I just found the following story about the move from paper to tablet and thought it would be an interesting read for my fellow pretend captains! http://www.denverpos...ess/ci_18743896 I myself have had no desire for the iPad or any tablet, but when I found about about the recent fire sale for the discontinued HP Touchpad, I just suddenly had the urge to pull the trigger and buy one, as $99 for a $399 tablet is the bargain of a lifetime! But alas, it appears they are all sold out.....that ship has sailed. A tablet for me is not a necessity , but a huge convienience. All I need is the access to the web or email, I could care less about apps or other quirks as they relate to the HP platform vs. the competition. It would have been handy for perusing add-on aircraft manuals that I usually waste paper and toner on printing, or possibly using as a touchscreen monitor to access as a FMC!! Has anyone here managed to snag one at the bargain price?

thanks for the link. I always take my iPad with me when i go fly. The www offers a wealth of approach/ departure/ navigation charts if you're willing to spend some time google-searching. all for free. no need for an app really. a great way to kill time during the cruise phase of the flight. Make sure you set the NGX up with antenna before taking off so you have internet connection during the flight :)

LOL, thank goodness for a multitasking OS, I have no need to use a tablet during cruise as I can just simply switch to Firefox when I'm bored in cruise. But there is value in having ready, at a glance access to charts while in FSX, and for that an iPAD or a laptop is valuable. I'm thinking I may at least get a cheap laptop in the future, it's just that the tablet is light and just right for what I need it to do, simple browsing. I'm really kicking myself for not taking advantage of the HP sale, sure I can get a used laptop for $99 but it ain't as sexy and easy to use as the touchpad.

I have had conversations with people over the last year that said the same thing. They don't need it, it's just a big phone, it can't do this or that... But I chuckle as everyone one of those people that said that to me have now bought one and can't live without it. I'll even admit, I was months into the development of FS Kneeboard before I finally bought an iPad. When I bought it, I kicked myself for not getting one sooner. Fell right in love.

well I was just pondering, a real EFB would probably cost may be US$ 10K atleast, runs linux and windows simultaneously, keeps crashing sometimes on some applications, sloppy touch screen (yeah specially once you've use ipad's), it had multi touch pinch zoom before until a law suit three years back to get it removed. Now comes Apple iPad at $ 499 a piece, is more lighter, faster, smoother and capable than the real a/c EFB for its functions, technology grows amazingly fast, aside Jepp FD, its more than capable of running the additional applications a real EFB runs...

I recommend FSKneeboard for people flying in the US!

I managed to snag two Touchpads during last weekend's madness... Hoping to snag a few more as the last of the inventory dries up (they make great gifts and have pretty decent resale value too!). I haven't tried it as a kneeboard yet (have a second monitor for charts/checklists/other stuff), but having a dedicated checklist screen would be nice. I should put some velcro on the back and try it out! :)

I recommend FSKneeboard for people flying in the US!

+1 But only one issue I have with FSKneeboard is when I put my smart cover in the stand up position FSKneeboard doesn't tilt!!