I've been in the computer and software industry for 25 years, working as
system programmer and device support and then architecture. I've seen so
much computer failures from 8086 to 80x86 to Pentium 4 and through VAX, IBM,
HP, and name it. Hundreds of crashes not necessarily depending on the
operating system but can be the power supply, the memory, the hard disk,
the ASIC for keyboard name it. Please do not rely on a computer unless you
have 2 on board. Navigation is not like playing solitaire at home, Murphy
is always there.

Of course my boat is equiped my a computer but i would *never* rely on it.
I'm using Fugawi ENC on a toshiba laptop that drives a 15 inches LCD screen
on 12v (Proview). The Fugawi is doing great while providing interface to
the Nasa AIS receiver which displays the trafic in realtime. This computer
is driven by a 100 $ GPS WAAS USB antenna. (SIRF chip based) Then i have a
completely autonomous Garmin 182C connected to the ICOM-602 which is a
classD DSC receiver-transmiter. If an emergency call comm on DSC, the
Garmin pop up the caller directly on the map and i just have to "GOTO" it to
have my route.

And the third backpu, a Pharos PocketPC and GPS in a box, portable and
autonomous. With land map and sea map on board. Ready to go in a minute.

I usually build my route at home, then export it on a USB key and import it
on the PC on the boat, then from the PC to the Garmin. So i have both
routes on the screen.

I don't think there is a software that support DSC yet or maybe one but i
don't remember the name.

André


"OrvilNewton" wrote in message
ups.com...
I know that this has been discussed before but search results show that
the last time it came up here was a year ago and this stuff changes
pretty rapidly.

The last I used was DOS based so I haven't a clue what's out there now.
Thought I'd farm the wisdom of the group. I'll be running it on a
Dell Latitude D800.

Thanks

Chuck
http://americanvega.org