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Subject: TWL: Re: Nav software recovery
From: Arild Jensen (elnav@XXX.XXX)
Date: Tue Jan 01 2002 - 13:15:52 EST
At 08:55 AM 01/01/2002 -0500, Richard wrote:
>On a Mac OS computer, it is a simple matter to place an alias to the
>program in question into the start-up folder located in the system
>folder. That program will then launch when the system is restarted.
>Whether the program will start back at the same place it was is not
>clear and may be a function of the program and how it is set up to
>initialize. If it is properly set-up, it should return to the same
>window it left.
REPLY
That sounds good. But how long does it take for the computer to reboot
and get back up running.
The few friends of mine who do have MAC's tell me it takes a couple of
minutes for their system to get gpoing after a power up.
This latter issue is important. The commercial systems I am familiar
with start up in about the time it takes for a CRT to warm up and come
to full brilliance. The assumption is that a system will fail at the
most inopportune time which is when you are relying on it for critical
positioning data. So now you must have it back up and running before
you run out of room or into a danger situation.
1 knot = 1.68 feet per second. At six knots you will only move 10 feet in
one second so a five second delay is a boat lenght.
However, if that system takes a couple of minutes to reboot start up and
recover to the same page including acquiring the GPS signal you are
running blind for a longer distance. 1 knot = 100.8 feet per minute so 6
knots = 604.8 feet per minute.
My old DELL took 4 minutes 20 seconds to start up and required four
separate operator interventions ( key press or mouse clicks) That is a
long time to be blinded.; 2600 feet at 6 knots.
By comparison my Garmin chartplotter usually takes five to ten seconds
to restart and reacquire the GPS signal if power was suddenly
interrupted.
When you say:
On a Mac OS computer, it is a simple matter to place an alias to the
program in question into the start-up folder located in the system
folder" I would question whether a non computer literate user can
easily do this.
My point being that a navigation tool should not require the user to know
anything apart from navigation in order to use it.
Writing sub routines, macros and auto start batch files is for computer
geeks, not boat drivers.
To use a radio you simply turn it on, select a channel and press the key
to transmit.
Radar is perhaps the most complicated but even there you only need to turn
it on and the display will come up by itself.
I would put the skills needed to interpret the radar display and read a
chart at about par. None of them require writing software routines,
Regards
Arild
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