Apple iPad mini with Retina Display

ylexot

Super Genius
Get a Nexus 7 instead. It has a better screen, is more open/flexible/powerful, and costs less.
 

Caution

New Member
Get a Nexus 7 instead. It has a better screen, is more open/flexible/powerful, and costs less.

Well the main reason I decided on apple is because I already have the Iphone and have already put a few bucks into some of the apps available that I use on the boat for Navigating and weather and such. Don't see a need to switch over to something to where I need to buy them again. The Iphone has been good to me for what I get into.

What do you want to know? I love mine.

I was just curious. Had any problems? Any gripes to speak of?
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Anyone picked up one of these yet? Was thinking it might be handy while out on the boat for navigation, weather and such.

Was curious about what anyone who bought one thinks. I just ordered mine from Verizon.

Apple - iPad mini with Retina display

Arkon Tablet Mounts

it should work well .... I would also recommend this,

Amazon.com: Dual Electronics XGPS150A Universal Bluetooth GPS Receiver for Portable Devices: Electronics


if you get far enough 'off' shore out of Wireless Range
I have one, it works great ...

[bluetooth GPS only accessible from one device at a time]

I also bought a Newtrent 13,500 mAh portable battery pack on Black Friday .... as well as having a 5k unit from Think geek

it should fully recharge the iPad once [the iPad battery is aproc 12k mAh], and iPhones multiple times


I am going to get an Akron mount for my car, and start using Waze on my iPad ..... for traffic
 
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ylexot

Super Genius
Well the main reason I decided on apple is because I already have the Iphone and have already put a few bucks into some of the apps available that I use on the boat for Navigating and weather and such. Don't see a need to switch over to something to where I need to buy them again. The Iphone has been good to me for what I get into.



I was just curious. Had any problems? Any gripes to speak of?

You might want to check the Play Store for the apps (or equivalent apps). There are quite a few apps that you have to pay for on iOS, but are free (or cheaper) on Android.

Also, I thought one of the big complaints about the iPad was that you had to buy a lot of apps again for the tablet versions. On Android, most apps have the phone and tablet layouts built into the same app.

Of course, I'm planning to jump to a Windows 8 tablet (Dell Venue Pro 8)...
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Apps depend on the Dev.


now that iPads have been around awhile, many code the app to 'scale' up to the larger screen, some don't, or offer an iPad Version


irregardless ... 99% of the iPhone apps run on the iPad

[I have over 400 apps, and have not yet found one that does NOT work on my pad]
 

MMM_donuts

New Member
The husband just got one prior to Black Friday. He traded in his old first gen iPad for a credit towards the new one with retina display.

LOVES IT.

Has had no problems with it thus far.

Now I'm at a loss as to what to get him for Christmas. Sigh.
 

Caution

New Member
Well Alrighty then. I order it last night and they tell me it won't ship for 2 days and has 2 days travel time. I get a notification this morning that it shipped and just checked the Fed Ex site and it's on the truck and out for Delivery.

Woooohooo!! LOL

Thanks for all the feedback folks. I am kinda locked into the Apple stuff as my Boat GPS/FF talks with my Iphone already and the new FF I am looking at will do the same so it's kinda one of the roads that once you start going down it, it's too expensive to turn around and start over with.

It's kinda neat being able to wirelessly pull my fishing hotspots off the Fish Finder and send them to buddies to be able to show them where I am and what I am doing. 'Active Captain' is kind of a neat app for those interested in how to go about this.

For me to go through the learning curve of getting all new apps, and buying the right equipment to support those apps would likely run me well over $3K. I am okay with the apple stuff. Has not let me down yet.
 

MMM_donuts

New Member
Well Alrighty then. I order it last night and they tell me it won't ship for 2 days and has 2 days travel time. I get a notification this morning that it shipped and just checked the Fed Ex site and it's on the truck and out for Delivery. Woooohooo!! LOL Thanks for all the feedback folks. I am kinda locked into the Apple stuff as my Boat GPS/FF talks with my Iphone already and the new FF I am looking at will do the same so it's kinda one of the roads that once you start going down it, it's too expensive to turn around and start over with. It's kinda neat being able to wirelessly pull my fishing hotspots off the Fish Finder and send them to buddies to be able to show them where I am and what I am doing. 'Active Captain' is kind of a neat app for those interested in how to go about this. For me to go through the learning curve of getting all new apps, and buying the right equipment to support those apps would likely run me well over $3K. I am okay with the apple stuff. Has not let me down yet.

We're the same way with apple stuff. It has uber simplified technology in our house. Last summer our a/c quit while we were on vacation and all but two fish in our saltwater tank died. Now everything from the fish tank to the thermostat to the tv to the home security to the vehicles are integrated into our apple products and we are able to monitor it all from remote locations. And we love it.
 

Caution

New Member
We're the same way with apple stuff. It has uber simplified technology in our house. Last summer our a/c quit while we were on vacation and all but two fish in our saltwater tank died. Now everything from the fish tank to the thermostat to the tv to the home security to the vehicles are integrated into our apple products and we are able to monitor it all from remote locations. And we love it.

Ya I am not really Pro Apple or Pro Droid. Both do what I need. I bought an Iphone about a year ago just to say I tried one and found it to be reliable and trouble free so have been buying things to support it and have been happy with it.

But some of the apps that tie into my Garmin stuff on the boat have a few features built in that if I were to swap over to droid based stuff I would have to get 1 or 2 more apps. The software I use for the Garmin is not cheap but the apps that support it ran about $50 and I just have not seen anything from the droid side that gives me quite as much in the same app. Just an ease of use thing for me. Not really that one is better than the other.
 

MMM_donuts

New Member
Ya I am not really Pro Apple or Pro Droid. Both do what I need. I bought an Iphone about a year ago just to say I tried one and found it to be reliable and trouble free so have been buying things to support it and have been happy with it. But some of the apps that tie into my Garmin stuff on the boat have a few features built in that if I were to swap over to droid based stuff I would have to get 1 or 2 more apps. The software I use for the Garmin is not cheap but the apps that support it ran about $50 and I just have not seen anything from the droid side that gives me quite as much in the same app. Just an ease of use thing for me. Not really that one is better than the other.

I've not ever tried anything else to know the difference. I just know that our apple stuff consistently impresses us and improves our lives so we stick with it.

Another thing we love is iMessage. I can keep text and chat with my husband when one of us travels outside the US as long as we have a wifi connection. That has been a real comfort.
 

Caution

New Member
I've not ever tried anything else to know the difference. I just know that our apple stuff consistently impresses us and improves our lives so we stick with it.

Another thing we love is iMessage. I can keep text and chat with my husband when one of us travels outside the US as long as we have a wifi connection. That has been a real comfort.

I just have too many apps. I have all these weather related apps on the thing that send me various messages based on wind speed, barometric pressure and such that come into play when I am planning on fishing. Well some of them actually send a verbal message and it always starts with "Warning! blah blah blah". Man, that thing will turn some heads if I forget to turn the volume down while going out to dinner. LOL People think a tornado or something is coming when all it's telling me is that the wind speed for one of my favorite fishing spots has increased from 10kts to 11 kts. :killingme
 

Caution

New Member
Wooohooo! It just showed up. Now I have a new toy to play with on this rainy day.

Merry Christmas tooooooo ME! :killingme
 

Caution

New Member
Apps depend on the Dev.


now that iPads have been around awhile, many code the app to 'scale' up to the larger screen, some don't, or offer an iPad Version


irregardless ... 99% of the iPhone apps run on the iPad

[I have over 400 apps, and have not yet found one that does NOT work on my pad]

So far I have downloaded about 30 of my apps from the cloud. About half of those I have entered my account info into and downloaded all the updates and addons I had already paid for on the Iphone. It has not tried to re charge me for any previous purchases.

Also, likely due to the larger screen there are more function icons immediately available to the user on the display as opposed to the iphone.

So far I am loving it. Uses the same charger as the iphone so my cig charger on the boat will work with it.

I looked at those mounts you linked to. I am not quite sure what I wanna do there as yet. Things can get pretty hectic on the boat when the fish are biting and some of the stuff we need to get to fast would be laying up in the console area and I think any additional hardmount might end of causing issues. I have a bracket up there that was for the previous GPS/FF I had that I never took off and it sits far enough forward that it is not really in the way of anything and I am thinking of just making something I can use on that existing bracket. Probably something watertight, or at least watertight from the top and sides. I dunno yet and will have to do some head scratching on that.
 
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GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
I looked at those mounts you linked to.


Probably something watertight, or at least watertight from the top and sides. I dunno yet and will have to do some head scratching on that.

yeah those couple of mounts are more for slipping under a seat mount


Apple iPad Mount, iPhone Mount & iPod Mount



Otterbox makes a decent iPad case .... you might Google iPad and waterproof case ... variations with diving / boating


:buddies:

enjoy your afternoon of playing
 

Caution

New Member
yeah those couple of mounts are more for slipping under a seat mount


Apple iPad Mount, iPhone Mount & iPod Mount



Otterbox makes a decent iPad case .... you might Google iPad and waterproof case ... variations with diving / boating


:buddies:

enjoy your afternoon of playing

Just about a ZERO learning curve. Seems to be just a big Iphone. Loving it though. Never had a tablet. Got tired of sitting on the couch and pulling the power cable out of the laptop while trying to pull it over on my lap to play with.

Just did some talking back and forth with my GPS/NAV app for them. Using Garmin Bluechart with the Garmin Helm app as well as Active Captain. Was able to mark a gps location and add pictures, thoughts and notes from my phone and it automatically syncs that to the ipad. Then I have the Ipad setup to automatically upload that to their web based app/website for anyone to be able to check out. Will be pretty handy when trying to give my fishing buddies details about where I got lucky at. So at least on the boat I won't have to run forward to do all that. Just whip out the phone and make a quick input and everything else takes care of itself.
 
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