Atomic Aquatics Cobalt Dive Computer

[DwayneJ]

The Cobalt IS Atomics' competitive response to other intuitive OLED products on the market, such as the OSTC MkII, DR5, Predator, X1, Uemis SDA, etc, etc....

Eric

Enough already - How can it be a competitive response when they WERE NOT COMPETING. They did not have a dive computer until now so they only take market share away from you and others.

By the by, Marketing 101 - Dissing your competitors (threads) is not cool.

Dwayne

 

[Kern]

Enough already - How can it be a competitive response when they WERE NOT COMPETING. They did not have a dive computer until now so they only take market share away from you and others.

By the by, Marketing 101 - Dissing your competitors (threads) is not cool.

Dwayne

You must be using a definition of competition & disrespect that I'm unfamiliar with.

 

[DwayneJ]

You must be using a definition of competition & disrespect that I'm unfamiliar with.

To use the iPhone as an example -

Before iPhone there was no competition/competing with Blackberry, Nokia, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, because Apple did not make or sell phones. It was a brand new market for Apple to enter to take market share from the existing players.

Thats also why Android is interesting - Five plus companies retooling software development as a competitive response to Apple would have been impossible. Google steps in with an open OS and product example (partnership with HTC) and provides the (software) solution to allow companies to competitively respond to the iPhone. Win for Google and a win for the HW manufacturers... As a competitive response to Apple/iPhone.

Cobalt is not a competitive response to X1/Xeo/Xen or any other dive computer since they were not in the market of selling computers to begin with. What's interesting is clearly X1/Xeo/Xen are solutions focused for the Technical diver and the Cobalt is a computer clearly designed for the recreational diver...

Seems natural if you wanted to build dive computers, you would want to start building them for the recreational market as this market is much larger... But here's the kicker - Atomic Aquatics has an established distribution/sales channel given they have been making Regs (I have 5), Masks, Fins, Snorkels for a decade or more.

Liquivision had to build the channel ground up and to do this, a strategy is to build a product that uniquely differentiates them from the rest of the industry and they did this with the X1. The future opportunity for Liquivision is to develop a product for the recreational market but to do this, it ideally needs an established distribution/sales channel.

OLED - Its a "feature" and everyone is going to have it eventually. OLED allows you to cram more information into a small screen due to screen resolution and high contrast - Add an OS which is easy to configure and and lots of features and you have a great success story. Cobalt is a really nice computer which has the looks, software features and ease of use.

For me personally, I like the X1 with VPlanner software. Liquivision are running out the X1 with large discounts so in my humble opinion, there is a color version of the X1 just around the corner. As a side note, the tap interface on the X1 is not easy for everyone.

As for disrespect, here's Eric's initial comment -

...Amazing how people still somehow think they are novel ideas.
Eric Fattah
Liquivision Products

Dwayne

 

[Liquivision]

What's interesting is clearly X1/Xeo/Xen are solutions focused for the Technical diver and the Cobalt is a computer clearly designed for the recreational diver...
Dwayne

Therefore we are not competitors by your own definition.

Eric

 

[DwayneJ]

Therefore we are not competitors by your own definition.

Eric

Absolutely agree which is why the tone of your responses or even responding to this thread is down right weird...

In my humble opinion, I can only believe you had plans for a rec computer but Cobalt bet you to the punch while also setting a high standard for you to enter this market.

Dwayne

 

[scubafanatic]

To use the iPhone as an example -

Before iPhone there was no competition/competing with Blackberry, Nokia, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, because Apple did not make or sell phones. It was a brand new market for Apple to enter to take market share from the existing players.

Thats also why Android is interesting - Five plus companies retooling software development as a competitive response to Apple would have been impossible. Google steps in with an open OS and product example (partnership with HTC) and provides the (software) solution to allow companies to competitively respond to the iPhone. Win for Google and a win for the HW manufacturers... As a competitive response to Apple/iPhone.

Cobalt is not a competitive response to X1/Xeo/Xen or any other dive computer since they were not in the market of selling computers to begin with. What's interesting is clearly X1/Xeo/Xen are solutions focused for the Technical diver and the Cobalt is a computer clearly designed for the recreational diver...

Seems natural if you wanted to build dive computers, you would want to start building them for the recreational market as this market is much larger... But here's the kicker - Atomic Aquatics has an established distribution/sales channel given they have been making Regs (I have 5), Masks, Fins, Snorkels for a decade or more.

Liquivision had to build the channel ground up and to do this, a strategy is to build a product that uniquely differentiates them from the rest of the industry and they did this with the X1. The future opportunity for Liquivision is to develop a product for the recreational market but to do this, it ideally needs an established distribution/sales channel.

OLED - Its a "feature" and everyone is going to have it eventually. OLED allows you to cram more information into a small screen due to screen resolution and high contrast - Add an OS which is easy to configure and and lots of features and you have a great success story. Cobalt is a really nice computer which has both the looks and software features and ease of use.

For me personally, I like the X1 with VPlanner software. Liquivision are running out the X1 with large discounts so in my humble opinion, there is a color version of the X1 just around the corner. As a side note, the tap interface on the X1 is not easy for everyone.

As for disrespect, here's Eric's initial comment -



Dwayne

...I certainly agree with ya about 'tap interfaces'....I think they're annoying as h*ll! I'll take magnetic buttons over that tapping crap any day of the week!

 

[Kern]

No, it's a dive computer, & it's competing with every other dive computer on the market. At its price point, it's definitely competing with the Predator, OSTC, Uemis, etc.

It has an intuitive OS & an OLED screen. These components are not only not unique to the Cobalt, the Cobalt wasn't the 1st to bring them to the market.

If an uninformed poster suggests that the cobalt is unique, or novel, I don't see any disrespect in pointing out their mistake. This is after all a discussion board, & this is not a manufacturers forum.

 

[Liquivision]

The Cobalt is a great product, wonderful in fact -- I never debated that.

My only objection was the people that claimed that it was the first OLED computer, the first computer with an intuitive interface, etc... The Uemis is an air integrated recreational computer that is a direct competitor to the Cobalt, and it has an OLED and intuitive interface, and it came out a year earlier. That does not diminish the Cobalt in any way.

I was simply trying to make sure that the real 'firsts' such as the Uemis were respected properly.


Eric Fattah
Liquivision Products

 

[servantguy]

Both of these are sort of rechargeable battery hygiene. #2 will help the battery last longer, #1 is to protect against the (unlikely, but theoretically possible) instance where unplugging in just the wrong way could create a momentary power spike. There are protections in the Cobalt, but it is always better to eliminate possible problems at the source. No worries, you could do it either way without an issue, but it's better to form the habit of unplugging the adapter first.

Hi Ron,

Maybe you can help me.

I've only successfully charged the Cobalt once, shortly after I purchased it.

Now, I'm on Dive # 12, and for some reason, my unit keeps displaying "charge stopped" when I connect either the adapter/charger combo or the adapter/usb cable combo. I might be silly and blind and just did not see instructions pertaining to this, but I was at 47% yesterday and now I'm at 40%, with zero dives in between. Granted I've been tinkering with the unit, but I cannot make it charge either way. Is this a warranty issue? I let it sit plugged in last night, but the "charge stopped" message will not go away, and the unit is obviously not charging.

- SG -

 

[RonR]

Hi Ron,

Maybe you can help me.

I've only successfully charged the Cobalt once, shortly after I purchased it.

Now, I'm on Dive # 12, and for some reason, my unit keeps displaying "charge stopped" when I connect either the adapter/charger combo or the adapter/usb cable combo. I might be silly and blind and just did not see instructions pertaining to this, but I was at 47% yesterday and now I'm at 40%, with zero dives in between. Granted I've been tinkering with the unit, but I cannot make it charge either way. Is this a warranty issue? I let it sit plugged in last night, but the "charge stopped" message will not go away, and the unit is obviously not charging.

- SG -

Yes, definitely. First, what software version do you have (in the system info screen)?
The "Charge Stopped" message can mean two things that are not actually problems:
1) that the battery is outside the allowable temperature range for charging, either too hot or too cold- I'll assume this is not the case with you; or
2) the computer is having trouble establishing communications with the battery fuel gauge chip. This latter issue has turned up with some units, and is actually resolved with a later firmware update that permits a slightly longer delay in establishing communications. It is usually associated with seeing a couple of dashes momentarily after waking the computer from sleep in the main menu. In this newer firmware we are no longer using the "charge stopped" message except to signify an out of temperature problem.

But, as I understand, you tried leaving it on the charger overnight, and it didn't self-correct, and is actually not charging- you are not seeing the charge % go up. If this is so, and if you are seeing the "Charge Stopped" message when the computer is within temperature range for charging, then I think we would like to get the Cobalt back. We would want to make sure there is not a problem with the battery that causes it to register as outside the temperature range. It sounds like it would definitely be a warranty issue, with the most likely cure being to replace your battery.

PM me if you want any help in clarifying this or getting the unit returned.