Hi,

What I lack is the experience to know what is important.

Same for me. I can only second John and suggest you try one of the free
packages (for you that may include StrePla :-)).

I spent some quality time with my PDA and XCSoar[1] yesterday. Installation
was quite straightforward and maps and datafiles for germany easily found. I
drove the software from the NMEA-Generator found at [2].

I also did the same with GPS_LOG[3]. I even had two flights with the software
last summer, but not long enough to give a really well-funded opinion.

Overall I like XCSoar a little bit better now. Out-of-the-box it seems to do
a better job at automatically selecting and displaying useful information.

Especially regarding your requirement:

The only thing that is a go-nogo for me is a graphical display of
landing areas within glide under current conditions

In GPS_LOG you have to explicitly select "Get Landing site" to view a list
of options.

XCSoar has landing sites marked in the main map, highlighting those that are
reachable and showing at what altitude you will be arriving. You can tap
the magenta dot and be given detail information about the landing site. This
works with fat finger on IPAQ display, not only with pen and exact aiming, so
I guess it should be doable in the cockpit.

Both take current conditions into account including wind. Both can derive
wind (at least) from GPS fixes while circling.

Using a simulator (not necessarily a FLIGHT simulator), is a good and safe
way of getting acquainted. You have to fiddle with the knobs in the atlsoft
generator a lot to simulate live air, but even if you don't a lot of the
features of the programs become apparent.

and frankly, most of the high end graphics stuff on the map just
makes it hard to read.

Both free programs can be fine-tuned to your liking in that regard. In XCSoar
it is quite easy to switch the display of labels, terrain and topography
in-flight

Ciao, MM

[1] http://www.xcsoar.org
[2]
http://www.atlsoft.de/index.php/GPS%.../kat/74/menu/1
[3] http://www.soaringpilotsoftware.com/GPS_LOGpage.htm
--
Marian Aldenhövel, Rosenhain 23, 53123 Bonn
http://www.marian-aldenhoevel.de
"Success is the happy feeling you get between the time you
do something and the time you tell a woman what you did."