iPad and GPS

[splitbus]

Just learned that A-GPS are an extended version of GPS. Had always though that A-GPS was less worth.
Though it only used the mobile antennas, but it use both mobile antennas and Satelites.

But is it possible to use a iPad 3g GPS without a sim card. Only the GPS function, not the A-GPS ?

And...I have an USB GPS unit (think it's a Globalsat BU-303 GPS USB unit)
Is it possible to use this with iPad without A-GPS ?

I need to know before I buy either an iPad 3g 32 GB or an iPad (wifi only) 64 GB , that's my price limit.

Hope you guys can help me

 

[Pocobear]

First, I don't know about the Sim card.
Second, USB GPS, currently can't be used on iPad.
If you plan on having several movies, lots of music and documents. I would wait and save up the extra hundred dollars and get the 64gb 3g model. Keep in mind that you may not think you will want these things, now, but when you get that big screen sitting in front of you, you might change your mind. On the other hand. If you are not interested in movies, maybe have an iPhone or iPod aready therefore don't need to put large amounts of music on you iPad, go with the 32gb 3g model. GPS is more accurate on the 3g model. I have a 64gb 3g and I have about 8 full length movies, around 100 apps, many very large, and no music as I have an iPhone and iPod Touch. And I have about 45gb free. However, if I put my music (21gb) back on it, I would still have about 24gb left. BUT, backups take forever.

 

[MikesTooLz]

The ipad has an ASSISTED GPS.

This means it has a fully functional GPS that doesnt require any cellphone signal, however when there is cellphone signal it uses the cell towers to pinpoint your location faster.

Think of it as starting out looking for you in a city rather then trying to locate you not knowing where you are in the entire world, by knowing the city from the cell tower it can zero in on your location much faster.


in the end this all means that the time it spends trying to locate you is in seconds rather than minutes.

 

[tzimisce]

I explained this on another thread, but here goes again:

The WiFi-only iPad, like the original iPhone, does not have GPS (or A-GPS), but rather uses a technology called Skyhook, which triangulates from known WiFi base station locations by sending out pings to these stations and calculating how long it takes for the signal response to work out your location.

This means it will be very accurate in an urban location with lots of WiFi base stations, and in some instances will be more accurate than satellite-based GPS because it'll work even when you're surrounded by tall buildings, tree cover or even underground (which degrades or blocks GPS signals.) As you head out into the country where WiFi stations are sparse, its accuracy will decrease or stop altogether.

The iPhone 3 and 4 series and iPad WiFi+3G all have A-GPS, which is regular GPS plus "Assisted", i.e. it uses additional cellular information to obtain your location faster, in addition to regular satellite signals. (By definition, any smartphone with GPS will have A-GPS, for obvious reasons. A 3G-capable iPad with a connection will also have access to this technology.) Presumably these also have Skyhook - so you have the benefit of both Skyhook and GPS/A-GPS technology with these devices.