Woodworking Apps for the Ipad

[myxpykalix]

I'm going to be taking a trip/vacation (first one in over 20 years) and i'm traveling by train (12 hour trip) and wondered if there were any good woodworking apps/articles/?? for the Ipad that anyone could recommend.

I haven't bought the Ipad yet and I wanted to also load up a bunch of movies to watch. Does anyone know how to load movies from a tivo to an ipad?:confused:

[shilala]

Jack, I've looked for good woodworking ipad apps for the ipad for a long time, haven't had any luck. You can get woodworking magazines for it, as well as plans and some designing apps.
No clue on the tivo to ipad question. I've never had a tivo. Do you have any idea what file extension the tivo files have? You may be able to rip them into mp4 with the right tools.
Edit...
It appears Tivo has or will soon be offering Tivo Stream boxes (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2404698,00.asp) that do the trascoding and send the files right to your ipad. That'd be much, much less time consuming, for sure.+

[myxpykalix]

Thanks for that link Scott, that is more like what i'm searching for. I found a long workaround that seemed to be way more work then it is worth. I did find one Ipad app to layout and make decks but i wasn't looking for that.

[knight_toolworks]

a lot of the trains have free wireless so you can stream to the ipad.

[ssflyer]

Have you looked at Woodcraft? Link. (http://9to5mac.com/2011/12/14/finally-an-ipad-app-that-taps-your-inner-woodworker/)
Or since you don't have the iPad yet, you might want to consider a Windows tablet - then you could run Aspire, or pretty much anything else you use, now...

[dhunt]

Have you looked at Woodcraft? Link. (http://9to5mac.com/2011/12/14/finally-an-ipad-app-that-taps-your-inner-woodworker/)
Or since you don't have the iPad yet,
you might want to consider a Windows tablet - then you could run Aspire, or pretty much anything else you use, now...You might want to consider this advice, above ;)

I bought an iPad2 a month ago, and am not impressed other than its cute shiny bright screen which displays beautifully, make no mistake!

Other wise, it's an expensive yuppie toy-symbol.

On a scale of one to ten, I give it a 6.5
although that might be up to a 7 now I'm getting to understand the overly-complex thing a bit more.


If you don't NEED an iPad (i.e. portable computing,generally)
save your money or buy a Windoze-based alternative device like the man said.


Big Tip: You'll def. be needing an iPad-experienced friend to help you get started.
Don't try to learn it yourself...

[CNYDWW]

For 2-300 you can get a netbook and a mouse, watch movies, install software. Done deal. Spend a little more and get a touch screen the flips open and you have your windows tablet but still have a full keyboard.

[myxpykalix]

I agree on the user UNfriendly interface for the ipad and the big workaround to just put some movies on to watch but the kicker is, for these pc tablets in order to get a cellular data plan you have to sign up for 2 years and a ipad you can do month to month from 15 to 80/mo.

Does anyone have a pc based tablet with a month to month contract? Any recommendations? I think like stated i could use a pc based tablet for more stuff and probably run my bot off it:D

[genek]

where are you planning on going jack.. some areas do not have cell coverage.. for all the net works... might consider what ever you get being able to go sat.

[knight_toolworks]

it's more work to get movies on the ipad if you don't use itunes true. apple is not dumb. but it is not hard to do. I found a app that lets me stream movies from my computer to m,y ipad over wifi locally or over the internet. it is very easy to use. found another app that will let me play them off a memory card using a cheap adapter on my ipad.
My blind wife loves her ipad it is so easy to use.

[cabnet636]

my ipad has proven invaluable in the business of woodwork
http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/forums/business.pl?read=722714

[Ajcoholic]

I also have had an Ipad (my wife and I have the Ipad I and II), and use it a lot for work. I keep all my photos on it, use it for other stuff as well so I dont have to haul around my laptop (17" macbook pro).

Like any other tool, some love it, some hate it and many more are somewhere in the middle. I really like it.

AJC

[Brady Watson]

Jim - thanks for posting that link. How well does that app work for you? I might have a use for that electronic doorstop after all! :D

-B

[myxpykalix]

Jim,
That is a app i would get some use out of. When i go looking at a house to buy I go in with my camera and a sketchpad and make a sketch of a room then take measurements of every wall in every room and lay it out back at home when i'm trying to see if i can build a second apartment or addition to make it a positive cash flow property.

Several times i've had to go back and take measurements and this might help that. I feel sorry (not really) for my realtor because he has to stand around for an hour while i take pics and measurements. He's been my agent for almost 30 years so he's been well compensated for his time.

Do you know if this app is available for a pc based tablet? I like the Ipad but the one i want is going to be over $800.00 (64gig, wifi,cellular) and i got a guy who wants to trade a HP for equivilent of $200.00 (I have one of those bigass boom boxes(?) you stick in the trunk of your car to make your ears bleed that I seized from a tennant who owed rent) i think i can trade him.
http://www.amazon.com/HP-TouchPad-9-7-Inch-Tablet-Computer/dp/B0055D67HW

if it will do the same things it would save me some money for sure.

[Mayo]

My wife watches movies on her Ipad all the time through Netflix.
Granted, they're not new releases but you can also watch entire seasons of TV shows if you're so inclined - or reclined. $8 bux a month.

[CNYDWW]

You can also get prepaid usb modems. Basically it's the data plan without the phone. Install the drivers on the tablet pc or laptop etc. Then just plug it in and get connection.

[garyc]

Guys....
When I was looking for a good liteweight solution to take on the road I looked at all the tablets. Ability to run a ShopBot eliminated the Androids ands "I products". I "Settled" for one of these: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407268,00.asp

My Droid Razr provides hotspot or tethered access to the net, when needed.

[shilala]

Jack, you would LOVE Magicplan for ipad and iphone. (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/magicplan/id427424432?mt=8)
You just look around the room, set corners, and the app creates plans for the whole house. It'd be invaluable for cabinet work, as well.

I was an ipad first adopter, I got my ipad 1 way back when. I used it constantly until I just recently got the ipad3 and I gave the ipad 1 to my father in law. He just mostly uses it with guitartapp, a program that scolls tabs and lyrics to songs while he plays.
The ipad is a very useful tool for lots and lots of things, but it simply is NOT a laptop replacement. It's wonderful for traveling, dragging around the house, reading, tons of things. You can't run programs like Aspire, and it's not going to run the shopbot. It's a niche tool/toy/thing to keep the kids shut up in the car/something to take to jobs for pictures and notes, etc. There's so many things it can do and it does all of them extremely well. It's super easy to use and learn. Any five year old kid can show someone how to use it, and I mean that very literally. It's very intuitive and very easy to learn.
I used to use mine a lot more, but lately I've been in the shop and stuck on a couple laptops. I seldom even sit at my desk in the office anymore. As I start to figure out exactly what my workflow is, I'll figure out where to use it a lot more.
In the meantime, I drag it around wherever we go. I haven't had to take a laptop with me anywhere for a lot of years now, and that suits me fine, because I hate them. :)

[gerryv]

Combine this one with Scott's suggestion above and you're about ready to build a house from the basement up. I find it has tons of good calculators that are related to woodworking, construction and on and on. http://doubledogstudios.com/apps/homebuilderprocalcs/index.html

I find the iPad to be incredibly easy to learn and use and the apps are a huge deal - as long as we're willing to think of it as not being a windows machine. Kind of like going to Britain and not being able to understand that for them "petrol" is right and "gas" is wrong :-)

Jack, for a few bucks for the iPad iMovie app you'll be amazed how easily you can shoot and edit movies in HD.

[myxpykalix]

Scott,
Now you did it!! I was thinking i might settle for a android based tablet to save some money and you go and show me this!! That is exactly what i do when i go look at a property only i do it the hard way of taking my sketchpad and tape measure.
I don't want to have to download itunes and set up an account just to find the cost of this app...what did you pay for this? Is there a cost per scan? I thought i read something about having to connect to the company?

edit: i just found out it's not available for an android.

That is a slick app Scott. damn it you just cost me an extra $600 difference between the ipad and the HP tablet...THANKS!:rolleyes:

[shilala]

You'll be glad you spent the extra money, Jack.
There are fractional calculators, builders tools, and lots of other things you can add to the ipad to make your workflow go easier.
The coolest thing about the ipad apps is that they're dirt cheap compared to what we pay for software. Why that is, I don't know. Probably the sheer number of apps they sell?
You can probably save money on your ipad, too. I've never had one that uses 3g data. I've never once needed it or wished I had it. There's wireless everywhere if I need to get online and it's never been an issue. My new ipad is 64GB, but I got along with 16GB for a lot of years. It was never a problem, but I figured I'd use this one for photography so I jumped up to 64GB.
Back to the data ability, my wife's iphone is a hotspot, meaning she serves out internet from it. She needs it for work. So a few times I've hooked up to her phone to get on the internet while we were in the car. My iphone gets the internet anywhere, and does everything the ipad does, so I just go to it if there's a need.
One other app I have that I haven't used much, but I hope will be of some help for designing is GraphPadPro. (http://robertshawhan.com/) I think that one will be a big deal for me if I ever get around to putting it to use. :)
iDraw is Apple's version of photoshop, kind of. I have it, haven't used it. I bought it for creating bitmaps, tweaking jpegs, making shapes and original art, etc. It's a quick and dirty solution to draw up an idea before it flies away.

One last thing is resale value. ipads resell very well at big dollars. The $200 tablets are disposable. Kids turn their noses up at them, mainly because of the lack of content and shortage of apps.
If you get an ipad, get a refurbished one from Apple.com (http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad). They are same as new, warranted same as new, and arrive perfect. They just don't come in fancy retail packaging. I don't see "the new ipad" on there right now, that's the newest one, 3rd generation. It's also the one you want. :)
Good luck!!!

[cnc_works]

I did find a free similar app, which may or may not be as complete, for my Android phone called the Handyman Calculator. Available on the Android Play store in free and paid (no ad) versions. Handy indeed! Also did a search and found it on the net in apk form.

[shilala]

Carpenter's Helper Lite is a good fractional calculator for iphone and ipad, too.
There's one called "FractionCalc" that returns wrong results. It isn't a lot of help. :D
Through all this, we forgot Shopbot Remote!!!

[Simops]

I have an iPad and an iPhone. My iPad is only used wirelessly (no 3G) but if I need to get on the net I hotspot my iPhone to it, which has a 5 GB data plan per month on it so plenty.

I have been eyeing the shopbot app for sometime now....it's dropped in price now to $2.99. But to use it you need a wireless connection between the iPad and my laptop that runs the shopbot.

So here is the dilemma. I don't have wireless or for that matter any Internet connection in the workshop. So is there a way to do the shopbot app connection with the laptop. Both items have wireless capability. Would buying a wireless modem do the trick even though it is not connected to the Internet?

Does anyone use the shopbot app and connect without Internet?

[myxpykalix]

I know its always slicker to use an ipad or iphone but what would get you the same functionality without all the workaround is a wireless logitech game controller.

[srwtlc]

Michael,

All you need is a wireless router. You don't need internet except to download the small server app that has to be running on the PC. It would be best to hook the router to the PC (via ethernet cable) instead of wirelessly connecting to it from both the PC and iPhone/iPad (which could cause some lag).

Refer to the ShopBot Remote thread for more info. http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8850&highlight=shopbot+remote

[Simops]

Thanks Muchly....will check the tread......