I am presently moving from an old Mac Book Pro to a new .... Mac Book OR... perhaps... a large iPad with an accessory keyboard. (?)
I liked the navigation application, GPSNavX and the companion MacENC on my present older laptop and home computer. Both of these, actually, are due for replacement.
(The even-older iMac is being replaced soon by a new one with a larger display, FWIW)
I got started with that app on my prior Mac G4 notebook, over several offshore deliveries, and really liked the interface.
Problem is that the maritime navigation market is/has moved from computers to iPad type devices. The authors of my nav app have moved to an iPad OS version and recently ceased providing a current version update for their Mac laptop OS.
I do understand that volume drives the market for this stuff, and starting with their very successful and lauded iPhone nav systems the whole market evolved steadily in that direction.
So I tried to do some keyboarding input on a demo new iPad this weekend at a vendor store, and... while the OS moves like magic lightning using the touch access, the flat keyboard was difficult to use. As in Really Difficult.
Admittedly I am spoiled by having a decent keyboard on my iMac at home and also on my Mac Book.
Lack of access by mouse or trackpad seems problematic, also.
None of my whining diminishes the magic of what the iPadOS can do, and do well.
It does make me ponder this change.
I also would use the replacement "travel computing device" for the usual word processing and web access when traveling on land or sea. Reading ebooks would be nice once in a while, as well.
Googling seems to show only one or two other nav. apps on the market for MacOS, and reviews for some are mixed at best.
Good thing that the boat has a Lowrance plotter at the helm; but I really do like the redundancy of having a separate system at the chart desk inside.
Appreciate your input on this.
Thank You.
I liked the navigation application, GPSNavX and the companion MacENC on my present older laptop and home computer. Both of these, actually, are due for replacement.
(The even-older iMac is being replaced soon by a new one with a larger display, FWIW)
I got started with that app on my prior Mac G4 notebook, over several offshore deliveries, and really liked the interface.
Problem is that the maritime navigation market is/has moved from computers to iPad type devices. The authors of my nav app have moved to an iPad OS version and recently ceased providing a current version update for their Mac laptop OS.
I do understand that volume drives the market for this stuff, and starting with their very successful and lauded iPhone nav systems the whole market evolved steadily in that direction.
So I tried to do some keyboarding input on a demo new iPad this weekend at a vendor store, and... while the OS moves like magic lightning using the touch access, the flat keyboard was difficult to use. As in Really Difficult.
Admittedly I am spoiled by having a decent keyboard on my iMac at home and also on my Mac Book.
Lack of access by mouse or trackpad seems problematic, also.
None of my whining diminishes the magic of what the iPadOS can do, and do well.
It does make me ponder this change.
I also would use the replacement "travel computing device" for the usual word processing and web access when traveling on land or sea. Reading ebooks would be nice once in a while, as well.
Googling seems to show only one or two other nav. apps on the market for MacOS, and reviews for some are mixed at best.
Good thing that the boat has a Lowrance plotter at the helm; but I really do like the redundancy of having a separate system at the chart desk inside.
Appreciate your input on this.
Thank You.