GPS Tablets

Submitted: Tuesday, Apr 07, 2015 at 22:01

ThreadID: 117390 Views:3605 Replies:7 FollowUps:2

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Member - lyndon NT

Hi All

In the market for a tablet and just wondering if anyone on here uses one remotely.
After at least a 10 inch screen. Be good if it doesnt have to have an external antenna plugged into it, but if it does, how does it work and what do you use?
Other preferable requirements
USB
Expendable memory via micro SD or similar
WiFi
Take a Data card, mini, micro, doesn't really matter as long as we can get the net away from a WiFi connection.
Anyone have any luck "Mirroring" their tablet onto the TV at home without having to jump through to many hoops?

Thanks

Lyndon

PS, If it had HDMI that would be awesome also, just dreaming now :-)

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Decide now what you will,
Place faith not in tomorrow
For the clock may then be still

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Reply By: Member - Young Nomads - Tuesday, Apr 07, 2015 at 22:59

Reply By: Member - Tony F8 - Wednesday, Apr 08, 2015 at 17:33

Reply By: Idler Chris - Wednesday, Apr 08, 2015 at 17:41

Reply By: Member - John and Val - Wednesday, Apr 08, 2015 at 20:26

Wednesday, Apr 08, 2015 at 20:26

Lyndon,

In our experience a major issue with using a tablet for navigation is screen brightness (or rather lack of it). We recently purchased a second hand Motion Computing PC reasonably cheaply. These have a 10" 4:3 screen, are bright enough to use in full sunlight. They live in a rugged (heavy) metal case, have a solid state drive,and run windows (ours is W7) which I prefer to Android. Some have a gps included. I think all come with WiFi and Bluetooth. A suitable smart phone (eg Huawei Y550-L02) can provide access to the internet for such Wifi equipped computers. The raw Motion Computing machines have no USB port which is a very annoying limitation, though extra hardware is available to supply one or more ports. (One port is enough since it can drive an expansion device to provide more.) There is also an expansion box available providing 3 USB ports, ports for keyboard and mouse, and a video output that could be used to drive a suitable TV display.

It might sound like a fair bit of messing around, but I reckon we've got the brightness problem solved with this one, after trying various 10" windows and android machines. These beasts retail for several thousand dollars, but it's worth watching ebay and other places for a second hand one - typically for two or three hundred dollars.

Cheers

John

J and V
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein

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Follow Up By: Member - lyndon NT - Sunday, Apr 12, 2015 at 10:19

Sunday, Apr 12, 2015 at 10:19

Hi John
Interesting set up you have there. From a brief look I can see why you use it in the cab. Seems they are all coming from O/S. Mainly France.
Just not sure if it's what the "missus" will want to slip into her bag when we go O/S this year :-).
I've yet to get into the whole out back mapping whilst on the move thing but will do so one day. Might even be able to use one of those in the boat.
What are they like on battery life? Do you run Ozi Explorer though it?
Seems like some I'm looking at on ebay have more ports than perhaps they used to.

Cheers

Lyndon

Now is the only time you own
Decide now what you will,
Place faith not in tomorrow
For the clock may then be still

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Follow Up By: Member - John and Val - Sunday, Apr 12, 2015 at 13:26

Sunday, Apr 12, 2015 at 13:26

Hi Lyndon,

You've been googling! I see there is a Motion Computing CL900 on ebay at the moment. Ours is the MC-F5, which has no USB port. The CL900 does have one, which would make it much more attractive. A CL900 with the optional gps and running OziExplorer would be my pick for outback Australia. It is not though something for milady's handbag.

I should have mentioned - the brighter screen overcomes some of the problems of operating in a bright environment. These problems though arise mainly from screen reflectance. A low reflectance screen such as that in the Motion Computing machines is great outdoors. Most of the tablets have highly reflective screens and are a pain to use outdoors.

We have used other 10" windows PCs with gps and low reflectance screens for years and the one downside has always been lack of brightness. Haven't yet used the MC tablet in the vehicle ( recent acquisition) but it should be very good. Ours will run at high brightness for at least 3 hours on the internal battery, but they take a standard 19V laptop power supply to run from the vehicle 12V electrics, so operating time in a vehicle is really no problem.

For handbag use I think I'd look for a 4.5" or 5" gps equipped smartphone (from ~$100).

Cheers

John

J and V
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein