1. bigpolla04's Avatar
    Saw this on WorldMate. Mobile Travel App. Itinerary Manager. Flight Status. website in the travelog section , thought ye might like it. Its a bit LONG but a good read, I think anyway. The website has pics but the reading is the important part. Who wants to see a crap, over priced, NON FLASH, overSIZED ipad anyway.


    ENJOY!!!


    Is the iPad Ready For Life As Airline In-Flight Entertainment? … No
    By Flying With Fish on 6/3/2010 | 25 comments

    Since the time the Apple iPad was announced there has been speculation regarding its adaptation into an in-flight entertainment (IFE) device.

    Now, having used the iPad, including as an in-flight entertainment device on multiple flights, over the past two weeks and a half weeks, an announcement by BlueBox Avionics that they will be launching an iPad based in-flight entertainment solution, with Jetstar Airways (a subsidiary of Qantas) leaves me stumped.

    On the surface the Apple iPad seems like an in-flight entertainment solution for airlines. The iPad interface is easy to use, the screen is bright, the device features solid state media storage, wifi is at the core of the device … and best of all the iPad as that “ooo ahhhh” factor.

    Once we shave away the “ooo ahhh” factor, the iPad is in fact a very poor choice for airlines to utilize as an in-flight entertainment device.

    As an individual iPad user I think the device is fantastic, but once I step outside the mindset of a travelling gadget geek I am able to see a long list of flaws that should cause airlines to look past the glitz of the iPad and focus on long term viability and a sustained performance life.

    The iPad’s fatal flaws as an airline in-flight entertain solution are as follows



    1) Battery Life – While the iPad’s battery life is impressive for a single user, clocking at around 9 hours of video watching with the brightness at maximum (Apple states battery is 10hrs, in my experience it runs closer to 9 hours). Nine hours of battery is fine for a single passenger, but from an airline point of view this battery life is not sufficient for a few reasons.

    Airline in-flight entertainment must last the duration of a flight and the return flights in an environment where no power outlets may be available. Once an iPad’s power has been depleted its recharge time requires a few hours to bring it back to 100% battery power. With airlines only making money when planes are flying, not when they are on the ground they certainly won’t spend the time on the ground to recharge their iPads.

    As Jetstar Airways, the first airline to deploy the BlueBox iPad IFE product, only offers in-seat power outlets in 38 of the 303 seats on board its Airbus A330-200 aircraft, it may need to purchase iPads in pairs for longer flights, such as Sydney to Tokyo (a flight that would push the iPad to its battery life limits)

    These issues put the battery limitations at the top of reasons why airlines should not seek out the iPad as an IFE solution.



    2) Lack of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Support – The iPad is not intended for commercial usage, such as an in-flight entertainment device. While the iPad has commercial potential, Apple will not be providing OEM support to third party IFE distributors. The lack of OEM support means that in order for the iPad to be fully customized for an airline’s individual IFE needs, including the simplest tasks such as loading content, the device must be hacked. One a provider hacks the iPad Apple will no longer provide any service for the device. Since the device is not created by the distributor, such as the digEcor and IMS portable IFE devices, costs for service and development skyrocket.



    3) Long Term Viability – As much as I love Apple products, I know the life span of most Apple devices is rather short. A new iPad is likely to appear within a year to 16 months and since Apple will not be directly involved in the development and deployment of the iPad as an IFE device, costs for upgrading will be substantial.

    Looking at Jetstar Airways’ Airbus A330-200 fleet of seven aircraft, the initial users of the Bluebox iPad IFE product, the estimated hardware costs alone are approximately AUS$1,113,348 for 1,893 units. While see costs may be similar to the current costs of the Airvod portable IFE devices currently used by Jetstar, Airvod produces its own devices and offers full OEM support, which substantially increases its cost effectiveness and long term viability.



    4) Content – In-flight entertainment needs content, there is no question about this. One concern which has already been expressed by BlueBox is that sourcing content for the iPad is challenging. As the iPad runs on an Apple proprietary operating system content cannot be loaded as easily as dumping an MP4 file onto the desktop.

    Bluebox plans to stream data wirelessly through a proprietary IFE system. The creation of this IFE data stream means aircraft need to be fitted with Bluebox’s wireless network, which adds costs, increases aircraft weight and potentially adds to aircraft maintenance costs…and the data streams in such away that once again providers face not having any OEM support from Apple…lets not forget that using the wifi for streaming data significantly decreases the battery life of the iPad, which leads to further battery lifespan issues.



    5) Durability – The iPad, while well build, it not incredibly durable. Here is the true test of an airline portable IFE product, can you place the iPad in the hands of a five year old and expect to get it back without having it damaged from falling on the floor or a toy truck driven across it. The iPad high gloss screen is fairly easy to scratch up and cannot survive multiple four-foot drops to the ground. The iPad screen can easily develop hairline cracks if dropped on the corners of the device.

    The repair of an iPad, since there is no OEM support, is costly and for every day an iPad is out of service for repair the airline is losing money on the device.



    6) Design – While the iPad is easy to hold and use, it is not natively designed to stand up on its own which makes the device inherently unsuitable for an airline IFE device. Most users of the iPad do not hold it in their hand; they place the iPad down in a stand. If an airline must provide a durable stand to the iPad it once again increases their costs, while they overlook purpose built mobile IFE solutions that rival the iPad in this realm … if not far exceeding the iPad in this realm.

    I can go on a bit more, but you all get the point.

    While I love the iPad and I think for my personal user use the iPad is great for flights, from an airline point of view, the iPad is extremely costly and has far to many limitations. If I was an airline looking at 10hrs of battery from the iPad vs 20hrs of battery from the digEcor L series, that is quite comparable to the iPad in many aspects … I think the digEcor L series would win because it purpose built, and its strengths are all the iPad’s weaknesses.

    Below is a photo my iPad side by side with the IMS Archos 705. While the screen is much smaller on the IMS Archos 705, its design and construction make it far more suitable for daily multi-user usage by an airline.

    Happy Flying!
    Last edited by bigpolla04; 02-09-11 at 07:10 PM.
    02-09-11 06:47 PM
  2. P.B.B's Avatar
    Interesting article but a bit too long - will have to come back to it when I have ample free time to spare.
    02-09-11 07:06 PM
  3. PineappleUnderTheSea's Avatar
    Have you seen the first class /business cabins of airlines like, say, British Airways? These things have touchscreen video screens that are at least 10 inches in business class and 15 inches in first class, with movies and games and books and music galore, and of course all the power sockets you would need if you feel inclined to bring a tablet or computer. So I don't see the need for an iPad or a tablet for that matter to act as an entertainment portal, unless they stick 'em in the bowels of the plane, i.e. coach, as a gimmick.

    But I do see the need for me to win the lottery so I can fly first class all the time!
    02-09-11 07:19 PM
  4. howarmat's Avatar
    well the battery on the PB doesnt last any longer than an ipad and it doesnt have a kickstand either and we have yet to see how durable it is. I think the 10" version is better for this type of thing too.
    02-09-11 08:11 PM
  5. Daniel Ratcliffe's Avatar
    The playbook is smaller, thinner, less durable, etc. It CANNOT be used in airlines. Also, as far as I know, IFE users won't receive OEM support from RIM either. Android is also no-go.
    02-10-11 02:17 AM
  6. Jean-luc_Picard's Avatar
    I thought you weren't allowed to use WiFi on an airplane... Without WiFi the only things you can do on the iPad are watch movies, listen to music, and play pre-installed games, by which point you'd be best off to give each person their own mini TV.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-12-11 07:03 AM
  7. _StephenBB81's Avatar
    well the battery on the PB doesnt last any longer than an ipad and it doesnt have a kickstand either and we have yet to see how durable it is. I think the 10" version is better for this type of thing too.
    I agree, Playbook battery life wont be any better, SO I don't see how that can be an issue, Unless the Planes plan to install USB into the seats for charging and don't want to pay to use Apples 30pin connector for charging. but that is negligible.

    as for size I am up in the air, as to which would be better, I'm picturing looking down an isle to 30 10" tablets, or 30 7" tablets, at 3AM on a red eye flight the current 5" screens can get annoying, I don't think I would like 10" screens everywhere.

    The playbook is smaller, thinner, less durable, etc. It CANNOT be used in airlines. Also, as far as I know, IFE users won't receive OEM support from RIM either. Android is also no-go.
    When did you get your hands on the playbook to feel that it is less durable?
    And what insight do you have into RIM's corporate business relationships? how will they get No OEM support? RIM supports BES customers. and theoretically the Airlines would RUN BES for remote administration of all the devices.

    Where do you come up with these posts?

    I thought you weren't allowed to use WiFi on an airplane... Without WiFi the only things you can do on the iPad are watch movies, listen to music, and play pre-installed games, by which point you'd be best off to give each person their own mini TV.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Many flights have inflight Wifi, and that number is growing, which is why Airlines are looking for Touch Screen tablets to replace TV's since people will want to consume more content than the in flight movie, with tablets they could run a Server on the plane for On Demand Video service they could charge fee's for, as well as allow internet access.

    Once you get into Touch screen support buying a mass produced item like a consumer tablet would be cheaper than having 5-7" touch screen TV's made and the difference in setting up a closed TV network on a plane vs a closed PC/Computer network.
    02-12-11 08:38 AM
  8. Daniel Ratcliffe's Avatar
    When did you get your hands on the playbook to feel that it is less durable?
    And what insight do you have into RIM's corporate business relationships? how will they get No OEM support? RIM supports BES customers. and theoretically the Airlines would RUN BES for remote administration of all the devices.

    Where do you come up with these posts?
    Logic dictates that being thinner than the iPad, the Playbook will break much easier than the iPad. The thick smartphones they have are durable though (as I say, mine has survived nearly entering a digestive system and a 15ft drop and still works). Now if they have a way to protect the Playbook then that will fix that issue. I suppose there's always corporate branded cases that could fix it.

    As for the no OEM support, it did not strike me that remote administration of the devices would run through a BES server. Again, by enlightening me on that my OEM support point is negligible.
    02-12-11 10:59 AM
  9. _StephenBB81's Avatar
    Logic dictates that being thinner than the iPad, the Playbook will break much easier than the iPad. The thick smartphones they have are durable though (as I say, mine has survived nearly entering a digestive system and a 15ft drop and still works). Now if they have a way to protect the Playbook then that will fix that issue. I suppose there's always corporate branded cases that could fix it.

    As for the no OEM support, it did not strike me that remote administration of the devices would run through a BES server. Again, by enlightening me on that my OEM support point is negligible.

    Thinness != less durable.
    The iPhone 4 is no less durable than the samsung Galaxy S.
    durability has much more to do with build quality, tolerance acceptance in manufacturing, and materials chosen. Speculation that thinness makes it less durable is flawed,
    02-12-11 11:07 AM
  10. Rickroller's Avatar
    Thinness != less durable.
    The iPhone 4 is no less durable than the samsung Galaxy S.
    durability has much more to do with build quality, tolerance acceptance in manufacturing, and materials chosen. Speculation that thinness makes it less durable is flawed,
    Exactly..think plexiglass vs real glass. There is a reason they don't use real glass to stop pucks during a hockey game..
    02-12-11 11:14 AM
  11. Daniel Ratcliffe's Avatar
    Thinness != less durable.
    The iPhone 4 is no less durable than the samsung Galaxy S.
    durability has much more to do with build quality, tolerance acceptance in manufacturing, and materials chosen. Speculation that thinness makes it less durable is flawed,
    Exactly..think plexiglass vs real glass. There is a reason they don't use real glass to stop pucks during a hockey game..
    It seems that these 2 posts prove why I'm not an engineer. Touch�
    02-12-11 11:16 AM
  12. gregorylkelly's Avatar
    The iPhone 4 is FAR from durable. I don't know anything about the Galaxy, but the iPhone 4 is one of the heaviest and least durable phones I've ever owned.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-12-11 10:10 PM
  13. qbnkelt's Avatar
    The iPhone 4 is FAR from durable. I don't know anything about the Galaxy, but the iPhone 4 is one of the heaviest and least durable phones I've ever owned.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    did your iP4 scratch? more so than a 3GS would?
    02-13-11 06:19 AM
  14. _StephenBB81's Avatar
    The iPhone 4 is FAR from durable. I don't know anything about the Galaxy, but the iPhone 4 is one of the heaviest and least durable phones I've ever owned.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

    You've broken the screen?
    you'd had bits fall off?

    scratches and blemishes don't make a product undurable.
    I am far from a Fan of the iPhone 4, but I can't fault it's durability compared to other full touchscreens
    02-13-11 07:12 AM
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