Anybody buy the iPad Air yet?

I would love to get one, but I just can't justify it. I bought the one I have now sometime last year, so I really need to get some more use out of it before I upgrade.
 
Planning on going out to Best Buy to check them out a little later, originally wanted to get a Mini but now want to see how if the Air feels any smaller than the previous models.
 
As long as I'm flying the Mooney, I'll stick with the Mini. Didn't think I needed it until I had it!
 
The thinner lighter package of the Air sounds like it would be much more comfortable for reading while holding the thing.

But if you're strapping it to your leg or yoke I'm not sure it matters much.
 
I would hope the lighter weight would be easier on a yoke mount but it may have more to do with the physical size.

David
 
Got it. Love it.

I had a 3rd gen and a mini with LTE. I like the screen of the full size much better... Bigger, retina... So the Air is perfect for me. Bigger screen but now lighter and a little smaller. I looked at them in the Apple Store while I was waiting for mine. They don't look much smaller because the screen size is the same. But when they brought the box it is a LOT smaller than the previous ones. I thought they had brought me a mini.

But anyway, I love it.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
I got one early Friday morning. Really nice tablet. Retina hires is killer.
 
flhrci said:
I would hope the lighter weight would be easier on a yoke mount but it may have more to do with the physical size.

David
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IMHO, still too wide for a comfortable yoke mount. I think the mini is perfect size for that (and close enough to be easily readable in spite of the smaller screen).
 
Took my Mini into the apple store today and did an hour long comparison. I only use it in the plane, and have not had any performance issues, so I was strictly looking at ergonomics, per se.

The reduction in footprint on the iPad Air is pretty good, the naked unit only overlaps my Mini in an Otterbox by about 3/4 inches on both axes. The detail of the retina display is noticeable to this guy with reading glasses.

But, the ~$300 net cash outlay to upgrade is not worth it. Yet. Should screen brightness get a bump in the next generation, or if used prices bring the upgrade outlay down, I might go for it. JMHO.
 
Went and looked at one at Best Buy tonight. Really nice. It's very light and I was surprised how much narrower it is than the last generation. Reducing the bezel size really reduced the side to side width. That said, for cockpit purposes, I like my mini better and will be keeping that for a while.
 
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128gb...I'm sold. This will be my first ever Ipad.

I'm gonna wait and see if Walmart or someone else does the "$100 gift card with purchase" thing on Black Friday.
 
LandSickness said:
128gb...I'm sold.
Click to expand...

More storage is always better, but...

Both of our iPads are 16gb, and neither has filled up.

While it might be nice to have all our music and all our photos stored on the devices, that's become less of a factor with Dropbox and iTunes Match and streaming services for both music and movies.

This time, I will likely double, up to 32gb, looking towards apps growing in size over time.

So, if you can afford 128gb or have a specific use case, go for it! But don't think it's necessary for ordinary use - its not.
 
write-stuff said:
"Hires" is an old techy abbreviation for high resolution.
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Aha! You'd think I could have figured that out!

In my defense, I think I've normally seen is as "hi-res".

Anyway, back to memory,it's easy to see what you're using, under "Settings">"Usage".

Here's mine, with WingXPro7 having the whole country in sectionals, but no IFR charts:

10644571713_e3ff12fcfb_z.jpg


That's what makes me think that doubling, up to 32gb, should be fine for me.
 
Actually, I've seen "hires" and "lores" all the way back to my Apple ][ days in 1979.
 
I got my 128GB Verizon version yesterday. Love it. I only had 15GB left on my 64GB version and don't want to have think about what I can or cannot store on it. After using it all day, I picked up my iPad4 and was slightly startled at the heft...the Air is markedly lighter, which I think is a positive in the cockpit. So, it's smaller, yet the same size screen. Battery life seems a tad stronger, too, and it's a very snappy performer. Cost me a bit to upgrade, but I'll enjoy the extra speed in the year to come. Heck, this may get to be my "last" upgrade for awhile!
 
LDJones said:
I got my 128GB Verizon version yesterday. Love it.
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Ditto, got the 128GB Verizon LTE, love it! My daughter now gets to play with our old iPad 1. I went for max memory because I will also use this for iPhoto storage and manipulation while on trips. Very happy with the purchase.

In the cockpit I use it bare, at home and on the go I bought this:

http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Ke...&sr=8-1&keywords=kensington+keyfolio+ipad+air

A very nice folio and the real keyboard is killer. Combining the two you really have most of the functionality of a netbook.

Win win.
 
I have the Zagg "Profolio" Keyboard for the next to the most recent version of iPad. And I agree that having a real keyboard vastly increases the usage quotient for the iPads.
 
I traded my wife's Ipad 1 during the $200 Target promo and just got the Air (64 gb, AT&T cell) on Monday. It is a very, very nice upgrade. I've been using a Xoom (Android) for a few years in the cockpit and plan to get a Retina Mini after my engine overhaul to get access to more of the aviation apps.

I wish I would've waited to order the Air until Black Friday since there seem to be quite a few $100 gift card deals to go along with the purchase...oh well.
 
AggieMike88 said:
I have the Zagg "Profolio" Keyboard for the next to the most recent version of iPad. And I agree that having a real keyboard vastly increases the usage quotient for the iPads.
Click to expand...

Ditto on the Zagg keyboard (under USRobotics brand)....much handier for note-taking.

I opted for the leather SmartCase, but would have preferred the polyurethane version I used on my iPad 4, but that's not yet available for the Air (iPad 5).
 
AggieMike88 said:
I have the Zagg "Profolio" Keyboard for the next to the most recent version of iPad. And I agree that having a real keyboard vastly increases the usage quotient for the iPads.
Click to expand...

I would have waited, too, but my buyer's birthday is Friday, so I wanted to make sure he had a new toy on his birthday! :D

(Right, Tim?)
 
Recently got the 64GB model w/LTE.

The display and performance are awesome. I bought a Survivor case, to protect it in and around the airplane - something always falls off the seats.

I'm currently exploring WingX and like that too. One of the main things I like about WingX is that in "Track Up", the identifiers of airports and VOR's remain right-side-up. Their support is also super. It is also compatible with many different external GPS/ADS-B receivers. There are many video tutorials for all the aviation apps and you should try each one in flight. They all offer a free or almost-free trial.

I fly mostly an Archer and a Mooney and will order one of the Ram yoke mounts.

The capability of the iPad is amazing - once you use it, you'll wonder how you lived without it.

I'm no expert, but feel free to ask away.
 
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