__In this age of iPads and Androids and apps, is a dedicated portable device still relevant? That’s the question that some might be asking with the unveiling by Garmin of its latest flagship portable, the Garmin 796, which at this writing was top-secret. I have in my hands the only model not located behind lock and key in Olathe, Kansas.
Like many Flying readers, I’ve been using Garmin navigators for many years, and while I’ve tested and liked a number of other handhelds and portables from other manufacturers, when I was done trying them out, I’d always go back to a Garmin. In fact, it wasn’t until just last year that I started using any other electronic flight bag on a regular basis. It was, of course, an iPad. I’ve now flown with this new device for nearly a hundred hours while using a number of navigation and chart reader apps designed specifically for Apple’s tablet (which is, of course, how it works). Do I like the iPad? You bet I do. Who could help but love the big bright screen, long battery life and feathery light platform? On the other hand, the apps, while having a lot of upside, still have a ways to go.
