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Old 06-13-2011 | 03:41 PM
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From: Douglas Aerospace post production Flight Test & Work Around Engineering bulletin dissembler
Default American installing Android Tablet based IFE

Hopefully these will be a cheaper and more reliable alternative to the very unreliable Panasonic products
American Airlines Becomes First North American Airline to Feature Branded Tablets Onboard by Ordering the World's Thinnest Mobile Tablet Currently Available

DALLAS, June 13, 2011 – Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.[1], today announced that American Airlines will offer Galaxy Tab™ 10.1 mobile tablets for premium class in-flight entertainment.

"Earlier this month we made history by launching the world's thinnest large screen tablet currently available and today we unveil another first with American Airlines' selection of the Galaxy Tab 10.1," said Dale Sohn, President of Samsung Mobile.

American Airlines, a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, plans to deploy 6,000 of the new Galaxy Tab 10.1 devices onboard select flights beginning later this year. The tablets will replace the airline's current personal entertainment device in American's premium cabins on transcontinental flights between New York's JFK and Los Angeles, JFK and San Francisco, and Miami and Los Angeles served with 767-200 and 767-300 aircraft; international flights to and from Europe and South America served with 767-300 aircraft; and transcontinental flights departing from Boston to Los Angeles served with 757 aircraft.

"Our engagement with American Airlines further illustrates the growing interest and demand we're seeing from enterprise customers for the Samsung Galaxy portfolio," said Tim Wagner, vice president and general manager of enterprise sales for Samsung Mobile. "As we continue to grow our enterprise customer base, we're committed to empowering a connected mobile workforce and enabling leading companies like American Airlines to enhance their customers' experience by providing world-class entertainment and enterprise-ready devices."

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 combines the Android platform, ultra-slim, lightweight design, a brilliant 10-inch touchscreen and array of applications enhancing the in-flight entertainment experience for travelers onboard American Airlines.

"Through our agreement with Samsung, American is the first North American airline to offer a branded tablet onboard its aircraft," said Virasb Vahidi, American's Chief Commercial Officer. "We are working hard to revitalize our fleet and invest wisely in new products and services to modernize and enhance the travel experience. Working with Samsung to outfit our premium cabins with the innovative Galaxy Tab will give our premium customers a modern and innovative in-flight entertainment experience."

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a WiFi-enabled tablet that measures at just 8.6 millimeters slim, making it the thinnest large screen tablet currently available in the world. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is powered by the Android™ 3.1 (Honeycomb) platform, offering faster and smoother transitions between different applications, more intuitive navigation to and from home screens and broader support of USB accessories, external keyboards, joysticks and gamepads. Samsung will customize the Galaxy Tab for American's in-flight entertainment needs, including the addition of expanded memory.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 WiFi edition is currently available exclusively at the Best Buy Union Square location in New York City. Starting June 17, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be available nationwide. Visit SAMSUNG and Airline Tickets and Airline Reservations from American Airlines | AA.com for additional details.
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Old 06-13-2011 | 04:01 PM
  #2  
80ktsClamp's Avatar
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From: Poodle Whisperer
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Speaking of, the IFE reliability has gone WAY up. It's been a while since I've seen a writeup.
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Old 06-13-2011 | 04:44 PM
  #3  
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From: Flying the SEC
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Tablet based IFE is a great idea. The Ipad is becoming ubiquitous as a business tool. Have you seen the new eateries in JFK? They all use Ipads as menus and ordering devices.

One in each seat back hooked up to a couple of TBs of movie/music/app storage plus hooked up to the gogo would be money! I bet the weight savings would be significant too.
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Old 06-14-2011 | 03:54 AM
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Good idea, not only much lighter than the IFE entertainment on board but it'll probably be cheaper to upgrade as technology improves. Just swap out the tablets with the new ones like you would magazines in the seat back pocket.
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Old 06-14-2011 | 10:13 AM
  #5  
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Too bad they'll never be used. Most premium passengers will already have a tablet of some sort with whatever movies, and programs they want. Hell even last week I was in the back of a 75 in premium economy and all 6 people in my row had an iPad, including my poor self.

When will we see international ETOPs wifi?

The only thing IFE is good for these days is to find out how much longer you have on the flight.
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Old 06-14-2011 | 11:02 AM
  #6  
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From: 767er Captain
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Are they planning on passing them out at the beginning of a flight and picking them up at the end? I'll bet the FAs just love this idea.
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