Hi,

The latest version of the LX Colibri can also talk to a PC over a USB port.
But it also has an RS-232 serial port for talking to a PDA. PDAs can
download flight logs and upload task declarations to it. I hope the new
device can do the same. It does look very interesting.

Good Soaring,

Paul Remde

"ContestID67" wrote in message
oups.com...
My comments.

First, serial ports are fast disappearing from all computers. USB
PCMCIA adapters are clunky and problematic. At some point we are going
to need to get all of our flight recorders migrated over the USB and
stop being ludites. It appears that this device is the first to do so.
Hurrah for them and not getting stuck in the past! I am sure that RAM
can come up with a USB version of their cradles for use with a PDA.

Second, this device has a wonderful feature that when you plug it into
your computer it appears as another "hard drive" similar to a thumb
drive. Theoretically that should work with both Windows and Macintosh.
Wow, is that slick or what? No software, no problem with uploading
and downloading. Very cool.

Soap-box warning Lastly, the proprietary nature of the communications
channel may or may not be an issue, time will tell. However it seems
that every FR out there is proprietary at some level. Has anyone
stepped forward to set a standard (like NMEA for GPS communications)
for FR = PDA communications? If they haven't, and I don't think
that they have, they certainly should do so like most every other
industry. At first going non-proprietary seems like the fast track to
loosing previous market share, but once you see past this stumbling
block the market grows and everyone wins. Witness 802.11 Wi-Fi. Who
would have thought that it would be so huge? Standards made that
happen. Where would we be if our 3/8" socket set was unique at 11/16"
or 15/32"? 5x as expensive. /soap-box warning