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>>>Also, if it's ok to let a $100 computer (a GPS) control your autopilot
(itself a computer) then why is it not ok to let a $5,000 to $10,000
computer system control the autopilot?<<<
Without buying into the argument about using laptops for navigation in
general, I'd bet on the $100 dedicated computer from a reliability point of
view.
The processor will probably be simpler, and the programs it runs will be
simpler than a general-purpose operating system like Windows or Mac OS.
There's a better chance (I'll put it no higher than that) that the
operation of the programs on the dedicated box will be fully understood by
the people who wrote them, and they'll be less prone to being stuffed up by
other software loaded on the machine because you won't try to run a
spreadsheet or game of solitaire on your GPS.
Just compare the computer in your car ignition system with the one on your
office desk. The one in your car is less versatile, vastly cheaper and
almost certainly much more reliable.
Regards, Robert Bryett
Sydney, Australia
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