I always respect your opinions and input, and enjoy our little debates.
I would say the only fact (as far as I can see) is the Suunto is expensive - Subjective, although I'll take your word that Suunto service isn't great not had to deal so can't comment. Shearwater from all I have read seem to be the world leaders in customer service and pretty much every one should learn from their best practice
I'm not aware of any bugs that need fixing - but that depends upon your definition of a bug? Certainly there are things I would like to see changed and worked on but that's more down to a diving preference on my part. For example at the last firmware they added the Gas time remaining function. Clearly there had been requests from a number of users who to them felt it important. Personally for me its not a function I need or use. Different people have different ideas. But that said ther are no functions (that I can think of) that don't work or don't work satisfactorily. I hope Suunto will further develop the product and will be interested to see what it morphs into
I would never argue that an Eon is a Tech computer - I don't have the experience in that field. I know there is debate of the Eon locking you out If you miss a Deco stop ceiling for 3 minutes and yes I see both sides of that "issue" From where I sit though, is a substantial percentage of users who buy a petrel will never use it's more advance functions. ( I wonder how many users truly understand GF?) I know the Eon has a He and CCR function as does the Petral and it would be interesting to see independent reviews of them side by side (if you know of any please post links)
In my dive group the majority of the computers are Galileo Luna/Sol or OSTC and a small number of Eons & no Petrels. Now that's probably a form of people buying what was on offer and choosing their computers by referrals. The debates over computers when people get beers in their hand can get very heated - but then any subject can get heated from beer. What I'm saying is that most people will always support their choices.
Putting the serious Tech user aside Would I say one computer is better than another? Really? No Not for the average rec user. Indeed I think you'll agree that for the average rec user all they want/need is Depth, NDL, Time and ability to select a gas mix up to 40%
Actually if a manufacturer just brought out a simple comp but with a colour display a with biggish numerals or graphs that may be the way to go. Maybe just Maybe like smart phone we are getting too many functions as standard instead of a cheaper entry price and the choice to upgrade to differing functions as we need /want them?
Personally I feel the Eon is aimed at the older diver - I say that because of it's price point and because the graphics make it easier to read. The older dive has potentially more disposable income? One can argue all day about the price difference between the Petrel and the Eon. To some people even the price of a Petrel is hard if not impossible to justify, as might be the difference between the Eon or the Petrel. To others that difference may be immaterial.
I still maintain that the perceived conservatism of the Eon is a non Starter. Again from experience. On 30m + dives with multi dive trips, the NDL has never brought me up before others on different computers. Against my old Cressie Leonardo its way less conservative (I dive mine on the default P0 you can choose 2 stops either side of more or less conservative)
So for a single tank rec diver which is truly the better computer? Really the argument comes down to subjective choices Rechargeable Internal vs AA batteries, differing Button interface, Graphics vs just numbers, AI vs non AI and what your are prepared to pay?
Actually a fairer comparison is between the Eon and Liqui Vision Lynx both being AI and both around the same price - I had my heart set on the lynx for varying reasons until one day a member of this board PM'd me and as a user and owner gave me their thoughts - all of which I knew but had set aside I against my desire to buy the Lynx. It was that PM which made me realise for diffing reasons the Lynx wasn't for me.
All that said - if the Petrel had an AI function I would have brought one
