I too consider paper to be backup, and I like the chart-books put out by Maptech and consider them a good value. They aren't great for planning but contain the harbors and entrances, and are sufficient to navigate. For large-scale route planning, there is nothing like laptop-based navigation programs. I have used Nobeltec and Rose Point Coastal Explorer, and they're both about equal but I strongly prefer the latter. Unlike Nobeltec (who makes a business of selling chart regions) Coastal Explorer comes with a DVD containing the free US Government raster and vector charts, and you can download updates at-will from within the program. If you have a WiFi connection you can also download and display (in a semi-transparent overlay on the chart) the satellite imagery for your areas of interest provided by TerraServer USA and cache it, so you can use it even when your connection is broken.

Using laptop-based navigation programs you can easily zoom in/out and use the mouse for point-click route creation and planning. They display tides and currents overlaid on the charts (real-time or any chosen planning time), and you can download your routes and waypoints to a dedicated chart-plotter.

(One important tip: If you are using vector charts, in order to de-clutter the screen chart-plotters and laptop-based navigation programs don't display certain reefs and other detail/hazards when you zoom out, so make sure you zoom in to the highest level of detail after you create a route -- and review your route screen-by-screen. Doing so just might keep your boat off the rocks.)