Best PDA or tablet soln for GPS & XM WX and gyro AI

On 6/10/2005 10:49 PM, Paul Folbrecht wrote the following:

After days of research I can't seem to find a single system that does
everything I would like with no major negatives.

I agree.

I just walked this path, doing the downloads and tests on an HP TC1100 which is
I think the smallest generally available tablet. Just under 8 1/2" x 11" & 3/4"
thick. I made a kneeboard mount for it.

Among the apps I looked at were Anywhere Map XP (no demo download, downloadable
documentation is garbage, no free return policy, so I did not run it), NavGPS
(free demo download), APIC (free demo download), and ChartCase Pro (no download,
free 30 day return). None of them do it all & the ones that try to do all do
not seem to do anything well.

Without going into detail, I placed my bet on ChartCase Pro. All the charts are
the Augmented vector DAFIF, high altitude, low altitude, sectional, WAC, and
all the plates. All georeferenced and completely integrated with a quite decent
flight planning package. You can even overlay DUATS graphical WX on the DAFIF
chart! It appears to be the only package, too, that was designed for a real
screen and not a PDA. This means fewer interface compromises.

That being said, IMHO all the packages are immature (except possibly Anywhere
Map) and very much under development. So you are really selecting the company,
not the current release of the application.

I know that S&E is planning to announce a major release of ChartCase Pro at
Oshkosh, improving the in-flight user interface and possibly adding the
still-AWOL HSI. I believe that terrain warnings and in-flight WX will not be
far behind. I am also hoping for a primary flight display (PFD) like APIC's.
(The APIC PFD surprised me with how responsive it was in the air. It caused me
to conclude that GPS based reference instruments a la Garmin can be an adequate
backup for main gyro failure.)

Incidentally, the photos at the ChartCase Pro site
(http://www.flightprep.com/rootpage.p...=chartcaseinfo) show the TC1100 but
have been doctored a bit to exaggerate its brightness in a cockpit.

HTH