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When thinking of marine electronics, we tend to picture the hardware first. Yet it’s the software that’s key to delivering a seamless, smooth and intuitive user experience.
That’s why Simrad developed NEONTM OS, its all-new Android based operating system for the NSX, NSX Ultrawide, NSS 4 and its new line of NSO 4 chartplotters and fishfinders. The portfolio now includes screens from 7in to 24in that suit every type of vessel and budget, from dayboats to large offshore craft with extensive glass bridge set ups.
NEONTM was designed from the ground up to be the world’s most intuitive chartplotter operating system. After extensive consultation with existing users, Simrad’s engineers took an approach that completely reimagined the helm experience. This extended from interface design and navigation flow to system integration, while maintaining a focus on the overall ease of use.
Great design doesn’t happen by accident – it’s the outcome of vision, investment and commitment. The NEONTM OS is the result of a once-in-a-generation opportunity made possible by the huge revamp of the underlying code needed for the move to Android. This creates an instantly familiar app-like experience that enables boat owners to quickly get to grips with any newly installed equipment.
The complex deep menu systems of old have been replaced by a seamless smartphone-style experience that massively simplifies how we interact with marine electronics from the helm.
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Stepping into the future
Simrad’s NEONTM operating system, which is now available on all of the brand’s core chartplotters, marks a step change in the ease of use of marine electronics and simple, seamless integration of a wide range of equipment
The complex deep menu systems of old have been replaced by a seamless smartphone-style experience that massively simplifies how we interact with marine electronics from the helm. Yet all the powerful functionality of previous systems remains available.
There’s also a wide range of easy customisation options, recognising that we all use our boats in different ways. These enable users to tailor their kit to exactly how they use their boats and address specific requirements for their local areas.
In these respects, the NEONTM platform demonstrates that powerful premium products in this sector no longer need to be so complex that they require a long and potentially frustrating learning curve.
The over-riding goal was to make using a chartplotter feel natural, fast and effortless, whether navigating a busy harbour, running offshore, or even dialling in a new set up for fishing. In chartplotting mode everything is where you expect, with key functionality always to hand, and logical workflows. At the same time, additional information is easily accessed when needed.
Importantly, NEONTM is also intended to be future proof. It’s easy for users to update their systems, while the architecture can evolve with new technologies. It also gives engineers and designers flexibility to roll out faster updates and provide users with an increasingly rich feature set.
While software teams were working on the operating system, a team of designers was optimising aesthetics for the new NSO 4 top-of-the-range line of 16-24in displays. The gently curved glass-to-edge design looks stunning and gives a cutting edge feel to tactile aspects of the user experience.
This range also uses the super-fast eight-core processors already fitted to the NSX, NSX ULTRAWIDE and NSS 4 lines. These are blisteringly fast, with auto-routing, for instance, delivered up to 10 times faster than the legacy NSO 3 range.
With the launch of the NSO 4 line, Simrad now offers NEONTM OS chartplotters from 7 inches up to 24 inches, the long-held ideal of a single consistent and intuitive experience across virtually every type of powerboat and helm configuration has become reality. The brand’s position, within the Brunswick group, the world’s largest collection of boatbuilders and marine equipment manufacturers, is a key to making this possible.
Future proof concepts
Smartphone style simplicity
Intuitive design
The intuitive corner menus are context specific and put the most frequently used controls exactly where they are needed. As a result, tasks that once required multiple steps are now impressively streamlined and intuitive.
In addition, the Activity Bar that gives single-tap access to your favourite apps for charts, sonar, radar and so on, along with app-style controls and cleaner helm integration help to make the overall experience feel contemporary and intuitive.
Built for integration
Seamless integration across the boat’s entire portfolio of equipment, including third party products – from radar to engines – was also a key element of the vision from the outset and is embedded into the platform.
It delivers the kind of experience that best practices at the top end of the automotive world provides today. It’s a huge contrast to previous, rather disjointed approaches, that were inevitable back when the marine industry was more fragmented than it is now.
Without moving from the helm station, users enjoy complete control and integration of equipment from brands including Mercury, Lumishore’s advanced interior, exterior and underwater lighting, the Yanmar-owned Italian SmartGyro range of stabilisers and a host of other third party kit. The new interface facilitates control and management of all on-board information and alarms in a single, intuitive graphic display.
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