The iPad. Possible perfect in truck computer, or not?

[redbeard]

It has 'assisted GPS'.. This tends to be the term used with phones that have a GPS and also use cell towers and Wifi to find their location. I'm not 100% sure that it means it has a real gps chip in it.

assisted GPS is nice as it helps the gps get a lock faster.

http://www.navigadget.com/index.php/2010/01/28/ipad-does-gps is where I get this.

 

[off-roader]

Wrong! my iphone does that! Native apple apps have no problem multitasking. ipod can run with anything.

Well try this then... run a decent hi resolution topo software package (using hi resolution topographic data) and a street navigation package simultaneously... what's that? wont work will it...:sombrero:

Just messing with you but it's true. That can't be done with the current OS they've implemented on either the Touch, IPhone, or IPad.

 

[efuentes]

That can't be done with the current OS they've implemented on either the Touch, IPhone, or IPad.

The OS can multitask without a problem, the limitation its there so background processes or programs can't run amok like in Windows Mobile, that way you get a responsive machine with decent battery life.

 

[haven]

The iPad announcement will encourage other companies to offer tablet computers in the next few months. So if you're inclined to hate all things Apple, or if you find the iPad has limitations for use as a car computer (for example, the iPad's conventional LCD screen washes out in bright sunlight), then soon you will be able to purchase a tablet from a competitor company that addresses the issue.

A few examples of new slate computers are listed below. Some run Windows, some a version of Linux, and some a version of Android. Some have large screens, and some have small ones. Some offer daylight-legible screens, others conventional LCDs. And so on.

Viliv S10 Blade
http://gizmodo.com/5366440/vilivs-s...boasts-10-hours-of-battery-life-and-windows-7
super thin convertible
Atom Z530 (1.6 GHz) or Z550 (3.0 GHz)
10.1" screen 1366 x 768
32 GB SSD
7 to 8 hours battery life
2.67 lbs

Archos 9 slate computer
http://www.archos.com/products/nb/archos_9/index.html?country=dj&lang=en
$500
Atom Z510 1.1 GHz
GMA 500 graphics
9 inch, 1024 x 600 touchscreen display
1 GB RAM, 60 GB hard drive
optical mouse button
10.1 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches, 1.75 lbs
Windows 7

Fujitsu UH900
http://www.notebooks.com/2010/01/07/ces-hands-on-fujitsu-lifebook-uh900-mini-notebook/
5.6 inch 1280x800 touchscreen
Atom Z530
Windows 7 Starter
2 GB RAM, 64 GB SSD
1.2 lbs
GPS receiver and Garmin software included
$850

Notion Ink tablet
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/08/notion-ink-adam-stripped-bare-and-our-in-depth-video-hands-on/
Tegra T20
10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 Pixel Qi display
Android OS
9.8″ x 6.3″ x 0.6″ and weighs 1.7 pounds

 

[off-roader]

The OS can multitask without a problem, the limitation its there so background processes or programs can't run amok like in Windows Mobile, that way you get a responsive machine with decent battery life.

Every publication I've read about it (I initially wanted one) says it can't multitask or did they all misinterpret that?

Now don't get me wrong. At it's basic price point it seemed very attractive but it's missing what I consider some very basic functionality (USB connectivity, SD card slots, built in camera or even a webcam, etc.)

I do hope they get some success with this but if it can't multitask & doesn't have these features then I'm not sure I'd want it. Until I learn some more I'll stick to my $250 Acer One which is working just fine.

 

[Ryanmb21]

Well try this then... run a decent hi resolution topo software package (using hi resolution topographic data) and a street navigation package simultaneously... what's that? wont work will it...:sombrero:

Just messing with you but it's true. That can't be done with the current OS they've implemented on either the Touch, IPhone, or IPad.

No offense taken, but clearly you don't have a good understanding of how Iphone OS works if you didn't know you can run music and apps at the same time. As Owen Wilson describes, you can also be on the phone and do just about anything too.

Well, I'm not sure if there will be a way to run hi res topo and city nav at the same time. Actually nobody can be sure of that now....as it hasn't even been released yet. How are you so sure that the noted map app doesn't already do that? That being said, I've never had a need to see both at the same time.

The whole 'multi-tasking' things seems totally overblown (with respect to a car computer at least), basically, you are in 1 app, and move to the next in 1 second, then move back in another 1 second. Is that not good enough multitasking? I mean, do you really need to see both programs on the screen at once?

I've been using my iphone as a lifeline in business, and I'm constantly multitasking. So yes their OS lets you do it and do it well. Apps start immediately and you move back and forth from one browser window to the next.

 

[alosix]

Notion Ink tablet
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/08/n...ideo-hands-on/
Tegra T20
10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 Pixel Qi display
Android OS
9.8″ x 6.3″ x 0.6″ and weighs 1.7 pounds

That thing would be PERFECT for this sort of use...

 

[Mr. Leary]

If they made a radar detector app, I would buy one!

 

[obscurotron]

Actually, yeah it will (most likely) if it behaves at all like the iPhone in that regard.

I'm listening to my music on my iPhone right now and pulling stock quotes....ok done with that, now I'm checking moon/tide phases...ok starting up Safari and loading wikipedia....ok now I'm mapping something with the built-in Google Maps app....and generating a set of directions.

Yep, you're right. Won't work.

Another problem with it is it doesn't multitask. So if you're thinking it will play your mp3's while navigating, you're be sorely disappointed.

 

[Rando]

The iPhone won't multitask except with the native apps it came with (or if it is jailbroken). This generally isn't an issue, but sometimes it is. With my map apps, I have to close them to switch between them, or between them and another app. When I go back to the map app it has to reaquire the GPS position every time which is a bit annoying. If you use streaming audio (ie Pandora or the NPR app) you will have to kill the tunes to look at the map or GPS, which is also kind of sucky.

It is not a huge issue, but is a symptom of a larger problem, Apples access style. The iPhone/iPad is perfectly capable of multitasking, just as it is perfectly capable of having a full bluetooth stack and access to the dock connector, it is just that Apple chooses not to let you do this. One of the reasons that I am skeptical about the iPad as a car/overland computer is that I have no confidence that Apple will allow to use any of the peripherals that would be useful for this such as an external GPS, USB/bluetooth OBDII reader, SD storage etc. It is nice hardware, I just hope Apple actually lets us use it!

Actually, yeah it will (most likely) if it behaves at all like the iPhone in that regard.

I'm listening to my music on my iPhone right now and pulling stock quotes....ok done with that, now I'm checking moon/tide phases...ok starting up Safari and loading wikipedia....ok now I'm mapping something with the built-in Google Maps app....and generating a set of directions.

Yep, you're right. Won't work.

 

[off-roader]

Actually, yeah it will (most likely) if it behaves at all like the iPhone in that regard.

I'm listening to my music on my iPhone right now and pulling stock quotes....ok done with that, now I'm checking moon/tide phases...ok starting up Safari and loading wikipedia....ok now I'm mapping something with the built-in Google Maps app....and generating a set of directions.

Yep, you're right. Won't work.

http://gizmodo.com/5458382/8-things-that-suck-about-the-ipad

No Multitasking
This is a backbreaker. If this is supposed to be a replacement for netbooks, how can it possibly not have multitasking? Are you saying I can't listen to Pandora while writing a document? I can't have my Twitter app open at the same time as my browser? I can't have AIM open at the same time as my email? Are you kidding me? This alone guarantees that I will not buy this product.

Now that article aside you'd probably be right if it used the same OS as your iPhone. It doesn't appear to. It uses OS3.2 which supposedly is only for the iPad and not the iPhone or iTouch.

http://www.businessinsider.com/ipad...ay-file-sharing-system-no-multitasking-2010-1

Apple has unleashed iPhone OS 3.2 SDK to developers today to prepare for the launch of the Apple iPad. The new iPhone OS 3.2 only runs on the iPad device and will not run on the iPhone or iPod Touch. The accompanying documents are said to have revealed a number of interesting features about the iPad and the latest version of the iPad operating system.

- External Display Support. iPad applications will be able to display content specifically targeted to an external display connected to the iPad via the Dock connector. This sort of external monitor support has never been allowed with the iPhone SDK.
- File Sharing. A shared file directory is provided that will mount on your Mac or PC. This is presumably how files such as iWork documents will be transferred to and from the iPad. iPad applications will be able to access this shared directory.
- No Multitasking. Only one application runs at a time according to official documentation.
- Universal Apps. There will be support for universal apps that support both iPhone and iPad.

Of course, a lot of questions remain, and we'll certainly hear more as we approach the iPad's ship date.

Now the press may be wrong but there are plenty more articles noting the lack of multi-tasking.

 

[dzzz]

http://gizmodo.com/5458382/8-things-that-suck-about-the-ipad


http://www.businessinsider.com/ipad...ay-file-sharing-system-no-multitasking-2010-1

Pretty ignorant articles. Apples made good choices in allocating resources of these devices. The iphone obviously multitasks. They so far won't let third party developers design applications that run in the background. That's probably a good thing.

Apple is almost universally considered the best software interface designers. Perhaps they know what they're doing.

There will be somewhat similar tablets that run win 7 and regular Linux.

 

[Mr. Leary]

So if the iPhone already does everything, why does Apple think the iPad will be a success? I haven't been keeping up on the buzz, so please forgive my ignorance.

 

[off-roader]

So if the iPhone already does everything, why does Apple think the iPad will be a success? I haven't been keeping up on the buzz, so please forgive my ignorance.

From the marketing I'm hearing they think there's room for a device that fits somewhere between an Ipod Touch/Phone and a Netbook.

Not sure if this is the case but IMHO, in this situation their first try hasn't exactly hit the mark. I don't mind waiting on their 2nd iteration although I would have liked an iPad that does what I'm looking for.

 

[shortbusadventure]

I sat next to an Apple designer yesterday on a 5 hour flight. The iPad was appealing the day before (public release) after talking to him, I'm really interested. The specific apps being created for it, makes needing a laptop for many, not necessary. The battery life is REALLY good. He said that you can use it heavily for 10hours straight. The fluidity of the touch screen blows the iPhone away. Much faster and more intuitive.