Comparison

Emerald Observatory for iPad vs FPDT

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.)

About

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.

Highlights
  • Log combat mission actions
  • Configure action types
  • Export data to PDF/plaintext
  • Real-time location monitoring
  • Live bullseye targeting information
Features
Read full description

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

FPDT4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Emerald Observatory for iPad versus FPDT: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmerald Observatory for iPadFPDT
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (99 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews98.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings99 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 5 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBjorn Freeman-BensonRich Zins

Customer experience

Emerald Observatory for iPad

All ratings96 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews149 reviews
Positive98.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative1.3%

FPDT

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
Show 9 more
  • 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

None

Emerald Observatory for iPad

No in-app purchases

None

FPDT

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Emerald Observatory for iPad free?
Emerald Observatory for iPad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is FPDT free?
FPDT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Emerald Observatory for iPad or FPDT?
FPDT is rated higher. Emerald Observatory for iPad averages 4.9 out of 5 from 99 ratings, while FPDT averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Emerald Observatory for iPad or FPDT have ads?
Neither Emerald Observatory for iPad nor FPDT shows ads.

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