Computers with MAC interface?

[scuba buddha]

In my fantasy world my dive buddy and I are going to get geared up for the holidays, and probably dive into the poorhouse. But who cares. We're looking at getting the reg. kit first then BCD's then computers. So my friends my questions are threefold.... How in the world to we tell which reg set up to pick? Do we start with price, name recognition, ScubaLab test, etc? That goes for the rest of the stuff too. One limiting factor in selecting a dive computer is that we both want to have a complete Apple home computer and laptop situation and want to be able to find a dive computer that works with Mac. Is there any such thing? Are we just wishing on a fish that ain't out there? Or will be have to stay with Mr. Gates' machines in order to download our dives?

One last question: How in the heck to you add the little picture or cartoon or icon under your name like that? In reading around different threads I'm getting to know a lot of the posters by their icon and for the life of me I can't figure out how I can bandwagon on that.

Milions of thanks for your replies.

Bubble, bubble, bubble!

Dre'

[WJL]

I've got a Mac at home, and after checking around, I have not found any dive computer that has a Mac interface. I use a Suunto D3, which can be rigged up to interface with a Palm Pilot. I haven't tried reading the resulting data file on a Mac, so I don't know how hard it would be to extract the data and turn it into a reasonable display. It would probably be simpler and cheaper to just go ahead and pick up a basic Wintel box to use to download your dive computer.

As far as regs, I would go with a robust, easy to fix model. I don't know if you plan to dive in cold water, but if you do, you want a reg that won't freeze up easily. The Scubapro models are pretty good, but some people find them too finicky. I've had good results with Apex ATX 40s, Apex ATX 50s and Apex ATX 100s.

The icon under your name on the left side of your post is an "avatar". To add one, click the link at the top of the page that says "user cp". Then click the link that says "options". The link to set your avatar is at the bottom of the "options" page. I think there are rules for which avatars you can select based on your number of posts.

[scuba buddha]

Bill - Thanks very much for your help. I'll check into it.

-Dre'

[etype]

i've got VPC on my powerbook and use it for both the boat gps nav pc software . I don't use a computer but i have friends who do and they also use VPC to run the pc software. Apparently it works excellently if you have a usb interface...otherwise you need a serial to usb converter to download.
hope this helps.

[agstreet]

To my knowledge, there is no computer with a direct Mac interface. Most that use a USB cable will now work with with any version of SoftPC that supports USB, so this is one option.

However, if your goal is simply to *log* dives (using the computer to give you deco status during the dive, which is the primary purpose of a dive computer), then you have another option. The Sensus, by ReefNet (http://reefnet.on.ca/products/sensus/index.asp) is a little "data recorder" that records the depth, time and temperature in 10 second intervals (selectable), which can be later downloaded to a Macintosh, Palm or Windows box. I've used it with both OS 9.x and OS X and it's great. It's tiny, it works, it's not very expensive ($115) and it also answers that nagging question of, "what dive log software should I use."

[etype]

sorry angstreet: there is. Your right there is no mac interface, but (although i've heard of people haviing probs with the pc interface in VPC, it's like a lot of things with pc's in general and in a emulator...you just have to work it out...it does work)
I have a friend who put up a webpage or something describing the process...i will look him up and send a email for instructions. In the meantime perhaps a carefully worded web search would find the page.

[blackice]

Regs: Decide what type of diving you will be doing now and in the future - this goes for all equipment as it costs enough best to get it right the first time.

Do you need them to work in cold water? or will you be diving warm water only? Do you need them to be simple enough that you can fix them with simple tools on the boat or are you happier to return them to the factory to have them fixed?

BC: Again decide your diving future - ever interesting in caves? or deep wrecks? or DIR?

Your choices are mainly between jacket inflate vs. back inflate. Then if you choose back inflate you choose between jacket vs. backplate vs. transpack II style.

I personal would recommend back inflate over jacket, jackets tend to vaguly fit while squeezing you at the surface, back inflate moves all the air behind you, never squeezing you and some say allowing you better position in the water, more horizontal.

Then with back inflate you need a way to hold that to your body, some use a jacket much like a standard jacket with large pockets, this allows you to store stuff but increases your drag in the water meaning more effort to swim means faster use of air. The next option is a backplate stlye harness like a Halcyon MC System, this will be able to grow with you from day one to forever. The system offers great fit, amazing streamlining and nothing that you don't need. Then some people sit inbetween the two options and they might look at the Transpac II from DiveRite, this is very small so good streamlining, it is more padded than a Halycon but still is minimal in design, flexable enough to grow with you as your diving grows.

BC's are a personal decision, the main things to think about other than future diving are fit this is vital and function - if you don't have huge gear for the pockets why have the pockets and if you do have huge gear are you going to put it in a pocket?

Computers: Suunto can be used on a mac running Virtual PC.

Don;t let Bill rule your life rebel, stand strong and love the apple :-)

[blackice]

My preferance for equipment this month .. things change as you do more diving or undertake further training.

Regs: Apeks ATX200 but most Apeks are a good investment.

BC: Halcyon MC System with ACB weight system. ACB is an intergrated system that puts the weight on your waist belt, so no more weight belt it's now all part of one peice of equipment.

Also worth a note is FredT backplates. And Transpak II is worth trying.

Computer: Suunto Stinger but wishing for a VR3.

Think about the future gas usage - are you planing on doing deco doving or trimix or rebreathers? While even if you are a standard 1 single gas computer will be a great back up or depth guage in the future.

Remember a computer is a device for making life easier but they do break or fail so it's good to dive with buddies (redundant backups for all gear including computers)

[blackice]

scuba buddha once bubbled...
One last question: How in the heck to you add the little picture or cartoon or icon under your name like that? In reading around different threads I'm getting to know a lot of the posters by their icon and for the life of me I can't figure out how I can bandwagon on that.


Go to the "User CP" button at the top of the page, click it, then scroll thru you profile and look for avatar, you will need to change this to use avatar then you should be able to click to select from the avatars available.

There are different avatars available for different types of members, and if I remember if you have less than XX number of post you are not able to add an icon/avatar.

[blackice]

To change your Avatar:
click "User CP" then choose "Options" then scoll to the bottom and click on Avatar.

--

Avatars are small graphical images that you may choose in your profile. They are displayed below your username on all posts that you make. You can select the image that best describes yourself from your profile options.

--

Please note that you will need over 50 posts to be able to use an avatar, and if you have over 5000 posts you can use the super special images as you avatar.

Also over 50 posts you can use custom avatar's.

[miesemer]

blackice once bubbled...
Don;t let Bill rule your life rebel, stand strong and love the apple :-)
Earlier this year, Evil Bill bought the Virtual PC product from Connectix. :-(

BTW - I have no problems uploading my Suunto via a USB to serial adaptor to my G4 running VPC.

[agstreet]

etype once bubbled...
sorry angstreet: there is. Your right there is no mac interface, but .....




And how is this different from "To my knowledge, there is no computer with a direct Mac interface. Most that use a USB cable will now work with with any version of SoftPC that supports USB, so this is one option?" If you're going to disagree with me, try to use something a little stronger than my own words as an argument. It makes you look smarter.

The bottom line is that if you want to download a dive log from a dive computer, you're going to have to use a PC emulator. In today's market, that pretty much means a USB 1.0 interface, which is good news because most of the kinks have been worked out with G3s and G4s (and presumably G5s - I'm not fortunate enough to get to play with one yet) running VPC and SoftPC. A few years ago that meant using a serial interface, which was notoriously buggy, and something I didn't bother with.

And again, if all you're interested in is logging your dives, a viable alternative to downloading the dive computer is the Sensus. In many ways, it's better than a computer, and it has a native macintosh interface.

Alan (who still has an SE/30 in his garage, and remembers when you had to shut off multi-finder to get stuff to work properly).

[etype]

the point was agstreet....use an emulator like VPC, that shouldn't be hard to understand, you can log dives, and use the pc software also.

[ScoobyDave]

For the dive computer, the problem usually isn't the hardware, it's the software. I can't name a dive-log program that runs on the mac AND interfaces with mainstream dive computers.

That being said, connecting my Vyper to a Mac is a no-brainer, and pulling raw dive log data isn't a big challenge - but I wouldn't want to operate that way.

If you want a dive computer for the benefits that a dive computer offers during the dive, then go for it. If you want to see your dive data on a Mac, then perhaps it's time to find someone to write some code. Sounds like there's a market for it.

Dave

[ScoobyDave]

... And for the regs and BC choice - how do you know? Read as much as you can here, and then go rent the gear and see which fits and works best for you. Take you time and make wise choices.

If you ask anyone, they're going to tell you to buy what they bought, or in an LDS, what they sell. It's almost religious, some of the opinions you'll get.

I found renting gear to be the best method to get the data I needed for my decisions.

Dave

[agstreet]

etype once bubbled...
the point was agstreet....use an emulator like VPC, that shouldn't be hard to understand, you can log dives, and use the pc software also.

I said there was no computer that made a "direct" interface, i.e., something than runs natively under the Mac OS. You said I was wrong, then went on to say there was nothing with a direct interface. I could have just called you a moron, which is what you are, but I though I'd try being clever instead. Unfortunately, I forgot this was Scubaboard, so you didn't get it. Regardless, by now the OP has gotten the message about what his options are with regards to downloading, equipment, etc., and I've been reminded once again why I shouldn't bother trying to argue with the droolers here. It's like trying to teach pigs to sing.

[etype]

i think the indications as to whom is a drooling idiot is clear 'agstreet'.....now toddle off...there's a dear.