Many users wonder about the redundancy of Navionics charts.
“I bought an SD-Card (or a CF-Card) with a Navionics chart folder for my plotter, but I can't use it with my Mac. Why should I pay again to use these charts with MacENC ? ”.
Or even :
“I already have Navionics mapping for my software on Mac, why do I have to pay for mapping for iNavX on my iPhone or iPad again ? ”
So I asked these questions to person concerned. First of all, for iNavX, the answer can already be found in the Navionics FAQ which I translated and which is available on my website :
Q : Can I purchase Navionics charts from a source other than X-Traverse.com for use with iNavX ?
R : No. Only genuine Navionics charts, subscribed with www.x-traverse.com are iNavX consistent. Navionics charts on physical Plug-and-Play media are not compatible, not more than those purchased from the iTunes AppStore Navionics Mobile (¹).
It has the merit of being clear.
Regarding software on Mac, the answer is already more nuanced :
Fugawi, Navionics hosting on its website x-traverse.com, tells us :
“Navionics charts supplied with Plug-and-Play support (Navionics SD ou CF card) cannot work with MacENC because the Navionics multicard reader is not currently supported by Mac OS. ”
What Richard Ray, the editor of MacENC, retorts :
“We plan to support the Navionics chart reader, but I cannot give a date because it is up to Navionics to provide a specific driver for support of its reader by OS.
And what says the main concerned ? Navionics charts tells us :
« Direct download products [the cards] work exclusively with MacENC 7.xx on the Mac on which they were activated. These charts can not be copied to an SD or CF card for use on the plotters supported. To do this you must purchase Navionics maps on official Navionics Plug-and-Play media ».
We can therefore deduce, not to be spiteful, that Navionics has great interest to not rushing to provide an OS X driver for its Multi-Card Reader. This allows them to sell several times the same charting to same users, provided they have a chartplotter, a Mac and an iPhone or iPad !
♫ “My little business, ♪ does not know the crisis… ” ♬
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(¹) Since replaced by Navionics Boating.
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