need gps help

[jd2210]

I am on the fence about whether or not to get an ipad 2 or an asus eee pad transformer and I want to verify something has been told to me.

For my work I require the use of true GPS and I'm hoping a new tablet will be all I need to take with me instead of a handheld GPS a laptop and bunch of maps in my pocket.

I've been told that I need to go with android if I want to accomplish the following but I wanted to ask here in case I've been mislead.

I need to: download shape files (.shp) off a FTP server, convert them to .kml format, upload them to a GPS app that has preloaded topo or sat images in it (very important since I'm nowhere near an cell towers at all), turn on and off tracking, and then download those tracks in .kml format and e-mail them.

I've been told that Ipad has an app availible that will download the shape files, but there is no way to take that file and upload it to a GPS app. The claim is the files are impossible to get to and I need to use them in the app I downloaded them from. Is that true? I was playing around with some apps on my wifes ipod and I found where I could get an app that worked well to download the shape files but then I couldn't figure out how the heck to do anything with the file after that. Any help is REALLY appreciated. Thanks

 

[twerppoet]

I don't know if every app you want is available. You'll have to do your own research for that. As far as moving files from app to app, that is a bit different than on Android. Instead of placing the file in a general file area, each app imports and exports files to that apps' own file space. It's good for security, but makes moving files a whole different process that what we are used to on a standard computer.

The most common way of exporting a file from one app to another is to use the Open In... feature common to many apps. Most apps register with the system telling it what files types it can handle. When you choose the Open In... feature in an app it will list those compatible apps. You choose one and the file is copied to it.

The other options is to upload and download your files to a cloud service like DropBox. That is as close as you'll get to a common file system, at least until iOS 5 and iCloud, and most of us are not sure exactly how that is going to work. I don't think the developers are completely certain themselves, since it will be up to the developer community as a whole to support it, and determine what features get used or left by the wayside.

Hope that helped a bit. Good luck with your research.

 

[jd2210]

thanks. Yeah it does help and explains why I can't figure out how to move the files. I think I'll go with the EEE pad. Appreciated the feedback.

 

[jsh1120]

thanks. Yeah it does help and explains why I can't figure out how to move the files. I think I'll go with the EEE pad. Appreciated the feedback.

You might also want to consider the new Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet. (Not the "K1" IdeaPad Tablet, the consumer version but the ThinkPad Tablet.) It supports both USB and SD card data storage and runs the most recent Android version. Virtually the same price as the iPad and includes GPS functionality. (Not yet available with 3G/4G connectivity. That comes in October, but it doesn't sound like that's your issue anyway.) At least in terms of specs it appears to be superior to the ASUS Transformer.