Suunto DM4??????

[Starcruiser]

Well. new version released today. After a quick glance, doesn't look like our concerns were addressed. At least I didn't notice a local database being created, printing available offline, or any of the other concerns listed here. Oh well, maybe the next one...

 

[Peter Guy]

Just reading all this made my head hurt. I'm just an old curmudgeon and am glad I've stuck with version 1.6! It works, it gives me almost everything I want (the only additional would be to embed or link images) and it works. Oh well.

 

[Divelogs]

At least the old dives all import now.
But dear Suunto, that is really really not near enough for me (and probably most) to switch. No offline editing and storage of all relevant data (take a look at version 3), no switching. And that also means no new Suunto Computer, if I'd be stuck to this software. I also develop software in our company and this would be considered early Alpha status and definately nothing worth releasing.
I honestly hope Suunto puts more effort into the software of the computers themselves...

 

[Starcruiser]

Well, the automatic upgrade process seems to work. I cranked the program up tonight, and it proceeded to download the new version. Progress! At least now there's a place for notes to be put in, and all the imported notes are there! Slow, minimal progress, but maybe there's hope yet. Keep going, Suunto.

 

[rjvencken]

Nuff's been said nonetheless can't stop myself replying to this one and adding some more.

SDM 3.1 is erratic, buggy (e.g. look at what tissue saturation does on combined dives) and missing key functionality in some areas (e.g. batch uploading dives from other sources, reports) but at least it had a ton of functionality. Relevant and not so relevant. I have been using it for year and even tried the cloud thing (SuuntoSports) way back when. It was a piece of crap then and I quickly decided to skip it. I was very surprised Suunto was offering this rather “experimental” option to customers.

Now there's DM4 which I downloaded assuming a long awaited improvement over 3.1. Hoping it would address formentioned shortcomings I installed it on top of a fresh WinXP desktop. It left me stunned with disbelief. Why lose 90% of functionality just to be web-based? Why confront customers that apparently use 3 gasmixes on a dive with an interface designed to pacify 6 year olds? And worst of all: why take away what many were fairly happy with?! Arrogance beyond belief when Suunto wants you to jump through bureaucratic hoops to get the old version again.

Looking to go Nokia’s way perhaps?

After all these years it’s clear Suunto is having serious trouble supporting their hardware with decent software. Why not look for help? Possibly FREE help. I’m talking about opening up and allowing the diving community to build on open source components/API’s. Plenty of geeks in the community and already a lot of initiatives in that general direction. None of those supported by Suunto however..

Being an instructor many seek my advice on gear, mostly after looking at my shiny D9. I will not be recommending a company that treats it’s customers like this any longer. I’ll check back in a year to find out if Suunto are back in touch with reality.

 

[DuboisP]

more remarks

i can use DM3.1 to download my Vytec DS with a serial cable and a usb2serial converter
doesn't work with DM4.

not all datas are imported from DM3 to DM4, and I have to import twice to have all my dives, some were missing.

movescount : didn't find the way to share all my uploaded dives to anyone.
can just see the latest uploaded dive.
needed to be part of a communauty ?

if multiple users are on the pc, DM4 must be installed by each user, and the dives databases cannot be shared if needed.

 

[fraserj]

I am glad that I kept the original 3.1 installer when I downloaded it - definately won't be going to 4. When it comes time to change our computers we will be changing manufaturer, so we will have two D6's and two Vypers and USB interfaces for sale.

What has most annoyed us is that when we posted our criticisms on Suunto's Facebook page, they removed our comments. Now I know Finland is close to Russia, but is there any need for that type of censorship?

 

[Pia Talja]

@John, pls see my earlier reply here on Scubaboard: we do not delete posts from Suunto Diving FB.

Social media plays such an important role in many divers' lives. Suunto wants to support all kinds of sports, including diving, through the Movescount online service and the DM4 connects divers to Movescount. DM4 is developed continuously with new additional features. Eventually Suunto DM4 will have all the features provided by Dive Manager 3.1. and more.

@DuboisP, you're correct, in Movescount.com you can either share your dive logs with your friends and groups you belong to, or keep them only to yourself in your personal and private diary. Once logged in, go to Settings - Movescount settings where you can choose between three different modes
- Public: your Moves and profile are visible to all
- Public for my groups and events: you are only visible to members who are in the same groups or events as you
- Private: your profile and Moves are not visible in any public listings

If there are two persons who wish to use DM4 on the same computer, all they have to do is to have separate operating system accounts (like they should always do if they e.g. want to have their own personal bookmarks in the IE, autologin to FB etc….). When the user changes, he/she just needs to log out in the operating system profile account and then the DM4 databases stay separate and the Movescount accounts are correctly updated with correct dives.

Kind regards,
\Pia from Suunto



Kind regards,
\Pia from Suunto

 

[diddler]

Eventually Suunto DM4 will have all the features provided by Dive Manager 3.1. and more.

I'm still curious as to why Suunto released this truncated software in the first place when they had a functioning, feature filled, versatile product already in place. All Suunto is willing to say is: "we'll fix it later". Version 3.1 wasn't broken. Wouldn't it have made more sense to fix DM4 BEFORE releasing it? Or perhaps retaining support for 3.1 in parallel with DM4?

Social media plays such an important role in many divers' lives....in Movescount.com you can either share your dive logs with your friends and groups you belong to, or keep them only to yourself in your personal and private diary.

Sure, in "many divers' lives", but not everybody! What about your customers who do not want to have any part of their logs online? Or those who don't have ready access to the internet around the clock? Why saddle those people with an inferior product that lacks functionality? Suunto has created a situation where if the customer rejects Movescount then we must also reject access to features we already had in the past. We're left with the option of using older, unsupported software (that new customers will not even be aware of), or in the case of the newest Suunto computers we're not even given that option! It's just DM4 or nothing. As I've said before, if in the future I'm considering the purchase of a new D9i and find out I'd be forced to use DM4, I would NOT buy that dive computer. Mares, Oceanic, Uwatec, Tusa, people like me will vote with their wallet and support another company.

If there are two persons who wish to use DM4 on the same computer, all they have to do is to have separate operating system accounts

What a clumsy, cumbersome band-aid solution. I need to log out of Windows and log in as a separate user just to view my different dive computers? I just want to keep the dives separated by dive computer. As mentioned above, Suunto already had a usable solution in Ver. 3.1 by allowing multiple users within program. I'm the only person who uses my laptop but in DM3 I have 6 different logins. The software was already written and in use. Why did Suunto throw that all away?

 

[sander8]

I am also stunned by the big step backwards with Suunto DM4. I have stayed with Suunto computers mainly because the previous versions of DM had the kind of functionality I wanted. I also have a Uwatec Galileo Sol which is a fine computer but the Uwatec SmartTrak software is awful. So I use both computers to take advantage of Suunto's DM software. I bought my son a Suunto Cobra series computer so that he can have good log book information. With DM4, I now see no reason to stay with Suunto as DM3 will eventually be unsupported legacy software. The promise above that DM4 will eventually have all the features that are missing is a lame response. Too bad for Sunto.