What tablet(s) do you recommend as dedicated "kneeboards"?

[Bahger]

I bought a Kindle for this. HUGE mistake. I will be RMA-ing it tomorrow.

 

I've never had any need for a tablet before. I just want to mount it as an additional screen for flight simming and use it to display maps, manuals, kneeboard graphics, etc., in all common file foemats, in colour, that I can download to it from my PC.

 

This Samsung looks like good value but I would really welcome comments and suggestions, many thanks.

[Cake]

I use the iPad, primarily because it has has seemed to lead other tablets in the aviation software I need, including Jepp View, Foreflight, checklists and manuals, etc.

 

It's kind of neat that for simmers we can use the same software, for example geo synchronized approach plates, along with some of the other flight sims. It would be great to have DCS emulate an external GPS (like other flight sims do) for use in the sim cockpit.

 

It would be even better if ED came out with its own ipad and android software that would emulate an electronic kneeboard or even provide combat flight planning tools.

[Rudel_chw]

The important item is not the hardware, its the software. The best App that I’ve yet seen for reading documents (pdf, doc, txt, etc) is “Goodreader", and it’s iOS only ...there is nothing like it for Android: https://www.goodreader.com

 

So, look for an Apple iPad, with at least 32 GB of storage ... more if you can afford it, it starts at Us$330 ... a used one will do too, but it must have at least iOS 11.

[Bahger]

The iPad is too expensive for me, considering I'm unlikely to use it for anything else. Can you, or anyone, please comment on the suitability of the Samsung, or offer recommendations? I know nothing about tablets.

[Svsmokey]

I use a Samsung , and every document i have linked in reply to your posts , i have on it . Just noticed that in fact mine is exactly the one you linked .

Edited January 25, 2019 by Svsmokey

[Bahger]

Thank you once again, Svsmokey. I just found this Samsung, which looks even better value for money...

[Mars Exulte]

TLDR : not a Kindle. Trust me.

[Svsmokey]

As you wish to exchange data with your pc , maybe print , or back-up files to a thumb drive , make sure that the exact model you get has a "USB Hosting" function . The Kindle , for example doesn't . Most Samsung do , but i can't confirm for any specific model . A Google spec search will do . You can also move data via sd card , but usb hosting allows direct printing .

[PsiBurr]

If you are an old fart like myself, I use one of these https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/tablets/galaxy-view/samsung-galaxy-view-18-4-32gb-wi-fi-black-sm-t670nzkaxar/

Only problem I find is that it only has landscape mode, no portrait

[Bahger]

If you are an old fart like myself, I use one of these https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/tablets/galaxy-view/samsung-galaxy-view-18-4-32gb-wi-fi-black-sm-t670nzkaxar/

Only problem I find is that it only has landscape mode, no portrait

Yeah, I must confess I'd be unhappy with landscape-only when a lot of what I'll be looking at is checklists.

[Bahger]

Quick question: I've never bought Samsung or any device that doesn't run on Windows or iOS. If I get this Samsung tablet, does its OS have a system of folders and files that is directly compatible with my Win 10 PC?

[Svsmokey]

Checked that 9.6" Samsung you linked . Under "Connectivity" shows USB 2.0 . Good to go....

[Svsmokey]

I have had no problems transferring files and folders , to or fro . On the Samsung those functions are under "My Files" icon .

Edited January 25, 2019 by Svsmokey

[Rudel_chw]

The iPad is too expensive for me, considering I'm unlikely to use it for anything else. Can you, or anyone, please comment on the suitability of the Samsung, or offer recommendations? I know nothing about tablets.

 

The Samsung looks like great value, but please note it has a 2 inch smaller screen, with half the resolution and a quarter of the storage capacity .. please note that Android uses up a part of the storage for itself, so a 16 GB model has only about 6 GB of real space available.

 

I’d rather have a used iPad than a new Tablet with this specs, in fact I used an iPad 3 until about a year ago, tough I dont recommend going with a too old model, as I can use older versions of Goodreader that I already own, but a new owner will have to purchase the current build of Goodreader, and that needs iOS 11.

 

Best regards

[Svsmokey]

The Samsung looks like great value, but please note it has a 2 inch smaller screen, with half the resolution and a quarter of the storage capacity .. please note that Android uses up a part of the storage for itself, so a 16 GB model has only about 6 GB of real space available.

 

I’d rather have a used iPad than a new Tablet with this specs, in fact I used an iPad 3 until about a year ago, tough I dont recommend going with a too old model, as I can use older versions of Goodreader that I already own, but a new owner will have to purchase the current build of Goodreader, and that needs iOS 11.

 

Best regards

 

I have great respect for your opinions and advice . And to be fair , i have no Ipad experience , and thus i cannot compare the two . However , i have downloaded TONS of DCS stuff , including manuals , several maps , Chucks guides , natops and much other , as well as several books , photos etc , and have used 797 mb of 7.4 gb available on the internal sd card .

 

I have no complaints with Samsung tablets .

Edited January 25, 2019 by Svsmokey

[Backy 51]

The iPad is the tablet of choice by the USAF for the Electronics Publications (E-Pub) program. Goodreader is one of the installed software apps. I use a 128GB iPad Mini 4 and do not see myself running out of space anytime soon. As a media consumption device, it is first class and you are not limited to iTunes for data upload to Goodreader or Apple iBooks.

 

There are a number of wireless flash media drives you can stick in your desktop and then wirelessly upload PDF, EPUB, JPG, MP3, MP4 files, etc. onto the iPad. Sandisk Connect and Airstash are two that I use. I also watch YouTube TV on the iPad Mini. The iPad Mini 4 128GB is available at your local big box store in the $319 to $349 price range. You can get a kneeboard Velcro strap kit at Sporty's to wear it in flight if you wish.

Edited January 25, 2019 by Backy 51

[Magic Zach]

Not Apple

[Bahger]

Checked that 9.6" Samsung you linked . Under "Connectivity" shows USB 2.0 . Good to go....

That's good to know. I think I'll go for it.

[BlacleyCole]

Be nice if dcs would support an iPad natively with a moving map and electronic messaging

[TechRoss]

I was a Apple fanboy for many many years and switched a few years back and have used Samsung products ever since. I don't think you will have any problem reading the kind of documents you want to read on either device. If you want to use the tablet for other things, then you might have to factor that in. The only complaint I have with Samsung is both my tablet and the tablet my wife used lost their USB connector. The bloody things would not charge so are now useless. I would honestly say if you gonna use it just for reading pdf docs etc, get a cheaper brand, they all do the same thing at the end of the day.

[Rudel_chw]

... to be fair , i have no Ipad experience , and thus i cannot compare the two . However , i have downloaded TONS of DCS stuff , including manuals , several maps , Chucks guides , natops and much other , as well as several books , photos etc , and have used 797 mb of 7.4 gb available on the internal sd card .

 

 

 

Thanks a lot for your measured response ... I was just trying to help by using my own experience, and I realize that there may be people that can adapt to work using little storage.

 

 

Much like yourself, I also have most of my DCS documentation on the iPad, but I do have a lot of real-world manuals that are actually scanned manuals, and thus their size is much bigger than an e-book or native-digital PDF, so they do take up space .. at the moment I'm using 10 GB for my Goodreader content:

 

 

 

 

I'm not really an apple fanboy, but I saw immediately the advantages of the tablet format and at the time (2010) Apple was the only product of that type, there was no other choice.

 

 

I've changed my original iPad 1 twice over the years, first to an iPad 3 (because of its high resolution) and last year to a 12.9 iPad Pro (because I wanted a bigger screen size for easier reading of flight manuals).

 

 

It's a first generation model and I purchased it second hand for about half the cost of a new one, and it has given me excellent service so far.

 

 

To the OP, on this post I showed what it's like to use Goodreader on the iPad, in case you want to take a look: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=3046605&highlight=goodreader#post3046605

and https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=3120570&highlight=goodreader#post3120570

 

 

Best regards

[Svsmokey]

I was a Apple fanboy for many many years and switched a few years back and have used Samsung products ever since. I don't think you will have any problem reading the kind of documents you want to read on either device. If you want to use the tablet for other things, then you might have to factor that in. The only complaint I have with Samsung is both my tablet and the tablet my wife used lost their USB connector. The bloody things would not charge so are now useless. I would honestly say if you gonna use it just for reading pdf docs etc, get a cheaper brand, they all do the same thing at the end of the day.

 

Actually , the USB are quite easy to replace . My wife's also went bad . You just need a couple of guitar picks to open the unit up , and a jeweler's screwdriver , and you can get the parts on Ebay . Sounds scary , I know , but it's actually quite straightforward , and you can get all parts and tools for $20 .

 

I blame the wife's ham-handedness for the failure . I won't let her near my pc :)

[dnkellerman]

If you're still looking, I use 2 of these tablets for DCS.  They work great. https://a.co/d/g42KZAV

Edited February 20, 2024 by dnkellerman