I love it when a few of you computer knowledgeable guys talk dirty to us
like you have the last couple of days.

Let me deliver a newsflash.  Maybe it will get to some of the right
people through this forum.

Most cruisers don't give a crap about screwin with hardware and
software.  Father Rosch, Siegel and others being venerable exceptions.  I
don't feel like I should have to catch up on technology, I feel like it
should catch up with me.

We may have to right now, but we darn sure don't want to.

If I want to get messed up in the head I want it to be from rum--not
pulling my hair out because of some computer giltch.  Now I know it may
be asking a little to much, but here is my dream, and since it is mine,
it can be as outragious or as darn exciting as a nude model shoot in my
pilothouse.

Imagine this:  A large computer screen I can see in all weather
conditions with no wires and one button on a quick disconnect base so I
can take it to the flybridge by a handle on top.  I turn it on with the
press of the button.  It comes on, offers me a touch screen menu.  I skip
the live sex act this time and push Navigate.  A single push on one
single pad that sez Navigate how novel.  The correct chart comes up and
shows my ship location and maintains the position of the ship when I
move. The cross track corrections are made even with out the autopilot
connected to a route.  It allows me to plan courses.  It allows me to
push an button and it drives the ship through automatically.  It doesn't
need new charts because they are all in there and it up-dates
automatically like virus protection and other programs from the internet.
It prints out your next 36 hours of course as a paper chart so you do not
need chart books.  Now this is the good part.

It doesn't crash twice a day.  There is no maintenance.  The cost fits
our 50' boat with a 20' boat budget.

I yearn to live in a world where computer and software companies don't
need technical support staff that read from a fix book.  I don't care
who's fault a problem is, software, or hardware or clashes of company
wills reflected in their failure to let others use stuff.  When you push
the botton it should work the way it is suppose to work. There is no
misery, no pain, no drop kicking of objects into the water from
frustration.

Please, build me something that works.  Make it so good and so
inexpensive I can buy it at the local hardware store or Walmart or the
grocery store.  That's not asking to much is it?  Just make it work
properly each and everytime.

Well, now I feel better--was it good for you?  I'll just wait here while
you all try to tell me I can have all this today.  Please be gentle as
you are slappin me around, I bruise easy.

Wayne & Lynn Flatt

I am with you on the updating of the charts..  I would greatly pay for a subscription(within reason) if they would keep the charts up to date for me.