iPad

[capngeo]

I've scanned every manual in the giant bag the previous owner left me aboard... That space is now mine again and the bag is in the rolling dockbox

[capngeo]

The decision is AT&T or the V? I already have AT&T with the iPhone... I'm thinking about getting verizon, this way I would have a back-up to AT&T. Most of the time, I'll wiFi from the iPhone anyhow

[ActiveCaptain]

I doubt you'll ever enable the cellular plan on the iPad. I've had mine for nearly a year and haven't turned on the cellular plan once. That said, it's a better idea to get the cellular version even if you never plan to turn it on because only the cellular version has the built-in GPS hardware. And no, you don't need a cellular plan to use the GPS.

I find that I use my iPad all the time on the boat. When there, I use it over WiFi to one of my other connected systems. I just don't find that I carry the iPad off the boat much - that's where the phones are much better suited.

If the iPad had the ability to be a MiFi type of sharing device, I'd definitely be using it and getting rid of my real MiFi. But both Verizon and AT&T took that capability out of the iPad because they'd rather see you add another cellular plan. I'd bet you don't need to if you're using the thing on a boat.

[capngeo]

Jeff... I agree that I would rarely access the cell data on my iPad, and would use the data package from my iPhone instead. There is a hack to make your iPad a hotspot. I already have that on my iPhone. By having the ABILITY to use the iPad's connection through Verizon, it sort of gives me a nice redundancy.

I will use the ipad off the boat quite often.... in fact I'd say 90% of its use would be ashore.

[bertryane]

First of all, i'm sold on my ipad for a variety of reasons, two of which are a razor thin movie player, and a high tech chartplotter, with long battery life - perfect for us weekend cruisers. Question - anyone know of a case with rail clamp to use that ipad at the helm? water resistant, while maintaining touchscreen capability, is a must. any thoughts?

[capngeo]

There are several.... none of which I really like at the moment. I may build myself one if someone doesn't beat me to it! Don't get me wrong, there are good ones, but at $300+ they are too pricey!

[Cotemar]

bertryane,

Not that I am cheap, but a zip lock storage bag works great and allows the power plug to come out of the bag to plug in at the helm.
RAM Tab-Tite will hold an iPad or iPad2 on a ram gimbal mount.

RAM Tab-Tite

Mount - C Arm with 2.5 Inch Round Base and Diamond Adaptor - RAM Mount (U)

RAM POD I WITH 1" SINGLE SOCKET W/ 238

Mark

[bertryane]

Cotemar - that's perfect, doubles as a movie mount down below. Sold

[capngeo]

Now just to find a good case for an iPad2 for under $100!

[andreas.mehlin]

I googled just to see the prices of the charts for ipad.
It seems crazy cheap, $29.90 for south pacific etc (and the same for the other wide coverage maps). For PC/Mac it is $199 (and about the same if want it on SD-memory).

Is it still the same as the PC/Mac versions?

[Andy R]

Originally Posted by andreas.mehlin

I googled just to see the prices of the charts for ipad.
It seems crazy cheap, $29.90 for south pacific etc (and the same for the other wide coverage maps). For PC/Mac it is $199 (and about the same if want it on SD-memory).

Is it still the same as the PC/Mac versions?

I know about the charts but I do know that many other applications are cheaper through the app store then buying the full PC/Mac version. It's my understanding this is done because of the security linked to the App Store. They know when they sell the charts on some other formats people will copy and/or lend their install CD to others so the price reflex this "sharing cost".

[andreas.mehlin]

Originally Posted by Andy R

I know about the charts but I do know that many other applications are cheaper through the app store then buying the full PC/Mac version. It's my understanding this is done because of the security linked to the App Store. They know when they sell the charts on some other formats people will copy and/or lend their install CD to others so the price reflex this "sharing cost".

Well...I don't think that is the case about the charts because all Navionics charts are copy protected (memory cards and therefor more or less impossible to copy).

I really wanna know the reason of the different prices.

[ActiveCaptain]

Originally Posted by andreas.mehlin

I really wanna know the reason of the different prices.

I'm very curious myself. None of it makes sense. Some end-user prices are less than the royalty fee back to the country - Canada for example.

I worry that the practice is driving all others out of the market. That's a very bad thing eventually. Many countries have laws stopping that type of thing.

There have got to be big changes coming in a variety of ways.

[Chipg]

Just a heads up, AT&T just put a $100 price reduction on the first gen iPad over the already $100 apple discount so you can buy the first gen iPad 3G gps 16 gig for $429 (reg $629) while supplies last.

First-gen iPad 3G gets $100 price cut by AT&T | Apple - CNET News

[Intentional Drifter]

Those are very good deals. A 3G 64 gig iPad for $529. For the sorts of boat-related uses we would be interested in, I don't see where there would be a significant difference between the 1st and 2nd Generation iPads. I do rather strongly suggest going for the most memory you can afford, though. Charts held in memory can use a lot of space. By the time I loaded music, photos, podcasts, videos, and charts, I was down to only about 15 gigs of free space. While that is still enough for comfort, a 16 gig or 32 gig would have been too little.

While I have enabled the 3G cellular data for land-based travel, on the boat I use a Cradlepoint CTR35 cellular router with a bigger antenna (up the mast) and booster. I've been able to pull in strong cell signals up to 15 miles off shore. The router then feeds all the consumers on the boat (nav PC, iPad, guest's computers) and lets me put out a secured LAN up to 300 feet (for buddy boats, if needed). If there's Wifi available, then it can also use that. For $79, it greatly simplified the network. Tiny, too.

ID