You are leaving out the vario that completes the system and has two displays for information that can be configured in several ways. I much prefer the stick controller over the little keyboard, I had both and returned the keyboard. The net effect is that you spend much less time looking at the mini-map and when you do it's more of a quick glance to verify something. For example you can select final glide with a thumb press and if you have configured it to do so it will show your calculated arrival height. Another thumb press will show you the next landable field's arrival height on the vario's screen. A thumb press can also bring up a sorted list of landable fields with arrival height, but that will require looking at the minimap screen. All in all you interact a whole lot less with the minimap and much more with the vario screens. Really good combination I think. The manual sucks, and you will want to set up the system at home at first if possible as there is a learning curve you might want to experience at home and not in the cockpit.

Brian