I guess from somebody looking in and not having used the PC s/w,
it might look pretty bad. In the grand scheme of things, I'd pick the dive
computer for its capabilities, how it works and feels in the water not on how well
the PC s/w appears to be. All the PC s/w packages for the the dive computers
seem to have issues and could be better - Thats the nature of PC software.
Depending on how you use the PC software, those issues can be anywhere
from not very noticeable to downright frustrating.
Consider this, you'll use the Dive computer on EVERY dive and be referencing
it multiple times during the dive. To me, having the information needed easily
available in a way that's easy to understand, will ensure doing safe dives
and is more important than whether there are some issues with the PC s/w.
PC s/w is easily updated and there are even some 3rd party developers
that have alternatives to the s/w provided by the manufacturers should
you find that the supplied s/w doesn't meet your needs.
Specifically on Aeris/Oceanic s/w. I've been fairly impressed with the
attention the PC software is now getting. The 2.x s/w is much better
and easier to use than the 1.x s/w. Aeris/Oceanic seems to be listening
and responding to users suggestions. There have been several releases
since December all adding features, fixing issues, and making the
s/w easier to use.
Ogre, one thing you could do is actually try the PC s/w for yourself,
BEFORE you buy the computer.
Go over to the Aeris web site and download the latest s/w
and try it. It will work without having a dive computer. Obviously, you can't try
downloading or configuring a real dive computer but you can do everything
else. There is a sample diver log and you'll see what all the screens look like
and can even enter manual dives. If you are concerned, it is probably
worth doing.
--- bill
