", about your dislike for Garmin. I have not used the Nexus 7.................but an I-Pad doesn't have a chance in **** against my Garmin 696 for readibility in bright sunlight. They wash out, and that's all there is to it. In the meantime, the Garmin is bright and crisp, in the worst of sunlight conditions.........such as a two place sliding canopy, with the sun from behind. Because of that, I'll never use an I-pad device to replace the functions I use the 696 for. At least, until the screen/sun situation dramatically changes!

L.Adamson
 
Jay Honeck said:
No, but that's one of the main reasons the Nexus 7 is better in-cockpit, IMHO.

Unless you've got a big, blank space in your panel -- or you don't mind covering up a lot of real estate that already has instrumentation in it -- the iPad just plain doesn't go anywhere other than your lap.

That's not optimal.
Click to expand...

That's the main reason I went with the 7 inch tablet as well. Space required is one and then the second was price. The price is just so much lower than an iPad.
 
I like my 696 too, and I fly real airplane with a full-size cabin and nice wing over-head to prevent in-flight baking.

L.Adamson said:
I just read, in your RV "report", about your dislike for Garmin. I have not used the Nexus 7.................but an I-Pad doesn't have a chance in **** against my Garmin 696 for readibility in bright sunlight. They wash out, and that's all there is to it. In the meantime, the Garmin is bright and crisp, in the worst of sunlight conditions.........such as a two place sliding canopy, with the sun from behind. Because of that, I'll never use an I-pad device to replace the functions I use the 696 for. At least, until the screen/sun situation dramatically changes!

L.Adamson
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L.Adamson said:
I just read, in your RV "report", about your dislike for Garmin. I have not used the Nexus 7.................but an I-Pad doesn't have a chance in **** against my Garmin 696 for readibility in bright sunlight. They wash out, and that's all there is to it. In the meantime, the Garmin is bright and crisp, in the worst of sunlight conditions.........such as a two place sliding canopy, with the sun from behind. Because of that, I'll never use an I-pad device to replace the functions I use the 696 for. At least, until the screen/sun situation dramatically changes!

L.Adamson
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No, I'm not anti-Garmin. I LOVE the 696, and was *this* close to buying it at OSH 2011. Sadly, it was a tiny smidge too big to panel dock.

Now, as it turns out, with everything heading in the direction of tablets, I'm glad I didn't fork out the $3000+ for the 696 -- but it IS a beautiful piece of gear.

As opposed to my 496, which is a laughably bad piece of gear, and has been since I bought it. At the time, however, it was the only way to get XM weather.
 
wsuffa said:
Apparently at least one Tech Editor would disagree you.

Link
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CmdrTaco (ex-Slashdot fame) is the best you can do? I give you his evaluation of the very first iPod from 2001:

No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.​

Guess he hit the nail on the head on that one! :rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
Jay Honeck said:
No, I'm not anti-Garmin. I LOVE the 696, and was *this* close to buying it at OSH 2011. Sadly, it was a tiny smidge too big to panel dock.

Now, as it turns out, with everything heading in the direction of tablets, I'm glad I didn't fork out the $3000+ for the 696 -- but it IS a beautiful piece of gear.

As opposed to my 496, which is a laughably bad piece of gear, and has been since I bought it. At the time, however, it was the only way to get XM weather.
Click to expand...

Trouble is, if an I-pad device is mounted where my 696 is..........it's mostly unusuable, due to sunlight. On the other hand, even my prior 496 would be much more useful, due to the same reasons.
 
I kept the 496 and use it regularly, especially in the car. It's a great box. Also use the iPad daily for a variety of tasks, in addition to carrying it along in the plane to have charts and plates available if needed. I use a Zagg keyboard that adds a bit of heft but makes it more usable, less slippery and provides screen protection. It's a great box too. When not in use, I stick it between the seats. Seems simple to me, but maybe too complex for others.

It's amazing that so many people could be fooled so badly while so few (in their mind, anyway) could discern the deeply-flawed nature of these products and be so certain of the superior qualities inherent in the other stuff.



L.Adamson said:
Trouble is, if an I-pad device is mounted where my 696 is..........it's mostly unusuable, due to sunlight. On the other hand, even my prior 496 would be much more useful, due to the same reasons.
Click to expand...
 
the nexus doesnt have near enough space for me. My 64gb 3G iPad 2 is almost full
 
Jay Honeck said:
Can someone please explain to me the reasoning behind plugging in another, separate GPS (like Bad Elf)? I have never had any problem using the iPad's built-in GPS -- or the Nexus's.
Click to expand...

Quote from link provided:

Is the Bad Elf GPS Receiver better than the iPad/iPhone internal GPS?
In general, yes! The Bad Elf GPS Receiver uses the high-performance MTK3329 chipset, so it’s capable of 2.5m resolution and 10Hz reporting. It can acquire a GPS lock in places the internal GPS will not, such as inside a commercial jet flying at 565mph at 29K feet. It also supports WAAS, so you’ll see better vertical accuracy and at least 10m positional accuracy in almost all conditions. And finally, our receiver does not depend on Assisted GPS data to get a lock, so as long as you have a clear view of the sky, it will get a GPS lock within about 35 seconds.

http://bad-elf.com/support/gps-faq/#internal_comparison
 
From the same article

Android simply feels inconsistent by comparison. Icons seem oddly sized. Labels are inconsistently applied. These subtle changes start at the core operating system and extend out to the app ecosystem. I expect, in a few years, we’ll see things reigned in a little more.

The question is, by that time, will I have accumulated another couple hundred bucks worth of iTunes App Store purchases, further locking me into their far more closed option? For now, I think I’ll be sticking with my iPad and iPhone. But I no longer can blindly make that recommendation to family members considering a purchase.

wsuffa said:
Apparently at least one Tech Editor would disagree you.

Link
Click to expand...
 
Mafoo said:
Quote from link provided:

Is the Bad Elf GPS Receiver better than the iPad/iPhone internal GPS?
In general, yes! The Bad Elf GPS Receiver uses the high-performance MTK3329 chipset, so it’s capable of 2.5m resolution and 10Hz reporting. It can acquire a GPS lock in places the internal GPS will not, such as inside a commercial jet flying at 565mph at 29K feet. It also supports WAAS, so you’ll see better vertical accuracy and at least 10m positional accuracy in almost all conditions. And finally, our receiver does not depend on Assisted GPS data to get a lock, so as long as you have a clear view of the sky, it will get a GPS lock within about 35 seconds.

http://bad-elf.com/support/gps-faq/#internal_comparison
Click to expand...

None of which means much hooked to an iPad.
 
I had the Bad Elf GPS with my iPad 2, but bought the AT&T 3G iPad 3 and sold the Bad Elf. I notice better performance with the internal GPS.
 
ktup-flyer said:
the nexus doesnt have near enough space for me. My 64gb 3G iPad 2 is almost full
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Why? Everything is stored in the Cloud now... The only thing I store on the Nexus (or the iPad) is GPS data.
 
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wabower said:
Not here. I don't like the concept and Harry the techie likes it even less.
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Well, you've got to have hard copies (or, at least, hard drive storage) of your stuff somewhere, I agree. But certainly not on a tablet.

That's another thing that makes the Nexus 7 superior, BTW. With a $200 price tag, it's not the end of the world if you lose or break it. Since it's almost disposable, that's another reason not to store stuff on it.

As I stated, the only thing I store on either tablet is essential GPS data.
 
Our club has five types of airplanes so I keep the pdf file of the POH for each in the Docs section of FF rather than lugging a Hard Copy around (or paying for it). I also have the sectionals / TAC for the local states and the A/FD along with assorted apps and use about half of the 32G capacity.

Cheers
 
Reminds me of the Newton verses Palm Pilot debate. The BRICK vs shirt pocket computer. Both are gone now, but once I got a Palm Pilot, the Newton went into my computer museum.

We'll still have choice for awhile, but slowly, the form factor will converge to a standardized size.
 
I've been using the iPad 3 with Foreflight in the plane more and more. The size is an issue, however typically only when on the ground, and the yoke is making full travel. But my clipboard (8.5") on my right knee also gets in the way sometimes. Otherwise, the bigger screen is very nice to look at charts.

If the ipad mini does come out in fall in a 7" form factor at the right price ($400 or less), I'll probably pick one up solely for the plane.
 
wabower said:
Not here. I don't like the concept and Harry the techie likes it even less.
Click to expand...

Same here. The only "cloud" I store data on is a server totally under my control. One cannot completely trust Apple, Amazon or (gasp) Google to not mine your personal data.

Besides, if you're flying your own plane, how are you going to access the cloud in flight?
 
X3 Skier said:
Our club has five types of airplanes so I keep the pdf file of the POH for each in the Docs section of FF rather than lugging a Hard Copy around (or paying for it). I also have the sectionals / TAC for the local states and the A/FD along with assorted apps and use about half of the 32G capacity.

Cheers
Click to expand...

Interesting. I downloaded all the sectionals between Texas and Oshkosh, and only used a few gigabytes on the Nexus. I won't be using them again until next year, so if I will probably delete them -- a simple task on the Nexus, versus a nightmare on the iPad.

I wonder why your charts are such big files, compared to Garmin's and Naviators?
 
I used my Nexus 7 with Avilution on the way back from Osh, and it worked wonderfully. I was interested in the GDL39, but decided to hold off on buying one.

For those who need extra storage space, there are a few options. You can get a USB OTG cable and plug in a USB thumb drive. For me, I just keep all of my music on my phone and use the N7 for maps, browsing, e-mail, etc.

Ultimately however, the device isn't meant to store every piece of digital content you own. Most people would be hard pressed to fit all of their digital content on a 64gb ipad anyway.

I think Jay's review is quite valid. A refurb ipad 1 and the N7 might be several generations apart, but they are significantly closer in cost than the ipad 2 or "new ipad".

The one thing that does frustrate me, and there are several examples of it in this thread, is the people who instantly go on the offensive when it comes to Android devices. Yes, I know you people have spent a fortune on your apple products and associated apps. You are invested, and don't want to think you made the wrong choice. But choice and competition are a good thing. Just because you like closed operating systems doesn't mean you have to be closed minded.
 
wsuffa said:
Same here. The only "cloud" I store data on is a server totally under my control. One cannot completely trust Apple, Amazon or (gasp) Google to not mine your personal data.

Besides, if you're flying your own plane, how are you going to access the cloud in flight?
Click to expand...

That's why I said "I only keep essential GPS data on the tablet." AKA: Charts.
 
Jay Honeck said:
Interesting. I downloaded all the sectionals between Texas and Oshkosh, and only used a few gigabytes on the Nexus. I won't be using them again until next year, so if I will probably delete them -- a simple task on the Nexus, versus a nightmare on the iPad.

I wonder why your charts are such big files, compared to Garmin's and Naviators?
Click to expand...

ForeFlight and all the charts I use at one time like right now, four states, POH, A/FD, and other stuff in the Docs section like FAA c*** takes a mere 1.3GB. The rest of it is Apps like USAToday, Wall Street Journal, Flipboard, DTCDUATS, sudoku, music, photos etc etc etc I do have a life outside the cockpit although the wife might argue otherwise :D

It takes two clicks for me to dump anything out of ForeFlight including charts or FAA Bumpf I don't need anymore. Don't consider that a nightmare. :wink2:

Cheers
 
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Jay Honeck said:
Interesting. I downloaded all the sectionals between Texas and Oshkosh, and only used a few gigabytes on the Nexus. I won't be using them again until next year, so if I will probably delete them -- a simple task on the Nexus, versus a nightmare on the iPad.

I wonder why your charts are such big files, compared to Garmin's and Naviators?
Click to expand...


I have CA, NV and OR sectionals, terminals, IFR low and high, as well as airport diagrams and approach plates and it uses like 1.4 gigs. All it takes is a click or two to change which charts I want downloaded or not it takes 3 seconds to do in Foreflight.

If you are talking about downloading charts in .pdf format to a reader its just as easy to drag and drop on the iPad. In fact its easier since I can sync via wifi. I just pick the files I want itunes to sync then click sync, easy...
 
lionclaw said:
I used my Nexus 7 with Avilution on the way back from Osh, and it worked wonderfully. I was interested in the GDL39, but decided to hold off on buying one.
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A question: I'm really interested in the Nexus 7, and I use Avilution on an Android 10. It works great. Here's the question: I understand the Nexus 7 will not automatically rotate the screen, but is always in portrait mode. The software must be capable of rotating the screen. Does Avilution rotate the screen when it is held in landscape mode?

Thanks.
 
tinerj said:
A question: I'm really interested in the Nexus 7, and I use Avilution on an Android 10. It works great. Here's the question: I understand the Nexus 7 will not automatically rotate the screen, but is always in portrait mode. The software must be capable of rotating the screen. Does Avilution rotate the screen when it is held in landscape mode?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The home/launcher screen doesn't rotate, but almost all apps do. There's a screen orientation lock button on the drop-down status bar. It comes locked by default, but you can just turn it on/off as needed. With it unlocked, avilution will automatically switch to either portrait or landscape mode as the device is rotated, just like it would on any other tablet.
 
lionclaw said:
The home/launcher screen doesn't rotate, but almost all apps do. There's a screen orientation lock button on the drop-down status bar. It comes locked by default, but you can just turn it on/off as needed. With it unlocked, avilution will automatically switch to either portrait or landscape mode as the device is rotated, just like it would on any other tablet.
Click to expand...

You have highlighted my ONLY nit to pick with the Nexus 7, and it's one that many owners have expressed in the user's groups. For some reason, the home page on the Nexus 7 is only displayed one way -- portrait. All of the apps I've downloaded freely rotate to landscape, but the home page does not -- seemingly a glaring oversight.

In the plane, where it's yoke mounted in portrait mode, this is obviously a non-issue, but outside of the plane it can be mildly annoying to pull the thing out and have the home/start screen upside down.

I've heard that they did this purposefully to make sure that the forward-facing camera is "up" -- but I think they've received enough "input" to trash THAT idea in the next update. :lol:
 
Jay Honeck said:
You have highlighted my ONLY nit to pick with the Nexus 7, and it's one that many owners have expressed in the user's groups. For some reason, the home page on the Nexus 7 is only displayed one way -- portrait. All of the apps I've downloaded freely rotate to landscape, but the home page does not -- seemingly a glaring oversight.

In the plane, where it's yoke mounted in portrait mode, this is obviously a non-issue, but outside of the plane it can be mildly annoying to pull the thing out and have the home/start screen upside down.

I've heard that they did this purposefully to make sure that the forward-facing camera is "up" -- but I think they've received enough "input" to trash THAT idea in the next update. :lol:
Click to expand...

http://www.howtogeek.com/120056/how-to-enable-landscape-orientation-on-the-nexus-7s-home-screen/

Should solve your problems :)
 
Jay Honeck said:
Cool, thanks! Gotta love an open OS! :yesnod:
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Only if you need it. :D

Lots of ways to jailbreak iOS if you want/need to install something the Apple Gods don't like you to have. :wink2:

Personally, I never had the desire to tinker with my iDevices but I did do some fooling around with my Android Gizmos.

Cheers
 
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