"Why you need an IPad on the boat"? I did - and came away realizing I don't need one. Everything that was listed I can do on a Netbook - and a lot cheaper. And I think you can do a lot more with a real computer. If you have any doubt, compare what the article says is available for an IPad to the quantity of boat-related programs and documents for an "IBM-type" computer - many more of which are available free from the Net. But it is true that the I-Phone and I-Pad are trendy - we'll see how long that lasts.

Jerry