Emerald Observatory for iPad vs FPDT
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Emerald Observatory for iPad
This app provides a comprehensive astronomical display on a single screen, offering detailed information about celestial bodies and timekeeping. It features a heliocentric orrery, rise and set times, twilight information, and moon phase details. Users can navigate through time and set alarms for astronomical events.
- Astronomical information display
- Heliocentric orrery
- Rise and set times for Sun, Moon, planets
- Twilight times
- Moon phase and orientation
- World map of day/night regions
- Eclipse simulator
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Emerald Observatory displays a wealth of astronomical information all on one screen, in a unique but understandable format. Information includes: - 12- and 24-hour ordinary clock time - Times of rise and set for the Sun, the Moon, and the 5 classical planets - Times of the beginning and ending of twilight - Heliocentric orrery (display of the planets in orbit around the Sun) - Altitude and azimuth for the same bodies (one body at a time) - Current phase and apparent orientation and relative size of the moon - Current regions of day and night on a world map - The Equation of Time, solar time, UTC time, and sidereal time - Month, day, year, and leap-year indicator - Daily alarm (delivered as local notification if app is not running) - Eclipse simulator - Displayed times are synchronized via NTP to "atomic clock" standard, or can be set manually - Uses iPad location, or the latitude and longitude may be set manually A setting is available to allow the display to stay on continuously. If you are having any trouble with the application whatsoever, please see our FAQ on the support page listed below and then contact us through that page if your problem is not resolved. We take pride in responding promptly to all support email requests but we can't fix it if you don't report it (and we have no way to respond to Customer Reviews on the App Store). (NTP requires Internet access. Like all apps Emerald Observatory can not change the device's internal clock.)
FPDT
This tool allows pilots to log and configure actions taken during combat missions. The logged data, including event name, location, and time, can be exported for debriefing and training. It also offers real-time monitoring with live targeting information.
- Log combat mission actions
- Configure action types
- Export data to PDF/plaintext
- Real-time location monitoring
- Live bullseye targeting information
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FPDT, Fighter Pilot Debrief Tool, was designed to allow pilots to log and configure the types of actions they would normally do in a combat related mission. This log is then meant to be used for training purposes after the mission to debrief the pilots on how well they did. The app logs the event name, location data, and the time of the event. This data can then be exported into a PDF or plaintext. The app also allows real time monitoring of this location data, and more specifically contains live "bullseye" targeting information.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: FPDT at free against Emerald Observatory for iPad's paid. FPDT also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.2 vs 17.0). Emerald Observatory for iPad's advantage is ratings volume (99 vs 5). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Emerald Observatory for iPad against 5.0 for FPDT. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Emerald Observatory for iPad has 99 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.
| Parameter | Emerald Observatory for iPad | FPDT |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (99 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 98.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 99 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 13.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bjorn Freeman-Benson | Rich Zins |
Customer experience
Emerald Observatory for iPad
FPDT
Bugs and requests
Emerald Observatory for iPad
Requested features
14 requests- Port to screen wallpaper
- Large wall clock version
- Apple TV version
- Support for Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto
- iPhone and Apple Watch versions
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- Alarm functionality
- Screen dimming for night use
- Numeric display of values
- Switch altitude/azimuth by touching planet
- Push notifications for specific events
- Custom chime sounds for events
- Round earth display to match moon display
- iPad version of Chronometer iPhone app
- Tutorial mode or on-screen help
FPDT
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Emerald Observatory for iPad
No in-app purchases
FPDT
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Emerald Observatory for iPad free?
Is FPDT free?
Which has better reviews, Emerald Observatory for iPad or FPDT?
Do Emerald Observatory for iPad or FPDT have ads?
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