Apple Watch Ultra — what dive software is in the works?

[Rick Brant]

it is hw selling business even though most expensive part is building and maintaining sw.

The software is not the most expensive part of a dive computer. For most manufacturers it is a "write once" process. With a few exceptions, most DCs have extremely primitive user interfaces and rely on code that is very basic. I suspect that the largest manufacturers have not modified their code in years.

Apple has taken 99% of the real costs out of DC production, perhaps excluding insurance costs. Legacy DC manufacturers do need to figure out how to create a mobile app -- which is generally more sophisticated than most current dedicated DC firmware -- but they will get there. Hopefully some independents will as well. I would love to see the team behind SubSurface come out with a Watch extension.

 

[kimh]

this is ebay's craiglist above

Nothing current?

 

[kimh]

Legacy DC manufacturers do need to figure out how to create a mobile app…

There's a phrase I haven't seen before ("legacy DC manufacturer").

Probably not the highlight of a hardware manufacturer's day.

 

[scubaozy]

Nothing current?

That screenshot is current, eBay Kleinanzeigen | Kostenlos. Einfach. Lokal.

The software is not the most expensive part of a dive computer. For most manufacturers it is a "write once" process. With a few exceptions, most DCs have extremely primitive user interfaces and rely on code that is very basic. I suspect that the largest manufacturers have not modified their code in years.

I think it is naive to think that you write it once. I agree that DC sw not rocket science but every time you have a new hardware, you have to adapt your code because the api's of that particular platform will be different. Often you need to write an adaptation layer just to be able to use another hw. Normal process is to write the premium products code on premium hardware, at later stages refacture it so that it can work on low end hw as well. In no time you will end up in dozens of branches for each product. Each bug you fix will have to be merged into gazillion of the branches with unpredictable outcomes. I can assure you alone maintaining an existing code base alone for different configs is extremely expensive.

 

[Rick Brant]

There's a phrase I haven't seen before ("legacy DC manufacturer").

Probably not the highlight of a hardware manufacturer's day.

I think it is accurate though. Apple is the only non-legacy manufacturer at this point. By "legacy" though I don't mean doomed, just existing and in some cases archaic. This still has lots of room to shake up the market. Suppliers like AquaLung and Mares might drop their DC offerings completely and switch to app offerings only. This would simplify their DC operations significantly and for AL would make it possible to integrate the DC, logbook, and even training/certification into one app. Suppliers that stay in the hardware game will have to significantly up their UI work. If you have used a low-end AL or Mares DC lately you know that they have interfaces that are 70's era at best. Of course the variable here is whether Apple will continue the Ultra. I see very few of them in the wild, but do see a bunch on dive boats specifically. It's hard to know how many are being sold.

 

[kimh]

That screenshot [cheap used DCs] is current

No, it’s not- or at least the listings are 4 months old. In that case, the owners haven’t been able to make a sale in 4 months, for the whole country of Germany! This would suggest that no one wants an old, used, entry-level DC (at least the Suunto), even if it’s super cheap. Which makes a lot of sense.

 

[kimh]

Of course the variable here is whether Apple will continue the Ultra. I see very few of them in the wild, but do see a bunch on dive boats specifically. It's hard to know how many are being sold.

I’d say the future of the AWU & successors is pretty much guaranteed, from everything I’ve seen/read. At $799, it’s never going to be mass market, but Apple knew that going in.

 

[scubaozy]

No, it’s not- or at least the listings are 4 months old. In that case, the owners haven’t been able to make a sale in 4 months, for the whole country of Germany! This would suggest that no one wants an old, used, entry-level DC (at least a Suunto Octopus), even when it’s super cheap. Which makes a lot of sense.

Absolutely irrelevant points, you argued 9.99 per month subscription is a value proposition compare to renting a computer for 1 day for a casual diver. An octopus 2 or a gecko is most likely dc you will get worldwide if you rent at a dive centre as casual diver. Best value proposition is to own an octopus 2 that will do almost everything that oceanic will do. People do not like the subscription model because you own nothing after a year. That is value proposition you get; nothing..

 

[kimh]

Absolutely irrelevant points,

Judging from your screenshot with the unwanted eBay DCs, very few people in Germany agree with you.

People do not like the subscription model because…

Where in this case, it’s more accurate to say: *I* do not like the subscription model…

Personally, *I* do like the subscription model. It works great for my usage patterns.

 

[scubaozy]

Judging from your screenshot with the unwanted eBay DCs, very few people in Germany agree with you.



Where in this case, it’s more accurate to say: *I* do not like the subscription model…

Personally, *I* do like the subscription model. It works great for my usage patterns.

It was you who wrote subscription model is unpopular, I am just iterating on what you said. It’s not rational to claim it’s better value unless you have some unmeasurable emotional value out of it. It is not an opinion, it’s a fact that you can use a cheap computer for 20 years but your subscription will turn into nothing in a year.