smoke wrote:
After watching the interview a second time, it appears as if the tablet users will be getting a huge upgrade - looks neat!
The 740 users, on the other hand, appear to be left behind.
I use the 740 because of 3 very important reasons.
1. NMEA output to drive my autopilot
2. Sunlight readability in a bubble canopy (RV8)
3. Reliability... it does not shutdown due to high temperatures in the summertime.
Where does this leave us 740 users?
Thanks!
As stated in the video, the 740 (and 720 and 700) will be supported indefinitely, meaning that data subscriptions will be maintained and bug fixes will be implemented. Anyone who wants to keep using their dedicated iFly device can certainly do so, probably until the device simply dies of old age rather than because AP stops supporting it. Even tablet or phone users who prefer to keep using the iFlyGPS software they know and love today can continue to use that same software indefinitely, along with the 7xx users.
But also as stated in the video, the limitations of that platform were restricting AP's ability to modernize the software and continue to add features. It was the "lowest common denominator" that Walter mentioned, and it was becoming a liability in attracting new customers.
Re: your 3 points:
- NMEA output is a compelling reason to use iFly, and while the 7xx devices are currently the only way to get that capability, I think I remember hearing either in the video or on these forums (or both?) that AP is working to partner with another hardware vendor to add that capability to tablet devices, so there's reason to be optimistic there. Certainly AP is aware that that feature is a marketing bonus for them, so it seems unlikely that they'd just completely give that up.
- The 1000-nit display on the 740 and its matte surface really help with sunlight-readability, for sure. But in most cockpits, this is less important than it was in the early days of tablets. Early tablets had 100-300 nit displays, but current gen tablets typically have displays in the 500-1000 nit range, so the difference in brightness is no longer as great as it used to be. My Tab S6 is rated at 500 nits which sounds way worse than the 740, but in practice I don't have any problem viewing the screen in my Chrerokee cockpit, unless the sun is at an angle where it shines directly on it (early morning or late evening, coming through the window over-the-shoulder), and that hardly ever happens. When it does, shading the display with my hand is an adequate workaround. Maybe it's a different story for bubble-canopy aircraft...but even so, I know a couple of bubble-canopy pilots who fly with iPads, and they're able to see the screens (and use their tablets without them getting too hot and shutting down), so apparently it can be done.
- Tablet device shutdowns due to overheating, in my experience, is an overexaggerated concern. Perhaps there are devices out there that are susceptible--I've heard lots of complaints about older iPads, for example. But I've been using Android tablets for 8 years in the Texas Gulf coast heat and have never experienced a thermal shutdown. That includes an Asus Nexus 7 (2013), a Samsung Tab S2, an Asus Zenpad 3S 10, and a Samsung Tab S6. I still carry my 720 in my flight bag as a backup-to-my-backup-to-my-backup, but aside from powering it up every few months to make sure it still works, I haven't had any reason to turn it on. (I do remove my tablets from the cockpit when parked on the ramp on sunny summer days, and reinstall them when I'm ready to start up for departure.)
I'm not trying to argue that the 7xx devices should be abandoned, either by AP or by the users who love their 7xxs, but it's clear that there's been a cost to AP's ability to innovate and add features as long as they stay tied to a codebase that supports those older devices. AP has felt increasingly constrained by the 7xx devices as time marches on. At the same time, their user base has incresingly shifted toward iOS/Android/Windows PC users rather than 7xx users. It's not surprising that they feel the need to correspondingly shift their resources and development efforts to favor the platforms that most of their users are using, especially in light of feedback from potential customers who have chosen other platforms in part because they perceived the iFly user interface to be dated (again, primarily because of limitations imposed by the 7xx devices). I think AP has charted a reasonable path by stating their intention to continue to support the 7xx devices with data and bug fixes to keep them useable for as long as the user community wants to keep them.