Ipad Mini versus Nexus 7

I can offer only the limited view of a humble IMCr pilot – although working on the TK for the IR – on the iPad Mini and the iPad.

I use a full-sized iPad on a yoke mount and an iPad Mini on a suction mount (both Ram Mounts) to supplement the Garmin 430 in the aircraft I fly (BE76, PA32R-301, PA28-181 and – non GNS430 C172P).

Additionally, I use the iPad Mini in the R44 I fly from time to time using a transparency mounted suction fixing.

Both iPad and iPad Mini are connected to (different) external GPS receivers (Garmin GLO for the Mini and GNS2000 for the iPad). Both iPad and Mini are Wi-Fi only.

Garmin have issued a software update permitting four devices to simultaneously use the GLO – two of which may be iOS devices – but so far the update has stubbornly refused to acknowledge that my device is even connected, thus still WIP.

I run Sky Demon (SD) with a fully downloaded national AIP for IAC, airport layout and textual information. Alongside this I have the SD Pooley’s geo-referenced plates for any purely VFR airfields, on both. I also have a separate Pooley’s iPlates subscription on the side which I may well not renew this year but simply use the SD Pooley’s subscription.

In iBooks I have downloaded copies of my personalised checklist and use these extensively they are especially easy to use and are kept updated on both iPad and Mini by simply e-mailing the download between them.

I find the iPad gives me a good sized view on the yoke although it does obscure certain instrumentation when placed too high, however, this is not proved the insurmountable problem I first feared.

I use the Mini for route / airspace warning / timer information to the side. I have had no issue so far with the smaller size of the Mini but the iPad has the edge for IACs, particularly to unfamiliar airports or for last minute runway changes when a hold and a quick brief can be achieved without ‘peering’ to closely at the Mini’s screen.

When night flying or flying on the edge of dusk and murk (as on a recent return to Norfolk from Lee on Solent getting on for 1630Z) the easily reduced screen brightness on the iPad is very useful, making a gradual dimming of the screen, to an acceptable limit as dusk approaches, quick and almost intuitive.

I tend to plan for UK IFR/IMC flights using the VFR charts on SD before switching to airways view to de-clutter the GPS screen for use in flight (manifestly it can be changed back at any time making it easy to switch between the two modes and hence extend its usefulness).

Obviously, I check the route in VFR mode on the day of the flight to ensure the NOTAMS / warnings etc. are up to date and this has worked very well indeed.

I also have a SD Mobile Device (MD) which I update from a laptop. I maintain this as a back up if necessary or for pax ‘in-flight entertainment’ as on a recent Norwich – Newquay flight in IMC at FL60 in the PA32 with a full complement of 6 POB, the SD MD helped keep the back seat pax happy (and airsick free despite one particularly being prone to it).

Quite frankly, and I sure like many others, I cannot praise SD enough for having made flying safer and what-if planning much more simple and this coupled with the iPad and iPad Mini have solved a great many situational-awareness issues for me.

I hesitated before buying the iPad Mini (which I did first) but after seeing its usefulness, I followed quickly with the iPad, I can only advise others not to hesitate as I did, but to acquire a tablet which is compatible with their planning requirements as soon as possible.

I am not an Apple disciple but neither am I a devotee of messing around with the IT world of patches and work-arounds. I took a long time to buy my iPhone – I must be one of the last people on the planet to have done so having used an HTC for a long time until I was so sick of its foibles that I drove over it! – but is intuitiveness made me think of the iPad and I do not regret it.

I am sorry I can offer no view on the Nexus for I have never used it.

All the best to all.

Cant offer a comparison to Apple – I don’t have any apple products and I cant answer your tecky questions but for a layman like myself, I use the N7 1st generation and love it. To be replaced by the 2nd generation as I cracked the screen. Took it to Stornoway and it never let me down. Screen display was good in crap weather and sunny weather. Battery was imo good. Lasted early morning to late at night with continuous use but I did only have skydemon running and then on the ground used it for weather/notams/facebook and email. Mine has both Wi-Fi and 3g. I am half toying with the ipad mini but cant see what more it will give me than the N7 except cost and as I don’t use the tablet for anything else it seems a waste of money.

A quick comp. here:
http://www.gizmag.com/ipad-mini-2-review/29794/

Peter,

You have used a bigger screen device up to now. Are you sure that you’d be happy with a 7" device? You certainly have proven to yourself that you have enough room to use a larger device in the TB20.

I’ve used both a 7" Samsung device and a full size iPad in the Arrow. The only advantage that I’d ascribe to the smaller device is that it can be mounted on a suction mount without losing too much pannel view. But then it becomes much less interactive.

I wouldn’t swap my full size iPad for a 7" device. I imagine that as I get older and my eyesight starts to degenerate I’d be even less inclinded to get a smaller device!

In terms of the devices you have mentioned above, both are good devices.

Colm

I just made a support for the Nexus 7 (2013) to be used with Skydemon…I can pull up now the IFR AIP charts in a glance….it works perfectly (tested it in low flying “car” ).
The screen and brightness are excellent..

I think it’s not 2 months but ten weeks, i think. That’s clearly a marketung tool, and I hate it. Especially when I buy a trip kit for the plane (Croatia …) and then I have to buy it again after three months and nothing has changed

yep, there is a Nexus 7 and Nexus 7. The latter one released in 2013 has the same name but much better display.

jailbreaked N7 – I guess in Android world it´s refered as “rooted”. When I was looking at Jepp TC (or whatever it was) on android earlier this year they declared it´s not going to run on rooted devices. It worked pretty well on my not rooted Samsung. Why do you refer N7 display “a lot more worse” – 2048×1536 versus 1920×1200.
http://www.gizmag.com/nexus-7-vs-ipad-mini-retina/29941/

I use an iPad mini (and sometimes an iPad 4) and all i can say is:

- I can charge both the iPhone 5 and the iPad mini at the same time through the 3 A 12 V outlet in the center console
- I use a GNS2000 BT GPS for the iPad mini which works perfect with all iOS devices
- I use SkyDemon, Air Navigation Pro, JeppFD (for all my active JeppView charts) and all of the best weather apps
- for IFR I use Rocketroute on the iPad and the plane’s MFD fpr all approach charts, but i have the enroute chart on the iPad (which doesn’t exist for the Avidyne MFD)

Touching was not a problem for me. The iPad mini i simply lay on top of my kneeboard when i need it, but I don’t attach it. When I don’t need it i put it in the glovebox. Battery life of the iPad mini is pretty good but I prefer to have all devices connected to the charger when I use them

Depending on your eyes you might need a matt screen protector. Until now i have not used one, but I’m sure this will improve it.

I know that especially engineers don’t like the restricted access and connectivity. But it has it’s positive sides too (at least for the non-engineers )). The system cannot be corrupted by junk acessories and bad software and data, or not as easily. And there’s really every accessory one might need available … I have four drawers full of that stuff at home :)