New Apple Watch is a dive computer

[Joneill]

Let me tell you how AWESOME the developer of MacDive is (Nick Shore). I bought it for $25 several years ago. MANY times I have emailed Nick and gotten a reply or a patch within minutes. When I switched laptops, I couldn't figure out how to transfer the license, but since I was so happy with the support, I just bought it again.

Within minutes, Nick emailed me and reminded me that I had bought it in the past and so I didn't need a new license.

Same with Greg McLaughin from Divelog. He’s even responded while he was on vacation. He’s also added features at my request. I helped him with support for the Teric when it was first introduced by sending him the log files. I am now a beta tester for him and get the updates via TestFlight to test if I’m diving.

Always great to have such access to a developer - I have to say that I’ve also been impressed with Shearwater and how accessible they are if you have any questions or issues - never a problem to talk to a human!

 

[hazmat]

Right, that really is unprecedented in the world of dive computers. But this is arguably the first mass market general purpose computer that you can download third party DC software into and dive with, so it's sort of uncharted territory...

Of course, we have been arguing for 36 pages about something that isn't even available yet!

This exactly. I can't think of anything else to compare this to at the moment, where a dive computer's hardware and software were decoupled.

 

[hazmat]

Seconded. I haven't emailed him more than a few times, but it's always great support. I think the last request I made was "I want to cut and paste GPS coordinates from Lightroom into MacDive and have them accepted" (yes, I'm one of those data-fetishists). Two days later it was in a release.

Thirded. I've been diving with Nick in Indonesia when he was developing the iPhone app. Great guy in person as well. At this point a dive computer that forced me to use the manufacturer's software would be a hard no. Not saying this will be the case here, of course, since it isn't out yet.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

This exactly. I can't think of anything else to compare this to at the moment, where a dive computer's hardware and software were decoupled.

So we have a situation where non dive computer h/w and non dive computer OS is being used to try and support a dive computer?

I am sure the Oceanic developer is having nightmares...

 

[hazmat]

So we have a situation where non dive computer h/w and non dive computer OS is being used to try and support a dive computer?

I am sure the Oceanic developer is having nightmares...

Who knows. Maybe Apple's APIs have made it easier for them to develop for the Apple Watch than their own computers. To be a fly on the wall....

 

[Eric802]

But you have to first spend $3,200 in addition to the $129 to buy the 4 watches that could use the app - so this is like buying a DC and then having to rent the firmware to be able to use it. Seems silly to me, but it is what it is at present.

Well, it would be absolutely ridiculous to buy watches for a family of 4 just to dive with them. Obviously you’d be much better off getting dedicated DC’s. BUT, if you already have the watches, then paying $129 for 4 people to have computers is a steal.

 

[Jcp2]

So we have a situation where non dive computer h/w and non dive computer OS is being used to try and support a dive computer?

I am sure the Oceanic developer is having nightmares...

Like the Garmin?

 

[Joneill]

Well, it would be absolutely ridiculous to buy watches for a family of 4 just to dive with them. Obviously you’d be much better off getting dedicated DC’s. BUT, if you already have the watches, then paying $129 for 4 people to have computers is a steal.

Right - I was just pointing out that the $129 subscription would be after a much larger $3,200 purchase of 4 watches. Folks who throw around money like that for watches likely won’t care about the other costs…

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

Like the Garmin?

Well the Garmin does have the proper depth rating for scuba...

 

[Mlindie4]

One of bands comes in yum-yum yellow.

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It’s the only color left that will ship on the 23rd. All other colors are already back ordered until November or later. Promised my husband we would be changing his band as soon as replacements are available. Taking our two Apple DW to Cozumel. Just returned the ones we bought last week to the DS. We are new Rec divers only. I like that it is an easy, familiar interface. We were thinking of getting Apple Watches anyway. This was perfect timing. We will most likely sell our sons Apple Watch 7 and get him one too.