The Business Case for Next-Generation Chartplotting

[nwdiver]

Originally Posted by r.fairman

The big player with lots of cash and geo date for the whole world is Google. google has proved in the past to give away apps purely to create more traffic. More traffic = more adsense revenue. When Google enters the marine navigation market the mobile based full featured chart plotter is a reality

At present what can a dedicated chart plotter do that
iNavx on a iPad cannot do. Waterproof it for about $60 give its 12v power supply for about $20 . why oh why do not chart plotter manufactutrs not get it. Add email, add internet add portability.

Regards

Richard

I can't get the internet on the coast of Northern BC, google is only good if you have the info.

[goboatingnow]

Let's get a little real.

Google? No good if your not online and increasing online with a fast connection = no use at sea.

Apple ? Well traditionally it has brought out great products and then lost the market.

Tablets? INavx. What about radar etc

Ultimately the main factor around the arrival of tablets is (a) they will dominate the low cost roll your own. Higher up the chain the market isn't price sensitive
Consumer equipment at sea , better you then me
Increasing marine manufactures will make their MFDs better value , more dedicated features and faster, waterproof too.

Increasing tablets will be dirt cheap pieces of consumer junk. We,all have them but they will fall to pieces every 12 months.

Tablets will undoubtably become common on board but I see no domination to the exclusion of dedicated products. They, tablets, will be used as backup, planning tools , on board information, etc.

Dave

[r.fairman]

Sorry but Google Earth works offshore without an internet connection Navigated from Egypt to Turkey last year using GE and other programs. No interenet no cell coverage all the way.
GE uses its internal cache to serve the images needed. This is true when on a PC.
The GE version on Ipad does not use an internal cache Why? dont ask me ask Apple.
Did you know that if you supply a Man Overboard Button on an Ipad app you will not get an apple license to distribute the app Heres the extract from the license
3.3.8 For Applications that use location-based APIs, such Applications may not be designed or marketed for automatic or autonmous control of vehicles, aircraft, or other mechanical devices; dispatch or fleet management; or emergency or life saving purposes.

Next time you fall overboard give apple a ring

regards

Richard