Best laptop for screen visibility

[Bigfish]

About to get a new laptop INSTEAD of a new chartplotter. My garmin 741xs still works and I also have a handheld garmin I even like better in some ways. However, I need a new laptop and have been reading about Coastal Explorer and picturing myself on the flybridge with a 24" screen! Bright sun is my main concern... Any thoughts??

[Simi 60]

24 inch laptop?

[Bigfish]

Not 24" ... I was thinking about something I had just read... Maybe a 17" though...

[diver dave]

Panasonic toughbook 54 attracts me, with its 1000nit display. I want one.

[Bigfish]

1000 nit!!

[seasalt007]

Originally Posted by diver dave

Panasonic toughbook 54 attracts me, with its 1000nit display. I want one.

What is one of these worth? I may have one.

[Bigfish]

$1300...

[seasalt007]

I dug it out and it is a Panasonic Toughbook model CF-W8 with Win 7 loaded on top of original Vista. Probably a 2007 or so model.

Any idea of what it is worth?

[foggysail]

Mine is no laptop but last year’s Apple hero, a 9.7” Ipad Pro. First, it has a built in GPS, great for navigation. Next... I can read the screen in daylight whereas with my Asus laptop I cannot.

I usually avoid praising products, especially Apple’s. My Ipad Pro was my first venture into any of Apple’s products and I am well pleased even though this particular model has already been phased out of manufacturing, replaced with the 10.5”.

[David Rive]

I have a Dell XPS 15" running CE in my pilothouse. It's excellent - very bright, and I love the touchscreen.

[The Other Gary]

I have an Acer running Fugawi at my lower helm with trackball mouse and I have hardwired a monitor and another trackball mouse to the flybridge. Both displays and mouse (meeces) work to control the Acer at any time so there is nothing to switch over if I move from one helm to the other underway and the laptop is protected from spray and salt this way.
I also have a Samsung 10.5"android tablet running navionics as a backup.

[Ex Sailor]

Originally Posted by Bigfish

About to get a new laptop INSTEAD of a new chartplotter. My garmin 741xs still works and I also have a handheld garmin I even like better in some ways. However, I need a new laptop and have been reading about Coastal Explorer and picturing myself on the flybridge with a 24" screen! Bright sun is my main concern... Any thoughts??

I don't even use my Standard Horizon chart plotter, still got my 15 yr. + old Panasonic Toughbook CF71, windows XP and hooked up to a GPS puck. Good in daylight, fell off the dashboard a few times and I can't think of how many beers that got spilled on it over the years ..... fb

[Bigfish]

Apple makes good products!

[Bigfish]

How about on a flybridge in the Keys? Gets pretty bright down here. Heading to the Exumas next month too!! Hopefully....

[Bigfish]

What monitor???

[gaston]

Best of the best solid state drive macbook pro 17 retina display.

[Crusty Chief]

Big IPad Pro with Navionics is our primary Navigation. Older Raymarine is our backup.
The IPad is great as you can adjust contrast and brightness easily. Navionics is updated easily and fairly often.

Good Luck!

[psneeld]

Apple certainly has its followers.

But think of what recent cel phone even has the brightness to be visible on a flybridge.

None that I know of unless you play the shading game.

Laptops are a far third in brightness unless a specialty one, pads are a little better.

Consider a pad over a laptop or be prepared to build a sunshade for whatever you buy.

Sure some people will claim theirs is OK... and it might be if you live where it is cloudy all the time..... but in general...to that I say. ..... well I wont.

[diver dave]

Ipad Pro10.5 now up to about 600nits. About 60% of what u want wearing sunglasses in FL sun on topside steering stations.

[Bigfish]

Need those nits...