iPad

[PeregrineSea]

No cable. You need your own wifi network on board. It can control the computer on the wfi network they share. I have mine set with a Cradlepoint device that I was already using for internet access. The app I use is by Splash - it is in the app store. More at - The Peregrine Sea: The Marine IPad? It surprised me when I ran into it and I think it can be real useful onboard. It can control and repeat anything on the computer - mac or pc.

[Cotemar]

Been having a ball using my iPad2 for navigation. Mostly use it at the Nav station, but with these RAM mounts It can be moved to the helm in just seconds.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post680516

Mark

[Feral Cement]

Originally Posted by ActiveCaptain

I think it's user-hostile.

Great line, LMAO.

John

[cvondo]

howdy, i just got back from 6 months on my st francis cat 44. i went from savanna ga to the exumas then back. on the way down i used my new garmin 3210 and 3206 with the latest chip for both. i also used the ipad with charts and tides and the navionics apps. the garmin had huge pieces of the intercoastal with no info and often the garmin would have me up on land. the ipad navionics app worked perfectly and never on land. the level of detail was much better than the garmin. the same issue was present with the charts and tides app with parts of the icw missing but the active captain signs were still present. now once i got to the bahamas, the new chip with explorer charts was very good and accurate. i used the garmin and ipad together to compare accuracy. the navionics app in long island and south was very poor. i duct tapped the ipad completely except for the power port and also had a water proof bag for it . even with the non glare screen it was hard to read the small depth numbers on the ipad. the ipad never stopped working once and was the first go to dodgy situations and tides. i also used two anchor watch apps which were great. the anchor alert app worked great and did ,use it. i do recommend the ipad as a primary navigation app with navionics and charts and tides for the active captain portion. south of the exumas the navionics app is inadequate. thanks chris

[avazquez]

Originally Posted by ActiveCaptain

The iPhone/iPad/Android world for marine navigation is developing quickly. I think it's an important segment that is here to stay and will greatly expand in size and capability and may well spark the end of the stand-alone GPS/display unit.

I couldn't agree more. Eventually this technology will make marine GPS equipment simply obsolete. Garmin and all others should really jump into the new mobile technology or they will disappear. Look at how simple an i-pad is compared to a regular marine GPS/chartplotter. Sometimes I find myself looking for my Garmin instruction book to do a simple task. When an instruction book has that many pages then it means that the equipment is simply not user friendly.

[pteron]

Originally Posted by avazquez

I couldn't agree more. Eventually this technology will make marine GPS equipment simply obsolete. Garmin and all others should really jump into the new mobile technology or they will disappear. Look at how simple an i-pad is compared to a regular marine GPS/chartplotter. Sometimes I find myself looking for my Garmin instruction book to do a simple task. When an instruction book has that many pages then it means that the equipment is simply not user friendly.

I think you've hit on some important points here. The iwidgets have very user friendly interfaces especially compared with marine GPS units. I usually find the Garmin interface more intuitive than Raymarine (does anyone else consistently zoom out first when trying to zoom in on the Raymarine units? For me, that button is the wrong way round!).

It still amazes me that software is written with a separate user manual, often with inane help messages like "click on the 'close' button to close the window"! Help should be context sensitive and immediately available in the program, and ideally the program should learn how good you are at using it and provide the required amount of prompting without explicit requests.

The difference between a well written user interface and a poor one is often down to the philosophy of the company behind it. Apple are a design company - the programmers work for the system designers, whereas many software companies are created by programmers with a passion for the engine of the program but no real ability to relate to users and their problems.

[Chipg]

Originally Posted by avazquez

I couldn't agree more. Eventually this technology will make marine GPS equipment simply obsolete. Garmin and all others should really jump into the new mobile technology or they will disappear. Look at how simple an i-pad is compared to a regular marine GPS/chartplotter. Sometimes I find myself looking for my Garmin instruction book to do a simple task. When an instruction book has that many pages then it means that the equipment is simply not user friendly.

Living in the same neighborhood as Garmins Founder (one street over) we have pow wow'd for years about this, I have been shorting the stock. I have an aviation background and told Gary & Min years ago they are going to loose that market like they are the mobile market to cell phones...

Now this: iPad receives FAA certification as an electronic flight bag

The day will come when the FAA certifies it for more than what they have now.

[avazquez]

Hey, I went to the GARMIN store in mmmmmm I think Chicago and it was completely empty. Two stories empty! Only two employees and thats it. Go to any Apple store and look at the difference. Garmin better jump into app development, maybe they can develop the marine version tablets. The whole thing needs to be simplified. I think the future is in the tablet technology coupled with wireless instrumentation. In the future all instruments will be wireless and you will be able to see everything in you tablet/phone/laptop etc. Once that happens even autopilots will be run with this technology. No more complicated hardware installations. Only a wireless transducer, wind instrument and an actuator for the tiller. You would only buy those three things and download the application. Everything for a few hundreds. I wish...

[PeregrineSea]

I think the IPa has great potential, but as yet it is not powerful enough for extended bluewater use, except as a repeater for use below decks at I have discussed in The Marine IPad? you are comparing it to a small or handheld device it could be a big improvement. I have MaxSea Time Zero below decks on the computer, that can be nicely repeated on the IPad. The ability and power can't be replicated on the IPad, at least for now. Above decks I have a NavNet2 chartplotter - but of course it depends on the type of sailing you do or are planning. PEREGRINA is a 40 foot monohull cutter we are preparing for offshore. Both Maxsea and the Furuno Navnet have access to the complete library of CMap Charts. Remember - I do like the IPad I just suggest checking out what is best for your type of sailing.

[ActiveCaptain]

The more I develop applications for these environments and the more I'm involved with the management at the various companies producing other chartplotter products, the more I realize that there's a place for both the traditional chartplotter and the iPad/Android/PC/Linux screen. And let's not stop with those "normal" platforms - I'm working on a SmartTV version of an underway app for ActiveCaptain data right now for TV sets.

Chartplotters could be easier to use although I don't know too many people who read the manuals there - there's certainly a lot of use showing they're pretty user-friendly. The thing that needs to be a lot better is connectivity between all devices (iPads, PC's, chartplotters, etc). I have a feeling that any device that can't reach out and touch others won't make it in the next generation of use on helms. One of the most important features of any hardware or software product that I buy from now on is how open they are to sharing information in and out. That allows each product to fit their strengths into my boat.

[PeregrineSea]

Well said Active Captain! There is a place for all this technology and getting them to comunicate and share is the right road.

[Christian Van H]

Originally Posted by ActiveCaptain

I'm working on a SmartTV version of an underway app for ActiveCaptain data right now for TV sets.

Don't wear yourself out yet! We NEED an ActiveCaptain iPad App! I know, I know, it's built into another chart plotting App... But I find it clunky at best, and I think there is HUGH room for improvement in something as important as the way we access your incredible data. Just sayin... And I'll be paying should you ever develop one! How much would a custom, well designed App with the ability to access ActiveCaptain be worth to me? I'd say as much as $24.95. What say you? ;-)

BTW, does anyone have any further info on the possibility of Explorer Charts becoming available for iPad?

[avazquez]

Most boat owners in the world do only coastal cruising. There is the bulk of the marine GPS/Instrumentation business. At the current technology advancement rate, it won’t be long before the tablet technology becomes so reliable that the industry will have to adapt, shrink into the more specialized segments or disappear.

[ActiveCaptain]

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

We NEED an ActiveCaptain iPad App! ...as much as $24.95. What say you? ;-)

I really do like the Navimatics app. I honestly use it myself while underway - not as a primary chartplotter, but something that tells me what's up ahead. When our entire Raymarine system went bonkers 15 miles offshore at 11 pm while about to negotiate an offshore channel (Frying Pan Shoals Slue), it was my iPad and phone that took over immediately until I fired up the laptop. The blog entry about that a couple of weeks ago is at:
http://takingpaws.blogspot.com/2011/...wn-at-sea.html

That said, I tested the second-to-last test version of a new iPhone/iPad app this morning that's coming out really soon. It uses raster charts and keeps all ActiveCaptain offline. It's from another developer will cost significantly less than the $25 you're willing to spend. There's one thing that needs to be fixed and it'll be submitted to Apple. It's quite nice. Perhaps you'll like a raster version better?

I am working on an ActiveCaptain app too - it's the same thing as the SmartTV one. It's sort of an underway version of the website. It's not a chartplotter. It's more of a companion to your chartplotter. It'll be free and the first version will be released this year. There will also be versions for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Android released at the same time. I especially think the SmartTV potential is pretty cool though.

Let's just say I'm haven't been getting into much trouble because I've been pretty busy with it all.

[57guy]

Originally Posted by Chipg

Living in the same neighborhood as Garmins Founder (one street over) we have pow wow'd for years about this, I have been shorting the stock. I have an aviation background and told Gary & Min years ago they are going to loose that market like they are the mobile market to cell phones...

Now this: iPad receives FAA certification as an electronic flight bag

The day will come when the FAA certifies it for more than what they have now.

I couldn't agree more on the small garmins. I just made my last auto driving trip with my Garmin. I recently drove up the east Coast of the US and used my Garmin Nuvi. I also had my iPad with me. At least 20% of the stores listed on the "points of interest" in the Nuvi had moved or gone out of business. Since its easier for the developer to update the data in the iPad, it was almost, always correct.
Two years ago, I bought a $3500 Garmin for my 26 ft boat and today don't turn it on. I bring my iPad along in a one pound Zip Lock bag.

I also left Stuart, Fl headed for the Exuma's in my 42 ft and turned the Raymarine on, only once.
Used the iPad all the way with iNavX.

The only thing that would make my marine Nav better is to have some Explorer digital charts,
GP