The cost of dedicated marine PCs used to put them beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest cruising sailors, but like everything else in the digital world, prices are rapidly becoming more affordable.
And, for those who can afford it, a proper marine PC has lots of advantages over taking the laptop on board (although of course the laptop has the advantage that you can take it home to use when not on board!)
Digital Yacht, the Bristol-based manufacturer of marine PCs, has introduced a new model called the CF80, which will be at the Southampton Boat Show. The system measures 28 x 19 x 17cm and features one of the latest Intel dual core processors and anti-vibration shock-proofed 100Gb hard drive.
It is optimised for running demanding marine charting applications, such as 3D bathymetric views and aerial overlays. It has also been engineered for low power consumption and can be powered directly from the ship's 12V DC power supply with no requirement for a separate inverter.
Digital Yacht can supply either Windows XP or Windows Vista operating systems and the CF80 is supplied with five NMEA ports for interfacing with other onboard electronics such as GPS, instruments, AIS or radar. It also has four USB connections for devices like digital cameras, iPods or mobile phones, and a standard VGA type output for the display.
Power consumption is said to be typically 2-3 amps, even when running a demanding application, and the system can be delivered with Digital Yachts' patented solid state hard drive technology if required.
A remote panel, providing a CD drive, on/off switch and remote USB connections, will shortly be launched, allowing the PC to be hidden away in a locker. The standard system is priced competitively at £799 including VAT, and is available immediately from Digital Yacht.
