laptop or lowrance

cowboy4x4

Explorer
Ok Ijust got a free dell laptop I have been contemplating getting a lowrance 540c and then this comp came up . My question is in your guys opinion what would I be better off with . And I know the obvious the 540 is smaller more durable, Im interested in the tech aspect and map quality, availability and so on.Thanks in advance...Thomas
 

1leglance

2007 Expedition Trophy Champion, Overland Certifie
hey thomas....
while I haven't run the lowrance I know that the folks that do have it love it to death.,...
it really comes down to if you want any of the other functions a laptop will provide and if you are willing to give up the space to get them.
if gps is all you want then the lowrance is a great way to go......
if you want more than gps....things like music, dvd's, electronic copies of service manuals and such then go with the laptop.
however I can tell you as someone who has a laptop that there are downsides...always worried about dust and vibration, non-portable, space talken in the main cabin and such

if you go laptop, then oziexplorer and a gps mouse from semsons.com or another gps unit work great

whatever you go with let us know
 

RobinP

Observer
Thomas,

I'm a laptop user:

- I like the flexibility of mapping applications, and the availability of maps is unlimited, especially with software like OziExplorer. Great if you travel outside of your own backyard. If you stay in your own country, then most of the proprietary mapping that comes with the different gps units is fine.

- it took 6 months of overland travel to go through one standard laptop. I've upgraded to a toughbook now - vibration, dust, water, and actually reading the screen in the daytime are no longer issues.

- I hate the cable between the gps reciever and the laptop. I've converted my serial gps to a bluetooth unit.

- I prefer a stand with a docking station, but it takes a bit of room.

- I have a roof mounted GPS instead of a dash one. This gets rid of clutter, another thing I hate in a truck.

- I like the flexibility of having offline email, ability to store digital photos and movies I take without running out of flash card space, share music with other travellers, as well as the ability to maintain a website while on the road.

- I like the big screen of a laptop. Route planning with a handheld is next to impossible.

So once again, if you're staying close to home, handheld gps is probably simpler, cheaper, and more reliable. If you're planning an extended international trip, you probably want the flexibility and power of a full laptop.

Hope this helps!
 

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