For sheer feature-richness, it's even harder than it used to be to beat Nobeltec's Visual Navigation Suite, now in Version 7.0

Technology has a way of maturing, but in the case of computer software, this maturation process can be amazingly swift. A few years ago we could point out the marvels of a new technology, but today these marvels are commonplace and taken largely for granted. Where we could formerly cite major differences in capability and quality, today we're discussing differences in the bells and whistles attached to a bunch of products that all work well.

Computer charting programs are no exception. From what we've seen, they all perform their basic jobs perfectly adequately, presenting charts that allow you to plot and plan courses and set waypoints and routes. You might do…