Mark, you certainly have a point, but I find being able to zoom from the large scale to the small scale with out having to change charts and relocate your point of focus, a much greater advantage.
A 15" plotter screen works well for me, but in this age of large screen monitors, the size of your screen is only limited by space for it on your boat.
Ted
I see people with paper charts having to change charts and relocate their point of focus all the time. They run outside the field of one chart, have to put another in it's place, and have to deal with those awful areas on the outside edges of the two charts. That is a seamless transition on electronic charts. You simply move slightly to the side or up or down.
Over and over I hear size pointed to as the issue. Monitors too small. First, even a slightly smaller monitor uses brightness and sharpness to give a better image than the paper. Then for that which isn't sharp enough you have the ability to enlarge, to zoom in. Second, however, if that's the only issue, then turn your chart table into a large monitor. Well, a 32" monitor isn't even large today but easily fits on the smallest of chart tables and is larger than 2 x 2 and has better definition. We've been known to pull charts up on our salon television or even our home television. 60" monitors or up to 120" monitors. If you're confined to an 8" or even 12" monitor then that's not the fault of electronic charts.
I can understand the person who says "I like to take pencil and mark on the chart, to draw, and I'm not as comfortable doing that electronically." If one is more comfortable with pencil than mouse I understand it. Some people still hand write letters and nothing wrong with that. There is however a generation coming along that is far more adept and comfortable with computers than pencil. I can't recall the last time I used a pen or pencil for anything other than signing my name.
Paper vs. electronic is really a generational issue. As with any technology, some move into the new and some hold on to the old. However, eventually the old becomes less available and lacks the functionality of the new. Some are pulled to the new even while kicking and screaming. I've encountered this over the last three decades many times. A lady we couldn't get to use the computer until finally we told her that two months from then we would no longer print the report she worked from. There is nothing inherently wrong with continuing to do things the way you always have. You're probably better at it, as you have experience that way. Given time, however, that will become less practical and less available as an option. The time will come in some or out lifetimes when paper charts will be those things from the past you see taken on Pawn Stars and determined whether they're just old or old with value.
The chart table of the future? The same size as today's chart table. Just one difference, it's a computer monitor laying flat. You want to draw on it with pencil. Well, you'll be able to with your finger or a stylus. Make notes, no problem and they'll be preserved for you to access anytime. Want to move to the next chart, just slide your finger across the screen. In fact, now that you've stimulated my thought on that, I'll be asking my IT manager if she can make me one.
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