After doing a lot of research I recently purchased a Dell XPS 12 ultrabook/convertible tablet (Windows 8.1) that so far appears to have a rock-solid build (carbon fiber and aluminum) and installed RosePoint (which by the way does have touch functionality, select it in “RosePoint Labs”). So far I’ve only used it with a GlobalSat USB receiver and that seems to work fine from within the wheelhouse, and charts and GPS data on my personal machine agree with what the vessel’s chartplotter and various other GPS sensors are telling me. Checking out options now to add AIS.
I have RosePoint set to update charts in my portfolio automatically every time I open it, which is a nice feature – basically like getting the latest OceanGraphix print-on-demand paper chart every day.
I still primarily use the vessel systems for actual navigation, but it’s terrific to have the same software on my own machine for voyage planning and route logging.
There is a lot of good information in this thread. I’d only add that a solid state drive would be the way to go. I just upgraded my 2 1/2 year old Dell XPS 14z with one, and the increased performance is fantastic. It used to take 120 sec to boot up. That is now down to 30 sec.
[QUOTE=Capnklump;148238]Apple is the only way to go, unless you wanna buy a new laptop every couple of years imo.[/QUOTE]
Ditto on that one. A lot of people like to hate on Apple but they’ve kept me plenty happy for over a decade now. No computer is perfect, but Apple is close enough for me.
Just got my wife a Lenovo Yoga 2 pro. Man that thing is nice. Has me seriously questioning my wait for the T400 series refresh due at the begging of the year. There are some coupon codes out there that knock $500 off, and with a 3 year next day in home or office repair plan it came to around $1200. I know it’s more then your $300 best buy special but you get what you pay for when it comes to laptops. The outside is completely aluminum so it doesn’t flex when you pick it up, the big killer of laptops. quad HD screen, 256 SSD, 8 gigs of ram, I5 Processor, 14" screen that converts into a tablet.
I got a Lenovo T400 6 years ago and last month the screen finely went out again and I’m tired of replacing parts to keep it going. Tried a new motherboard for $50 and it didn’t work. Being a Lenovo Thinkpad the parts are easy to find and replace. The same can not be said for HP laptops that change style every year. It never left me stranded except for when the power supply went out. I literally had water pour into it while it was on my bunk in ship yard after I had only had it for 2 months, and it didn’t even flinch. The only expensive part was when I replaced the screen when something crushed it causing a black spot on the bottom of it in my bag, and that was only $150. Everything else was under $50 and easily found on Ebay or Amazon.
Screen hinges- one cracked on me at year 5, The thing had only been opened and closed a million times
Screen Bezel- Cracked when I was replacing the screen hing, really just a cosmetic thing
Palm rest with trackpad- The mouse buttons started feeling mushy and looking a little worn, again really a cosmetic thing
Power Supplies- Old boats are hard on these, finely started using a small surge protector and haven’t had a problem.
Battery- really more of a ware item.
BTW the computer is know in my office hooked up to an external monitor and I’m using it type this right now. So it’s still got some life left in it.
I used to get Sony laptops off of their website. I also used to like their desktops, but I have a custom made desktop now that is better than anything else I have ever had and cheaper, even though it is getting long in the tooth. Problem with Sony is that they dropped their computer division. I do NOT like Dells. Using one now as a work laptop and it has some regular issues. I believe that just about every one here in the office has had their die, and that is just in the last year and a half.
One of the things I liked about Sony is that you could have them custom assembled for you. That kept the crap that shows up on a Best Buy or Fry’s computer off of them.
[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]
Lenovo. Workhorse computers which are preferred by companies that issue them to their road warriors because they are well built,break less than most. OS of 7 Pro is my choice but maybe the newest version of 8 would work for you. There are really only about 3 or 4 computer assembly companies in the world. Dell,Toshiba, HP and the rest subcontract the work to them. It is the quality of the components and build quality of the case that determine what you have to live with.If you want to go high end check out powernotebooks, great people to work with.
Budget? It is quite difficult to suggest a device without knowing budget. In my research, I have found this macbook version which is pretty good, for those who’s carry the mid-budget like 1000$. If your budget between 1000-1200$, then i think it will be a good choice for you https://mcsolution.com.bd/apple-macbook-air-with-apple-m1-chip/
But If you can pay more than it, I would love to highly recommend taking the latest MacBook Air m2 or MacBook Pro m2. Also, If you want to move on gaming laptop, then I want to highly recommend taking the top rated asus rog strix g15. Which comes with RTX 3060 graphics system. Now It depends on you how budget and what is your purpose to buy, is it for gaming or general work.