Calling All Mac Users!!!!!

[dexter98]

Anyway, I don't see any point in pointing out that there are Mac users. The manufacturers are (of course) aware of this, but are way too lazy to do something about it. Most divecomputer software is crappy anyway (most look like if they were made for Windows 3.1).

Besides, Linux users and users using other platforms than Windows have exactly the same problem.


A much bigger question is this:
Why isn't there any open-source alternative yet???
Then, it doesn't matter under which platform you run this software anyway. Wouldn't it be great if we can use the SAME software for ALL divecomputers? By having 'universal' divecomputer log software (which stores its information in XML) and a plugin for each divecomputer to download the data from it (probably also exports to XML). Then it's also possible to SHARE information between divers. And use it in other application as well.

 

[LowVizWiz]

Wouldn't it be great if Apple just made a dive computer? Hey, Steve! Pay attention!

Doesn't the iPhone do that already?


I want this so bad!

 

[cfelliot]

......The manufacturers are (of course) aware of this, but are way too lazy to do something about it......

Laziness has nothing to do with it. Market share sure does though. Apple has less than 5% of the total computer market. Although this is certainly not a measure of quality, It does factor into a manufacturer’s decision on allocating development resources.

 

[espenskogen]

I'm sorry that many people are mislead to the true capacity of BootCamp, which is available as a public Beta. This is only to allow one to partition your hard drive and install a version of Windows XP onto the second partition.

Unless I missed the part somewhere, this will not allow you to run Windoz & OS X at the same time such as Virtual PC. Meaning you will have to restart your computer every time you want to switch between Windoz & Mac OS


I did find another really hot app named Corail, which is also Universal OS (Intel).

Fear not - The solution is nigh..

There is a software called Parallels (www.parallels.com) which is a virtualization software. This allows you to run xp (or linux or any other os) straight on your hardware, whilst still running the host OS. This will allow you to run MS outlook or Visio, or divelogging software on a mac, without having to reboot the machine to load windows. The downside of course is that it only works on Intel macs.


It's pretty cool though - The windows start menu on the bottom of the screen, as well as the apple toolbar on top...

E


Edit: I lingered to long before pushing post, and realized this had already been mentioned... Oh, well...

 

[mislav]

One more time I hear about Parallels on this thread I'm gonna flip.

To everyone raving about the BootCamp, Parallels, VPC et al, I have this quote from this thread:

As if that is a desirable choice, NOT. If we had wanted to run windoze, we wouldn't have bought a Mac

What we want is a full featured, Mac OS running dive software. Mac's market share isn't really that low, and it's even higher in laptop segment - and that is what a lot of divers use anyway. That's what we want.

 

[cfelliot]

.....Mac's market share isn't really that low....

Yes it is: http://www.macobserver.com/stockwatch/2006/12/13.2.shtml

This isn't a slam in any way of the MAC, it's just a fact!

 

[Mike Newman]

Hello my fellow 'scubians'

I am wanting to create an awareness for manufactures, which will let them know that the Mac Users are here and wanting support, just as the Windoz guys. Without this info, developers such as Mark Rosenstein with DiveLog http://www.macdivelog.com, are not getting support from companies such as Suunto.

I challenge Suunto or any other Manufacture to give a logical response to this problem! I always find that friendly competition only means better results in all ways from Application to Support.

'Mac'ingly yours

-CineDiver, churning the waters

I use a Powerbook G4 and I love it - until recently though I've had to keep an old PC laptop running to store my Uwatec logbook from a Smart Com. The challenge was getting an IRDA to USB interface for downloading to Jtrak - a Mac compatible soft log. JTrak isn't as full-featured as Uwatec's native PC version, Smart-Trak, but I'll take it every time over having to run a second computer for no good reason.

Come on computer manufacturers - wake up and smell the roses - Macs are now more popular than ever - especially with underwater photographers...

 

[reefnet]

Come on computer manufacturers - wake up and smell the roses - Macs are now more popular than ever - especially with underwater photographers...

For anyone who is coming into this thread late and hasn't read the first 18+ pages, I just wanted to mention that there is at least one manufacturer that is firmly committed to both an open-architecture dive recording system and to the Mac OS platform.

Our (ReefNet's) Sensus recorders include native Mac OS software and we publish detailed developer's guides for all our models so that if our software doesn't do what you want, you are free to create your own. No secrets.

To be honest, developing for the Mac is not a very economically-sensible thing to do for most companies since it takes just as long as developing for Windows yet yields only a tiny fraction of the revenue. We have decided to support the platform because we know Mac users are loyal and vocal about what they like...and that amounts to good word-of-mouth advertising, for all platforms.

--
Kris Wilk
ReefNet Inc.
www.reefnet.ca

 

[mislav]

Yes it is: http://www.macobserver.com/stockwatch/2006/12/13.2.shtml

This isn't a slam in any way of the MAC, it's just a fact!

Perhaps I wasn't clear - the Mac's market share isn't really that low not to justify the existence of a full featured Mac OS native dive software.

On the other hand, your market share data are known to be often flawed. They're often based on an amount of computer purchases in a certain timeframe. It is a well known fact that Mac users keep their machines longer than Windows users do. This significantly adds to a market share.

There are many much more obscure software products on the Mac market that have proven itself a financial success. There are enough Macs out there to justify an investment in the software we need.

Whatever. This thread is not about the market share - it's about Mac users to share ideas and dive software options we have.

And we don't care about the Windows solutions. Every market research so far has shown that Mac users are more satisfied with their computers than Windows users are. But, we do complain about the lack of a decent dive software.

Can you help or contribute or are you trying to convert us to Windows?

 

[reefnet]

Perhaps I wasn't clear - the Mac's market share isn't really that low not to justify the existence of a full featured Mac OS native dive software.

This claim is commonly made but rarely defended.

If you're talking about the major manufacturers, there is little incentive to create Mac software. As I just posted above, it takes the same development time/money (sometimes more) to produce a Mac solution, and it takes extra resources to support the separate platform as time goes on. The incremental increase in revenue is nothing compared to the overall revenue generated by the (well-established) Windows platform. When it comes to dollars and cents, I fully understand the industry's reluctance to reach out to Mac OS. It's not an attractive proposition.

Now smaller manufacturers (like my company) CAN benefit from supporting the Mac platform, but only because we can justify the work/resources involved in other ways.

--
Kris Wilk
ReefNet Inc.
www.reefnet.ca