Hello David:

I will add an additional for in the database that the development team looks at.

Jeffrey Atwood

I think that there are two major features you MUST add if your are going to remain competitive in this marketplace:

GRIB overlays
AIS reciever input

In addition, it would be valuable if you could plot the position reports sent by a CLASS D DSC radio, or at least the emergency DSC messages.

I'm actually thinking of changing software based on the first two items.

Please also add my vote to get AIS support in OSN.

Thanks

Hello Everyone:

We have a new product called Chart Navigator Pro that has this particular feature worked into the software. I will add an additional vote for that feature in Offshore Navigator as well.

Jeffrey Atwood

Please add another vote for AIS compatability for Offshore Navigator. If Nav Pro was out last year I would have bought it. An upgrade would make life a lot more affordable.

Hi all,

Because Chart Navigator Pro is so much more advanced than Offshore Navigator, it is very unlikely that we will be investing much time in furthering its capabilities. We will continue to maintain the product - and fix any problems that crop up.

Due to our licensing agreement with the development team that created Chart Navigator Pro, it is very difficult for us to offer deep discounts for customers who wish to switch to that product. We are offering a $50 mail-in rebate, which when combined with many retailers offering Chart Navigator Pro at around $450 - makes for a very compelling offer.

For the rebate form, visit: www.maptech.com/rebates/

-Ed Lecuyer
Senior Customer Support Manager

After spending about $250 less than a year ago for OSN, your telling us that we have to spend another $450 to avoid obsolescense is indeed compelling, but not in the way you seem to think.

What will next year bring?

At least now I know why all the suggestions I've made here and via emails have fallen on deaf ears.

Incidentally, "due to my agreement with my family, it is not only very difficult, but it is impossible for us to offer to dig deeply into our pockets to switch to that product."

By the tone of your "compelling offer" I'm convinced I must be on a different planet, so your charts wouldn't work for me anyway.

We have been offering Offshore Navigator (and related products) for over 5 years. During that time we have never asked our existing customers to pay for a software update or upgrade. It is completely possible that someone could have purchased Cruising Navigator version 4.0 back in 2000 - and have since received version 5.07 of Offshore Navigator free of charge.

And all of those suggestions we took over that time went into improving that product line.

We now offer a new product - Chart Navigator Pro. We've already released one free update for the software. Many more are planned - including into next year. And be certain that we will be listening to our customer's suggestions for future enhancements.

We've also gone through great lengths to ensure the chart library that you have invested in remains fully compatible with your navigation software. In fact, charts produced 10 years ago still work fine in the new Chart Navigator Pro. And regardless of the planet in question, I'm sure we'll be making charts for its safe navigation.

In short, we remain convinced that Chart Navigator Pro is a compelling product that represents an incredible value. And it is a product that we are proud to offer our customers.

-Ed Lecuyer
Senior Customer Support Manager

Ed: Having been in the software business and management for the last 23 years it really astounded me how you answered this question. You allowed yourself to get "down and dirty" with a paying customer and the only one to win in that situation will not be you or Maptech. I have been a user of Maptech for 14 or 15 years now and have really enjoyed the product and company. You've kept me out of many bad situations with your excellent system. With that said, I am also very surprised that you are not offering much in the way of a trade in on your product. You are therefore "making" me look around at others. With a reasonable offer, I wouldn't think of looking or changing for that matter.
thanks,
Carl