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New iPad?

scsmith

scsmith

Well Known Member
They are talking about a new screen, sounds like primarily resolution change.
Any opinion on whether it will be more readable in sunlight?

One of Apple's claims is "44% greater saturation" which I assume may translate to brightness?

Would love to use an iPad for an EFB if I could read it in the cockpit.
 
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Definitely

This was one of the major goals for the new iPad. They had no clue it would be so widely used in aviation. Lots of other reasons for the better screen but all of the techy sites say it is much better.

Got one on order!!!!
 
By the time my plane is done i'll just have 3 ipads mounted to my panel.

man, that would be one awesome, affordable panel.
 
The Retina screen did not help the sunlight readability of the IPhone so why would it do magic for the IPad.

I will believe it when I see it.

I would love for it to be true but not holding my breath.
 
thats what I was afraid of....

Brantel said:
The Retina screen did not help the sunlight readability of the IPhone so why would it do magic for the IPad.

I will believe it when I see it.

I would love for it to be true but not holding my breath.
Click to expand...

Thanks Brian, My wife has an iPhone4 and it seems a little better, but nothing really useful in full sun yet. So, that's what I was afraid of.

Still using paper charts and holding out for something I can use in the -8.
 
It is better!!

I have the iPhone 4S. The "S" is the one that has the better screen. One of my co-workers has a 4 and side by side with mine they are very different.

A neighbor has an iPad 2 in his 7 mounted on the panel and it is very easy to see even in the brightest sun. The new iPad should improve on that. It won't be worse.

I'm not buying mine for primary use in the plane but will probably get ForeFlight and WingX Pro for it.
 
I use a Ipad 2 in a RV6. It is mounted on a ram mount on the panel. Its great on a cloudy day. Almost worthless on a sunny day unless its morning or late afternoon with low sun angles. I can't see it at all with sunglasses on. I have a anti glare screen and have made sure the brightness is full up on all settings. My wife has the Iphone 4s with the new screen. It is not really direct sunlight readable either. I am using my wife's Ipad in the cockpit and had planned on getting a 3 if the screen is better in sunlight. At this point I am not sure a comparison to the Iphone 4s is valid because the retina screen is about pixels. Brightness could be quite different between the screens depending on what apple has done. They have however in general kept the potential brightness down on the Ipad for a longer battery life. I hope that has changed but will wait until some of the 3's have made it into cockpits to get actually reports before I purchase one.

George
 
Darwin,

Hate to disagree with you man but I have had an IPhone 3, 4 and 4S.

The 4 and the 4S have the new Retina screen. It is sharper from all the extra pixels but this screen did not improve the sunlight readability hardly at all if any.

The iPad 1 & 2 screens stink in an RV bubble canopy aircraft. They are almost unreadable in the Sun. Not sure how anyone could say that a mounted iPad is very very readable in the brightest sun, mine sure is not.

I want a good sunlight readable iPad 3 just like many more of us but it is going to have to be way way better than the iPad 1/2 in order to make the cut for me. I will need to see one for myself before I will believe the screen is better in the sun.
 
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iPad in the RV

Wow! And I always thought that the Texas sun was bright.
I've been using an iPad 1 for 15 months now and there's hardly a time that I can't read WingX charts or SkyChartsPro with or without my Koger shade in use.
True, it's not as bright as a $4,000 Garmin but "can't see it at all?". My eyes are almost 65 years old and I just don't "see" the problem.
If the New iPad has 4 times the resolution as the iPad 2 like Apple claims, I may just be convinced to let my wife have my iPad 1.
This photo was taken on a VERY bright Texas day, my wife was wearing a light colored jacket that caused some reflection. It was also using a cheap Walmart
screen protector. After switching to a ZAGG anti-glare shield the readability really improved. You get what you pay for is the bottom line!
IPadGPS.jpg
[/IMG]
 
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I was about to question if anyone used a Koger shade, I have one to install in mine. Does the Koger make much difference in readability? I used to have a problem with the Garmin 296 in my Ercoupe, making a small visor solved the problem.
 
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When I jumped from the iPhone 3 to the iPhone 4 (with the retina display) it looked a little better to my eyes. But after getting used to the iPhone4, looking at an older non-retina display looks terrible and blurry. Once you go retina, you can never go back.

I think it's going to be the same with the iPad.

I ordered the "New iPad" and the wife is going to be getting my iPad2!

Also, I went with Verizon for a carrier as I already have ATT on my iPhone, and I'm trying to avoid the carrier as a single point of failure! Hoping the 4G LTE is as fast as they all say...
 
mrreddick said:
Wow! And I always thought that the Texas sun was bright.
I've been using an iPad 1 for 15 months now and there's hardly a time that I can't read WingX charts or SkyChartsPro with or without my Koger shade in use.
True, it's not as bright as a $4,000 Garmin but "can't see it at all?". My eyes are almost 65 years old and I just don't "see" the problem.
If the New iPad has 4 times the resolution as the iPad 2 like Apple claims, I may just be convinced to let my wife have my iPad 1.
Click to expand...


I think some of the difference in performance in sunlight by the Ipad is what people are looking at. Black and White approach plates are easier to see. They have a lot more contrast. Other functions especially the sectional charts are simply unusable in direct sunlight.

George
 
mrreddick said:
Wow! And I always thought that the Texas sun was bright.
I've been using an iPad 1 for 15 months now and there's hardly a time that I can't read WingX charts or SkyChartsPro with or without my Koger shade in use.
True, it's not as bright as a $4,000 Garmin but "can't see it at all?". My eyes are almost 65 years old and I just don't "see" the problem.
If the New iPad has 4 times the resolution as the iPad 2 like Apple claims, I may just be convinced to let my wife have my iPad 1.
Click to expand...

Do you have it mounted or do you hand hold it?

With my 41 year old eyes, a mounted Ipad in a bubble canopy RV flown in the sun is almost unreadable except for a few angles that are just right.

When you hand hold the Ipad, you can tilt/twist/align the Ipad so that it is in just the right configuration to allow it to be used. This is how I use mine. It is the only way I can make the Ipad usable in my airplane. Even in this mode of use, it is not very good. I would say marginal at best.

I fell for the reports a few made on how great the Ipad was in the RV cockpit. I should have listened to the ones that were not so impressed.
I do not want others to read these threads and go out and spend a boat load on an Ipad just to be disappointed with its readability in the RV cockpit.

If the Ipad 3 ends up being much better, I will be in line to buy one. I love the Ipad and how it works with the exception of the poor sunlight readability of it.

Below is typical of how my experience is with the Ipad in the bubble canopy RV cockpit in the sun. I have tried all sorts of tricks to make it better. 10-15 different screen protectors, Koger sunshades, brightness settings etc. The only thing that makes it even close to useable is to handhold it so you can angle it to the premium spot.

ipad+in+sunlight.jpg


KindleVsIpadOutdoors.jpg


Galaxy-tab-10-1-13.jpg
 
Yes this is a major factor as well. Thanks George for pointing this out.

sailvi767 said:
I think some of the difference in performance in sunlight by the Ipad is what people are looking at. Black and White approach plates are easier to see. They have a lot more contrast. Other functions especially the sectional charts are simply unusable in direct sunlight.

George
Click to expand...
 
iPad in the RV

All, I just updated my post since the last 6 or 7 posting were made. Go back and look. That photo is the worse case scenario of my experience with the iPad in flight. It was taken on a bright, and sunny day with no Koger shade, wife wearing a light colored coat causing some reflections. Oh, I did not spend a "BOAT LOAD" of cash for my iPad. To me, a 696 costs a boat load!
I fish often! When I go out and catch a lunker, I take photos. I don't just call a buddy or go to work and brag about how big it was. Same with the iPad, I have several photos from other trips that are much better than the one I posted. The display is much improved in all light since I had the Zagg anti-glare shield installed at Best Buy. Let me add, you can't point it up so it reflects the sky above you and expect to read it.
 
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I have the Iphone 4 with the retina display. It is head over heels better than my sisters Iphone 3. I use it in the RV4 and, as others have said, at the right angle it works great, at the wrong angle it is unusable. I tried a glare filter on it once for about a week, but it ruins the brilliance of the retina display so I took it back off. My sister also bought an Ipad2 and after seeing the display compared to my retina Iphone4 I gritted my teeth waiting for the "new Ipad" hoping it would step up. I want to be able to have the larger screen to do video clips on, but there are obviously thousands of other uses as well, one being flight. I ordered the 4g version simply because $130 gets you the GPS that is missing in the wifi only version and the external gps seems like an extra burden for plane or car that is not necessary. I doubt we will have 4g here in Mayberry before this generation is obsolete, but may increase the resale value?? If anyone knows more about using the GPS without having an active 4g plan I would be happy to hear it. If not I will give a pirep on Friday the 16th!!

-
 
On the IPad 1 & 2, the internal GPS works even if you do not have an active 3G plan.

Yes, the retina display is way better for resolution. But for the iPhone it did not do much if anything for sunlight readability.
 
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ipad magnetic smart cover

Can people who have the Ipad magnetic smart cover comment on if the cover causes any problems with their magnetic compass when used with the Ipad in the cockpit? When I get my new Ipad 4g I'd like to know if Apple's Ipad magnetic smart cover causes any problems in our RV cockpits... :)

Thanx.

Victor
 
I love flying with my iPad 2 and may get an iPad 3 and pass down the 2 to my wife. That said, in a bubble canopy I just can't use it as readily as my Garmin 796. On my last trip I used both but for different purposes. I would use the 796 in the air for moving map, and weather. I used the iPad for up to date charts and then on the ground at stops to look at routing options and to check email :). In my opinion it comes down to using the tool best for the purpose.

Carl
 
vasrv7a said:
Can people who have the Ipad magnetic smart cover comment on if the cover causes any problems with their magnetic compass when used with the Ipad in the cockpit? When I get my new Ipad 4g I'd like to know if Apple's Ipad magnetic smart cover causes any problems in our RV cockpits... :)

Thanx.

Victor
Click to expand...

Cant comment on the cockpit compass...

When I watched the ipad2 launch video, I thought the magnetic cover was awesome and amazing. Couldn't wait to have that combination. I returned the cover in about 7 days. Love the Ipad, the cover just really didnt live up to my expectations.

Just my single opinion; Apple fan club is sharpening their spears :(

Regards,

Scott
 
ipad

I have not purchased any avionics/flight instr. yet for my day/night vfr -8 yet. I pretty much stay confused about it. I am waiting, just not sure for what....probably more money. If I could read an Ipad in my 8 I don't see why I could not just have that for nav, flight planning, weather. Then I would only have to worry about engine monitoring and basic six pack, but then the ipad can do the six pack thing to I guess. Still musing, still wondering what would be the most economical. I really like all the new glass, great companies, but expensive for me.

bird
 
Sunlight readability

Being able to read the display in sunlight has more to do with screen brightness (nits) than the resolution. iPad 1 and 2 are 300nits. The iPad 3 is rumored to have 550nits. Not sure this will happen but this would make the iPad 3 more sunlight readable, but not as good as an EFIS which are around 1000nits.

There are some new technologies coming that will improve sunlight readability and they don't rely on the screen brightness.

Also if the display is optically bonded to the front glass, it becomes much more clear and does not have the double reflections (looks like haze) that an air bonded screen would have.

But all these things are bad for the average consumer because they are very expensive and/or battery hogs.

A iPad that had an optically bonded display with over 1000nits would be about half the price of an EFIS. The problem is that the sales volume would be low and drive the price up to the same as an EFIS.
 
nits?

This is the kind of quantitative information I've been hoping for. I never heard of nits, except for lice egg sacks that chimps pick out of each other's hair:rolleyes: But if it is true, an increase from 300 to 550 is fairly significant, might make a difference. How do we find out if the 'new iPad' has this or not?????

Mike D said:
Being able to read the display in sunlight has more to do with screen brightness (nits) than the resolution. iPad 1 and 2 are 300nits. The iPad 3 is rumored to have 550nits. Not sure this will happen but this would make the iPad 3 more sunlight readable, but not as good as an EFIS which are around 1000nits.

There are some new technologies coming that will improve sunlight readability and they don't rely on the screen brightness.

Also if the display is optically bonded to the front glass, it becomes much more clear and does not have the double reflections (looks like haze) that an air bonded screen would have.

But all these things are bad for the average consumer because they are very expensive and/or battery hogs.

A iPad that had an optically bonded display with over 1000nits would be about half the price of an EFIS. The problem is that the sales volume would be low and drive the price up to the same as an EFIS.
Click to expand...
 
I wouldn't jump so fast on the new iPad. I'm more concerned about the battery life than screen glare. AT&T and Verizon are having serious issues regarding battery usage on their 4g LTE radios. On top of that, you have a new HD screen which I have to assume consumes either the same or more power than the previous. If apple hasn't drastically increased battery power, don't expect your battery to last anywhere close to the older iPads if you have 4g turned on.
 
plug it in?

I can plug it in to the aircraft power, right?


kbehrent said:
I wouldn't jump so fast on the new iPad. I'm more concerned about the battery life than screen glare. AT&T and Verizon are having serious issues regarding battery usage on their 4g LTE radios. On top of that, you have a new HD screen which I have to assume consumes either the same or more power than the previous. If apple hasn't drastically increased battery power, don't expect your battery to last anywhere close to the older iPads if you have 4g turned on.
Click to expand...
 
kbehrent said:
I wouldn't jump so fast on the new iPad. I'm more concerned about the battery life than screen glare. AT&T and Verizon are having serious issues regarding battery usage on their 4g LTE radios. On top of that, you have a new HD screen which I have to assume consumes either the same or more power than the previous. If apple hasn't drastically increased battery power, don't expect your battery to last anywhere close to the older iPads if you have 4g turned on.
Click to expand...

4G is not a battery issue. It's a software signal handling issue.

3G last longer because the 3G system is "built out". In the US most areas have 3G. When you have your 3G only device in a 3G signal area... its locked into its highest possible signal and not searching.

4G is still sparsely available. Normal operation currently is a 4G device operating within a 3G area. While its doing all the functions and data load in the 3G, in the back ground it is constantly searching for a higher signal (4G). That searching drains and destroys the available battery.

Change this to a 3G device sitting in the mountains on the old 28K system... that 3G device will be constantly searching for the highest signal capable (3G) and the battery life will mimic the 4G device.

Give it a week and the software gurus will have an "app for that". Locking out the 4G signal search. Only when you know your in a 4G signal do you, the operator select the 4G capability.


To all: anyone have the NITS count on the ipad 2?
 
Rhino889 said:
Give it a week and the software gurus will have an "app for that". Locking out the 4G signal search. Only when you know your in a 4G signal do you, the operator select the 4G capability.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about the iPad2, but the iPhone allows you to turn off 3G for precisely the reasons you stated above. I would not doubt that the new iPad will ship with the ability to disable 4G/LTE. And unfortunately if Apple doesn't do it it won't happen -- the Apps on iOS devices are all sandboxed and do not have API access to the hardware, including the ability to turn radios on and off.
 
iPad getting TSO'd

United Airlines is working with Jeppesen and Apple to get the iPad TSO'd for aviation use. The company's bought 14000 iPad 2's to equip every cockpit we have. I believe the goal is to get rid of all paper on the flight deck.

I'd guess that a part of the TSO testing would be to evaluate the display quality in bright light. United is now using the iPad in a test fleet of A320's, only above 10k feet. So far, I understand its going well. I think this level of testing and success confirms the display brightness/contrast is adequate.
 
New iPad

Jamie said:
I'm not sure about the iPad2, but the iPhone allows you to turn off 3G for precisely the reasons you stated above. I would not doubt that the new iPad will ship with the ability to disable 4G/LTE. And unfortunately if Apple doesn't do it it won't happen -- the Apps on iOS devices are all sandboxed and do not have API access to the hardware, including the ability to turn radios on and off.
Click to expand...

Jamie, two things: My iPad 1 has a box in Settings that you disable or enable the cellular (3G) signal. I would assume that the New iPad would be the same. The other question was about battery consumption with the new display resolution and 4G, Apple claims 9 to 10 hours.
I have power to mine when in flight so it's not an issue.
 
Bill Wightman said:
United Airlines is working with Jeppesen and Apple to get the iPad TSO'd for aviation use. The company's bought 14000 iPad 2's to equip every cockpit we have. I believe the goal is to get rid of all paper on the flight deck.

I'd guess that a part of the TSO testing would be to evaluate the display quality in bright light. United is now using the iPad in a test fleet of A320's, only above 10k feet. So far, I understand its going well. I think this level of testing and success confirms the display brightness/contrast is adequate.
Click to expand...

Its adequate in a airline type cockpit where it is shaded most of the time. In a bubble canopy aircraft mounted on the panel in a fixed position like mine its not adequate. The one picture posted showed better brightness then I see however it appears that from the washout in the background of the photo that the sun is behind the Ipad and the Ipad is shaded. In this situation the Ipad is usable in my aircraft. Its really great on a overcast day. In direct sunlight in the middle of the day with the sun high its almost useless.

George
 
Rhino889 said:
4G is not a battery issue. It's a software signal handling issue.

3G last longer because the 3G system is "built out". In the US most areas have 3G. When you have your 3G only device in a 3G signal area... its locked into its highest possible signal and not searching.

4G is still sparsely available. Normal operation currently is a 4G device operating within a 3G area. While its doing all the functions and data load in the 3G, in the back ground it is constantly searching for a higher signal (4G). That searching drains and destroys the available battery.

Change this to a 3G device sitting in the mountains on the old 28K system... that 3G device will be constantly searching for the highest signal capable (3G) and the battery life will mimic the 4G device.

Give it a week and the software gurus will have an "app for that". Locking out the 4G signal search. Only when you know your in a 4G signal do you, the operator select the 4G capability.


To all: anyone have the NITS count on the ipad 2?
Click to expand...

Sprint uses a different 4G signal I know then ATT or Verizon. On a sprint phone that is not the case. I often use my phone in strong 4G areas as a modem in hotel rooms. The 4G signal is solid. If I don't have the phone plugged in my battery life drops from a normal 12 hours to less then a hour with the 4G locked on. Apple is advertising the new Ipad to get 10 hours in 3G and 9 hours in 4G. I hope they are right. A friend with a android 4G phone on Verizon reports the same thing that I do on battery life.

George
 
iPad in RV

sailvi767 said:
Its adequate in a airline type cockpit where it is shaded most of the time. In a bubble canopy aircraft mounted on the panel in a fixed position like mine its not adequate. The one picture posted showed better brightness then I see however it appears that from the washout in the background of the photo that the sun is behind the Ipad and the Ipad is shaded. In this situation the Ipad is usable in my aircraft. Its really great on a overcast day. In direct sunlight in the middle of the day with the sun high its almost useless.

George
Click to expand...

George,
The washout in my photo is caused by my wife's light colored jacket, she wears dark blue now! We were east bound and the sun was slightly behind us and it was a hazy day. My Koger shade was up but almost useless as the sun was lower than what the shade covers.
 
Bill Wightman said:
So far, I understand its going well. I think this level of testing and success confirms the display brightness/contrast is adequate.
Click to expand...

Yes it is for sitting in a cockpit with a roof over your head. RV 10's should be fine.

Where it is not is in bubble canopy airplanes.

There is no way to compare the two different cockpit environments.
 
Mel does it again!

Brantel said:
Yes it is for sitting in a cockpit with a roof over your head. RV 10's should be fine.

Where it is not is in bubble canopy airplanes....
Click to expand...

...except those like Mel's. He painted the top of his RV-6 canopy. I've got a photo somewhere, but I don't have it on the computer I'm on right now.
 
I don't have inside knowledge of how the iPad TSO is being developed, but I cannot fathom how the FAA would approve the appliance's use with restrictions on lighting conditions. Big jet cockpits are routinely flooded with intense and direct sunlight. Think: high altitude and low sun angles.
 
Rhino889 said:
To all: anyone have the NITS count on the ipad 2?
Click to expand...

answering my own questions for others...

iPad 2 show a screen brightness of just 350 NITS

If the ipad 3 is 550 NITS (candles per square inch) {you learn some really cool stuff on this site} this could make a larger difference. It also gives me an excuse to get a 3 ;)
 
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kbehrent said:
If apple hasn't drastically increased battery power, don't expect your battery to last anywhere close to the older iPads if you have 4g turned on.
Click to expand...

Looks like they went from a 25-watt battery to a 42.5-watt. That should keep the battery life pretty good.
 
I would not count on a software TSOA for determining whether I should invest in hardware that I can't use in direct sunlight. I say 'software' because they will not likely be getting any hardware-specific approval that is not related to the fact that the approved software is only usable on the iPad. Besides, what's good for two pilots in an A320 is not necessarily good for a single pilot in an RV.

I have a first-generation iPad and have found that it is simply the wrong tool for the job in my cockpit. I will reserve judgment on the new iPad, but having seen no improvement to sunlight readability in the iPad2, I am not voluntarily suspending any respiratory function in anticipation.

I do like flight planning and checking weather and fuel prices on the iPad, but I just leave it in the flight bag when I'm flying. I would rather have paper charts. However, if they come out with a smaller iPad, I might change my mind because I think it is the combination of its size, weight, and sunlight readability that are primarily responsible for my low opinion.
 
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Rhino889 said:
To all: anyone have the NITS count on the ipad 2?
Click to expand...

From AnandTech:


Display Quality Comparison
  White Level Black Level Contrast Ratio
Apple iPad 2 #1 (AT&T 3G) 406 nits 0.42 nits 966:1
Apple iPad 2 #2 (VZW 3G) 409 nits 0.49 nits 842:1
Apple iPad 2 #3 (WiFi) 352 nits 0.45 nits 778:1
Apple iPad 2 #4 (WiFi) 354 nits 0.41 nits 859:1


Interesting that they found that the 3G versions had more brightness. Even if you don't subscribe to cellular data service, the GPS and higher brightness may justify the $130 extra.
 
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Two different aviation uses of iPads

We had a presentation of both ForeFlight and WingX Pro 7 on iPads at our last EAA meeting by two local pilots and surprisingly one of the pilots said he only used his iPad 2 for Flight planning, checking the weather, etc.

He has years of experience as a Radio Station engineer and he said he just doesn't trust electrons. :eek: He'd rather trust "steam gauges" in his cockpit. It was quite surprising because he was obviously very adept at making the iPad 2 do everything he wanted it to do. (He sells computers and electronic parts for a living.)

The other pilot took the opposite view. He happened to be a Beta tester for WingX Pro 7 and also was quite adept with his iPad. There was no argument between the two, but the second pilot admitted that he had a Chelton EFIS, a panel IFR certified GPS and a Garmin 496 in his airplane. And when his wife is with him, she has a Garmin 396, too!

Neither of the pilots flew airplanes with bubble canopies, so the glare problem was never discussed.
 
iPad is not an EFIS

Just offering my 2-cents here but I would not use the iPad as a flight instrument. I am speaking for them, but I am sure Apple would say the same (it does have a 10K foot limit). But it does make an excellent planning tool. So for me, I am not concerned with its sunlight readability because I will never use it that way.

That being said, I can?t say what the screen brightness will be, but from those who should know, I have heard everything from 300 to 600 nits.

I am not anti-electron. After all I have chosen to run only glass (no steam) in my -6A. But those instruments have been designed for that purpose and have been tested for that purpose

The ipad 3?s additional battery is most likely due to the extra power consumed by the display and 4G. It is 0.9mm thicker than the iPad 2 and Apple would only allow this for a really good reason.
 
Mike D said:
Just offering my 2-cents here but I would not use the iPad as a flight instrument.
Click to expand...
If I read you correctly I agree :) That is, I wouldn't depend on the iPad for a primary flight-important instrument with no backup.

That said--and I'm still building mind you--my intention is to use a single Dynon Skyview for the main flight/engine display with an iPad as navigation. But the Skyview also has nav so that can be secondary or primary. We'll see how that works out.
 
Mike D said:
Just offering my 2-cents here but I would not use the iPad as a flight instrument. I am speaking for them, but I am sure Apple would say the same (it does have a 10K foot limit).
Click to expand...

What do you mean by a 10,000' limit? Even having it on?

I rarely fly below 10,000' when going cross-country.
 
The environmental specs of the iPad limit the altitude. As do most CE products.

Operating temperature: 32? to 95? F (0? to 35? C)
Nonoperating temperature: -4? to 113? F (-20? to 45? C)
Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)
Click to expand...

I am not an electrical engineer, but the ones I work with say thin air has some affect on the tolerances that are possible. To make a tight PCB like the iPad, those limits are pushed.

Also, note the noncondencing limitation. Ever have the canope fog up on the way down from altitude. Yeah, me neither, but a F-16 had it happen :eek:

Buggsy2, I would not use it as a primary back up either. But I do keep it near on long x-countries.:)
 
17,500

I think there is an Apple published specification about using the GPS above 10,000 feet, and once heard that the limit was a certification issue. I'd like to know more.

I can say that my ipad1 always holds signal and performs normally up to 17,500 MSL. (I've flown paperless for since March 2009, many trips at 15 to 17.5 for winds. The ipad is not primary GPS, but it is the only "sectional chart/WAC" graphic onboard.) Lots of long trips, no signal loss. Never.

For other common concerns:

1. Heat. I did once get an ipad shutdown of about 4 minutes when the ipad overheated sitting on the glareshield. Not a big deal with other gps/nav capability, but it was troubling. The ipad gives no warning of impending heat related shutdown. It just shuts down. Clue: don't put ipad or iphone in direct sun for long.

2. GPS signal lock. Never had signal loss in an RV. Canopy provides a clear shot to satellites. The overhead metal in a C-172 class airplane will interfere and the user will be jockeying the ipad to retain uninterrupted signal. My conclusion: a separate GPS (wired or bluetooth) is needed for metal roof planes or non-3G ipads only. It adds nothing for 3G ipad running in the RV environment. (Caveat: the RV10 might be different.)

Related issue. If you shut the ipad down, it will take longer to "find" location once in the air. That is what the "assisted" GPS deal is: quick orientation upon startup using cell signal to obtain general location. If you start the GPS after takeoff and climb (which I did a time or two), or restart it while in the air after shutting it down and changing location substantially, it will take a while to get back onto satellite lock and a good fix. I don't remember the time, but it seemed long, perhaps 5 to 7 minutes. This is probably not the case if you are close to cell signals, say 3000ft agl or less. But, at 8K AGL or more, cell signal is not available (distance and metal beneath you) and the ipad takes a while to find signal without that cell tower assistance. Conclusion: start your nav program before takeoff.

3. Battery. GPS operation drains the battery faster. Starting with a 90 to 100% battery, I am down to <20% sometimes after 4 to 5 hours enroute. My ipad1 has a shorter battery life than the ipad2, apparently. So, I plug into power in the cockpit. Beats trying to get a charge at an FBO between flight legs.

4. Screen: Usable at all times, but sometimes needs trial and error of a couple angles to get readable in bright sun. Maybe the new screens are or will be better. Does not compete with Garmin, Vertical Power, or Advanced Flight screens -- but that should not surprise us.

Hope this is helpful.
 
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