posted 05-09-2013 09:02 PM ET (US)        

--support for GoFree™ wireless connectivity through a WIFI-1 module. Allows screen mirroring of the Gen2 display on compatible tablets, mobile phones and computers. Requires Lowrance GoFree WIFI-1 module and viewer app available on the Apple AppStore or Google Play Store.

--Insight Genesis compatibility for creating and viewing personal high-definition bathymetric contour maps from sonar log recordings you made yourself. Insight Genesis mapping can now be created and viewed on an HDS Gen2 chart plotter.

--chart sharing allows charts on memory cards to be shared across the Ethernet network. Insert any compatible Insight, Navionics® or Jeppesen® chart into one unit and view on any other networked HDS Gen2 display.

--depth contour shading and shallow water highlight. Use these new features with Navionics Charts to quickly identify fishing areas of interest or to highlight shallow water areas requiring extra caution.

--internal GNSS antenna position fixes now update at a 5Hz update rate providing better trail accuracy and smoother chart rotation.

--StructureMap™ HD capability enables users to convert recorded StructureScan® HD sonar logs into stunning high-definition underwater maps of lakes, rivers or the seafloor.

Of these improvements, I think the most significant is the ability to share one chart plotter chip with cartography with other HDS devices on the network. The WiFi access is nice, but for a small boat I don't know if WiFi is really needed. How far can you get from the chart plotter on a 18-foot boat?

For more details on the updates, see

http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Software-Updates/HDS-Gen2/

And for even more details, see