ACI App

I'm hoping someone from Aeris sees this as I've just upgraded my Aeris ACI app to the current version on their web site.

2 years ago, when I purchased my Atmos 2, I was ecstatic to be able to download my dives straight to my computer. So, after my first series of dives, I fired up the software and off I went. Unfortunately, I never used the software again as it was honestly, quite bad.

Fast forward to today, I download a whole new revision (2.1.2 I was using 1.something before) only to find out, sure it looks different, but man, the software is not user friendly at all. It's missing simple things like a save button! The UI is not intuitive at all.

So, Aeris, please please please do one of two things, either A) read up on any GUI design books/best practices (or use a competing product's software, like Suuntos) or B) Release your serial communication protocol (like Garmin does with their GPSs) so that someone out there could write a decent dive log program that interfaces with your dive computers. Hell, I'll volunteer if no one else wants to!

Being a software professional myself, when we have to pay damn good money to buy a computer interface cable only to find out their software makes the purchase a waste, it is frustrating as hell.

Having said that, I do want to re-affirm that I love my dive computer and I am happy with Aeris as a whole (a lot of my gear is Aeris branded), as such I want to see their software be at the same quality level as the rest of their products.

Chris

Chris,
Just bought the Atmos 2, I tried to play with the download program last night and I have to tell you, it was like reading chinese to me. Did you ever get anything to work?

CheddarChick:

Chris,
Just bought the Atmos 2, I tried to play with the download program last night and I have to tell you, it was like reading chinese to me. Did you ever get anything to work?

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Hi CheddarChick,

I just replied to your other post, sorry, I was out diving this weekend

Additionally, I just found a product, ReefNet's Sensus that is a dive data logger (essentially a dive computer minus the visual feedback during the dive). They understand that with their limited resources, they cannot write the best software, so instead, have opened up their transmission protocol. Aeris, please check it out, as Devguide As that's all I'm asking for! That way, the good dive log programs can be modified to work with your computers!

Chris

chuybregts:

Additionally, I just found a product, ReefNet's Sensus that is a dive data logger (essentially a dive computer minus the visual feedback during the dive). They understand that with their limited resources, they cannot write the best software, so instead, have opened up their transmission protocol. Aeris, please check it out, as Devguide As that's all I'm asking for! That way, the good dive log programs can be modified to work with your computers!

Click to expand...

Hi Chris,

It might interest you to know that we created the original Sensus data recorder after spending years trying to work with the major manufacturers to create software compatible with their dive computers. None were interested (most were downright uncommunicative), so we decided to create our own [superior] dive logging system.

One of our primary goals was to keep an open architecture and actively support third-party developers. We're very pleased with how things have worked out...there is some really great software that supports our devices!

--
Kris Wilk
ReefNet Inc.
www.reefnet.ca

Hi Kris from Reefnet, thanks for the reply. That right there says alot.

Aeris, are you guys planning on doing a major overhall of your software anytime soon? I posted a question to our regional forum here in Northern California, and quite a number of people who use Aeris/Oceanic software all agreed that the interface is one of the worst out there. With a lot of the people using the software only to download, and then straight export to another dive log program. For me, it's unacceptable to be forced to use a poor piece of software even as middleware. You could appease the masses simply by releasing your protocol, or if that is too much of a risk, how about releasing some DLLs for interacting with your computers? Surely that'll be acceptable?

Thanks for reading this, and I do hope you reply with some positive news.

Chris

I own a bunch of Aeris stuff, including a couple of computers so the response to this question is of great interest.

I really love my equipment, but while I do still use the software, I've always felt it to be clunky at best. Typically my wife and I procrastinate downloading our dives because of it.