Having used both the iPad & the WinCE versions of SD the developers are to be applauded on producing an excellent product.

In my experience the iPad version is a better implementation of SD however I have come to the conclusion that in one area the WinCE product has the advantage and would like to see this developed into the iPad version.

In the WinCE version you have a clear, black & white choice of what mode of operation you're running SD in, either moving map or HSI/ILS instrument mode. Moving from one to the other with a upward/downward sweep on the screen swiftly switches between the modes.

In the iPad version there is a similar sweep required to explode the HSI/ILS display but this time superimposed onto the moving map and it is here that I find favour for the WinCE version. The superimposition can end up anywhere on the moving map depending upon how your finger tracks across the iPad screen, the initial HSI/ILS display is small and needs enlarging before the excellent information it is presenting can be easily read. In order to enlarge it requires the dexterity of a two fingered expansion with both fingers maintaining contact with the screen throughout the sweep while also ensuring that they remain inside the scope of the expanding HSI/ILS circle. Now that is quite an art in an airplane that is being buffeted around by turbulence!!!! Also, the initial "2-fingered poke" at the HSI/ILS circle can be a bit of a "hit and miss" often rsulting with one finger outside the HSI/ILS instrument's circumference line which means subsequent finger movements result in "no change".

The problem is further exacerbated by the difficulty of expanding "thumb and first finger" sufficiently to get the HSI/ILS instrument to its maximum size in a single operation. I often find myself repeating "poke" and "expand" a couple of time before I have the information presented at an acceptable size.

I've taken to including this "expanding" operation as part of my start-up procedures on the ground and then swiping between the 2 modes of operation in the air as SD remembers the HSI/ILS size between swipes. That's great until SD crashes out (which it does on ocassions) and then I am left with the problem "in-flight" to solve all over again.

I've come to the conclusion that the iPad version, like the WinCE version of SD should display one or the other in full screen mode and not offer a hybrid solution by superimposing the instrument view on top of the moving map view. In my experience the moving map serves litte to no purpose when the instrument view is displayed, in fact I've found that it detracts from the information gathering process from the instrument view (not withstanding the digital readouts at the top of the moving map display which are part of the HSI/ILS display on the WinCE version and absolutely essential).

Don't get me wrong, it's an awesome piece of software which just keeps getting better and better and the reason for my comment is to afford the developers a point of view from a very satsified end user of their outstanding product who would like to see something that is perfect get even better!

But I'm just one voice, what do others think?

Biggles -- EGKB