Who can tell me how the iPad's GPS accesses information. Is it directly from a satellite or do you need internet access? I'm planning to get one and one major use will be GPS info in remote locations. Thanks
carp
Dino's are Babe magnets
Registered: 04/19/02
Posts: 27016
Loc: Hawaii
Sean is pretty much spot on , I would not take an iPhone to climb Mt Everest but its okay for 3G and around cell towers .
However like any (True GPS) device don't stake your life on that either . I mean if the batteries go dead or it breaks some how , ya might be stuck in middle of no where completely lost . Always back up with a map a compass and a good plotter <-- assuming thats what you meant by Remote Locations ?
six_of_one
Pool Bar
Registered: 04/19/02
Posts: 3885
Loc: Alexandria, VA
I will third this: the GPS functionality is useless without a 3G connection. There's a reason "GPS" is only available on the 3G versions of the iPad and iPhones. Fairly disappointing, actually ...
Definitely don't take it up Everest - the battery life in that cold will be severely shortened, and the touch screen will take the ends off your fingers like a tongue on a railroad track .
_________________________ If it's brokenless, don't suffix it...
Well, that's pretty disappointing. I thought the newest iphone (and hopefully, the iPad) had "enhanced GPS" which I understood to be true GPS with supplemental cell tower reckoning. I guess map and compass will have to do. :-) To be honest, I'm not sure I'd carry any such electronic device when weight was at a premium anyway.
The new iPhone has a built in GPS chip. From my understanding with the TomTom software for it, it's a purchase, it works well, except for draining the battery quickly and making the phone hot enough to fry an egg.
Without the software it uses triangulation plus satellites, it gets you close. I don't think theTomTom software uses triangulation, just GPS satellites, but it's more accurate I assume.
Googled " iPad GPS" and found these below. In summary: the iPad 3G has a GPS chip which works independently of cell towers and WiFi. It works pretty well (?) though not as fast as the combo of chip and towers.
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