As a follow up to my last post, extolling the wonders of computer and iPhone travel tools, I have to ask: why aren't any of these tools available on the iPad?? The iPad is so obviously an awesome travel device--the perfect thing for the front-seat passenger to use to explore the local area, that I'm really surprised by the lack of useful apps in this space.
Google Maps for the iPad is beautiful, but it can only do navigation between two points--so my carefully crafted itinerary is useless there. The AAA TripTik website thinks my iPad is an iPhone and renders tiny little maps, plus anything browser-based can't use the GPS.
Even more amazingly, Kayak has only made flight search available on the iPad--not hotels. Priceline has no iPad app at all. Expedia's TripAssist seems to be for flights only, but I haven't downloaded it yet to test that. So there's no location-aware tool for the iPad that can help you find nearby hotels, with the exception of Google Maps, which doesn't include the ability to compare rates and book rooms. Bah.
Perhaps some of the apps I'm hoping for (a Triple A TripTik app that syncs with the website, perhaps? please??) are under development, and will appear before we hit the road on July 20 (I can give exact dates without fearing a home break-in, since Gerald and Lane will still be in the house...).
Liz,
Couldn't agree more! I think those travel apps are coming for the iPad, but takes a while to develop for a new screen size. iTriage www.iTriageHealth.com -- which is a great, free, consumer-based app for traveling is usable on the iPad, but at the iPhone screen size.
I think most of the developers are trying to get on as many platforms as possible -- iPhone, Android, Palm and BlackBerry that iPad has taken a back seat for some developers, but I bet they are all coming in time.
Would love for you to try out iTriage -- it has information on thousands of symptoms, diseases, and medical procedures and then marries that with a nationwide directory of every hospital urgent care, retail clinic, physician or pharmacy. Additionally, you can find ER Wait Times for select hospitals around the country and if you have a Google Health record, you can access that on iTriage, so that you always have that information in your hand when you travel.
Trust me, it's a lifesaver.
Marcia Noyes
Director of Marketing/PR
Healthagen, LLC -- Developer of iTriage