January 22, 2008 10:53
I must have gone through the "buying cycle" with PassagePlus at least half a dozen times now. It usually goes a bit like this:
1. Attention grabbed by announcement / email etc..
2. Download trial software and demo charts
3. Play with system and am really impressed with speed and usability
4. Think "I'll buy this once I've got some charts.. now where can I get those ARCS Skipper charts?"
5. Go on to the UKHO web site and trawl through all the on-line vendors only to find that they don't sell the ARCS Skipper folios, just every other chart by the Admiralty!
6. Give up and go and have a cup of tea!
So may I so boldly make two suggestions?
1. Sell ARCS Skipper charts via the PassagePlus web site. You may even make a commission, and, for those people willing to re-purchase their chart folios in a new format, it makes buying the product so much easier.
2. Most importantly... please, please, please look at supporting another raster format - preferably Maptech's BSB. The charts may not be as pretty, but they usually sell for about a third the price of ARCS Skipper folios, have world-wide coverage, and are supported by virtually every other Mac / PC based navigation software out there.. so there's loads of users who would license the product to use with their existing cartography.
Just my two pennies worth.. and great news about AIS support, BTW.
Cheers,
ReeferJon
1. Attention grabbed by announcement / email etc..
2. Download trial software and demo charts
3. Play with system and am really impressed with speed and usability
4. Think "I'll buy this once I've got some charts.. now where can I get those ARCS Skipper charts?"
5. Go on to the UKHO web site and trawl through all the on-line vendors only to find that they don't sell the ARCS Skipper folios, just every other chart by the Admiralty!
6. Give up and go and have a cup of tea!
So may I so boldly make two suggestions?
1. Sell ARCS Skipper charts via the PassagePlus web site. You may even make a commission, and, for those people willing to re-purchase their chart folios in a new format, it makes buying the product so much easier.
2. Most importantly... please, please, please look at supporting another raster format - preferably Maptech's BSB. The charts may not be as pretty, but they usually sell for about a third the price of ARCS Skipper folios, have world-wide coverage, and are supported by virtually every other Mac / PC based navigation software out there.. so there's loads of users who would license the product to use with their existing cartography.
Just my two pennies worth.. and great news about AIS support, BTW.
Cheers,
ReeferJon
Never knowingly overcanvassed!