You CAN just pour over an iPad or laptop planning destinations, and using any number of nav programs you can have various cruising guides and ActiveCaptain data appear for the harbors of interest. I do it all the time. And the data is refreshed when I have a broadband connection and stored on my local devices when offline.

However, I find that the tabular summary presentation in the Maptech guides is better when trying to choose which facilities in the particular harbor might be preferred, especially when combined with the view of the numbered positions on the harbor charts.

And I agree with Bruce, I do keep paper chart books and have a bearing compass for when the electrons stop, but they haven't. I haven't looked at a paper chart for navigation planning since 2001, when I got Nobeltec aboard.