Hate to Suggest Android Support, but . . .

[allanpeda]

... apparently Panasonic is set to release a toughbook that runs android.

FTA:

Panasonic Toughbook to Address Market Void by Delivering Enterprise-Grade Android Tablet

InfoComm 2011
Booth 3829
SECAUCUS, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Panasonic Solutions Company... (blah blah omitted) ...
From a functionality standpoint, the Toughbook tablet will avoid the typical glossy screens—found on current tablet offerings—that are all but unreadable in outdoor environments. The Toughbook tablet will include a high brightness, daylight viewable screen so that mobile workers, in markets like field service, home healthcare and public safety, can easily see critical data and operate the device regardless of lighting conditions. The new tablet will also include an active stylus, allowing mobile workers in sales, customer service and mobile point-of-sale environments to capture signatures on the device’s 10.1” XGA multi-touch display.

I think people would love this with OpenCPN (well, if it could be ported).

[sinbad7]

allanpeda..

I have already suggested Android support to Dave earlier in connection with the Globalstar SPOT CONNECT which can relay the vessels GPS position by bluetooth to Android based smartphones. Should not be such a major task to make the data also available to Android laptops.

This way,the SPOT functions would also be useful for the on board navigator and could avoid purchasing an extra GPS receiver. At the moment,the location facilities of the SPOT units are only of interest to internet connected viewers.

Tore

[Netsurfer]

Tore ...

Originally Posted by sinbad7

I have already suggested Android support to Dave earlier ... . Should not be such a major task to make the data also available to Android laptops.

Well, IMHO first of all there has to be support from wxWidgets for Android (see: wxwidgets android - Google-Suche ), as OCPN heavily depends on wxWidgets.

But that's only the needed basis. There are lots of other issues like most Android powered devices have no mouse etc.

So my guess is that a long time will pass if at all until there will be an Android version of OCPN.

Gunther

[kiwiradical]

Make your Android phone a backup marine nav system. As an alternative one of the barqains of all time for marine Android enthusiasts has to be the Navionics Marine App and charts..a nice mini chart plotter AND latest Navionics charts for any one region (quite large..for example all the Southern Pacific islands and Japan, or all of NZ etc) for US$15!! The same charts on a cartridge cost near US$300 here. Find it on the Android market..search Navionics

[Capt. lulz]

this may be off topic, but I think Android is piece of sh!t

[RainDog]

That looks awesome. I want one. Will be curious to see the price tag.

[Kudalufi]

Android support would be a huge undertaking. While Android's NDK does allow use of C/C++, it was never intended for entire applications to be native code. It's intended for limited use - to make tight, CPU-intensive loops in native code to increase performance. Android doesn't have the support for large, memory-intensive user applications written entirely in native code.

This means OpenCPN would pretty much have to be re-engineered from the ground up in Java. Re-engineering for Java wouldn't be such a bad thing, but I'd bet money that the performance would really suck for a lot of things (ENC chart processing for one). Which means to get any kind of responsiveness you'd have to use Java with Android native code support for the CPU intensive stuff. Which means that you have all the cost and pain to re-engineer the software with none of the benefits (cross-platform) of moving to Java, because you'd be limited to Android only.

Moving to android doesn't really make sense. If it's a tablet you want, there are lots of x86 tablets out there.

[SaucySailoress]

Originally Posted by Capt. lulz

this may be off topic, but I think Android is piece of sh!t

This is not helpful, and it's not nice. A better way of expressing your opinion might be along the lines of"

"I personally dislike Android because...."

Me, I personally disagree with you. Android does its job, and it does it well.

[Capt. lulz]

Originally Posted by SaucySailoress

This is not helpful, and it's not nice. A better way of expressing your opinion might be along the lines of"

"I personally dislike Android because...."

Me, I personally disagree with you. Android does its job, and it does it well.

Why would I help someone who prefers Android?...

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by SaucySailoress

"I personally dislike Android because...."

To answering in that manner requires one to actually have an informed opinion. Uninformed opinions are much easier to come by.

[sinbad7]

I must admit I had no idea Android was that far removed,but at least I know not to pursue developments in that direction. I was looking for a way to let OCPN communicate with the Globalstar SPOT CONNECT which uses bluetooth to Android smartphones.
Thanks for all the knowledgable info though.

Tore