Rib PC

Mariner · 25 April 2006, 22:42

Being a IT type of person (hate it really but it pays the bills and lets me mess around in RIBS), I just wondered if anyone had fitted a PC to a RIB for navigation etc.

Ribald · 25 April 2006, 23:11

I would think it would have to be bomb-proof

Alex Brown · 26 April 2006, 07:39

On some of the new Dell Latitude laptops, you can order a 30GB 4200rpm shock resistant hard drive - having one of these on a rib would certainly be a good test for it

-Alex

jlanng · 26 April 2006, 09:25

A Dell?

ashbypower · 26 April 2006, 09:48

How's about one of these Looks Bomb proof to me!!

Mark J · 26 April 2006, 10:00

I've used these http://www.toughbook-europe.com/ENG/...ooks_home.aspx in the past and they are pretty indestructable. I'm not sure why you would want to use one in an outside environment on a boat instead of a plotter though.

jlanng · 26 April 2006, 10:26

Another vote for Toughbooks from me. Althugh I wouldn't use one on deck. Do you have a cabin?

roycruse · 26 April 2006, 11:58

Xplore do rugged waterproof tablet PC's that will be fine used outside on an open RIB.

http://www.xploretech.com/index.pl?i...tegory&op=show

codprawn · 26 April 2006, 12:49

What are they like in bright sunlight though?

If I had a hard boat with a proper cabin I wouldn't hesitate.

With flash ram increasing in size all the time solid state is the way to go - no stupid spinning disks.

roycruse · 26 April 2006, 13:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

What are they like in bright sunlight though?

They do a model with an "Allvue" screen which is desined to be used in conditions where a normal lcd would struggle.

Not actaully had one in my hand to try so cant say for sure.

ADS · 26 April 2006, 13:36

I always carry several tablets on board, nothing worse than a splitting head ache off the needles

On a serious note my father has a HP tablet for work, not a rugged model by any means and the screen is not brilliant outside in bright sunlight, it seems abit slow as well although i am used to a 3GHZ PC.
PBO did an article a while back on several PC's and lap tops for use in the marine environment, can probably get a back issue. I think the only person on here that could use a PC on board is JW in his dry cabin

roycruse · 26 April 2006, 13:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADS

I always carry several tablets on board, nothing worse than a splitting head ache off the needles

On a serious note my father has a HP tablet for work, not a rugged model by any means and the screen is not brilliant outside in bright sunlight, it seems abit slow as well although i am used to a 3GHZ PC.
PBO did an article a while back on several PC's and lap tops for use in the marine environment, can probably get a back issue. I think the only person on here that could use a PC on board is JW in his dry cabin

Those Xplore tablet PCs with the Allvue screen should be fine in bright sunlighht - thats what it is designed for (Quote from their website : AllVue, an advanced LCD technology that can be viewed in all lighting conditions including indoors, under fluorescent lighting, in direct sunlight, and on overcast days.). Its just as waterproof as your radio or chartplotter - so why do you say you need a cabin ???

ADS · 26 April 2006, 13:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by roycruse

so why do you say you need a cabin ???

Im not sure I would want a something as valuable as a tablet PC on an open rib thats all, I have an older phone as it which I put my sim card into when im out on the boat. Although, if its designed specifically for the purpose I can't see why it isn't a good idea, although I expect a decent colour chart plotter would do the task equally as well and substantially under cut it.

roycruse · 26 April 2006, 13:56

Agreed - I think a chart plotter would actually be superior as its designed for the job - easy to use buttons and menus designed for use whilst under way - PC based navigation software seems to be aimed at yachts for use at the nav station where a mouse etc can be used.

TJ101 · 26 April 2006, 14:14

I use a CF18 http://www.toughbook-europe.com/ENG/notebook_cf-18.aspx
with built in GPS/GPRS etc both on the Sweden and rib, so far has worked well

I went this route, as i needed a chartplotter repeator at the helm of yacht, just seamed a better way of doing it, and now have full computer ascess as well,

mdt · 26 April 2006, 15:23

I stuck a PC chart plotter on a big boat (90foot) a few weeks back. And despite the separate wheel house etc afforded by such a craft the mouse is still a bit tricky at times trying to aim at the correct button on the screen… nice graphics and it is working fine and it was cheep (100 quid all in don’t ask) but on a RIB with one of these wee mouse pad things on the keyboard not a chance…. And they are a heck of a lot more cash than a proper Garmin unit. Mind you don’t get DVD drives on a Garmin so there is justification.

jlanng · 26 April 2006, 16:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

With flash ram increasing in size all the time solid state is the way to go - no stupid spinning disks.

Problem is that these flash devices can only be written to a certain number of times

Mariner · 26 April 2006, 16:45

What got me thinking about this was I came across some aluminium LCD monitors recently that were sunlight viewable and waterproof. Very expensive but I could get one cheap if I had a suitable PC to plug it into. I could get a touchscreen one to avoid the mouse problem. Is it worth it?

Mariner · 26 April 2006, 16:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlanng

Problem is that these flash devices can only be written to a certain number of times

Newer drives are meant to have wear levelling algorithms to avoid this problem. Anyone making PCs with these in as I have not seen any?

jlanng · 26 April 2006, 19:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mariner

Newer drives are meant to have wear levelling algorithms to avoid this problem. Anyone making PCs with these in as I have not seen any?

I don't think it's the drives so much as the filesystems. FAT and NTFS are designed for magnetic disks, but something like JFFS2 on Linux is designed to address the problem.