iPad / Tablet

[Delta Boy]

Shortly I will no longer be traveling for work with a laptop and I believe that a tablet my fill my needs better. With the current available marine apps, what is your experience regarding on board use.

I looked at the Ipad pro 10.5 and it looks like it may fit the bill.

Thanks,

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by Delta Boy

Shortly I will no longer be traveling for work with a laptop and I believe that a tablet my fill my needs better. With the current available marine apps, what is your experience regarding on board use.

I looked at the Ipad pro 10.5 and it looks like it may fit the bill.

Thanks,

To do what?

As a substitute for run-of-the-mill laptop chores, the iPad is 90% of the way there, although it can be a bit of a chore to get it to do some things, especially those needing special software. But email/surfing/document editing...it's more than enough.

Navigation-wise, many think it is more than enough and some think that a full blown CPU running CPN is a better choice. You won't find out your own preference until you try them.

[Navi2016]

a month ago I would have agreed, and I still have a Ipad Pro .... but I killed my MacBook Pro ( long story ) and ended up buy a Surface Pro ( cause the girl at the apple store made me change my mind about another apple product )

Take a long look at the Surface Pro ... I have had mine for 3 weeks, and I really do like it.

Worth a look

[Zven]

There should be no need to go with the Apple brand unless you are already deeply in love with it...
Other manufacturers churn out better products in my opinion. For example, look at Samsung tablets running Android.
Now there are also more and more MS-Windows tablets coming.

[Kenomac]

We use three ipads, iPad 1, air 1 and air 2 along with a macbook and a macbook pro 15. We also have two windows laptops of recent vintage (less than two years old) totally maxed out, top of the line.

Never a problem with the apple products, the windows based stuff is unusable junk. This coming from someone who's continuously used microsoft pc products for nearly 40 years. Never again.

[MV Wanderlust]

Originally Posted by Delta Boy

Shortly I will no longer be traveling for work with a laptop and I believe that a tablet my fill my needs better. With the current available marine apps, what is your experience regarding on board use.

I looked at the Ipad pro 10.5 and it looks like it may fit the bill.

Thanks,

We run two iPads on our boat. One handles the navigation, using Navionics with integrated depth/sonar, and the other handles the radar. Works great.

[leboyd]

I've used the iPad since the first one and now have the 9.7 pro (third iPad).

There are a lot of things I like about the iPad, including using iSailor for NAV. We only charter because we can only get out a few times a year. Sometimes the iPro is the only NAV I have and sometimes it's used as a secondary to the plotter if the boat we're chartering has one.

For me, it's about 95% of my business Win10 PC. I have written some MSAccess/VBS programs that I need for work which do not work on the iPad. However, I can use the TeamViewer application to connect to my PC and do these specialized applications.

I selected the iPad 9.7 over the 12" because of the portability. However, sometimes I wish I had the larger one. I'm used to my 42" 4K UltraHD TV display at the office and the smaller iPad obviously isn't nearly as large.

To really use the iPad, I use and recommend using a good keyboard. Mine is the Logitech Create. This provides some protection for the iPad and quick connection to a keyboard without charging the keyboard (power comes from the iPad).

I also have the iPad pencil, which I use for handwriting notes with Notability.

The other main application I have is GoodReader, although I don't use this as much as I used to because Notability does a lot for me.

*All* of my files are on Dropbox, which means I can access any of my files from any where when I have cell coverage or wifi.

I'm not an "Apple geek" and think Apple is the only brand to buy. I looked at the Surface Pro, which is really nice. However, it still seems overpriced (IMHO) and probably overpowered for my needs. I have not looked any other tablets or smaller laptops, so I can't comment on them.

[Delta Boy]

Thanks everyone. I'm currently in a very rural area and finally got a chance to play with an Ipad today at the cell service office. I do like how the Apple system works. I have both a Samsung and I phone for normal usage. I like the Apple just a bit more but I'll try and get my hands on a Surface to see what they are like.

[snokid]

To date I only know of 1 that is waterproof ipad pro....

otterbox can get you close with others but the pro can be dropped in the water not just a little rain...

Bob

[a64pilot]

I'm pretty sure my IPad Pro is not waterproof, and now only lately is there a Ram mount for it.
I put mine at the Nav station and it duplicates my B&G plotter so she I'm down below so see what is on the plotter screen, and can manipulate it.

[sck5]

One big advantage to samsung (and sony which I used to have) over ipads - they have an sd card slot so you can expand the memory yourself. I have about 2 terabytes of movies and tv shows on sd cards. Depending where you sail you may be in a place without decent broadband and so wont be able to stream video. Having the card slot solves that problem.

I have used both apple and android products for backup chartplotting. They both worked fine for me.

[sck5]

re: waterproof pads - my sony pad was waterproof. I destroyed it via other methods but water was never an issue. Spilled coffee on it in fact and it didnt care.

[a64pilot]

You can stream video to an IPad with another box, I have one, neat little box that is among other things a router. I'll try to find out what it's called, but you out data cards in it and connect the IPad to ugh Wifi I believe.

[a64pilot]

This thing, slick little device, easily fits in your pocket about the same size as an old flip phone.
https://www.ravpower.com/rp-wd03-fil...ss-router.html

[Zven]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

You can stream video to an IPad with another box, I have one, neat little box that is among other things a router. I'll try to find out what it's called, but you out data cards in it and connect the IPad to ugh Wifi I believe.

The same can also be achieved with other types of tablet ...
It does not have to be an iPad.