Surface Pro 3 for pilots

For any fellow Microsoft enthusiasts out there:

http://winsupersite.com/mobile-devices/surface-pro-3-now-qualified-pilots

I bought a Surface for my wife when the first came out and will order Pro for myself before the end of the year.

I'm not an Apple fan!

Delta decided unlike almost every other airline to go with the surface. They have been sitting in a warehouse for almost a year. The FAA will not grant final approval because the software is not stable enough with to many crashes. Each month they tell us that next month they will be shipped. Some pilots are calling it the Ma?ana pad!

George

I can attest that the Surface is not a stable platform. I own a Surface III and have to do a hard reset virtually every day.

I can't recall the last time I did a hard reset on my iPad.

On the other side of the coin, I have an original Surface Pro from launch day that works flawlessly as my laptop replacement. I got the USB GPS for it but up until now no one made aviation software for it. Since I have a Garmin 900X going in my RV-10, I queried Garmin and was told they have no plans for a Windows version of their software. Ditto Foreflight. I have no use for an iPad, not because it's a bad device but I need something multi-role for teaching Computer Science, so I was kind of resigned to not having an EFB even after the Surface came out. This gives me new hope; Jepp is not my first choice but maybe Garmin will come around now.

Edit: by the way, comparing the iPad and a Surface is comparing apples (sorry, pun not intended) and oranges. The iPad has a limited OS, which DOES make it more stable than a laptop with an open OS like OSX or Windows. The point of the Surface Pro is to fill the niche between tablet and laptop; as such it is prone to many of the same troubles that laptops fall to, though my particular machine has escaped those dramas partly because I have experience in dealing with software compatibility issues. For me, it's a perfect laptop replacement but if a tablet is what you want, I'll be the first to advise you that it's too much/too expensive for you.

flion said:

no one made aviation software for it.

Click to expand...

Anywhere map pro works on surface. I do not have a surface but have read it works on the surface.

I've had good success running Jeppesen FliteDeck on a PC laptop with a bluetooth Garmin GPS 10. A laptop is too much of a space hog in an RV so maybe the Surface addresses that space issue better.

I think we need to wait for the Surface Pro Mini

Looks like the size of this unit is about 8x11.5
I could do 5 or 6 by 8, but this will be too big in the RV
At least that's what I'm thinking
RV-4 n8zd
Ron

I started out with v1 of the Surface Pro - in fact i am typing on it right now. It's smaller than the new Surface Pro 3, and is in effect the mini version. You will have the added advantage of saving boatloads of money, now that there are newer and shinier versions. I can't be the only person who plans to sell their v1...

Yes, the new version is more powerful; however at least the high-end of the v1 lineup will run flight apps all day long without breaking a sweat.

The new Surface still does not have an internal GPS. An external GPS device can be purchased and plugged in to the USB port. It reportedly works well with MS Maps.
No Foreflight, WingX nor Garmin Pilot apps exist for the Surface.

a core i7 processor and all that ram and storage.....for charts?


such overkill, and the weight and power consumption/heat.....no thanks

i LOVE my surface2 pro, and my mini iPad, each serves its purpose

Overkill if that is all you do with it, but I use mine for EVERYTHING. I don't need a tablet because it is one; I don't need a laptop because it is one; I don't need a fancy cell phone because it can Skype. In tablet mode, I don't notice a lot of power consumption; I typically get 4-5 hours, which is longer than I typically fly. I also have a 12V outlet in my RV and an adapter for charging in use. And for the couple of replies about the lack of internal GPS, I'd rather have the external for better reception (I can place the external unit in a good location while the tablet may not be ideally placed if I am using it). Also, the external option lets me use the ADS-B/GPS combo that I don't think any tablet has built in. Again, not trying to sell this but pointing out that some of the arguments are not necessarily deal-breakers.

gps on a windows tablet

Patrick...what software is available for GPS in the cockpit? I know Fore flight and Garmin Pilot aren't windows based.
Ron

If I can also answer, Seattle Avionics Voyager runs on the Surface Pro. I have had good past (pre Pro) experience with them, although there was some trash talk from Fan Boys recently regarding the offering. See http://seattleavionics.com/Voyager.aspx

GPS data can be acquired from virtually any serial, USB, or Bluetooth source. Only caveat is that the Pro, like many newer computers, does not have a serial port -- so you'd need a serial-to-USB adapter.

patterson said:

Patrick...what software is available for GPS in the cockpit? I know Fore flight and Garmin Pilot aren't windows based.
Ron

Click to expand...

I use AviationSafety on my Surface Pro II and it's a versitle program and does a great job with IFR approaches although it doesn't Geolocate the approach on the plate.

http://aviationsafety.com/