Delta Replacing Flight Manuals with Surface Tablets

Frosty Piss writes "Delta Air Lines plans to buy 11,000 Microsoft Surface 2 tablets for its pilots to replace the heavy bundles of books and maps they haul around now. Delta says the Surface tablets will save it $13 million per year in fuel and other costs. Right now, each pilot carries a 38-pound flight bag with manuals and maps. Other airlines, including American and United, have been buying Apple's iPad for that purpose. One reason Delta picked a Microsoft device was that it's easier to give pilots separate sections for company and personal use, said Steve Dickson, Delta's senior vice president for flight operations. Another reason for picking the Surface tablet is that Delta's training software also runs on the same Windows operating system as the tablets, reducing the need to redo that software for another device, Dickson said."

Comments

Surface no longer minor player

[Marqis]

Now MS has sold 11,023 tablets!

Turbulence ahead

[Solandri]

Another reason for picking the Surface tablet is that Delta's training software also runs on the same Windows operating system as the tablets, reducing the need to redo that software for another device, Dickson said."

Considering they bought the ARM version of the tablet, someone's going to be very disappointed (and probably in a lot of trouble) when they discover that it does not run the same operating system as their training software. At least not unless their training software only runs on an extremely limited number of low-power computers.

Good news is, Microsoft's deception campaign to trick people expecting to run Windows apps into buying their ARM OS is working.

Re:My experience....

[Cryacin]

They're being given a Microsoft Surface instead of an iPad. They're already dead inside.

Re:"personal use" on flight-critical device

[93 Escort Wagon]

You needn't worry - these are Surface tablets.

The flight crews have no interest in using them for anything personal.