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Old 22-02-2008, 09:15   #1
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Customer Service at GPSNavX and MacENC

Check this out:

I wrote an email for a support question at this time:
On Feb 22, 2008, at 9:01 AM, Sullivan wrote:
> Hello,
I received my answer to the support question at this time:

Re: MacENC Order Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:04:36 -0800

I got my answer (a correct answer) in 3 minutes, 36 seconds, INCLUDING travel time betwen mail servers! If that isn't customer service, I don't know what is.

I SWEAR I don't have stock in this company, but I'm fanatic fan!
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Old 22-02-2008, 15:01   #2
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I would love if the guys over there would see the thread here about the XO laptop for navigation. It may convince them there's a market for a Linux port of MacENC. Heck, OSX is Unix, so the real work should be the GUI.

I'd buy it in an instant!
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Old 27-02-2008, 21:53   #3
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MacENC is designed specifically for Mac OS X. As such it uses programming interfaces specific to Mac OS X such as Cocoa and Quartz. Neither exist on Linux. So porting MacENC to Linux would be a huge undertaking. Most likely a complete re-write. The downside when developing an application to be cross platform (i.e. Windows, Mac OS X, Linux) is that you end up with the least common denominator to insure compatibility.

While Linux has made huge inroads on the server side, its acceptance on the desktop has been miniscule. Also with so many Linux distributions and window managers out there it makes it a challenge to develop for.

Has anyone tried Barcosoft Seafarer/LX? How does it stack up against other marine navigation applications?
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Old 20-10-2010, 21:47   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GPSNavX View Post
MacENC is designed specifically for Mac OS X. As such it uses programming interfaces specific to Mac OS X such as Cocoa and Quartz. Neither exist on Linux. So porting MacENC to Linux would be a huge undertaking. Most likely a complete re-write. The downside when developing an application to be cross platform (i.e. Windows, Mac OS X, Linux) is that you end up with the least common denominator to insure compatibility.

While Linux has made huge inroads on the server side, its acceptance on the desktop has been miniscule. Also with so many Linux distributions and window managers out there it makes it a challenge to develop for.

Has anyone tried Barcosoft Seafarer/LX? How does it stack up against other marine navigation applications?
Where a linux port would shine would be the appliance model. A partnership with Dell, Panasonic etc. for a ruggedized tablet or the like. With the ipad out this is a dying market though. As a lover of MacENC, I was disappointed in iNavx. My chart tie in to whatever the service is didn't work, then worked for awhile then didn't, and when I needed charts I didn't have network connectivity etc. I finally removed it. I hope you guys can polish it up and make it shine. The availability of world charts is awesome, but the fact that you need to get charts from your service is not so awesome. It really wasn't awesome when I lost my charts.

In any case, great work on the mac version. I really like it.
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Old 20-10-2010, 21:50   #5
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Please contact us directly (this forum won't let us post email or websites), but we would be happy to help you sort out the charts on iNavX. inavx at me dot com
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Old 20-10-2010, 21:59   #6
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Will do. Also my criticism isn't entirely fair, I sail in both the USA and Canada, and it was just let down with an x-traverse problem and re-downloading canadian charts, that I was counting on. I did have paper and our trip went off without a hitch, but GPS is great and the Garmin didn't have the Canadian charts. If it were not for needing the x-traverse part to work, inavx would have been wonderful. I did use the anchor alarm feature as a backup one night as well when we were in a poor anchorage area with nowhere to move to in the height of tourist season, and it went off at the same time as the Garmin when we drug anchor. I'll email directly.
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Old 22-10-2010, 02:46   #7
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I use iNavx on my iPod and think its great. I use it as extension to my PC at the nav station while at the helm.

But I would really like to be able to upload charts in .KAP format from my local PC. I have a lot of charts not available from the services provided by the iNavx program like Cuba and ones that I have created from Google Earth.

Also an AIS alarm using CPA/TCPA would be nice.
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Old 22-10-2010, 11:45   #8
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There are apps that allow users to input data (Keynote is a good example). It is a little cumbersome and needs to be done through iTunes, but it is an option. My biggest complaints all have to do with x-traverse and chart management. I really wish iNavX allowed for charts outside of the x-traverse subscription model.
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Old 22-10-2010, 12:12   #9
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iNavX offers complete access to the NOAA US RNC catalog straight from the NOAA server so there is no X-Traverse involved or cost. You get the very latest updated RNC charts.

For non NOAA charts, X-Traverse offers the largest online catalog of updated charts. The downside is the charts are not free. Other than the Navionics charts, all others can be used on Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch with one purchase. Navionics has different price points for each platform. Even their own apps are device specific and offer no way to update the bundled charts independent of the iTunes app store.

It is the chart producers who prohibit us from allowing one to take charts from their PC/Mac and just copy them over to their iDevice. Maybe some one will develop such an app, but we are bound by the chart producers to adhere to their license terms.
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Old 22-10-2010, 12:35   #10
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If it is a standard format chart, why do the chart manufactures have anything to say about it, unless you allow purchase from the app? You can by laptop formatted charts on CD and SD card. I have several laptop applications that will open all of my electronic charts. I fail to see the distinction. If this really is the case, then it severely limits the usefulness of the iPad as a Navigation tool unless the app includes charts, and that would be difficult to do for the diverse locals of the world. There is no way to back up the charts using this model.
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Old 22-10-2010, 12:46   #11
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Though GPSNavX's explanation would explain why there are no apps yet that allow us to use our existing chart libraries.
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Old 22-10-2010, 12:47   #12
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When you sync your iPad/iPhone/iPod touch it's data is backed up on your PC or Mac..

iPhone and iPod touch: About backups
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Old 22-10-2010, 12:50   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GPSNavX View Post
When you sync your iPad/iPhone/iPod touch it's data is backed up on your PC or Mac..

iPhone and iPod touch: About backups
Only as an entire OS image. If you ever need to start over and go back to factory defaults (I have needed to do this several times in the past few years), you lose the data that has been added to the app. This goes for saved game data in games as well. That isn't good enough for maps that cost even just a few bucks each, and many of the x-traverse apps are much more expensive than that.
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Old 21-06-2015, 06:47   #14
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Re: Customer Service at GPSNavX and MacENC

I have been using iNavx for quite some time and I send all my waypoints, courses etc into their service. I have upgraded, drowned, broken and generally missed a few iPads and I can always get my charts back and then pull all my personal data down and I am back in operation.
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Old 21-06-2015, 07:26   #15
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Re: Customer Service at GPSNavX and MacENC

Quote:
Originally Posted by ssullivan View Post
Check this out:

I wrote an email for a support question at this time:
On Feb 22, 2008, at 9:01 AM, Sullivan wrote:
> Hello,
I received my answer to the support question at this time:

Re: MacENC Order Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:04:36 -0800

I got my answer (a correct answer) in 3 minutes, 36 seconds, INCLUDING travel time betwen mail servers! If that isn't customer service, I don't know what is.

I SWEAR I don't have stock in this company, but I'm fanatic fan!
I don't like INavX very much, but I have to agree with this -- their tech support is superb. I've had multiple experiences like this.

I've also had really superb tech support from Maretron.

The most rotten tech support I've ever had from a marine electronics company was from Navico -- when I got the wrong person. Several times in a row. Then finally got the right person and it was great.
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