Tablets for cruising

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by gcaskew

Moist tablets don't have true GPS, only the ones that have 3/4G ability with a wireless carrier.

Nah, that's an I-Thing thing. Androids usually have real GPS all the time.

FWIW, we have MXMariner with NOAA raster charts and and Plan2Nav with C-Map vector charts on both of our Android tablets. ActiveCaptain integration, on the latter.

-Chris

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Nah, that's an I-Thing thing. Androids usually have real GPS all the time.

FWIW, we have MXMariner with NOAA raster charts and and Plan2Nav with C-Map vector charts on both of our Android tablets. ActiveCaptain integration, on the latter.

-Chris

There exists no such thing as a fake GPS or "not full GPS". Your tablet either has a GPS receiver, or it hasn't.

The wifi-only iPads have no GPS receiver. The 3G/4G models do have a GPS receiver.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

There exists no such thing as a fake GPS or "not full GPS". Your tablet either has a GPS receiver, or it hasn't.

The wifi-only iPads have no GPS receiver. The 3G/4G models do have a GPS receiver.

Yep, that's what I meant...

Although I'm told some smartphones can do approximate geolocation using cell towers proximity only...

In any case, I meant Android tablets usually all have GPS. Not a recommendation, just an observation. (Even if my wording was a bit wonky.)

-Chris

[dave777]

Originally Posted by StuM

On the contrary, just about every Android tablet has "true" GPS.

I've been looking at Android tablets, but most of the listings don't mention GPS. Including some of the manufaturer's websites.

How would you know? Buying and returning is sooo last century ;-)

[jackdale]

I am using a ASUS Vivo Tab Smart running Win8.1. It has a built-in GPS. My nav software is OpenCPN. I also have Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.

So far so good. I will use it on the water next month.

I also use it for presentations and classes. Part of one of the standards I teach is laptop navigation, and raster and vector charts.

I also have Open Office on the tablet. Free is good.

It does not have a celluar module, but I have a usb aircard that will get me a cell connection for the web and email. That also works with the ftp function built into the grib reader I use.

[Opie91]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

There exists no such thing as a fake GPS or "not full GPS". Your tablet either has a GPS receiver, or it hasn't.

The wifi-only iPads have no GPS receiver. The 3G/4G models do have a GPS receiver.

The only thing that some i-thing/android phones do is not download the GPS almanac from the satellite like your chart plotter does. These use the cell signals to help the gps get a fast fix. This is what some people call "fake GPS", its more like GPS-lite.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by jackdale

I am using a ASUS Vivo Tab Smart running Win8.1. It has a built-in GPS. My nav software is OpenCPN. I also have Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.

So far so good. I will use it on the water next month.

I also use it for presentations and classes. Part of one of the standards I teach is laptop navigation, and raster and vector charts.

I also have Open Office on the tablet. Free is good.

It does not have a celluar module, but I have a usb aircard that will get me a cell connection for the web and email. That also works with the ftp function built into the grib reader I use.

So Jack...I'm assuming the ASUS Vivo is a laptop and not a tablet?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Opie91

The only thing that some i-thing/android phones do is not download the GPS almanac from the satellite like your chart plotter does. These use the cell signals to help the gps get a fast fix. This is what some people call "fake GPS", its more like GPS-lite.

Don't think so. You are referring to A-GPS or Assisted-GPS. Modern GPS receivers that have access to alternate communications like 3G or Wifi (like smart phones and tablets), can download the almanac from that extra communications source in the blink of an eye instead of taking 12.5 minutes to get it from the satellite constellation. But that doesn't mean it can't receive it from the satellites… it can just like every GPS receiver can and it will when the fast method isn't available.

Receiving the almanac is automatic as it is part of the navigation messages.

Also, all the modern sets can use both GPS and the Russian counterpart Glonass, simultaneously. This further improves positioning.

Check out "GPS-3" or "improved GPS" for more info on the modernized GPS system.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

So Jack...I'm assuming the ASUS Vivo is a laptop and not a tablet?

Tablet

The model # is Asus ME400C VivoTab Smart - 64GB

Tablets & Mobile - ASUS VivoTab Smart

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by jackdale

I am using a ASUS Vivo Tab Smart running Win8.1.

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

So Jack...I'm assuming the ASUS Vivo is a laptop and not a tablet?

Oh my. A tablet running Windows. The horror!

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Oh my. A tablet running Windows. The horror!

I never did buy into the Apple cult. The worst computer I ever had in my career was a Powerbook. They were so bad, that companies were returning them, we would have Apple rebuild them give them to special needs students. My own was rebuilt about 3 times.

My phone is an Android.

My wife has a iPod and and an iPad Air.

[svseachange]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Oh my. A tablet running Windows. The horror!

Our ASUS Transformer T100A is a tablet running 8.1 that can be transformed into a laptop.

The horror alright... Windows 8.1 cannot decide whether it is a tablet or laptop OS. It must be the worst Windows update ever. Thank goodness the T100A can be either.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by dave777

I've been looking at Android tablets, but most of the listings don't mention GPS. Including some of the manufaturer's websites.

How would you know? Buying and returning is sooo last century ;-)

I suspect that's cause 99% of Android tablets have GPS. FWIW, I'm not aware of any that don't.

Ours are Nexus (and Google is Android), and Samsung Galaxy Tab; both have GPS.

-Chris

[Opie91]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Don't think so. You are referring to A-GPS or Assisted-GPS. Modern GPS receivers that have access to alternate communications like 3G or Wifi (like smart phones and tablets), can download the almanac from that extra communications source in the blink of an eye instead of taking 12.5 minutes to get it from the satellite constellation. But that doesn't mean it can't receive it from the satellites… it can just like every GPS receiver can and it will when the fast method isn't available.

Receiving the almanac is automatic as it is part of the navigation messages.

Also, all the modern sets can use both GPS and the Russian counterpart Glonass, simultaneously. This further improves positioning.

Check out "GPS-3" or "improved GPS" for more info on the modernized GPS system.

I bow to your obvious superior knowledge in this area.

I read an article a while back (of course I could not find it again) about why tablets/phones have an issue with long first fix without a cell signal. On further thought it might have been that phones/tablets with low storage capacity do not store the almanac to save memory space and download it every time they are turned on. I could be mistaken as earlier....

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Tablet

The model # is Asus ME400C VivoTab Smart - 64GB

Tablets & Mobile - ASUS VivoTab Smart

Any idea of the power draw or the charger draw and how long to charge up to 100%?