> wrote:
>> Has anyone here used both? What are your opinions? Who knows - I
>may try
>
>The most significant difference between these two is not their
>interfaces or feature list. It is the philosophy of their respective
>developers. XCsoar developers encourage teamwork and input from all
>interested parties. LK8000 is developed mainly by one individual who
>does not encourage cooperative development to the extent that the
>rights of the (XCsoar) developers who's code was used in the original
>version of LK8000 were infringed for a period.
>
>In the long run, with cooperative development XCsoar will achieve
>more than LK8000 and many equivalent commercial products.
>
>Perhaps that is why Xcsoar already runs on Android devices like this
>Dell Streak which has the best sunlight readable screen on any
>consumer grade PDA and supports ioio hardware which allows Androids
>to interface with serial ports on gliding loggers etc and can
>simultaneously read NMEA data from Flarm and a gliding computer.
>
>Ie Flarm radar and real time wind data on a screen you can read with
>your sunglasses on - available right now!
>
>Ian
>
>
>
Just like the previous thread, this is very much a matter of personal
taste. I go back with XCSoar to when it was first brought out by a group
in the UK, then a bit later by the Australian headed group. I changed to
LK8000 when it came out, because it was designed for the better visible car
navigators.
I keep up with XCSoar developments, but so far have seen nothing to make me
consider changing back, I much prefer the interface, and range of features
in LK8000.
Whilst it is fair to say that LK8000 was initially developed by one man,
who had been a developer with XCSoar, this did result in very rapid
development, the best committee being that consisting of one member. Paolo
has though, gathered an international group of other developers and
testers. He also was, and still is, very quick to react to suggestions and
problems, sometimes in hours, I don't know when he sleeps!
The gliding community owes a big debt of gratitude to both these groups,
who have provided us with two fantastic navigation programs, and both are
free.
Dave