Originally Posted by
jjhoneck
You guys are funny. Evolve, people! Evolve! ;)
This was my 32nd consecutive year at OSH. I, too, remember the time before cell phones and tablets. In fact, when they first came out, we actively made sure that we kept them OFF at all times, so as not to interfere with the OSH experience.
Then, something funny started to happen. First, my smartphone replaced my camera. Now, I *had* to keep it on, so I could take pictures.
Then, my smartphone replaced my video camera. Ditto, above.
Then, I started asking my phone for information on the plane I was looking at. Yes, you can ASK your phone about a specific make of plane -- or even about a specific plane. It's amazing, having the compiled history of aviation available at all times.
Then, I started instantly uploading my pictures from OSH, so that friends and family at home could participate.
And so on. This year, we used the Airventure app to show our position on a map of the grounds, and the location(s) of stuff we wanted to see, like forums and exhibitors. It was terrific.
At no point have these devices detracted from the Oshkosh experience. In fact, they have enhanced it. You guys need to embrace this new technology for the wonder it truly is.
Fortunately, with 4G cellular coverage, all of this worked well. Unfortunately, at OSH this used up our expensive data plan at a breathtaking rate -- which is why we are clamoring for better WiFi. I figure OSH added around $60 to my cell bill last month. Multiply that times the thousands of attendees, and you can see that better WiFi would save EAA members a ton of $$$$.
It's a brave, new world! :)