September 22, 2011 21:39
So, I gotta say, I looked at your app a while back (more than a year ago), but had felt it had a way to go. I am now in full on demo mode of your latest version and I like what I am seeing!
I've been a MacENC user for a loooong time. But, I gotta tell you, this thing is great. It's fast, and I love having the tide and Active Captain info right on the chart. Plus, letting the software handle the chart management/updating makes it so easy. I'd rather spend my time navigating than updating charts and dealing with chart management.
As a long time Mac user (like since 1984), the interface took me a minute to get used to. I do like things to be "Mac" like and this admittedly is not. However, after using it for an evening I now see and appreciate the simplicity of it all - "0" for "North Up" - can't get much easier than that. The main thing I notice is the speed of everything. This app is much faster and that is very important.
I also see the potential benefit of spinning off the interface to a separate app like PolarCOM. With Marine networks being what they are, put all that into its own thing and let the plotting software worry about plotting. I can't wait to get this onto my boat and interface it with everything on board to see how it works.
I'm going to put this through the paces on my upcoming 300 km trip from Long Island to Annapolis next month on a friends boat. I've already laid in the course. Again, the Active Captain overlay is awesome for planning. I also love that routing is not tied into Waypoints - I've dropped a few emergency Waypoints along the way, but making the route was so simple without having to constantly insert waypoints to make happen.
Any plans for adding in RADAR in the future? AIS is great, but I don't have that onboard yet. One more thing I have always enjoyed on my old dedicated chart plotter was "Highway Mode," so that could be a nice side window to PolarCOM also?
Keep up the good work. This is shaping up nicely and the price is incredible.
I've been a MacENC user for a loooong time. But, I gotta tell you, this thing is great. It's fast, and I love having the tide and Active Captain info right on the chart. Plus, letting the software handle the chart management/updating makes it so easy. I'd rather spend my time navigating than updating charts and dealing with chart management.
As a long time Mac user (like since 1984), the interface took me a minute to get used to. I do like things to be "Mac" like and this admittedly is not. However, after using it for an evening I now see and appreciate the simplicity of it all - "0" for "North Up" - can't get much easier than that. The main thing I notice is the speed of everything. This app is much faster and that is very important.
I also see the potential benefit of spinning off the interface to a separate app like PolarCOM. With Marine networks being what they are, put all that into its own thing and let the plotting software worry about plotting. I can't wait to get this onto my boat and interface it with everything on board to see how it works.
I'm going to put this through the paces on my upcoming 300 km trip from Long Island to Annapolis next month on a friends boat. I've already laid in the course. Again, the Active Captain overlay is awesome for planning. I also love that routing is not tied into Waypoints - I've dropped a few emergency Waypoints along the way, but making the route was so simple without having to constantly insert waypoints to make happen.
Any plans for adding in RADAR in the future? AIS is great, but I don't have that onboard yet. One more thing I have always enjoyed on my old dedicated chart plotter was "Highway Mode," so that could be a nice side window to PolarCOM also?
Keep up the good work. This is shaping up nicely and the price is incredible.