Panasonic Toughpads

kontiki

kontiki

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Kontiki
Anybody got any experience with the Panasonic Toughpads. I see they have an android based unit, I was interested in how sunlight readable it is; They advertise it is. My iPad is very hard to read, I'm thinking of upgrading.


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I haven't had one in a few years, but they are as they say, rugged. They used to always be a year or two behind internally. There are usually a couple different screen options, daylight viewable and sunlight viewable, sunlight being considerably brighter, go for the highest nit screen if you have available power to plug into, although nice and bright, the suckers drain batteries pronto.
 
Not familiar with the Toughpad but curious about referring to a movement from one OS to another as an "upgrade."

I guess the bigger question for you is, what functionality are you using on your iPad and will you be able to do something equivalent on an Android platform. For example, if you are using ForeFlight or WingX Pro for aviation, say goodbye to them and think about a replacement. If, OTOH, you are using Garmin Pilot, the transition will be easier because it's available for both.

The one thing I did notice looking at the Panasonic Toughpad site is that it advertises being loaded with Android 4.0. That seems a bit dated for a new tablet.
 
Mark raises a valid question which should be answered prior to going from one platform to another. That said, I own an Ipad and a Asus TF700. The TF700 is awesome even under the bubble canopy of my Lancair. It is reflective in the stock form but after adding an anti-glare matte screen protector it is very readable. The 600 nits brightness shines.
I looked up a toughpad spec and saw 500 nits. Maybe there are other versions, but I would look for a nits rating at least what the TF700 can do.
 
Thanks for the comments, I found them useful. I'm really doing OK with my iPad 2, running Garmin Pilot. I'll stick with Garmin I have the GDL39 reciever.

I believe they are cutting over to Toughpads at work. I looked at the data sheet and was wondering if it might be something to look at for an eventual replacement, I don't expect the iPad to last forever.

The one problem I' ve had with the iPad is sunlight readability. I confess I really did not spend enough time looking into anti glare filters and brightness measurements. I'm really new to Android too. Phone wise I make due with an old prepay T-mobile brick (cost under $200. Per year for all my phone needs).

I'll look into "nits" and spend some time trying to understand whats involved with "sunlight readability too.


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kontiki said:
Anybody got any experience with the Panasonic Toughpads. I see they have an android based unit, I was interested in how sunlight readable it is; They advertise it is. My iPad is very hard to read, I'm thinking of upgrading.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Unless you really need something "tough", I'd stick with whatever works of the normal variety. It's cheaper to replace them when they break than to get something heavy duty unless mission reliability is paramount (ie: military).
 
pj500 said:
Unless you really need something "tough", I'd stick with whatever works of the normal variety. It's cheaper to replace them when they break than to get something heavy duty unless mission reliability is paramount (ie: military).
Click to expand...


My primary requirement is readability. If i pick up my Ipad and cant see it, it is useless to me.

Last year I bought my Grumman Tiger equipped with an Aspen Pro flight display. You can orient so the sunshines directly on the display and see everything perfectly. It is awesome.

That has not been my experience with with G1000 displays for example (not to get off track with the thread). Now that I know for sure LCD displays can really do that, thats what I want in my hands when I need to glance at a chart.

Capacity in Consumer electronics is not usually about overcoming technical chalenges, its about building a device to fall within a specific price range. More expensive, but really does the job is sometimes the more sensible way to go.

I don't believe you can really keep up with new features and functions in consumer electronics, the same way you might develop a technology roadmap for support of a deployed system. Most consumer electronics strikes me as a cycle where the demand for features is manufactured through clever advertising, then filling that manufactured need, all the while calling it new technology.

Thats why, IMO, you have zillions of people paying hundreds of dollars per month to transmit speech data that has no dollar value whatsoever.








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