Apple iPad to kill in-flight movies: Jetstar

[ric_melb]

Maybe I am just cantankerous late at night, but this Jetstar guy seems to be talking out of the top of his head. As if one gadget alone that is not even on the market is going to change the world. After all there are many alternatives already to the iPad, but many flyers would prefer to watch airline provided entertainment. Maybe in 10 years?

 

[browski]

Excuse my ignorance but I was under the impression that JQ, DJ and TT had no free IFE.

Is this incorrect?
What would there be to kill off?

 

[samh004]

Excuse my ignorance but I was under the impression that JQ, DJ and TT had no free IFE.

Is this incorrect?
What would there be to kill off?

I guess they’re looking to kill off the video-on-demand units, as carrying a load of them on each flight must add some weight. They also have overhead TV’s spaced throughout the aircraft, so maybe they don’t want to pay for TV programs anymore.

 

[JohnK]

Does anyone at Jetstar actually think before making a public statement?

Of course, all Jetstar's passengers will be proud owners of iPad's. I think not.

Regardless of whether one owns an iPod, iPad or whatever other silly gadget Apple decides to market does not mean that they will have one in their possession on all flights.

Some people like to go on holidays without unncessary gadgets and I prefer the airline to keep me entertained with their own IFE.

[Off-Topic]
By the way I think all Apple products have poxy names especially the iPad....
[/End Off-Topic]

 

[anat0l]

Three words for you JQ:

Get Over It

OK, another one: Sheesh


Look around you people - it's happening already and you can't stop it.

Some people don't travel with their own IFE and would like one; no idea on how successful JQ's VOD units are, but I can see JQ as the LCC who's too poor to have any IFE.


OTOH, aren't there a whole swath of European airlines (full and LCCs) which lack IFE?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

anat01

Some people don't travel with their own IFE and would like one; no idea on how successful JQ's VOD units are, but I can see JQ as the LCC who's too poor to have any IFE.

I'm sure they're successful for the 9 people who get the opportunity to rent one for the flight - shame about the other 168 who miss out. Apparently there's only a choice of 3 movies - BFD!

I'd get more excitement from re-reading their inflight magazine cover to cover.

Reminds me a bit of a South Park episode when it's Cartman's Birthday - I guess the current VOD unit is like the Yellow Megaman & the iPad is like the Ultra Mega Megaman.

Cartman: Now as you can see Kenny, you are to get me Yellow Megaman, that's because the Yellow Megaman is the cheapest one and I know how poor your family is. Anyway Kenny Yellow Megaman is only $8.95, so maybe your mom can put it on layaway and make payments in a year, or two.

Oz

 

[serfty]

http://www.jetstar.com/~/media/files/pdf/entertainment/videoondemand.ashx

This month one can choose from:

• Where the Wild Things Are
  PG 101mins
  Starring James Gandolfini,
  Max Records, Forest Whitaker
  Max runs away from home and
  travels to an imaginary world
  inhabited by strange creatures.
• Bright Star
  PG 119mins
  Starring Abbie Cornish,
  Ben Whishaw
  An unlikely romance inspires a
  poet’s work, but can love conquer all
  obstacles in their way?
• Kenny
  M 99mins
  Starring Shane Jacobson,
  Eve von Bibra
  Kenny Smyth is an unappreciated
  porta-loo delivery guy juggling life
  and sewage with charm and humour.
• Whip It !
  PG-13 110mins
  Starring Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore,
  Marcia Gay Harden
  A teenage girl escapes her small-town
  life and finds adventure when she
  joins the Roller Derby.
• Gentlemen Broncos
  PG-13 89mins
  Starring Michael Angarano,
  Jemaine Clement, Jennifer Coolidge
  A teenage writer’s story is stolen by a
  professional author and turned into a
  sci-fi novel and movie.
• Law Abiding Citizen
  R 108mins
  Available with Japanese subtitles
  Starring Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx
  A man decides to take justice into his
  own hands after his family’s killer is
  set free.
• Love Happens
  PG-13 109mins
  Available dubbed in Japanese
  Starring Jennifer Aniston,
  Aaron Eckhart
  A self-help guru falls for a florist —
  can they give love a second chance?
• Amelia
  PG 104mins
  Available in closed captions
  Starring Hilary Swank, Richard Gere
  Aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, set
  out to be the first person to fly solo
  around the world.

 

[Travel Guru]

Apple dont have the best battery technology in their products , I cannot see my 12" thinkpad that ran without a charge on a BNE-SYD-PER-BNE daytrip last week being replaced too soon, I got 12 hours of "work" from it and its only a 1.5CM thick.

Just wait until you've had it for 12 or 18 months and you cant even get from BNE to SYD without having to plug it in.

I've got the X61 and whilst a brilliant computer, the battery life after only 12 months was just abysmal, that was until I bought a new battery.

I honestly dont see one product killing off IFE, unless as has been said its such a shoddy offering as JQ currently has.

TG

 

[Flying Fox]

If someone takes one holiday a year on JQ, I can't see them buying an iPad to save $10 or whatever it is on renting a movie.

 

[simongr]

If someone takes one holiday a year on JQ, I can't see them buying an iPad to save $10 or whatever it is on renting a movie.

Ugh - noone is going to buy an iPad for their JQ flights - they will buy them because they are "cool" and use them instead of a DS or PSP in everyday life...

 

[serfty]

I can see it now:

iPad, the Cool Tool for those with big pockets ...

 

[markis10]

Just wait until you've had it for 12 or 18 months and you cant even get from BNE to SYD without having to plug it in.

I've got the X61 and whilst a brilliant computer, the battery life after only 12 months was just abysmal, that was until I bought a new battery.

I honestly dont see one product killing off IFE, unless as has been said its such a shoddy offering as JQ currently has.

TG

Thats my point about Apple, design overides function in that you cannot change what is a consumable item, the battery, with your X61 you have the choice of three batteries, with apple you dont. All batteries will fail over time, with the IPAD having a RRP of around $600 I doubt spare batteries will be a readily available part.

 

[simongr]

The iPad wont have a user changeable battery - that is guaranteed. It is also not a laptop replacement - in the same way that an Asus EEE PC is not a replacement for a Lenovo X301. Comparisons to laptop performance are a little pointless.

 

[samh004]

Thats my point about Apple, design overides function in that you cannot change what is a consumable item, the battery, with your X61 you have the choice of three batteries, with apple you dont. All batteries will fail over time, with the IPAD having a RRP of around $600 I doubt spare batteries will be a readily available part.

The design not to have a removable battery is functional in that it allows them to build a custom fit battery that they wouldn’t be able to had they needed to create a cavity where a replaceable battery would sit.

Everyone whines about the MacBook’s batteries not being replaceable, but they’re much bigger than they were because of that. It’s part of the design, not a fault.

 

[markis10]

The design not to have a removable battery is functional in that it allows them to build a custom fit battery that they wouldn’t be able to had they needed to create a cavity where a replaceable battery would sit.

Everyone whines about the MacBook’s batteries not being replaceable, but they’re much bigger than they were because of that. It’s part of the design, not a fault.

Did not say it was a fault, only that it impacts the TCO and contributes to a throw away mentality. Compare a Macbook Air with a Protege R600 and tell me its a design feature not to have a replaceable battery, absolute rubbish, its a feature purely to ensure the lifecycle of the device is shortened and the replacement cost of a new battery is better spent on a new device. I am also not suggesting the iPAD will replace notebooks, just has netpads have not replaced notebooks either.

 

[drewbles]

Did not say it was a fault, only that it impacts the TCO and contributes to a throw away mentality. Compare a Macbook Air with a Protege R600 and tell me its a design feature not to have a replaceable battery, absolute rubbish, its a feature purely to ensure the lifecycle of the device is shortened and the replacement cost of a new battery is better spent on a new device. I am also not suggesting the iPAD will replace notebooks, just has netpads have not replaced notebooks either.

The capacity of the non-user changeable batteries is significantly higher than the user changeable items of a competing PC product.

The Apple batteries in these devices have proven to be exceptional. And as for user-changeable? there's a few screws, whole case comes off, and you bang in a new battery. Sure, it's not the same as switch n go, but with higher capacity and longer cycle life, you don't need to as often either.

And if you don't use a laptop as a laptop, your battery will suffer. Classic example - my MacBook Pro (2008 so the changeable battery model). Got it in March 2008, and the battery is absolutely toasted. It's been used primarily as a desktop replacement, and has lived on a power cord for most its life. I can't get more than 90-100 minutes out of it (minimal screen and wifi on). My December 2007 Macbook, which has been used pretty much only as a laptop (and has a far higher cycle rate and health percentage) will still regularly get up to 2 hours in similar configuration.

When it comes time to buy a new notebook, the 'user changeable' issue is a moot point. Everyone coughed about it on the iPhone, and people certainly have had no problems with that. And with most a/c getting a/c (pun intended) in flight these days, it's becoming less of an issue.

*edit*
Just as an example, http://www.ifixit.com/MacBook-Parts/MacBook-Air-Mid-2009-Battery/IF188-044 shows you how accessible batteries are on the Mac range. ifixit.com has tear downs of every apple device, along with the parts/tools required if you so desire to purchase, to DIY.

 

[samh004]

Did not say it was a fault, only that it impacts the TCO and contributes to a throw away mentality. Compare a Macbook Air with a Protege R600 and tell me its a design feature not to have a replaceable battery, absolute rubbish, its a feature purely to ensure the lifecycle of the device is shortened and the replacement cost of a new battery is better spent on a new device. I am also not suggesting the iPAD will replace notebooks, just has netpads have not replaced notebooks either.

While the replacement battery has to be changed by Apple, it’s the same price as the older batteries that could be hot-swapped. $199. So it’s not like it would be cheaper to just throw the computer away and buy a new one!

 

[markis10]

The capacity of the non-user changeable batteries is significantly higher than the user changeable items of a competing PC product.

The Apple batteries in these devices have proven to be exceptional. And as for user-changeable? there's a few screws, whole case comes off, and you bang in a new battery. Sure, it's not the same as switch n go, but with higher capacity and longer cycle life, you don't need to as often either.

To go back to the comparison I made with the R600 vs the air (given we are talking similar profiles/weight to the iPAD):

Air: Capacity 5200mAh Avg Life 5 hrs Recharge Time 10 hours
R600: Capacity 5800mAh Avg Life 6 hrs Recharge Time 4.5 hrs

As you can see, using the Tosh R600 PA3612U-1BRS battery which is the standard in Oz you get a higher capacity, longer use and quicker recharge.

So you get higher capacity, quicker recharge and the ability to take two batteries for those long flights where there is no AC when compared to the Air, yet you have a laptop lighter than the air with that battery in at 1.1kgs? In the above case non user changable batteries appear to offer nothing other than a slick bottom!

 

[drewbles]

To go back to the comparison I made with the R600 vs the air (given we are talking similar profiles/weight to the iPAD):

Air: Capacity 5200mAh Avg Life 5 hrs Recharge Time 10 hours
R600: Capacity 5800mAh Avg Life 6 hrs Recharge Time 4.5 hrs

As you can see, using the Tosh R600 PA3612U-1BRS battery which is the standard in Oz you get a higher capacity, longer use and quicker recharge.

So you get higher capacity, quicker recharge and the ability to take two batteries for those long flights where there is no AC when compared to the Air, yet you have a laptop lighter than the air with that battery in at 1.1kgs? In the above case non user changable batteries appear to offer nothing other than a slick bottom!

You forgot the one fatal flaw. It runs windows

The Air can be charged faster, if you use a different non-air PSU, but your points are all entirely valid. The Air is probably a bad example for my argument though (although that is what you originally mentioned - my logic in this case, is far from sound).

 

[markis10]

While the replacement battery has to be changed by Apple, it’s the same price as the older batteries that could be hot-swapped. $199. So it’s not like it would be cheaper to just throw the computer away and buy a new one!

I hope they bring in a similar program for the IPAD , the reference to the air is relevant when it comes to the size of the IPDA but the cost of the IPad is much lower, so a throw away is more of a possibility, especially without a battery replacement program.

Edit - I was wrong - they do have an iPhone battery replacement program at least.