Tablets are taking up more and more space for navigation. These tools, true touch-sensitive autonomous computers, replace or complement the on-board electronics. Until now users had to choose between iOs (Apple) or Android (Goggle) to run applications. These are developed for each of the two worlds.
The use of either operating system requires the user to become accustomed to new modes of operation. Often accustomed (for his computer) to Windows, he does not always find his little ones. All the more so as navigation software such as OpenCPN, TimeZero, Adrena run on Windows.
Only, so far, if it is possible to install a computer (laptop or not) at the chart table, it is difficult to place it in the cockpit near the helm. It is therefore always necessary to go back and forth between inside and outside.
The arrival of the new Windows tablet could make a difference. Indeed, Microsoft Surface Go is now available at low cost. Its price starts at 400 euros (but the 128 GB version is preferred at 549 euros including VAT. The only downside is that only the 4G/LTE model has a built-in GPS (like the iPad). Nevertheless, you can easily add a Bluetooth GPS like the GNS2000+.
This tablet, which looks like an iPad with an integrated stand (10" screen in 4/3 format), comes with a "real" Windows 10. It can be manipulated with a finger, a stylus or a keyboard and mouse. It is a real computer that can run most Windows programs, including OpenCPN and TimeZero, without any problem.
It also has a USB-C port that allows you to add all the accessories you may need (external screen, USB key, external disk...). It's a real Windows computer in a tablet format.
Of course, this little gem was not designed for outdoor sailing. This tablet is not pickled. The waterproof hull manufacturer Andres Industrie, distributed in France by iTabNav, has thought about it and offers a shock-proof IP68 waterproof hull, which can be held in the hand with a side handle or fixed on a stirrup. This GoShell protection is available for 229 euros.
