Boeland wrote in
:

Larry wrote:
I've posted on rec.boats.electronics what I'm doing with my Linux
tablet that's of interest to boaters who might be interested in free
chart plotting. We have a new app called HIKE that can turn any jpg
into a live GPS chartplotter.

Thank you!

It is a very interesting article indeed but there is a lot to absorb
for someone like me who's not familiar with this tablet technology. I
have saved your article so I can re-read it at length and go to the
sites you mention for learning more about the possibilities.
I am planning to equip a sailboat for offshore cruising so from my
initial understanding this system may not be applicable without cell
phone coverage. Is this correct?


The HIKE maps are jpg pictures YOU create of your charts. No internet
connection is necessary to use them. You can click the power button and
put the tablet in "offline mode" which shuts down bluetooth and wifi saving
power and battery. Maemo Mapper will work fine without internet
connections if you download the maps to a memory card when you do have
internet connections, storing the latest maps and pictures on the card.

It's music player and video player will play any files on memory cards,
too. No internet is necessary for entertainment, like playing MP3 files to
the boat stereo.