Using an iPad mini for soaring stuff

CJ wrote, On 12/26/2013 8:21 PM:
It seems as though the original poster is complaining that the iPad doesn't
do what it was never designed to do, never advertised that it could do and
thus shouldn't be expected to do. Should a Ventus 2 be criticised for not
being able to carry a passenger?

Apple has made decisions regarding what can and can't be done on iPhones &
iPads for many reasons including security and usability. These decisions
mean that some really neat features (such as unrestricted file management
so you can download and export avionics updates) are not available. They
are on competing devices but those devices won't have some aviation
specific apps that may be important to you. You need to prioritise your
requirements and decide accordingly. The fact that ForeFlight, Logten Pro,
OzRunways et al refuse to make their apps available to other devices is
telling. They like what Apple does and how they do it and as they receive
no financial reward from being sole-platform (quite the opposite in fact),
their decision is based on the user experience available to iOS users.

Choose iOS/iPad, Android/Samsung Galaxy, WindowsRT/Microsoft Surface etc as
best suits you. Just don't buy a Cobra trailer and complain it doesn't tow
your boat.

I didn't complain, I described the situation. I like Apple, I like the
iPad, I wanted to use the iPad, and I hoped it would be all I needed to
support my travel and soaring in the Phoenix. Unfortunately, my
understanding of the iPad world wasn't nearly enough to make an optimum
decision (understatement).

With the excellent reputation and cultish admiration Apple has, imagine
the surprise and dismay of someone from the Windows world when he
discovers a simple action he can do with an old XP laptop in a few
minutes - upload a file from an SD card to the OLC - may not even be
possible with the newest, most elegant tablet computer made! Actually,
one exclamation point isn't enough.

I simply had no idea such a basic operation - file interchange - could
be so limited on such a device. I'm still blown away by that. And no way
to add memory either, a totally foreign idea to Windows user. I knew
Apple was different, but I thought it was at least from the same planet.

Anyway, on to my quest for a solution. So far, no luck, but there are
some possibilities, like the Airstash SC/USB/wifi device, and something
similar by Sandisk (The SanDisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive). Someone
suggested jailbreaking, but I'd like to keep the iPad stock and do it
with apps and hardware. In the meantime, I'm keeping the XP laptop close
by until this sorts out. I'm hoping a couple months from now, with the
Phoenix retrieved and more understanding iPads, Androids, and of what I
want a tablet to do, the way will be clear.

I just didn't think was going to be a pioneer (you know, those guys with
all the arrows in their backs).

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)