Malaysia Airlines now offers iPad check-in (video)
It's getting easier and easier to enjoy in-flight entertainment on Apple's briskly moving tablet, but why wait till you get to the gate to dive in? If you're flying out of Kuala Lumpur, you can play with that 9.7-inch IPS touchscreen while you daydream of that time that watched Entrapment with your soulmate, book your flight, find departure times and even check in at dedicated kiosks. Adapting its iPhone application MHMobile for iPad use, Malaysia Airlines has installed five terminals at Kuala Lumpur Sentral so far -- where the company presently serves just 900 customers a day. See the interface in action after the break, or just download the existing app at our more coverage link if you're in search of that elusive globetrotter feeling.
























Kuala Lumpur always makes me think of Kent Brockman (or is it Kenny Brockelstein?)
@potretr
Bit like your prose? Actually I have much time for MA and Malaysia in general - because i'm not a xenophobic inbred racist like you.
:P
@Maeztro
I was just watching the movie "The first 20 million is always the hardest" and I though that Kuala Lumpur was a fictional place. Cause that's the only place I've ever heard it mentioned. For some reason that movie makes me think of apple idk why.
Side note: I think that's the longestcmovie title I've ever seen.
@Gavin M
never forget the film Zoolander
Is this REALLY implying that Apple invented the technology for touch screen kiosks for check-in at airports? Really?
I guess they also invented a time machine to make sure they installed all those touch screens kiosks back in 2003 at my local airport.
@snowshovel
Cheap touch screens nothing wrong with that. i wonder if you can install fart apps on it?
@snowshovel
I thought they did invent Time Machine...
;-)
@snowshovel
No numbnuts, it ISN'T implying that at all. No where did they state, or even imply that, and in the video title itself it simply states that this is the 1st time an iPad is used instead of a touch-based computer.
This is a very smart, economical and design-friendly way to set up these kiosks. Usually you would need a ton more room in the kiosk itself for the computer components. Now all of it is tucked inside the screen.
@fais
Indeed, I'm no fan of the iPad as a netbook replacement some make it out to be, but this is really quite ingenius. I'd imagine these systems usually cost more than ca. 500 USD a piece, and now they actually get a really nice screen, a good touch interface, and build-quality to boot.
@Hazdaz
...except this forces everything to be over wireless networks. This means that everything is fundementally less secure and less reliable. This isn't a mobile application. They could drop some proper cabling here. They probably need it just for the power.
@snowshovel wow moron clearly someone didn't pay attention during reading skills classes.
@Hazdaz You said that buddy
Sent from my iPad.
I've seen touchscreen computers since the 80's. This is new as a Camaro iRoc-Z.
Cool?
What's the point?
"Play with that 9.7 inch touchscreen." More like play with black and white text useful only for flight schedules. See, the home button is hidden for a reason
msia boleh!
but really, it is just a Ticketing System website run on iPad, if its just a PC running it, will it still be cool ???
My only concern is the state of the battery, I imagine it is plug to the wall 24/7. Not good for the battery.
@plwh888
I'm pretty sure any consumer electronics manufacturer these days knows to turn off charging the battery after it's at 100% and continues to be plugged in.
@plwh888
Windows is so dead. Deader than Julius Caesar. Every application where they used a Windows-licensed PC will be replaced with an iPad. Steve Ballmer must be pulling his hair out. Oh, wait...
@plwh888
I'm sure that doesn't matter. These iPads are never going to removed from the kiosks are they, so they're never going to be run off the battery.
Android fanboiis raging cuzz it’s not THEIR favorite data collecting company that innovative companies in Asia are choosing. My heart is full of joy reading the drones’ posts here.
@magadget
Your comment is the first time anyone has even mentioned Android. Just what the hell are you talking about?
That's actually pretty ghetto.
And considering the recent security breach, you really trust an ipad kiosk with credit card/ passport/ driver's license/any other sensitive form of ID information that you really don't want people knowing when you're travelling?
Didn't think so.
@Rem DX it was at&t problem
@Formul
I never really bought that.
That's like blaming your ISP for getting a virus over the internet while using their connection.
@Rem DX
Yeah I like your analogy, but now rationalize how that email situation is apples fault.
Apples not perfect as we see with the yellow spots and the " your holding the phone wrong".
@Rem DX
You're right. They should be using Windows or Android, neither of which has ever had a security concern.
@CMoebius
No, they should use what's been proven to work very well.
And at least with the case of windows, security is taken seriously.
@Rem DX
they found a breach in att's site on a PC (by changing the agent string)
it has nothing to do with the ipad , the ipads dont run or store the servers they are just a end user interface
@Rem DX windows... security is taken seriously ? what? excuse me while I double over in laughter
So what happens when the app crashes, doesn't it just dump you back to the home screen?
From here i guess you can browse the net & buy more apps?!
@bibbleq
Hey at least it won't take down the whole system.... tap on an icon and you're back up in a milli-second. Think is most already would know how to use this UI
@dave95 I was thinking more from an exploit point of view. Yes you could choose to run the check-in app again but there would be nothing stopping you from using the ipad for other things?
@bibbleq
You can restrict people from browsing the web or purchasing Apps etc in the settings. Or you can password protect certain features. No exploit.
Waste of money, seriously.
Waste of money, seriously.
@(Unverified) do you know how much is specialized touchscreen computer? much more than $499 i can assure you
@Formul
You have a point.
Although the ipad hasn't been released in Malaysia yet. Some importers charge as much as 750$ for it:
http://imalaysian.com/2010/04/03/apple-ipad-in-malaysia/
Although it wouldn't be hard for an airlines company to get them, I suppose.
You're right about the touchscreen kiosks, but large companies would get bulk discounts.
@sphbking the airline is especially tied to the government. And our the gov can get whatever they want. They always get their ways, not the peoples. If they want iPads to run the kiosk, they can get them. We had a case last year when see that our gov spent over RM24,000+ on an Acer laptop (RM24,000 = USD$7,200). This was last year's account statement, who on earth would spend that amount of money on an Acer laptop?
I would buy something else (;
@pple is poo
Because a booger, fecal matter, or Ebola can't be transferred to a resistive screen? That's truly magic.
The ipad reminds me of the Ford Taurus from the 90's.
A piece of crap, but all the rental places ate it up giving it good numbers, and fooling the dumb.
To trust iPads for Airline check-in just shows the majority of the iOS. I could see lots of other companies adopting devices like the iPad, replacing big expensive old cumbersome units. And this is only the first gen.
@dave95
Oops meant maturity of the iOS.
That looks real sanitary. A kiosk that requires your skin to come into contact with the screen like the hundreds of people before you.
@kabloink oh so you don't use atms? and I suppose you open doors with your foot
@kabloink
Yeah and they should abolish all ATMs around the world also. And every silly Kiosks in malls that millions of people touch. All the grocery store self check-out screens should go also. Thank goodness the iPad is opening our (bias) eyes to these silly unsanitary public touch screen devices.
/s
@kabloink OCD much?
I wonder how they connect to peripheral devices like credit card machine? Oh I guess they can do it be enter the CC # instead of swipe the card. But that will be kinda insecure thing to do in public place like airport.
i wonder how they pervent the ipad from going out of the airliner's app.