In article .com,
wrote:
For missions that include hard IFR, I would want an in-panel display
with a satellite NEXRAD receiver and an independent storm scope. The
PDA would then make a good backup.

I'm sorry, I just don't see much difference between the PDA-based
systems and a dedicated handheld when it comes to primary
navigation--neither one is approved for primary navigation in IFR, but
when they're working, they are at least equals. The PDA beats the pants
off of the handheld when you add weather or geo-referenced approach
plates (for situational awareness.)

I'm not sure how weather uplink to a certified panel system would be any
different than weather uplink to a PDA or Tablet. As far as I know, the
weather providers and products provided are the same. Most of the
PDA-based products being marketed today rely on GlobalStar, WSI, or XM
for weather feeds.

To me, the NEXRAD part of weather uplink is only part of the weather
picture. Echo tops are invaluable (especially in the summer), and
METARs and TAFs are certainly helpful. Live TFR updates are also nice.
I have a StrikeFinder, so lightning data simply backs up the
StrikeFinder. Show me the handheld that can do all of that. Show me
the panel-mount that does it better for a competitive price.

You do not have to be a computer expert to use the PDA systems, but you
do have to pretty much dedicate them to one application, and that is the
moving map/weather application. Most Windows systems would run very
well if they were dedicated to only one application, not connected to
the Internet, and had nothing else installed on them.



JKG