U.S. Air Force planning to purchase up to 18,000 iPads - Polidicks

The Archos G9 series is pretty good and considerably cheaper, and it has GPS and all that stuff as well...

new UI for ze drones [img]http://www.afblues.com/wordpress/comics/2011-06-25.jpg[/img]

Didn't some US military person say at one point that they didn't want to use iPads because of how locked down they are in comparision of android tablets?

18,000 devices of democracy.

If you read and not just blindly post because of iPad/apple then you would see that they said they are considering other tablet devices too. Not just the iPad .

I would definitely get asus transformer primes rather than ipads.

GOD BLESS 'MERICA!

The ipad makes for a great EFB, it's the only reason I bought one. It's a lot faster to access the information you need on a single device rather than flipping charts over, grabbing for approach plates, turning pages in an AFD and pulling out checklists. Alongside the usual kneeboard with a pencil and paper, it really makes flying easier and more enjoyable. [QUOTE=Jon27;34678365]So now when the plane gets hit by an EMP not only is it falling out of the sky but the pilot has fuck all idea where he's falling into. Woo! I still think that nothing will beat a pilot with a map, otherwise why would it have worked so well for the best part of a century? Always, [i]always[/i] carry paper and pen systems alongside all your electronics. Paper doesn't short out, crash or just generall fuck up.[/QUOTE] I wouldn't be caught dead flying without paper charts as a backup, batteries die, etc. etc. I'd hope they enforce it as standard procedure to keep paper backups with them on flights.

[QUOTE=ExplodingGuy;34676384]The Airforce isn't going to choose a device that can be easily hack, nor are they going to allow non-whitelisted software onto government computers. They know a lot more about computers and security than you do.[/QUOTE] Which is why they use hardened [b]Android[/b] in the pentagon. This is instead of trusting the apple codeslaves to make them secure. [url]http://selinuxproject.org/page/SEAndroid[/url] [editline]13th February 2012[/editline] If they can flash SEAndroid on the Xoom (it's as close to a nexus tablet as you can get), they'll do that.

Can you guys just go ONE apple thread without whining? PLEASE.

[QUOTE=Sunday_Roast;34677106]It's kinda bad that the army gets iPads due to apple products being generally shit when it comes to withstanding impact force. Every damn person with an iPhone that I know has a cracked screen, whereas my friends with other brands of smartphones have dropped them only have a few scratches.[/QUOTE] They're definitely going to buy cases, which for iPads there are a lot of heavy duty ones.

[QUOTE=BrainDeath;34680035]Which is why they use hardened [b]Android[/b] in the pentagon. This is instead of trusting the apple codeslaves to make them secure. [url]http://selinuxproject.org/page/SEAndroid[/url] [editline]13th February 2012[/editline] If they can flash SEAndroid on the Xoom (it's as close to a nexus tablet as you can get), they'll do that.[/QUOTE] It's the NSA's business to secure these devices anyways, and they do their job regardless of Apple or Windows products.

[QUOTE=trotskygrad;34680274]It's the NSA's business to secure these devices anyways, and they do their job regardless of Apple or Windows products.[/QUOTE] Ye, but why fuck about with what is essentially jailbreaking and shoddy hacks when you can modify the code of a FOSS platform? [editline]13th February 2012[/editline] Especially when SEAndroid already exists?

[QUOTE=BrainDeath;34680311]Ye, but why fuck about with what is essentially jailbreaking and shoddy hacks when you can modify the code of a FOSS platform? [editline]13th February 2012[/editline] Especially when SEAndroid already exists?[/QUOTE] soldiers might like Apple's UI more, so they would use the device more. Fancy expensive shit is useless when soldiers don't use it, especially when it's a nonessential device (a soldier will always use his gun, even if it's crappy. Doesn't really apply to these things)

So they're for manuals? Why not use something that is DESIGNED to read shit, like a tough version of the Kindle?

[QUOTE=latin_geek;34680465]So they're for manuals? Why not use something that is DESIGNED to read shit, like a tough version of the Kindle?[/QUOTE] Because the iPad can be used for other things as well. While the Kindle is great, it's still nowhere near capable of what an iPad can do. I'm going to guess they're going to put reinforced screens on them and a few other protective bits.

[QUOTE=latin_geek;34680465]So they're for manuals? Why not use something that is DESIGNED to read shit, like a tough version of the Kindle?[/QUOTE] they don't like the cloud-based nature of the kindle mostly.

[QUOTE=trotskygrad;34680423]soldiers might like Apple's UI more, so they would use the device more. Fancy expensive shit is useless when soldiers don't use it, especially when it's a nonessential device (a soldier will always use his gun, even if it's crappy. Doesn't really apply to these things)[/QUOTE] But these are pilots, not grunts. They have to operate devices with 4 line ASCII displays and no keyboard. Besides is the security risk worth keeping Stanley Strafe'em happy with a slightly different UI, even though he's operating an app and not the Android system?

[QUOTE=Paravin;34680067]Can you guys just go ONE apple thread without whining? PLEASE.[/QUOTE]This. Seems like 99% of people here get sand in their vagina the moment someone mentions Apple or one of their products

[QUOTE=BrainDeath;34680854]But these are pilots, not grunts. They have to operate devices with 4 line ASCII displays and no keyboard. Besides is the security risk worth keeping Stanley Strafe'em happy with a slightly different UI, even though he's operating an app and not the Android system?[/QUOTE] NSA should do it's job plugging security risks, that's a fallacy. There is nothing in iOS that would make it intrinsically worse than an Android system.

I use my iPad for my flights and it's so much easier than carrying around sectional charts all the time. All of my flight equipment goes from a bag to a tiny carrying case that does the same thing. Brilliant investment for any pilot. Good move on the airforce.

[QUOTE=trotskygrad;34682892]NSA should do it's job plugging security risks, that's a fallacy. There is nothing in iOS that would make it intrinsically worse than an Android system.[/QUOTE] Except that it's closed source, any vulnerability could sneak in and no one would know, and be unable to patch it. SEiOS (lol) would be a pile of shit.

[QUOTE=Glitch360;34682260]This. Seems like 99% of people here get sand in their vagina the moment someone mentions Apple or one of their products[/QUOTE] cool attractive people who have more sex than me use them and that makes me mad

angry birds being used as a new training program

So... the DoD gets android, but the air force gets a bunch of ipads? :v:

If they treat them with care and get a good deal from Apple I'm sure they will save money in the long run with the amount of maps and manuals they have to purchase.

My entire school uses school-issued Ipads for schoolwork, and I'd have to say they're really helpful. Probably gonna help out the Air Force as well.

It's not all bad. My Marine friend who's an infantry serviceman told me about how their sniper/longshot troops used iPhones for range calculations and whatnot

I have a dislike of Apple (yet I use their products..) and even I think this is a great idea. Anyone who doesn't has no idea what they are talking about and are allowing their judgement to be clouded by Apple hate. I [I]think[/I] there's some certification stuff that has to go on, I dunno how much that would effect the USAF but I know for a commercial carrier in the US to use an EFB it has to be certified (which I think the iPad is) which might explain their reasoning.

[QUOTE=Bittorrent;34676811]I don't get it[/QUOTE] It's because the Air Force is stereotyped as a bunch of lazy fucks. The nickname they're given is the [I]Ch[/I]air Force because of their really relaxed PT and everything compared to other branches. It's military humour.