Tablet help needed please!
 

I have a chance to score a new IPad pro 10.5, I have no clue about technology what these things do :eek:

I'm assuming it can run RDSS, does anyone have any experience on the screen size and what RDSS looks like on it?

Is the 64 storage on the base model enough or do I need more? I wouldn't be doing business stuff on it just a lot of photos, streaming races, storing RDSS data files etc

I see they offer 2 models with 1 showing wifi and the other wifi+cellular. Not sure what to go with, is the wifi only one something I can only use here at my homes wifi connection?

Thanx so much in advance for any help I really have no idea:D

Since its an iPad it runs on the OSX/IOS operating system family. RDSS runs on windows. You would have to install a software based Windows emulator on it. They cost around $100. I used to run an emulator called Parallels on my desktop iMac years ago and it ran Windows applications very well, but I never tried RDSS on it. I run RDSS on a Windows 10 Surface Pro 4 tablet currently and it works great, never a problem.

Also you would have to purchase Windows itself that would have to be installed on the emulators partition. So cost wise your talking maybe and extra $300-$400 to do this. That why I just went to a windows based tablet for RDSS even though I'm an iMac user. Less of a hassle. The surface pro is a great tablet, and cards convert/load like lightning on the solid state drive.

Ted can give you more info on it.

Thanx Bill S wow I had no idea and definite do not want to add all these other things to run RDSS so IPAD is out :(

So are the "Android" tablets and "Fire" tablets also a non starter regarding running RDSS without add ons?

I definitely will check out the one you mention from Microsoft though I was really hoping to get away from Windows :eek:

Hi Richie
 

My next purchase will be , Once I clear up all these medical bills :eek:
Will be a Windows Surface Pro .
I watched Ted breeze through 2 days at the Breeder cup with no problem
He also has a nifty extra battery thingy that allowed him to mot have to charge
at all.

I currently am still using my Labtop windows 10 but its big and heavy .
Its fine at home and at Del Mar sufrside , because I have a way to keep it plugged in. But when the live racing is going on at the track across the way,
Its a real hassle. I usually have to sit near a plug and charge up after a bout 1.5 hours.

I have a android tablet which I use all the time. I love it.
The issues Bill S mentioned make me want to go with the surface pro.

Bless
Bill

P.S Hey Richie please check your Private messages
Peace and good heath to you Karen and the family.

I don't think an Android tablet would work either. RDSS is ported to Windows and Ted mentioned once he has no plans to port it to any other OS. You don't have to purchase a top of the line Surface pro either. Get a used Surface pro 3 or even a 2. Also there are lots of affordable Windows based tablets out there that would work great from other manufacturers. The Surface Pros are good but your paying for the Microsoft name. All RDSS cares about is Windows, and its the same Windows regardless of what tablet its on. Just check the battery life of the tablet. That could be a deciding factor. If your prudent you can get many hours out of a single charge, and then like Bill V said, they have low cost power banks you can plug into your tablet when your running low to recharge the tablet on the fly.

Bill S makes a good point about battery life. I would start by looking at websites like these:

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/a...ting-notebooks
https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/long-lasting-tablets

At Woodbine, I watched Ted and Gandalf play all day with no problems while my old Thinkpad ran out of juice in less than two hours. So I made a note of Gandalf's little Dell and bought one. It lasts 10-12 hours on a charge.

BTW, I bought the Dell XPS 13.

Yes I turn screen brightness down to 25 percent when at the track and have it only connect to the wifi at the track when needed. If your using the free wifi at the track like they have at Parx, the wifi antenna in your tablet can drain the battery dry if it's constantly pinging the wireless access point at the track. Also I turn the screen off when I'm not using it. Only turn it on when using RDSS and then dim it. The screen and wifi antenna are the biggest consumers of power on a tablet. Everything else is solid state and consumes little power.

These tablets have pretty good power/wifi management applications built into them. When used conservatively you can get many hours out of a single charge. They sell very affordable power banks (external battery packs) that you can carry with you to give you extra hours of power too.

Rich, yes RDSS needs Windows to run (Vista or better - Windows 10 is great!). This means Macs can run it using Windows. iPads and Android tablets cannot. So -- if you really want to get away from Windows - get the nicest Mac you can afford, put Parallels running Windows 10 on it, and have the best of both worlds!

I've been using a Surface Pro3 for several years now as my main computer. It works great. Mum just bought a lightly used Surface Pro3 relatively inexpensively and will use it for everything (including RDSS).

One downside is that the battery life could be better, when mobile. That's why I carry that honking external battery people have seen. Works great. I like Bill S' idea of turning wifi off when mobile, when you don't need it, also dim the screen a bit.

Anyone who gets some kind of Surface tablet who wants extra battery life should check out Mikegyver.com and their line of Surface battery products.

Of course there are other tablet or mini-notebook type devices running only Windows 10 and you should compare a few alternatives. I think those links of Mick's are good ones.

Good luck with the search. I hope we can connect again at Saratoga this summer :). Leave that old Radio Shack computer behind http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/i...smilies/47.gif

Ted

Thanks Ted I'm checking out all possibilities!

I'm definitely checking out the Parallels using the IPad now. :)

Rich, if your considering the emulator route like VM Fusion or Parallels, remember you still need to install windows on it too. If you have to buy a copy of windows, see if you can find a HS or college student friend to buy it for you. Students get deep discounts buying Microsoft stuff. Could save you upwards of $200. I see Parallels is going for about $55.00 now which is about half of what it cost several years ago. That's because back then all you had was Parallels or VM Fusion. Now there are a bunch of them out there. Some free too I think.

I used Parallels and it worked great. Windows worked faster and cleaner under that on my iMac than it did natively on a PC believe it or not.

For $55.00 you can't go wrong with Parallels.

Rich - Mac, not iPad ;)

Though, for the full mobile experience, you CAN use an iPad with a Parallels tool on it to connect remotely over the internet to your Mac or PC running RDSS in Windows. Pook had such a setup in Saratoga last year. If you have a decent internet connection - it looks like you're running RDSS on an iPad, though you're not - only connecting to another computer which IS running it.

Just like you can run Remote Desktop on any OS (Windows, Mac, iPad, Android, Linux) to connect to RDSS (or other programs) running on a cloud server.

Ted

In the long run IMO it's probably easier just to get a windows based tablet. All the emulator/remote stuff works but the more complicated you make the plumbing the easier it is to clog the sink. I always used the emulator on a desktop Mac. I don't even know the dynamics of putting it on an iPad.

If Rich is thinking of investing in an iMac he will be very pleased with it.
I originally got into Macs for my other hobby of digital nature photography and slowly I morphed into a total Apple person.

I have owned iPads in the past and they work great, but when it came to RDSS I wanted something solid, clean, and simple so I went to a windows based tablet. RDSS works real fast on my Surface Pro 4. I think it's because of the solid state drive. Cards load and assemble like lightning.

Guys thank you so much for all your help!!!!

:)

Probably not an option, but v2cloud.com has a service where you can rent a Windows Server 2016 setup for $40/month. That with the Remote Desktop iPad app work harmoniously. Downside is cost and the fact that you need an internet connection at all times. Before my current laptop, I would use that service.

Also, remoting to your home computer is also an option with the Remote Desktop app. I can run my laptop from my iPad or phone no problem. It would require what's called a Dynamic DNS (free) and port forwarding from your router. A Google or YouTube search explains it all.

Hi Rich,

I am all Apple. Always have been. Since I have been using RDSS it has been only through Parallels Desktop on a Mac Mini. I run an ancient copy of Windows XP which works great. I can get away with XP because I only use Parallels Desktop to run RDSS so I have none of the security issues I would have if XP was my main operating system on a PC. You can’t get into a Mac through the back door of an emulator. I had an old copy of it so no need to cough up for a new Windows operating system.

I wanted to run RDSS on a tablet without venturing into the PC world in which I am less comfortable. Parallels Remote allows this. From my IPad 2 I run RDSS in the Parallels Desktop that is on the Mac Mini. It works as long as I have a good Wifi connection. My IPad also has cellular and I could use that, but from some experimenting I did I found that the data transfer can add up pretty quickly and depending on your cellular plan could get expensive.

Like Ted mentioned I used it at Saratoga last summer with NYRA’s free wifi and had no issues. The same when I am at Woodbine using their wifi. Another little bonus is being able to use RDSS on my IPad anywhere in the house. I don’t have to be in the office all the time and not just RDSS but anything else you use your computer for. There are some little things you have to get used to with touch-screen but it takes no time.

So if you have an opportunity to score an IPad Pro which is the creme de la creme for everything including battery life you won’t be disappointed. If you don’t have a Mac computer to connect to remotely you would just run Parallels Remote on your PC. Same result.

A lot of options but if you want to be in the Mac world on a tablet this is the way to do it. RDSS on a full sized IPad Pro? Wow!

Pook

PS...I have the cellular IPad model to stay in touch when I am away from free Wifi. But I choose not to have a cell phone. I can’t imagine that you would need that much if you own a smart phone. You would save a couple of hundred bucks or more by not having it.

Pook,

I enjoyed your post. All my "Mac" friends are true believers and most just roll their eyes at Windows. :rolleyes:

Someone sent me a Pizzolla "rant" recently and he was running his Windows-based VC software on a Mac, much like you run RDSS.

I live in a Linux world most of the time and dual-boot into Windows only to run RDSS. I know that Windows 10 is sending all of my personal information back to Microsoft but all they're getting in horse racing stuff. I wonder what their data-miners will make of that. :)

microsoft surface pro
 

if anyone is interested, n1wireless.com is having a pretty decent sale on microsoft surface pro 3 and 4

Mick:
With the names of horses they'll think you have lots of weird friends. ha ha ha
Mitch44

Computers and Programs:Question for Ted
 

I will be receiving a new Dell soon. Office Pro will be on it for about a month. I currently use the 2010 Home Edition of Office. After shelling out all the money on a new computer, I am reluctant t to spend more on the newer Office Home edition. I have used Open Office in the past and wonder if I can use it for the modeling portion of RDSS?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Pat

Hi Rich. I have been using my IPAD to remotely access RDSS for sometime now. I have an app installed on my IPAD called Splashtop Remote and installed Splashtop Streamer on my home PC.. As long as I my IPAD is connected to the Internet I can access RDSS at home. It is pretty fast too but that would depend on your Internet connection (Home and IPAD connection).

*** In Edit
I didn't see Ted's response which is the same thing but a different product.

Pat, Open Office supports reading and writing to the Excel files created by the RDSS Modeler and the Template files. Some famous ;) people on this site use Open Office instead of Excel!

Good luck.

Ted

Thanks JMS - seems like there are a lot of good mobile solutions in the non-PC world!

Ted

open office
 

I am not famous but I have used open office for the modeling. it seems to work just fine.

Charlie B

Open
 

For some reason Open Office works better for me when I send files from RDSS

When I use Open Office the coping to the All, Win and Place taps procedure goes without a problem and lighting fast. I can do any amount of races. There is never a problem.

If I use Excel 2016 The same procedure works but after 3 or 4 race EXCEL
either crashes or I get the swirling " not responding" message

I use Open Office for data entry.

For doing analysis, making track profiles, sorting, and making tables
I find Excel works better than Open Office

So I use both programs

Attachment 45538

Thanks famous people for your helpful responses.
Pat

Hi Richie, I am an Apple user all the way, for business and RDSS. I have two Mac laptops, newer one is a MacBook Air, small, light and runs Parallels with Microsoft quite nicely.
Let me know if you have any questions.