No USB ports on Ipad!
in [Mac Systems]
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From: nospam on 27 Mar 2010 23:20 In article <4baec6e0$0$13586$c3e8da3(a)news.astraweb.com>, JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot(a)vaxination.ca> wrote: > >> There is no GPS on the iPAd either. > > > > there is on the 3g model. > > I called Apple specifically on this. Posed the question: If I am in the > arctic, where there is no Wi-Fi or 3G signals at all, which device will > give me the correct location, and the answer (after the person consulted > their experts (took a number of minutes): ONLY the iphone 3GS (and > emphasis on the 3GS, not the 3G) would do that, and they confirmed that > the iPAD will be like iphone touch with only the "assisted" portion (3gf > and wi-fi triangulation). that's incorrect. > Apple's web site is very vague with this, yet this is quite important if > you need a real GPS since the ipodtouch is useless as a GPS when you are > outside of developped areas. what's vague? it says 'assisted gps' and that's a well defined term. the ipad has an assisted gps which means real gps + assistance from the cell/wifi network. the ipod touch doesn't have *any* gps, so it's not surprising that it would be useless when used as such (although if it's near a wifi network that's in skyhook's database, it's frighteningly accurate). > If the 3g ipAd does have a real GPS chipset in it, perhaps the apple > reps will evejtually be trained to know this. But as of 2 weeks ago, > they were trained to say that only the iphone 3GS has a real GPS > chip/antenna in it. then they were wrong. not the first time. > > nope. the iphones also have an assisted gps > > correct. If they are able to obtain location via the assisted one (Wi-Fi > or 3G, they can turn off the GPS chip and extend battery lifetime. But > when there is no wi-fi or 3g, they can rely on a real GPS inside. Other > devices than the iphone 3GS can't. what happens is the gps looks for satellites but it needs to know roughly where they are (or it will take a *really* long time). a rough location is found via the cell network, speeding up the time to get a full gps fix. if there's no cell network, it just takes longer. thus, it's assisted. > > that's what people don't seem to get. it's not supposed to fit all > > needs. it's supposed to do some things really well. > > Yes, that was the argument made by our fearless spiritual/religion > leader when the product was announced. But the argument can be made that > instead of having a device which is excellent at a few things but can't > do the rest at all, it might be better to have a device which is "just" > good at many things. different people have different needs. apparently people can't accept that. > It is quite possible that the market is large enough for both the > restricted but most excellent IPaD *and* the lower quality but more > versatile netbooks. of course it is. nobody said otherwise. > Which is why it surprises me to see so many people try to pooh pooh the > iPAd with so much energy. because they're jealous and have nothing better to do. if you can't figure out what to use it for, don't buy one. very simple. > Yeah, Apple has a loyal base of followers. > But the market as a whole doesn't just blindly by anything with a > lighted Apple logo on it. what's even more amusing is that if someone *else* made one just like it, nobody would care. look how many people are bitching about microsoft and their apps store. none. in a year or two other companies will have something similar to the ipad and people will be bragging how fantastic it is, but when apple does it, it sucks.
From: Alan Baker on 27 Mar 2010 23:26 In article <270320102320324267%nospam(a)nospam.invalid>, nospam <nospam(a)nospam.invalid> wrote: > > correct. If they are able to obtain location via the assisted one (Wi-Fi > > or 3G, they can turn off the GPS chip and extend battery lifetime. But > > when there is no wi-fi or 3g, they can rely on a real GPS inside. Other > > devices than the iphone 3GS can't. > > what happens is the gps looks for satellites but it needs to know > roughly where they are (or it will take a *really* long time). a rough > location is found via the cell network, speeding up the time to get a > full gps fix. if there's no cell network, it just takes longer. thus, > it's assisted. I'm sorry, but the idea that gps has to "look for satellites" is utter nonsense. There is a constellation of 24 GPS satellites to guarantee that there are at least 4 (IIRC) satellites above the horizon at all times. Knowing roughly it is doesn't give a GPS receiver any information which will help it "find" those satellites. -- Alan Baker Vancouver, British Columbia <http://gallery.me.com/alangbaker/100008/DSCF0162/web.jpg>
From: nospam on 27 Mar 2010 23:43 In article <alangbaker-9D0CA2.20264327032010(a)news.shawcable.com>, Alan Baker <alangbaker(a)telus.net> wrote: > I'm sorry, but the idea that gps has to "look for satellites" is utter > nonsense. no it isn't nonsense at all. > There is a constellation of 24 GPS satellites to guarantee that there > are at least 4 (IIRC) satellites above the horizon at all times. right, but it has to know *which* ones those are, otherwise it will think you are somewhere you aren't. > Knowing roughly it is doesn't give a GPS receiver any information which > will help it "find" those satellites. yes it does. more information here: <http://gpsinformation.net/main/almanac.txt> with assisted gps, ephemeris data can be sent over the cell network, in addition to a general location, speeding up the time for first fix.
From: MuahMan on 27 Mar 2010 23:46 On Mar 27, 11:26 pm, Alan Baker <alangba...(a)telus.net> wrote: > In article <270320102320324267%nos...(a)nospam.invalid>, > > nospam <nos...(a)nospam.invalid> wrote: > > > correct. If they are able to obtain location via the assisted one (Wi-Fi > > > or 3G, they can turn off the GPS chip and extend battery lifetime. But > > > when there is no wi-fi or 3g, they can rely on a real GPS inside. Other > > > devices than the iphone 3GS can't. > > > what happens is the gps looks for satellites but it needs to know > > roughly where they are (or it will take a *really* long time). a rough > > location is found via the cell network, speeding up the time to get a > > full gps fix. if there's no cell network, it just takes longer. thus, > > it's assisted. > > I'm sorry, but the idea that gps has to "look for satellites" is utter > nonsense. > > There is a constellation of 24 GPS satellites to guarantee that there > are at least 4 (IIRC) satellites above the horizon at all times. > > Knowing roughly it is doesn't give a GPS receiver any information which > will help it "find" those satellites. > > -- > Alan Baker > Vancouver, British Columbia > <http://gallery.me.com/alangbaker/100008/DSCF0162/web.jpg> LOL Use a GPS lately?
From: Alan Baker on 27 Mar 2010 23:46
In article <270320102343025251%nospam(a)nospam.invalid>, nospam <nospam(a)nospam.invalid> wrote: > In article <alangbaker-9D0CA2.20264327032010(a)news.shawcable.com>, Alan > Baker <alangbaker(a)telus.net> wrote: > > > I'm sorry, but the idea that gps has to "look for satellites" is utter > > nonsense. > > no it isn't nonsense at all. > > > There is a constellation of 24 GPS satellites to guarantee that there > > are at least 4 (IIRC) satellites above the horizon at all times. > > right, but it has to know *which* ones those are, otherwise it will > think you are somewhere you aren't. > > > Knowing roughly it is doesn't give a GPS receiver any information which > > will help it "find" those satellites. > > yes it does. > > more information here: > > <http://gpsinformation.net/main/almanac.txt> > > with assisted gps, ephemeris data can be sent over the cell network, in > addition to a general location, speeding up the time for first fix. Sorry, but no. Ephemeris data is information about the *satellites'* positions. And your reference doesn't mention anything about cell networks, or "general location". -- Alan Baker Vancouver, British Columbia <http://gallery.me.com/alangbaker/100008/DSCF0162/web.jpg> |