Post by VECTREXER on Apr 28, 2013 12:21:46 GMT -5
On the subject of vector graphics with their own display we all know of the Atari games, and the Vectrex. But did anyone ever buy the Etak navigator?
I picked up one of the blowout deals from a local Sharper Image store in San Diego back in the 80's. Even then the deal was fairly expensive. Still the whole package was interesting enough because what it was and the possibilities for reuse. Not to mention my lateral interest in the Sinclair QL which also had a tape drive.
The Etak had a vector graphics screen as well. It was pretty cool to work with and fairly accurate once calibrated. Calibration require pretty much every time you started up the system if you wanted accurate travel and that was a small PIA since it was one more thing to do when starting the car. The screen did work well for displaying needed data in the limited system. Limited by today's standards of course but pretty powerful by that standards of the day. The graphics display was efficient and reminded me at every turn of the Vectrex.
While the system was installed in the car I have to say it met the original goals well. Not cheaply, but then anything at the time that was publicly available like the Etak was in the same $1000/$2000+ price range. And then you had to buy the map tapes! Those tapes were definitely the razor blades to an already expensive razor! Just to cover the San Diego and Los Angeles areas required at least 8 tapes. But with those tapes you had roads and destinations! Though new places such as bars and restaurants were always iffy (since the tapes were updated often, and you had to buy them) at least the addresses worked well.
The inertial navigation did not fail when going through a tunnel or downtown areas either unlike GPS does. Actually the Etak system on the whole rivaled the navigation system that was available on the guided missile cruiser I was stationed on at the time. They both could get you from point A to point B accurately. I would guess that Etak was basically equivalent to anything short of the systems on a ship with an older Aegis system installed, or a submarine with its inertial navigation systems. Given that you had the tapes for the Etak! I never knew anyone who had the whole set.
Too bad the system eventually failed and was discarded. I bet even the parts would be desired today if for nothing else than their collector value.
I picked up one of the blowout deals from a local Sharper Image store in San Diego back in the 80's. Even then the deal was fairly expensive. Still the whole package was interesting enough because what it was and the possibilities for reuse. Not to mention my lateral interest in the Sinclair QL which also had a tape drive.
The Etak had a vector graphics screen as well. It was pretty cool to work with and fairly accurate once calibrated. Calibration require pretty much every time you started up the system if you wanted accurate travel and that was a small PIA since it was one more thing to do when starting the car. The screen did work well for displaying needed data in the limited system. Limited by today's standards of course but pretty powerful by that standards of the day. The graphics display was efficient and reminded me at every turn of the Vectrex.
While the system was installed in the car I have to say it met the original goals well. Not cheaply, but then anything at the time that was publicly available like the Etak was in the same $1000/$2000+ price range. And then you had to buy the map tapes! Those tapes were definitely the razor blades to an already expensive razor! Just to cover the San Diego and Los Angeles areas required at least 8 tapes. But with those tapes you had roads and destinations! Though new places such as bars and restaurants were always iffy (since the tapes were updated often, and you had to buy them) at least the addresses worked well.
The inertial navigation did not fail when going through a tunnel or downtown areas either unlike GPS does. Actually the Etak system on the whole rivaled the navigation system that was available on the guided missile cruiser I was stationed on at the time. They both could get you from point A to point B accurately. I would guess that Etak was basically equivalent to anything short of the systems on a ship with an older Aegis system installed, or a submarine with its inertial navigation systems. Given that you had the tapes for the Etak! I never knew anyone who had the whole set.
Too bad the system eventually failed and was discarded. I bet even the parts would be desired today if for nothing else than their collector value.
