I am looking for a new laptop so that I can take Nobletec and Rosepoint with me to any boat I go to. I have seen one too many boats with inadequate paper charts and mikey mouse recreational plotters with 4" screens.
does any one have current recommendations for the best value, best performance, laptops?
Another issue. I have had no end of problems trying to reliably get GPS and AIS data from the boats equipment into my laptops… Especially with adapter cables. Any advise on the best devices and cables to resolve these issues? Sometimes my USB GPS works ok, sometimes there is no way to install it were it can get a clear signal.
I know that nothing in this world will ever make me but another Windows based computer. I would look for software that is Apple comparable and get a MacBook Pro. Everything else is absolute junk!
I bought a Samsung medium priced laptop with windows 8 from best buy. I returned it and will get a new Apple instead. The Samsung locked up so bad that control/alt delete didn’t work and I took my flash drive to restore it and it took all night to restore it. when I turned it on the next morning it started system restoring again.It was $650 and they gave me my money back which I will buy an apple with.The new windows 8 sucks. I have vista and it is a better operating system than 8 in my humble opinion.
I had a mate with a macbook pro who “bootcamped” it for windows and put nobletech on his windows “side” of the computer. Seemed to work great. With enough memory space (and cash) this should be no problem at all for any relatively up-to-date mac laptop. Always dreamed of doing exactly the same thing when I can afford it. I’ve also been told that you can use an external hard drive as essentially it’s own “windows” computer so that you can plug it into your mac and run it from there as if it were windows.
Of course, the only reason to go to all this trouble at all is that while Macs are better computers, because they’re more user-friendly, they don’t have a habit of running software like Nobletech that is designed by 3rd parties. Now if I could just find some way of getting my iSailor from my phone on to my macbook, we’d be in business!
[QUOTE=PaddyWest2012;130580]I had a mate with a macbook pro who “bootcamped” it for windows and put nobletech on his windows “side” of the computer. Seemed to work great. With enough memory space (and cash) this should be no problem at all for any relatively up-to-date mac laptop. Always dreamed of doing exactly the same thing when I can afford it. I’ve also been told that you can use an external hard drive as essentially it’s own “windows” computer so that you can plug it into your mac and run it from there as if it were windows.
Of course, the only reason to go to all this trouble at all is that while Macs are better computers, because they’re more user-friendly, they don’t have a habit of running software like Nobletech that is designed by 3rd parties. Now if I could just find some way of getting my iSailor from my phone on to my macbook, we’d be in business![/QUOTE]
For me personally, never own another PC, or have them in my home. Have gone all Apple, My Macbook Pro. imac at home for a desk top, and the wife has her Macbook Pro as well. I would recommend to use Parallels instead of Bootcamp when installing/ running Windows. You can run them side by side, and even access the files from the mac or windows side. I purchased and downloaded Win 7 from internet, installed it, and it has been running like a champ… Never an issue. I mainly installed windows for study purposes since most of the study material is not Mac Friendly…
I’ve been using Dell business laptops (Latitude series) for years for both work and personal stuff. Nothing to complain. However, I dislike Windows 8, so all my machines have Windows 7.
Yeah the few dell laptops I’ve owned I really liked. My only reason for choosing desktops is that the price for an equivalent amount of performance is so much better.
[QUOTE=tugsailor;130572]I am looking for a new laptop so that I can take Nobletec and Rosepoint with me to any boat I go to. I have seen one too many boats with inadequate paper charts and mikey mouse recreational plotters with 4" screens.
does any one have current recommendations for the best value, best performance, laptops?
Another issue. I have had no end of problems trying to reliably get GPS and AIS data from the boats equipment into my laptops… Especially with adapter cables. Any advise on the best devices and cables to resolve these issues? Sometimes my USB GPS works ok, sometimes there is no way to install it were it can get a clear signal.[/QUOTE]
If I was in the market I’d look at the Asus Transformer T100TA-C1-GR. Having a touch screen is a nice in the wheelhouse as you don’t have to focus on the keyboard. It runs windows 8 so you can run Rosepoint.
As far as the AIS/GPS signal, most pilots plug into the AIS pilot plug with a bluetooth device. If you don’t have a pilot plug the AIS may be capable of supporting one? In which case just a short cable to go from AIS output / Pilot plug / bluetooth.
The option of bringing your own receivers, the boater forums have lots of info on this. Better to use vessel antenna / info of course.
[QUOTE=Tups;130586]I’ve been using Dell business laptops (Latitude series) for years for both work and personal stuff. Nothing to complain. However, I dislike Windows 8, so all my machines have Windows 7.[/QUOTE]
I’ve had good luck with the Dell Outlet Store, purchasing refurbished equipment, figuring that they have already found and worked out the bugs on any given computer. Had a Dell Inspiron 6000 for seven years before I sold it to a deck hand when I was working overseas. I’m presently on a Dell XPS 14z that has a backlit keyboard.
When I was shopping for a computer based chartplotter about five years ago, several others recommended getting a Zenstar III GPS antenna for the computer. They had tried others, but found the Zenstar to give the best performance. I’m sure technology may have changed a lot since then.
Having been down the road with Rosepoint, Nobletec, Seaclear, Open Cpn, Mac GPS, Mac Enc and a variety of proprietary gizmos I have to say that Inavx kicks 'em all to the curb… Ipad w/Inavx is rock solid and easy to use, plus it’s never frozen up in the fog with an alert saying something about “Updates are ready for your computer!”
I would say that the manned barge is required to submit [B]Ballast water management plan[/B] report themselves and have a records on their own computer that they have submitted the ballast report not the tug that moved them
[QUOTE=Tups;130586]I’ve been using Dell business laptops (Latitude series) for years for both work and personal stuff. Nothing to complain. However, I dislike Windows 8, so all my machines have Windows 7.[/QUOTE]
I used to use Dell, but will never get another. Their quality has deteriorated a lot in the past few years. I had a problem with the last Latitude laptop I had, when I went to get it repaired the shop said they couldn’t do much with it, the Chinese contractors that make them use different components for the same model, and they never know what parts they need as there is no consistency as to what’s in them. I’ve also had a couple of Dell desk tops die prematurely in the last few years. If you shop arond, you’ll find a ton of refurbished Dells, that tells me the original quality is lacking, if it was better they wouldn’t need to refurbish as many.
My wife and daughter both use HP laptops and they have been reliable. My daughter’s runs Windows 8 and from what I have seen of it, I don’t like it (e.g., could they make it any feckin’ harder to turn the damn thing off?). The machhines I use at home run windows 7 and I don’t have major issues with it.
If I wasn’t cheap, I’d go with Apple, but I balk at the price tags.
I owned one dell computer (desktop in 2004) and the hard drive crashed just after one year. I put a new one in and it died 3 months later. My compaq is 5 years old now and it locks up more frequently now but has been a great laptop. I am biting the bullet with a new Apple macbook which has a USB port now.
“When you pay peanuts, you get elephants” to quote a friend of mine.
I have tried Macs, but ironically, I don’t find them to be user friendly to me. My current personal laptop is a Sony, that I purchased on their online store. They are easily customizable and are the next best thing to having one built for you. I do know that Dell has a similar program, and, in fact, I am using one of theirs right now, as it is my work lap top. The Dell is okay, but I have already had the motherboard die on me. Both my lap top and my daughter’s lap top are from the Sony online store. In the past, I have also been using Sony’s desk tops, however my current desk top is a custom built model (recently upgraded) and actually very cost effective.
HP has worked fine and is value for money. Dell Lattitudes working well so far - and running Windows 8 too. Maybe it is luck.
Sonys were really great but always seemed to cost a fair bit more than similar HP’s. Apple with Parallels run pretty good too. Need to spend some time on the setup.
============
Be careful using your “personal” chart software at work.
A while back the mate “preferred” Nobletec to the boat’s Transas which had the (correct) courses plotted by the Captain.
Mate ignored the Transas in favor of Nobletec, and ran the boat aground on rocks at 14 knots.
Spectacular damage.
Everyone fired.
End.
For Owners / Operators, make sure your charts and pubs are up to date (duh) and a policy of “no use of personal navigational software” is in place, to ensure your vessel is “seaworthy”, at least from this angle. Cannot speak to Owners / Operators that do not keep the charts/pubs up to date, but crew using their own puts a lot of issues on the table.
Lenovo and HP. Lenovo/IBM thinkpads are rugged workhorses. No wonder a lot of corporate folks have these for travel. Hp has been good for me as well. I recently bought a low end Lenovo and couldn’t be happier besides windows 8.
If you use it for NAV and personal stuff, I’d Create Separate user accounts at the very least sharing no files and uninstall all programs other than your navigation. If you’re using it in addition to up to date paper charts, no big deal in my mind. I’d maintain a record of updates to the electronic charts as well.
No matter what computer you buy, it’s a really good idea to get yourself a USB backup outboard hard drive. Things can go bad with any computer. You can usually get a 500GB one at Staples for about $60.
Macs come with an automatic backup app so it’s easy. I don’t know if Windows comes with one. If not, backup apps are usually cheap and some drive makers include one with the drive.
[QUOTE=+A465B;130623]HP has worked fine and is value for money. Dell Lattitudes working well so far - and running Windows 8 too. Maybe it is luck.
Sonys were really great but always seemed to cost a fair bit more than similar HP’s. Apple with Parallels run pretty good too. Need to spend some time on the setup.
============
Be careful using your “personal” chart software at work.
A while back the mate “preferred” Nobletec to the boat’s Transas which had the (correct) courses plotted by the Captain.
Mate ignored the Transas in favor of Nobletec, and ran the boat aground on rocks at 14 knots.
Spectacular damage.
Everyone fired.
End.
For Owners / Operators, make sure your charts and pubs are up to date (duh) and a policy of “no use of personal navigational software” is in place, to ensure your vessel is “seaworthy”, at least from this angle. Cannot speak to Owners / Operators that do not keep the charts/pubs up to date, but crew using their own puts a lot of issues on the table.[/QUOTE]
There is more then one issue here. One is running up on the rocks. That by itself is a big problem. Another issue is not using the ship’s equipment to navigate. That is a problem in and of itself. Another issue is the mate using his own voyage plan / tracklines instead of the captains.
It’s a bit of a leap to compare making those errors to using personal equipment in addition to following all the required navigation procedures with vessel equipment. .