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Navigation software has been commercially available to the recreational
market since the early '90s. There are currently several programs available
that run on the Windows platform and one major program for the Macintosh
platform. Major manufacturers on the Windows side are Nautical Technologies,
Nobeltec, Maptech, and Raymarine. The major player on the Macintosh platform
is a company called Maxsea. Unlike more established areas of the marine
electronics industry, competition in the navigation software market is
fairly rigorous. This competition has resulted in the rapid advancement
of the technology as well as competitive pricing for the consumer.Most software manufacturers sell a variety of programs with different feature sets and price points. Higher-end products will allow you to connect a GPS receiver and see your vessel's real-time position plotted on your computer screen. To use navigation software the boater must have a computer, GPS, and electronic charts. Any GPS that outputs the industry standard NMEA 0183 language will support real-time navigation with the appropriate software. In terms of computers, most PCs manufactured in the last four or five years will have no problem running today's navigation programs.
[On to Electronic Charts]
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