A while ago, quite a while ago, someone posted a source for used Toughbooks.

Can I please get you to repost that link, please?

Other sources/recommendations for an inexpensive laptop would also be
appreciated. I'm looking to get one to use as an alterntaive chart
plotter running Fugawi.

Many thanks,

Howard

I think this is the one you are talking about? I copied it for future
reference too. I also have been thinking about the poster that was saying
that the best computer for a boat was a $50 one from ebay...when it dies
replace it. We lived aboard last winter for five months, cruising Florida
and the Keys...my notebook is still a little worse for wear...a couple keys
don't work well. I found a rubber USB keyboard & mouse. They are
supposedly subbmersible and can be cleaned with water. The keyboard is
flexible and has a backlit option. I think it was $60 for both. That's
another option for you.

Glenn.
s/v Seawing
www.seawing.net


"Howard" wrote in message
ervers.com...
A while ago, quite a while ago, someone posted a source for used
Toughbooks.

Can I please get you to repost that link, please?

Other sources/recommendations for an inexpensive laptop would also be
appreciated. I'm looking to get one to use as an alterntaive chart
plotter running Fugawi.

Many thanks,

Howard

Howard wrote:
A while ago, quite a while ago, someone posted a source for used
Toughbooks.

Can I please get you to repost that link, please?

Other sources/recommendations for an inexpensive laptop would also be
appreciated. I'm looking to get one to use as an alterntaive chart
plotter running Fugawi.

Many thanks,

Howard

Howard,
I find that Dell has an option called CompleteCare which covers you for
things not normally under warranty such as spills drops etc.. I've had a
couple of laptops with this covered that were literally smashed into
pieces and dell replaced all the faulty parts..
I would imagine that they'd also cover corrosion damage from salt air..
Its 79 bucks extra, but is worths it weight in gold..
(It's also not available in Florida..)
My suggestion? Get 2 of the cheapest laptop dell have (not all have
CompleteCare available), currently $549 (Its the 15.4" Inspiron B130..)
and get the CompleteCare thing.. This way you have a spare while one is
getting repaired..(the hard drive is easy enough to swap over) And it
still only cost you just over a thousand bucks..

Jerry

On Fri, 03 Mar 2006 12:24:21 +1000, Jerry Steinbach
wrote:

Howard,
I find that Dell has an option called CompleteCare which covers you for
things not normally under warranty such as spills drops etc.. I've had a
couple of laptops with this covered that were literally smashed into
pieces and dell replaced all the faulty parts..
I would imagine that they'd also cover corrosion damage from salt air..
Its 79 bucks extra, but is worths it weight in gold..

I'm told that the extended warranties offered by Best Buy, etc. have
the same coverage. The cost is similar. I would recommend finding
out who does the servicing and whether that fits your needs.

__________________________________________________ __________
Glen "Wiley" Wilson usenet1 SPAMNIX at world wide wiley dot com
To reply, lose the capitals and do the obvious.

Take a look at cpRepeater, my NMEA data integrator, repeater, and
logger at http://www.worldwidewiley.com/

On Thu, 02 Mar 2006 19:55:07 -0500, Howard wrote:

A while ago, quite a while ago, someone posted a source for used Toughbooks.

Can I please get you to repost that link, please?

http://www.bobjohnson.com/

I bought a Toughbook from them, arrived promptly, and all is OK.

Yes, that's the one...I went and replied, forgetting to actually paste the
link in. Sorry 'bout that. This was the one though.

Glenn.
s/v Seawing
www.seawing.net


"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 02 Mar 2006 19:55:07 -0500, Howard wrote:

A while ago, quite a while ago, someone posted a source for used
Toughbooks.

Can I please get you to repost that link, please?

http://www.bobjohnson.com/

I bought a Toughbook from them, arrived promptly, and all is OK.

With all the talk about laptops, does this mean more sailors are going to
laptops? If so, what software are you considering or using and how do you
like it?
Thanks
Gordon

On Fri, 3 Mar 2006 08:34:26 -0800, "Gordon"
wrote:
With all the talk about laptops, does this mean more sailors are going to
laptops? If so, what software are you considering or using and how do you
like it?

Based on my experience and that of other people I know, the biggest
use is for electronic charting/course plotting. I've been using a
product called Maptech Offshore Navigator (OSN) for many years. It
has gotten progressively better with every new release, to the point
where I would recommend it to just about anyone. The latest version
does real time tide and current calculation which is a very convenient
thing to have. I use the same software off the boat for trip planning
and storing the electronic logs of our past cruises, another nice
thing to have.

Another popular use onboard is as an adjunct to SSB radio
comunications for weather fax reception, NAVTEX weather reports, and
EMAIL via HF radio (Winlink, Sailmail, etc.).

Last but not least, I use a laptop for connecting to the internet
when in harbors with WiFi or cellphone connectivity.

An up and coming new application that I have not yey implemented is
AIS ship plotting. This requires some additional hardware and
software to receive, decode and plot the data transmitted by AIS
transponders on ships and larger boats.

On Fri, 3 Mar 2006 08:34:26 -0800, "Gordon"
wrote:

With all the talk about laptops, does this mean more sailors are going to
laptops? If so, what software are you considering or using and how do you
like it?
Thanks
Gordon

Google is your friend. :-) A quick search will provide hundreds of
(mostly) informed posts on the subject, at least!

That said, I have several charting software packages onhand, but I
seem to have settled on OziExplorer:
http://www.oziexplorer.com/

At various times I've also used Maptech Ocean Navigator and CAPN and
was fairly satisfied with them, as well as some software I wrote
myself.

I use GpsGate occasionally and find it satisfactory:
http://www.worldwidewiley.com/4NMEApartners.shtml

Setting it all up can be anywhere from cheap and simple to expensive
and complicated, depending on your requirements.


__________________________________________________ __________
Glen "Wiley" Wilson usenet1 SPAMNIX at world wide wiley dot com
To reply, lose the capitals and do the obvious.

Take a look at cpRepeater, my NMEA data integrator, repeater, and
logger at http://www.worldwidewiley.com/