Great idea, free wireless streaming ipads on planes

[tescorank]

Just thought what a good idea and the way forward as I imagine that seat back systems must cost alot to install, be heavy and cost fortunes to repair wheras a £200 ipad chucked in the back of seats,with a bulk set up to lovefilms etc.

I mean why put built in seatback dvd's in a car at a grand or two when you can put a couple of ipads in the back

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/wireless-...

[ViperDave]

Probably more of a marketing stunt than a proper attempt to replace IFE with ipads, I bet in reality a plane full of ipads will cause more trouble in the long run than dedicated IFE and once the viral Iphoria has died down they will quietly disappear from the few aircraft they were installed on, probably along with the outdated 767s themselves.

Is an ipad sufficiently durable to stand up to 20 hours a day 7 days a week of use by people with no investment in its well-being and longevity, after all its essentially a domestic product with a less than a year life-cycle/obsolescence

[tescorank]

costs of systems

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-flight_entertainme...

looks like $10,000 a seat, so that buys a lot of ipads

plus the weight of each seatback system must add to fuel costs.

[steveo3002]

wonder how they stop them being stolen

will be trampled on and caked in food and drink in no time i expect

[tescorank]

steveo3002 said:

wonder how they stop them being stolen

will be trampled on and caked in food and drink in no time i expect

With the same cable that ties them down in retail shops or chips in them that activate buzzer at door-simple!-another advantage is you don't have to swap out a chair/head unit if it goes wrong..which I imagine must cost lots....

seems a lot of doom and anti progress on this thread, as a person who travels at least 4 long haul flights a month I can only think it's a good idea.

Edited by tescorank on Saturday 16th March 10:35

[steveo3002]

no doom from me , i would enjoy using it , but seeing the way alot of people abuse the interior of a aircraft i cant see them lasting

[ViperDave]

Is it really progress though or just a publicity bodge to get IFE on an aircraft from a time when single screens or drop down tv's were the norm.

Personally I'd prefer a proper solution mounted to the seat so i don't have to hold it/prop it on my lap or put the table out to watch a film. This is just a bodge to get away from central screens and loop films on old aircraft. Just because it has an i in front of it doesn't make it automatically a better solution or progress.

[LuS1fer]

They'd get nicked.

[Nickyboy]

I think you'll find they will still be attached to the seat like they are now, i can see them being anywhere else

[steveo3002]

Nickyboy said:

I think you'll find they will still be attached to the seat like they are now, i can see them being anywhere else

would make sense if they are , can be on charge all the time too , i hate using them for any amount of time having to balance it or prop it up

[LuS1fer]

Pricey every time the Apple battery dies though.

[DangerMonkey]

swerni said:

Or just have a high speed wireless network and you can bring your own device.

This is the future