On 2005-08-20 19:59:49 +1000, "Dennis Pogson"
said:

johnhh wrote:
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.

You can overcome some of these problems by using a port replicator with the
laptop, but likewise, I think this is all getting too much for we sailors,
the amount of time I have on passage with only two up is about 5% for
navigation, so why go to all this hassle and expense? On a coastal passage,
I can SEE most of my "waypoints" in real time and in 3D, not on a PC screen!

Once again the voice of reason strikes a resounding note. Passage
planning, ok the computer is great for that. Loading waypoints into a
GPS ok too. But while single handing I'm much too busy to spend time
looking at a PC screen. Even a chart plotter is not really that much
use. So I'll stick with the paper on board and my MKII eyball for the
moment.

--
Regards,
John Proctor VK3JP, VKV6789
S/V Chagall