$90 USB Cable!!!?!

[STwill]

I don't think a serial interface (which is what almost all dive computers have) is going to get to universal compatibility- each dive computer has its own data structures and requires drivers. And it would be pretty limiting. A converter is necessary because so few computers nowadays have serial ports. If there is an inexpensive universal interface now it's USB.

Which does not excuse the $90 cable. We designed the Cobalt to interface with an off the shelf USB cable- Atomic includes one, but if you lose it you can get another anywhere for a few dollars. That was a design decision made early on, and the added cost is trivial. We thought that the whole concept of having to pay extra for download capability would not fly in today's market. And like ReefNet, we have cooperated with open source and independent developers of dive log software and drivers. There is no reason others could not do the same. It would add value to their products.

Any way that is universal using off the shelf supplies would be fine IMO. I paid $5 for the last USB-serial converter I bought, a bit cheaper than $90. How much would it have cost to make that already there serial interface work with any regular serial port, or via USB-serial converter. I definitely think that USB is the future, and the cables are cheap and everywhere.

I think that it's great that with the Cobalt it uses a standard cable that you can buy anywhere for a reasonable price, and can be interfaced with by third parties. It is unfortunate that I will probably never own a $1200 dive computer, though it should be included at every level, not just the top end.

 

[Spg01]

I think that it's great that with the Cobalt it uses a standard cable that you can buy anywhere for a reasonable price, and can be interfaced with by third parties. It is unfortunate that I will probably never own a $1200 dive computer, though it should be included at every level, not just the top end.

At least with the Cobalt it is a step in the right direction and we can only hope that others follow. I don't know if I would put money on other companies doing it, but it sounds good.

And like you said, it is nice the Cobalt uses a standard cable. But for $1200 I would expect them to come over to my house and download the data for me
And then make me a sammich on there way out:toast:

 

[Seraphimx]

Furthermore, Serial is an old connection and so is irDa. They are not the most "plug&play" solution out there.

I'm not saying good computer should be cheap. But take the example of base cheap computers/bottom timers.
I started diving 5-6 years ago and the Aladin was selling at around 350$ and it was overpriced for the time/date. This years they re-branded and made it 250$.
It just makes me go crazy that a technology that used R&D more than 15 years ago, is still on sale at a very high price.

Most of the dive computer use obsolete technology.
1) Dive log software are retarded & dated. (win2000)
2) Connection type are old (serial) (win98)

I'm not saying OLED screen computers should be cheap. I'm saying good ol' crappy computers should be cheaper.

 

[Insta-Gator]

Added value, product/brand differentiators ... what a concept.

Thanks, Ron.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

A few months ago I was in the market for a new computer. My dive shop sells IST (same as Zeagle, Diverite, tusa, and many other Seiko computers) cable $130, Suunto cable costs $100, Uwatec uses IRDA. Guess which company got my business? I guess if I looked around a little longer I could have got the IRDA adapter for less than I paid for it, $8 on Amazon with shipping but I did not feel like waiting.

 

[Insta-Gator]

A few months ago I was in the market for a new computer. My dive shop sells IST (same as Zeagle, Diverite, tusa, and many other Seiko computers) cable $130, Suunto cable costs $100, Uwatec uses IRDA. Guess which company got my business? I guess if I looked around a little longer I could have got the IRDA adapter for less than I paid for it, $8 on Amazon with shipping but I did not feel like waiting.

Please tell us you did not make a computer decision based on the price of the cable. :shocked2:

 

[Jax]

Furthermore, Serial is an old connection and so is irDa. They are not the most "plug&play" solution out there.

I'm not saying good computer should be cheap. But take the example of base cheap computers/bottom timers.
I started diving 5-6 years ago and the Aladin was selling at around 350$ and it was overpriced for the time/date. This years they re-branded and made it 250$.
It just makes me go crazy that a technology that used R&D more than 15 years ago, is still on sale at a very high price.

Most of the dive computer use obsolete technology.
1) Dive log software are retarded & dated. (win2000)
2) Connection type are old (serial) (win98)

I'm not saying OLED screen computers should be cheap. I'm saying good ol' crappy computers should be cheaper.

Are you perhaps discounting the fact that trusted, proven technology holds its value? Just like Harley Davidson . . .

 

[Lenaxia]

Let's compare apples to apples a HArley is a collectors item which appreciates over time, a dive computer is a consumable electronic that does not. A better comparison would be with a refridgerator. You would not pay MSRP for a 10 year old fridge even if it was brand new and was best in its class 10 years ago. There better ones with better technology available now. That's what we are saying

We aren't disputing that this technology isn't tried and true. What we are discussing is that there is newer technology that is more accurate, cheaper, more reliable, more user friendly and more accessible for the average person.

Do you disagree with that Jax?

Would you pay for that 10 year old fridge?

 

[STwill]

Please tell us you did not make a computer decision based on the price of the cable. :shocked2:

If everything else was more or less equal, then why not? If I'm looking at 3 computers that are the basically the same, and two of them need a $90+ cable and one doesn't, of course I'm going to choose the one that doesn't.

 

[aquaregia]

RS232 is an easy and simple protocol and I tend to leave pads for them on any design I have space for, just in case. There are newer USB chips that are available at the same or lower price but USB connectors aren't small or cheap. RS232 you can run over any old wires and rely on it. I'd bet that jamming a through-hole terminating resistor onto some leads is giving a ton of packet failures that the software has to deal with. That's fine for a hobbyist, of course, but it's not something a company can sell. There's a very real cost in getting stuff to pass EMC.