U.S. Air Force Buys 18,000 Apple iPads to Replace Flight Bags

[bassque]

Interesting read.  I know there have been a few threads on this regarding commercial and private pilots starting to use more technology in the cockpit.  But, it seems that now Air Mobility Command has followed suit. 


http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/295430/20120208/air-force-18000-apple-ipad-bags.htm

[Eclipse]

Ugh.  Never send a toy to do a computer's job...

[HGjunkie]

iPad 2 or equivalent.

Phwew, had me worried there. 

The Transformer Prime (ASUS) would be a very nice alternative.

[SarDragon]

Ugh.  Never send a toy to do a computer's job...

Toy?

What's your choice of similar hardware?

[wuzafuzz]

Speaking of iPads on the flight deck:
http://www.tuaw.com/2012/02/08/australian-pilot-sues-because-he-doesnt-have-an-ipad/

[Eclipse]

Ugh.  Never send a toy to do a computer's job...

Toy?

What's your choice of similar hardware?

The one mentioned above is a good choice.  Even The Woz admits iOS devices are for people afraid of real computers.

[bassque]

Somewhat of a funny story but here at my office, the admin assistants truly believe that our planes will fall out of the sky if Microsoft Exchange is down and the pilots can't get their email in the air.  We have some corporate jets with Wifi in them that the pilots use to check schedules and such.  They scared the assistants in believing that so IT won't do maintenance on the E-Mail server while they are in flight....

[PHall]

The iPads are being used to replace the paper manuals and regulations that currently have to be carried on the aircraft.
They take up way too much space and are a pain to keep current. The iPads can be kept current with much less effort.

There won't be any inflight updates or e-mail. They have other ways to send the crew e-mails and such already. (HF ALE and Imarsat)

[AngelWings]

Somewhat of a funny story but here at my office, the admin assistants truly believe that our planes will fall out of the sky if Microsoft Exchange is down and the pilots can't get their email in the air.  We have some corporate jets with Wifi in them that the pilots use to check schedules and such.  They scared the assistants in believing that so IT won't do maintenance on the E-Mail server while they are in flight....

Classic  :clap:

[Extremepredjudice]

The iPads are being used to replace the paper manuals and regulations that currently have to be carried on the aircraft.
They take up way too much space and are a pain to keep current. The iPads can be kept current with much less effort.

There won't be any inflight updates or e-mail. They have other ways to send the crew e-mails and such already. (HF ALE and Imarsat)

A netbook can't do that better?

[NIN]

The iPads are being used to replace the paper manuals and regulations that currently have to be carried on the aircraft.
They take up way too much space and are a pain to keep current. The iPads can be kept current with much less effort.

There won't be any inflight updates or e-mail. They have other ways to send the crew e-mails and such already. (HF ALE and Imarsat)

A netbook can't do that better?

An iPad is all about the interface.  I love my netbook (Dell Mini 10, dual boots Win7 & Snow Leopard...Pfft, take that Steve Jobs), but the *last* thing I wanna deal with in the cockpit is the windows interface and that keyboard.

Seriously: an iPad's interface is dead simple to operate.  Displaying the Jepp diagram of an airport does not, in theory, require much horsepower. A netbook to do so would be the wrong interface for the task and environment. 

An iPad or the aforementioned Transformer (mmmm, that thing is even nicer than the reviews will have you believe, BTW) fit that bill.

[Thrashed]

The iPads are being used to replace the paper manuals and regulations that currently have to be carried on the aircraft.
They take up way too much space and are a pain to keep current. The iPads can be kept current with much less effort.

There won't be any inflight updates or e-mail. They have other ways to send the crew e-mails and such already. (HF ALE and Imarsat)

A netbook can't do that better?

NO. They don't need a computer, just a book reader. The iPads success in that area is clear. Don't need a keyboard to read. It's small. It's light. It works.

[davidsinn]

The iPads are being used to replace the paper manuals and regulations that currently have to be carried on the aircraft.
They take up way too much space and are a pain to keep current. The iPads can be kept current with much less effort.

There won't be any inflight updates or e-mail. They have other ways to send the crew e-mails and such already. (HF ALE and Imarsat)

A netbook can't do that better?

NO. They don't need a computer, just a book reader. The iPads success in that area is clear. Don't need a keyboard to read. It's small. It's light. It works.

There are better, cheaper alternatives though. Take my Acer A500 for example or the Transformer that was already mentioned.

[Extremepredjudice]

I think an Asus Eee PC T91MT-PU17-BK would work just fine. Touchscreen with a netbook's power.

Besides, they could just modify linux and that'd work. Or get chrome OS.

They don't need tablets. I understand they don't need a keyboard, but if they can get better for cheaper, I'd jump on it.

Sheesh they could probably build a barebones slim PC for 200-250...

If all they need is an e-reader wouldn't a kindle or nook work better?

[davidsinn]

I think an Asus Eee PC T91MT-PU17-BK would work just fine. Touchscreen with a netbook's power.

Besides, they could just modify linux and that'd work. Or get chrome OS.

They don't need tablets. I understand they don't need a keyboard, but if they can get better for cheaper, I'd jump on it.

Sheesh they could probably build a barebones slim PC for 200-250...

If all they need is an e-reader wouldn't a kindle or nook work better?

Charts dude. You need full color and pretty good speed. Adding a GPS chip adds a whole new dimension to what you can. I'm setting my tab up to be used for scanner and observer duties.

[PHall]

Off the shelf is the way to go. You start having to modify stuff and the costs go up very quickly. Especially when you're buying 18,000 of something!

[davidsinn]

Off the shelf is the way to go. You start having to modify stuff and the costs go up very quickly. Especially when you're buying 18,000 of something!

iPad already has GPS. I'm talking about a COTS solution.

[Extremepredjudice]

Off the shelf is the way to go. You start having to modify stuff and the costs go up very quickly. Especially when you're buying 18,000 of something!

No it isn't. Buying off the shelf crappy IOS products isn't a good idea.

Math:
Ipad 2: 500 X 18000=9000000
Asus Eee PC T91MT-PU17-BK: 375 X 18000=6750000

9m - 6.75m = 2.25m

They could afford to build a custom version of linux for 2.25m. Then you have everything you need, a better product AND you save a bit.

You guys said the planes had WIFI, so no extra cost.

[davidsinn]

Off the shelf is the way to go. You start having to modify stuff and the costs go up very quickly. Especially when you're buying 18,000 of something!

No it isn't. Buying off the shelf crappy IOS products isn't a good idea.

Math:
Ipad 2: 500 X 18000=9000000
Asus Eee PC T91MT-PU17-BK: 375 X 18000=6750000

9m - 6.75m = 2.25m

They could afford to build a custom version of linux for 2.25m. Then you have everything you need, a better product AND you save a bit.

You guys said the planes had WIFI, so no extra cost.

I hate Apple products like the devil incarnate but in this case you're wrong because there is already an ecosystem there. Commercial charts are already available for iPad. There are more accessories than you can shake a stick at. The Asus you pointed out has way too many moving parts and things that can go wrong. Also, as much as I hate to admit it 2.25 mil is a rounding error in the DOD budget.

[lordmonar]

Off the shelf is the way to go. You start having to modify stuff and the costs go up very quickly. Especially when you're buying 18,000 of something!

No it isn't. Buying off the shelf crappy IOS products isn't a good idea.

Math:
Ipad 2: 500 X 18000=9000000
Asus Eee PC T91MT-PU17-BK: 375 X 18000=6750000

9m - 6.75m = 2.25m

They could afford to build a custom version of linux for 2.25m. Then you have everything you need, a better product AND you save a bit.

You guys said the planes had WIFI, so no extra cost.

You know the USAF has some very serious gear heads......the bid for this buy went out to all the serious players and IPAD won.

It is not like some SrA was sitting in an office with a credit card and the best buy web page up waiting for the go ahead to buy 180000 computers.

From a maintenance perspective....both comm and aircraft.....it is six of one and half dozen of the other.  They all basically fit the same bill.....the users don't care about OS, apps, what ever.....they needed some thing that was big enough to read, small enough to fit on a knee board, rugged enough to be abused (pilots abuse everything), simple enough to use and easy to update.

The contracting office put out the RFP and IPAD won.
We can argue the benifits of one OS over the other, or one table over the other....but it's too late now.

BTW.....This is about the 900th X vs Y fight I have seen in the last 20+ years.

Wordstar VS Word VS Word Perfect
VHS vs Beta
Commodore Vs PC VS Amiga
PC VS MAC
DOS VS UNIX
Windows VS Linix
Pentium VS AMD
IPhone VS Android

Some times it gets a little old!