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pa_traveler's avatar
pa_traveler
Explorer
Nov 22, 2013

Apps for I-Pad

Just purchased first I-Pad air. Downloaded Allstays camp n rv. Thinking about streets and maps or streets and trips?I think that's what it is,any suggestions on which is a good driving gps type app? Also any favorite sites or apps maybe star watching or hiking ,or topo map app. Possibly a couple favorite games? Really anything that is interesting thanks ,prefer to go with a few suggestions. Any suggestion for all campgrounds from free to pay ect. Boondocking apps?
  • Thanks all good suggestions,will be adding some. This is new to me ,since I still own a flip phone. But its amazing everything that's on there,just trying to find way around it,and adding interesting apps. Next phone will be up to date technology. I like Allstays camp n rv and google maps. Now to add some others.
  • If you aren't already using it, Gas Buddy is a great phone app you can use on iPad, too, for finding fuel locations and their recent prices. Has saved us many $$$$. It works because users all over the country take a few seconds and update the price whenever and wherever they fuel up.

    I like Weatherbug for checking conditions. You can enter the name of the next town you can to stop and view the forecast, see radar. Quicker than some of the fancier weather apps.

    You can also easily create your own apps ( on iPad, assuming same is true with yours.). If you have a favorite web site like a forum that you view often, just click the box with an arrow at the top of the screen. Press "add to home screen" and you have your own app to go there instantly.
  • I've installed Google Maps (what Apple formerly used) and find I am using it more often then Apple's mapping and routing system.

    If you like Garmin or Tom Tom approaches to mapping and routing, those are both available for purchase as iOS apps, though they work best with 3g or 4g phone connections.

    I've also installed City Maps to Go and a topographic maps app that maintain map data on the device, for reference when I don't have a connection. And the National Geographic World Atlas, and several collections of historical maps.

    DeLorme and Microsoft have not ported their mapping applications to iOS, nor to Android or any other mobile or tablet OS since DeLorme stopped supporting the defunct PalmOS and Microsoft gave up on the Pocket PC version.

    Astronomy, I like Sky Safari Lite, though I also have Stars and Planet Finder (and a dozen other astronomy apps I don't use much, like one for the Hubble and another for pulling current images from a solar telescope).

    I don't try to use a tablet or smartphone as a navigation device while driving, as the displays are not really designed for the lighting evironment of an auto interior in daylight. Considering the limitations of the GPS receivers in these devices, if they even have them, and the cist of a good navigation app, I find it more cost efffective to just buy a low end dedicated GPS navigation device.

    There are tens of thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of apps in the App Store. The shopping interface shows you only a few hundred of the most popular in your market, by categories. You can shop more of them using iTunes from a computer. I started out using a function called Genius on my Touch, it found 100+ Apps fitting my tastes, and I haven't bought much since the first six months on each device. Genius seemed to disappear from the iPad with one of the OS updates, maybe to iOS 7.
  • The Maps app from apple is pre-loaded on there and you can use it to navigate. We have used Waze which tracks as you drive and uses info from others using the app to assess traffic conditions ahead and re-route and warn you. It also alerts you to cops and cars on the side of the road reported by other Wazers and as a Wazer, your passenger can report those things as you drive by. Another cool feature is you can share your trip, so if you are meeting up with others they can follow the link you send them and see where you are and when you are expected to arrive.

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