A good alternative
Hello,
I have used notebooks for navigation on many boats for over 5+ years now. I also work in the industry (for a major IT vendor out in CA). There are a number of outstanding plotter/nav programs out there (Maptech, Nobeltec, Raymarine, C-MAP, etc).
The advantages:
1) Options of programs. Choice of vector or raster charts.
2) Portability. Do extensive trip planning at home (with detailed annotations) then take to the boat.
3) Size and viewability of the screen.
4) Various input devices: notebook keyboard, touchpad, trackstick, mouse, touchscreen.
5) Many gps options: CF cards, usb external, PCMCIA cards, etc.
6) Data aquisition & management. Can pull boat and engine data. Wx data, etc.
7) Notebooks have their own battery backup!
Disadvantages:
1) Tolerance to environmental conditions. As previously stated, unless you buy a ruggedized notebook, the high salt ladened humidity, shock and vibration, and thermals will signifcantly reduce the life of the notebook. Any water intrusion, will double or more the chance of a major failure. And, I hate to say it, but most manufacturers will not honor warranty repairs for failures determed to be customer abuse (such as salt water intrusion) or using the product outside of "normal" operating environments. Regarding Tablets. You need to consider the vibration and shock loads on the single hinge if the screen is opened like a regular notebook.
2) User interface. Some ergonomics that would enhance usability in the office are not suitable for trying to enter data or moving cursers while underway. Touchscreens are nice, but if you need to have accurate touchpoints, you may want to consider an alternate means of i/o while underway.
3) Mounting. Security, accessibility, viewability need to be evaluated.
4) Power consumption.
I secure my notebooks with velcro strips at various locations in the cabin, navstation, and cockpit. (If you want to see something, look closely at pictures from the space shuttle & ISS. They have notebooks velcroed everywhere!). I also have the notebooks networked (local wifi) so I can share data among them.
In summary, I prefer using notebooks than smaller chartplotters. When used appropriately and installed with care to the environmental factors, I have found them to be reliable.