Apple's iPad helps budget airline cut 2 tons of TVs

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 41
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    nagromme wrote: »
    I’m not sure they were using the best TVs for an airplane installation.

    They might have been old ones. They did say it was a budget airline, they might have been whatever was on the plane when they were bought on the used market. Being that they're certified for in-seat installation, they might have a lot of extra structure just to install them.
    dlux wrote: »
    The numbers simply don't work. 4000 pounds?!? The seat-back screens weigh, at most, 2x an iPad (remember that they don't need to include batteries) and even if you tally up all the cabling and centralized A/V equipment, I just don't see the equivalent of four fully-populated equipment racks hiding somewhere in a plane just to provide entertainment.

    (Maybe if they include a bank of Wurlitzer jukeboxes full of vinyl providing the audio...)

    What about the weight of the wiring?
    tylerk36 wrote: »
    On another note.  How do they prevent iPads from becoming lost on the flight.  People trying to steal them.  I didn't read in the article on how security measures were gonna prevent attempted thefts as the iPad doesn't have a security port for being tethered.

    Maybe they require a credit card. They probably would also collect them all before opening the doors.
  • Reply 22 of 41
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,403member
    tylerk36 wrote: »
    Also how is that name pronounced?  Pte's means Pete's?

    'Pte' means 'private' as in 'privately held.' Thats the acronym used in Singapore.
  • Reply 23 of 41
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,403member
    jeffdm wrote: »
    Maybe they require a credit card. They probably would also collect them all before opening the doors.

    Yes. You have turn off all electronics in the last twenty minutes of the flight. They likely collect them like they do with headphones.
  • Reply 24 of 41
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,403member
    aia wrote: »
    Yes, the 40% increase in seating capacity also looked suspicious to me. But it's actually plausible - have a look at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_777#Specifications

    Wouldn't getting rid of first/business class seats add quite a few economy seats?

    Edit: Just noticed that they still have business class seats.
  • Reply 25 of 41
    jukesjukes Posts: 213member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Aizmov View Post



    It's a toy

    It will flop

    It is not a PC

    People don't want tablets



    Did I miss anything? image





    The iPad is a huge part of my life it feels as if I always had an iPad.


     


    My iPad has completely failed to replace my MacBook Pro in my life. For me it's a waste of money. I think the place that iPads shine is not for personal use, but for professional use like the one described here. It's particularly interesting in collaborative settings, like displaying medical imaging or architecture, etc.


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by nvidia2008 View Post


    Next up, iPad to replace... (already happening)...


     


    DSC03045.JPG



     


    This is a thing of beauty.

  • Reply 26 of 41
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    So those in eco class that could enjoy the tv have now to pay an additionnal cost? I must be misunderstanding.
  • Reply 27 of 41
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    jfanning wrote: »
    So they are reducing fuel costs, and then charging the passengers more to rent the iPad? So just a money making scheme

    I suppose airlines are supposed to be charities? Of course it's a money making scheme.
    clemynx wrote: »
    So those in eco class that could enjoy the tv have now to pay an additionnal cost? I must be misunderstanding.

    Have you not been following air travel for the past decade or so? They're charging for all sorts of things that used to be free. Just a few examples:
    - Checked bags
    - Snacks in Coach
    - Heck, some airlines are charging more for more comfortable seats, etc.
  • Reply 28 of 41
    john evosjohn evos Posts: 12member


    Total weight removed from all aircraft in the fleet....not one aircraft


    Great idea......

  • Reply 29 of 41
    aaarrrggghaaarrrgggh Posts: 1,609member
    Here is a seat map of Singapore's configuration:
    http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Singapore_Air/Singapore_Air_Boeing_777-300ER.php

    Notably, business drops down from ~20 rows of 8 wide beds to ~4 rows presumably with seats.

    Economy goes from 3-3-3 with a 32" pitch to 3-4-3 with a 31" pitch.

    Seating is still within the original exiting certification.
  • Reply 30 of 41
    jhromerorjhromeror Posts: 46member


    The % of weight lost must be based on the options you can install, not the full weight of the aircraft. 

  • Reply 31 of 41
    zoetmbzoetmb Posts: 2,654member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Dlux View Post


    The numbers simply don't work. 4000 pounds?!? The seat-back screens weigh, at most, 2x an iPad (remember that they don't need to include batteries) and even if you tally up all the cabling and centralized A/V equipment, I just don't see the equivalent of four fully-populated equipment racks hiding somewhere in a plane just to provide entertainment.


     


    (Maybe if they include a bank of Wurlitzer jukeboxes full of vinyl providing the audio...)



    I agree.   Also, how does removing whatever entertainment system you currently have give you 40% more passenger room?     A typical Boeing 777 holds 300 passengers.    Now it holds 420 because they're using iPads?   That makes no sense.      Besides, if they added another 120 passengers at 150 pounds each, that's adding another 9 tons, so they're definitely not saving any fuel.   


     


    It's nice that they're using iPads and I hope it does provide some environmental or cost-savings benefits, but the numbers quoted are ridiculous.  

  • Reply 32 of 41
    jbanksjbanks Posts: 5member


    strange.... i thought ipad's are actually quite heavy. hundreds of them compared to 5 flatscreen TV's...? how can that be lighter?

     

  • Reply 33 of 41
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jbanks View Post

    strange.... i thought ipad's are actually quite heavy. hundreds of them compared to 5 flatscreen TV's...? how can that be lighter?


     


    Because it's not 5 flatscreen TVs… It's hundreds of 1990s touchscreen panels built into the back of each seat.

  • Reply 34 of 41

    Quote:


    So they are reducing fuel costs, and then charging the passengers more to rent the iPad? So just a money making scheme



     


    It is a business. That's their responsibility. You are not entitled to every cent saved. The shareholders are. 

  • Reply 35 of 41
    zoetmbzoetmb Posts: 2,654member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jukes View Post


     


    My iPad has completely failed to replace my MacBook Pro in my life. For me it's a waste of money. I think the place that iPads shine is not for personal use, but for professional use like the one described here. It's particularly interesting in collaborative settings, like displaying medical imaging or architecture, etc.


     


     


     



     


    An iPad was not meant to replace a MacBook Pro - what makes you think it ever would?    The only possible exception is for people who only consume content, rather than create it.    The iPad is great as an e-book reader, browsing the web, Facebook, Tweeting, simple photography processing, watching videos, email if you only write back short responses, playing simple games, etc.    It's not for people who are writing novels, creating complex spreadsheets, working on multiple applications at once, doing page-layout or programming, etc., etc.      It was never intended to be.    It was intended to be a very portable adjunct to your machine at home in the case where the iPhone wasn't enough because of power and/or screen size.     Everyone I know who has the iPad loves it.   But they love it for what it was intended to be and that was not a computer replacement except in a few cases. 

  • Reply 36 of 41
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by zoetmb View Post

    The only possible exception is for people who only consume content, rather than create it.


     


    And even that's not true, so… 


     


    Quote:


    It's not for people who are writing novels, creating complex spreadsheets, working on multiple applications at once, doing page-layout or programming, etc., etc.      It was never intended to be.



     


    Which explains the apps that let you do just this, of course.

  • Reply 37 of 41
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,403member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by zoetmb View Post

    Besides, if they added another 120 passengers at 150 pounds each, that's adding another 9 tons, so they're definitely not saving any fuel. 


    I think the 'weight' being talked about refers to the non-revenue-producing kind.

  • Reply 38 of 41
    29922992 Posts: 202member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by nvidia2008 View Post


     


    TUB-based indeed. Like a big honking tub of junk.


     


    Next up, iPad to replace... (already happening)...


     


    DSC03045.JPG


     


    And, well, words defy me.


     


    TiTON_IRONMAN_Final_05.jpg



    (cathode ray) tube. Happy now?! :)

  • Reply 39 of 41
    bigdaddypbigdaddyp Posts: 811member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    I've been taking Amtrak when feasible. The cost is less than fuel for my car, I get large seats even in the unreserved section that rivals any first/business class airline, there are power outlets at nearly every seat, and often free WiFi, but one of the best things is that I can arrive 5 minutes before it leaves and still have 5 minutes to spare.

    When he head up North to visit family it breaks down like this. Car-14 hrs. Plane 3 hrs flight, 4 hrs delay, 2 hrs minimum to deal with the Tsa goons and cost about 4x the cost of car travel. Amtrak is almost 3 days To go 900 miles. So you can probably guess which one we use.

    On the plus side the minivan now has an iPad based intertainment system, iPad-Tomtom based navigation system, and inflight Internet provided by iPhone tethering. Funnily enough the 3 iPads weigh about a quarter of what the old DVD system did.
  • Reply 40 of 41
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post





    I suppose airlines are supposed to be charities? Of course it's a money making scheme.

     


     


    Do you have an issue?  This is just a price increase and it is being promoted as progress, and it is good?

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