Windows Vista
Chajtek wrote:
Chris you are wrong. No cost to Apple, just profit from selling usb to ethernet addapters with ipad connector.
How do you figure there is "no cost" to Apple to reconfigure the iPad to work with Ethernet?
Thats why:
Cute but doesn't answer the question. Re-designing and re-engineering the device to include ethernet would require research, development, retooling, etc, would, in the real world, cost Apple money.
In the real world Apple has plenty of money :-) Using iPad's and iPad Mini's in retail and industrial environments is gaining popularity. Often times these devices are locked in a kiosk or enclosure, so a wired Ethernet connection would be ideal, because they don't move. At trade shows it's absolutely insane the number of WiFi access points running at any one time.
We are doing a project right now in PA for a manufacturer of large construction equipment. We are installing 45 iPad Mini Kiosk, each station is Powered Over Ethernet/IP, including the Mini's :-) The point is we already have power and data in the same cable, so WiFi isn't the best answer in this scenario. Often times we put in an Airport Express in each Kiosk and create a hidden network, just to make sure the Mini can stay connected in an industrial environment.
The Mini's are locked, yet still accessible through the door to the operators. In the world of industrial automation we typically use fixed postion HMI's (Human Machine Interface), that being said they cost upwards of $5000.00 each, now think about the price of the iPad, Otterbox Case, and our app. It saves our customers thousands.
We are NOT asking Apple to change to the deign of the iPad, we love it like it is. I would like to see a lightning to Ethernet adapter, that could be sold as an accessory, just like the HDMI out option is.
And a dream would be to make all of the Apple Extreme's and Express 802.af/at Power Over Ethernet compliant.....they are perfectly suited for POE.
I hace a new IPad Andes tris cable has Belén the first accesory I worldwide buy. If I knew this before then I wouldnt buy. Is so ovious. Those are the aspects of apple generated intentionally to generate feelings with apple, dosnt mind if there are good or not.... No radio for Iphone, and no cable for ethernet.....
The automatc text corrector should be improved, i can only work with one languagev...
I need a wired network connection for my iPad so I can demonstrate my control panel App at trade shows. There is a huge traffic jam of WiFi at the audio/video shows like NAB, AES, and InfoComm. I got a new Airport base station and an Apple engineer worked for an hour in my booth trying to get a reliable WiFi connection with the Airport four feet away. It was impossible.
iOs devices do not connect to networks via wire. Wireless only.
I knew that, thanks. That's really crippling in my case, and there's no technical reason why it can't be done.
dandugan wrote:
... there's no technical reason why it can't be done.
You mean other than the fact that the device's interface doesn't - by design - support it?
There is a USB adaptor for the iPad in the camera kit. Apple makes an Ethernet-to-USB adaptor. So there is a physical path for an Ethernet connection present. Am I wrong in making that assumption?
If I am right, then what is missing is implementation of an Ethernet network interface in the iPad firmware.
Besides the issue of connecting to a LAN via Ethernet, audio engineering is rapidly switching to audio signal interconnection via Ethernet, the AVB protocol, for example. WiFi doesn't have the bandwidth for these protocols. There are many iPad audio applications, and I predict that very soon users and developers will be demanding this connection for the iPad. I hope Apple wakes up soon on this issue.
James,
I think the underlying question is not why Apple won't put an wired, eithernet jack onto the device, but rather, how hard could it be to support an external device that connects directly to the iPad via the lightning connector port? I know a bit about networking, probably more than most lay people, but far less than the driver/kernel level technical experts (not sure if you fall into this categry or not). Given that the lightning port can support an external display, power, file transfer, and a number of other functions, it doesn't seem hard for me to imagine that it can support an ethernet connection/bridge. You seem to be having an issue with the "why". Let me take my crack at this part:
1. Multiple Wi-Fi hotspots in proximity to each other interfere with each other and reduce the speeds of the network, and interfere with each other and potentially cause a larger configuration head ache for corporate sys admins.
2. Many companies still do not support Wi-Fi networks. Period. Now, you can say, well, screw those people and they will just have to suffer with Windows-based tablets. Frankly, this seems a bit short-sighted from Apple's perspective. I realize the Steve Jobs approach is to have someone explain why it is they need/want something a certain way, and he will explain to you how you can live without it and why you are wrong to want it.
3. To me, the iPad is more about a mobile device. It has (along with the iPhone first), completely transformed they way most people interact with a computer. I can easily see the iPad and iPhone replacing a wide variety of specialized devices, some of which were mentioned in this thread. For this reason, a wired ethernet capability (without the external Wi-Fi device) would be beneficial. Add to that the existing Wi-Fi ethernet creates the best of both worlds.
DavidMarkMadison wrote:
3. To me, the iPad is more about a mobile device.
So how does connecting it to ethernet makes it more mobile?
Forgot to proof read...
3. To me, the iPad is MORE than just about being a mobile device. That it is say, that fact that an iPad is so mobile is great, and probably without this it would never have been so popular. (insert the rest of the drivel I put in my original response).
I work a lot on networks that do not have WiFi, as a security precaution. Right or wrong, they do not allow WiFi. I would like to use my iPad for work, rather than carry around my laptop, but I have to have an Ethernet plug to do anything. I guess I will just have to buy a Windows tab to be able to do this.
usb to ethernet adapter for ipad
