Jetstar iPad hands on: photos
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The Jetstar A320 flying from Auckland to Melbourne held 24 iPads on-board for the first time. Jetstar has currently ordered and purchased approximately 3000 iPads in total, for use across its Australian and New Zealand markets.
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Unbeknown to passengers on-board, a lucky few were going to have the chance to play with Jetstar's new in-flight entertainment device — the Apple iPad — for free.
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The flight attendant handed over the customised iPad with Jetstar's copy-protected content.
The iPads will be rolled out across Jetstar's Australian domestic, trans-Tasman and short-haul international services from Australia and New Zealand in the coming weeks. Customers who fly two hours and longer on Jetstar will be able to hire the device for $10 to $15 per flight.
The iPad will be available from $10 on Jetstar's A320 and A321 services. Customers can pre-book from $15 on A330 services, and from $15 when purchased on-board A330 services.
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ZDNet Australia journalist, Luke Hopewell, turning on the iPad for the first time.
Only 24 iPads will be available for hire on Jetstar's A320 service, 30 on the Jetstar A321 and 160 on the A330.
As you can see in the image, the iPad is fitted with a purpose-built case that lets the tablet stand upright. Jetstar said it "will fit a number of its A320/A321 fleet, with aircraft seats that will allow the iPads to be inserted at the back of the headrest to allow for even easier viewing".
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Every passenger who rents the iPad during their flight will also be given a set of in-ear headphones to keep. The iPads will have the latest-release movies, TV shows and music from Hollywood, as well as games, e-magazines and ebooks.
There is also a Kids folder, so parents can ensure that only child-friendly content will be displayed.
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Once the iPad loads up, you're told to enter your flight number as the password.
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Passengers must agree to Jetstar's conditions of use. Customers will be held responsible if they have wilfully damaged the device, which includes physical damage and software tampering.
All iPads will also have an RFID tag installed in the tablet's case, which will be non-removable to prevent theft, and can be tracked by flight attendants to ensure that all devices are returned at the end of each flight. Protection software has been installed as well, to prevent content from being stolen.
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Under the movie section, there were three sub-categories: Australian, Hollywood and Japanese movies.
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Entering the Hollywood movie category, there was a number of popular movies available to watch, including Friends With Benefits, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (parts one and two), Horrible Bosses and Smurfs.
"We've worked with major motion picture houses to ensure that our customers have access to the latest-release movies, a first for the industry," said Bruce Buchanan, Jetstar Group chief executive officer.
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Under the TV section, the sub-categories were: Comedy, Drama, Classic, Reality & Lifestyle, Sport and Kids.
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In the Comedy section, some of the TV shows on offer were The Big Bang Theory, Chuck, The Office and Summer Heights High.
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When you click on the TV show or movie you're interested in, you're then taken to a synopsis page, before being able to play the show.
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In the Audio section, some of the music on offer was Rock, Pop, Greatest Hits, Easy Listening, Classical and Music Video.
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In the Rock section, you are then given a selection of albums to listen to.
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The Album page, once you've selected the music that you want to listen to.
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There are 50 ebooks for children from not-for-profit program Child Writes, and will be updated bi-monthly. All of the ebooks on the iPad are written and illustrated by primary school-aged children.
Jetstar has said that books will soon be available for adults as it works on a sourcing agreement with publishers.
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E-magazines are sourced from ACP, and include Women's Weekly, Real Living, Wheels, Rolling Stone and Madison.
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Games have been sourced from Gameloft, and include Asphalt 5, James Cameron's Avatar, Shrek Kart, GT Racing and Uno, just to name a few.
"Gameloft's philosophy is to make video games available to as many people as possible by anticipating advancements in our field. We're particularly proud of our partnership with Jetstar to offer a new breed of in-flight entertainment," said Gameloft president and founder, Michel Guillemot.
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Hopewell playing GT Racing.
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Under the settings tab, passengers can adjust the volume and choose between English or Japanese.
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Not very well hidden on one of the home screen pages was a folder named "Do Not Use", which had another settings menu, calendar, music and messenger.
In the settings section, a user can make some changes to the iPad's configuration, which include changing the passcode lock functions and the ability to delete Jetstar's pre-installed configuration profiles. There were also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options.
Jestar has stated that the iPads do not have Wi-Fi connectivity, and it is unlikely the airline will offer it, as it can still interfere with aircraft equipment in-flight.
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Another folder, which was found to be empty, was Newsstand. Jetstar said that it is unable to remove or hide these folders, as Apple will not allow it.
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Hopewell playing with the iPad and delving even deeper into the configuration settings.
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Jetstar passenger Hugo Gray said that he enjoyed using the iPad and found it to be the "best in-flight entertainment" that he has experienced. He was impressed with the content and the high-resolution screen.
Irene Mickaiel travelled to New Zealand as a guest of Jetstar.