I believe that solution, properly done, can be far superior to most laptops.
Let me give some observations.

0. Pentium M's are much more powerful than VIAs and very conservative of
energy as well.

1. Most laptops are far too fragile. I just had one totally destroyed by a
half a cup of water spilled on the chart table. The laptop was closed and
in hibernation mode. The water went under it. Everything but the case and
display needed to be replaced.

2. Laptops take up too much space on the chart table and are not easily
moved after you have all the gizmos connected to it. A simple small
wireless keyboard and mouse with a monitor suspended at the back would be oh
so much nicer.

3. For inside the cabin, laptops have better monitors then are available
standalone. At least I haven't been able to find a 17" UXGA monitor except
on laptops.

4. Of course you can't drag your component machine down to the internet
cafe like you can the laptop. But, you need to have a backup for when one
of them dies, so you need a ruggedized laptop as well as the component
system.

5. I can't afford all this crap, let alone the time to administer it. I
think I'll just take my two Garmin 176s and go sailing.



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!