Apple To Reveal iPad Mini Early Next Year?

Posted by unlocker under iPad on Thursday Nov 17, 2011

There is an ongoing rumor that Apple will release an iPad mini early 2012.

According to Taiwan’s United Daily News, they have received 7.85 inch screen with the same resolution as the current iPad, which suggest that it will used for iPad mini.

The report also said that AU Optronics and LG Display also sent samples of 7.85 inch display to Apple as they assemble and gears up the iPad mini release for next year.

The claim was reinforced by Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White who thinks that Apple is already preparing to release iPad mini next year. He said that his research is pointing towards the direction that a lower priced iPad will be introduce on the first few months of 2012.

Apple aims to tap the market of thrifty consumers who mind the prices of products. The new iPad mini will also dismiss the Amazon Kindle Fire that bears the $199 price tag, which is quite affordable for ordinary consumers. However, Brian White said that the “mini” affixed to iPad means a reduction on the price and not on the size of the device. He also added that the new iPad mini may cost around half to $200.

The company said that the new product is a product of Apple’s ex-chief Steve Jobs’ digging in the company’s competitors that launch tablets that sport 7-inch screen.

In a conference held last year, Steve Jobs mentioned something about his competitors. He said that most of rival companies release a 7-inch iPad, which is only 45 percent of Apple’s iPad screen.

Jobs’ think that the 7-inch screen is too small to serve the functionality of the product. People may not be able to touch accurately the keys in the new iPad. He also explained that Apple are not releasing iPad sporting a 7-inch screen because it does not want to reduce the cost but he thinks that a screen that is quite small will not be able to fully expressed the product.

Jobs’ explained that the developers will have to adapt on the screen sizes as they have to change their software everytime there is a change in the size of the screen. He closed by saying that Apple is striving to give only the best products at aggressive prices and the company will do that on the iPad and iPod.

However, the unveiling of Amazon Kindle Fire with an affordable $199 price tag a few weeks back may possibly make Apple to reconsider its decision.

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United Airlines To Replace Their Flight Bags With iPads

Posted by iunlock under iPad on Friday Sep 16, 2011

Yes, iPad will take over the airlines soon. It was just last week when news broke out that Delta Airlines tested iPads for their electronic flight bags. This is to replace the current flight bag of the pilot which includes various documents such as the Aircraft Operating Manual, the Operating Manual of the Flight Crew and all the Navigational Charts.

On the other hand, British Airways also made an announcement that they are giving away iPads to their cabin crew to further improve the customer service level up in the air. Now, it is United Airlines  that announced they will deploy about 11,000 iPads to all their pilots including the ones of the Continental. This is to enhance more efficiency, improve safety and save some fuel.

United Airlines also made an announcement that they are converting into flight decks that are paperless with the electronic flight bags replacing all the flight manuals made in paper. This is the first for the major network carriers that will also render pilots paperless navigational charts through the iPad applications. The distribution started during the early parts of this month and all the pilots shall have them when the year ends.

Their iPads will have pre-installed application of the Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck that is for free in the Application store of iTunes for all its subscribers. It also includes a lot of other features such as the following:

  • Data driven enroute display that is interactive
  • Has display of the aircraft position and other airport diagrams
  • The airway manual text
  • Procedures for arrival, departure and approach
  • Notifications in chart change
  • In full color, high quality and vector based
  • Amazing zoom capabilities
  • Basic routing features

It also has its plans to save more fuel for the plane in the aspect that it will replace about 38 pounds of manuals made out of paper. It will then lessen the use of paper and even be proactive towards rendering green benefits. This then would reduce the fuel consumption. It will also help the airline save about 16 million sheets of paper every year which would be equal to about 1,900 trees not cut.

Let us just hope that they will realize that it is just right to put our gadgets into flight mode when taking off and landing.

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