Has anyone tried Ruggedpad 10" laptop for navigation

[cybber]

Has anyone tried Ruggedpad 10" laptop for navigation. RuggedPad BASIC (Convertible, 10" Touchscreen, 2x1.6Ghz, 1GB RAM, 32GB SSD, WLAN) *neu* *[ TabletPC (x86) ]

Small screen and ssd disk is good for saving power, and they say "ideal for applications in difficult environments" and "careless handling can not harm the system"
I think it sound good, but I can just find it on the web, so is there someone who has work with it?

[georgelieber]

It looks like it would work really well and I like the price. Looks like its the 2go convertible classmate PC here in the us. $415 is pretty good.

2go® Convertible Classmate PC NL4 W/ 2GB/ 320GB/ 6C PCs, Laptops, Monitors and 2go PCs

Another option is a used Panasonic Toughbook CF-19. You can get used ones on craigslist and ebay for $300-$500. They are really rugged and have touchscreen capability. They may not have the latest processors... but plenty of speed for navigation. I use one that I bought for $250 on craigslist. I use PolarView charting software and a Globalsat BU-353 gps antenna. The whole package was cheap and works really great. Even though my Toughbook was cheap, it still has an 80 gig hard drive so I can store pics and videos on longer trips.

If you are computer savvy, I think laptop/notebook navigation can be great. The flexibility of a real computer with keyboard is excellent.

We also have a couple of tablets (iPad and a Vizio). I installed Navionics on these as a backup. A Vizio tablet costs $150, has gps, 10 hour battery life, Navionics with charts is about $50 for most areas. This is a great stand alone backup system for $200. Plus the thing fits fits into a gallon ziploc freezer baggie and you can use the screen right through the baggie even if you double bag it.