I see a lot of good ideas from the other posts but the biggest issue I see
is having a LCD screen (or some other technology screen) in the cockpit that
is readable in daylight. I have tried various laptops but none of them
provide sufficient screen intenisty to be readable in bright sunlight. I
know there are some expensivve monitors out there but the monitor should
not cost more than the computer it connects to. So whatever the PC is or
where ever it is located seem to be a secondary issue to having a monitor
that is of use in the cockpit and doesn't cost $$$$.



wrote in message
ups.com...
Most boaters use laptops for onboard computing, but I want to see what
this group thinks about using a more permanent PC solution? My opinion
is that laptops work fine most of the time, but they aren't really
designed for life on the water unless you go with a very expensive
ruggedized version.

I have to be honest, so here's my "full disclosure". I started a
company about a year ago to build and sell marine PCs (not laptops) to
the recreational boating community. Out of respect for the newsgroup
format, I'm not going to advertise here. I'm using my personal email
address, not my business one. I'm just looking for ideas. Call it
market research.

I am interested in the general reaction and acceptance of the boating
community to the idea of replacing their laptops with a more rugged and
marine-focused solution. Would you consider it? Are you aleady doing
it? If not, what kind of features might change your mind? If you are
out there now just looking for the right marine PC system, what
features are you looking for?

Just FYI, my system currently includes "marine" features that are
inspired from my own experiences and research, such as regulated 12VDC
input, shock & vibration resistance, conformally coated circuit boards,
and a small footprint (it's about the size of a shoebox). What else may
be useful on your boat?

Thanks in advance for any ideas!