OK, because I'm a bit of an idiot and apparently have nothing better to do, I purchased the full version of Diverlog for Mac 1.0.8 and Diverlog for iOS for our three iPhones. I also purchased two new Aeris Epic computers since our Aeris Atmos 2 and two Aeris Elites are seemingly no longer any good in the view of their manufacturer.
My impression thus far is that nobody beta-tested this mess. Keep in mind I'm referring to the PAID version (at $25) of logging software that should come free with a downloadable dive computer.
Here are some of the issues I see:
- Although this is the official Mac software for these computers, the free version does NOT change dive computer settings or sync the clocks. To be fair, the website does specify this, but it's a very odd choice given that the free PC software does do this. Envision the next generation of Pelagic Pressure Systems dive computers, which by any logic should ship with both PC and Mac software. The buyer opens the box and on the included CD* the PC software can change dive computer settings and the Mac software can't?!?
- There's a "User Registration" dialog. This isn't User Registration at all, but rather sign-up or log-in for Dive Cloud, the paid online sync service they decided to use instead of iCloud for this Mac-only software.
- There is seemingly no way to log OUT of Dive Cloud in Diverlog. Thus, if you associate the wrong Dive Cloud account with Diverlog or whatever the only apparent solution is to uninstall the software altogether and start from scratch.
- Only ONE Dive Cloud account can be linked with a Diverlog installation. You can't link different Dive Cloud accounts to different logs. Since Diverlog does support multiple logs, you will likely end up syncing logs from multiple divers to one Dive Cloud Account if Auto Sync is enabled. It is possible when using manual sync to select a specific Dive Cloud account to use.
- Dive Cloud has no batch functions, such as delete, so if you end up syncing 3 divers' logs to one Dive Cloud account, it's necessary to delete those dives individually.
- Dive Cloud doesn't sync diver information, gear, or anything other than dives. If I change something in my log on the Mac, it does not sync to Dive Cloud or to Diverlog on my iPhone. I suppose this makes a twisted sort of sense since it would also sync my wife's or son's personal information to mine given that only one Dive Cloud account can be used with one installation of Diverlog, but it's a pain to have to sync stuff like this in apps that supposedly sync with each other.
- Although this is the official (paid) Mac logging software for these computers, it won't import logs from the official (free!) PC software that came bundled with the very same computers. The website suggests it's beyond the technical ability of Pelagic Pressure Systems to so this. I'll note that there are several independent applications that appear to have no difficulty doing this as well as the website divelogs.de.
- The ONLY supported method to import logs from the PC software is to export each log as a set of individual DL7 .zxu files then import them one-by-one to Diverlog. There is no batch import. We have around 1,100 dives logged in ACI (the Aeris PC software). Yes - that means importing one thousand one hundred dives one at a time. For whatever reason, ACI will not export any .zxu files of our dives at all, so I can't test this.
There are a few pluses:
- The paid version handles dive computer settings well. This is especially useful for things that are tedious to do on the dive computer itself, such as change transmitter ID's.
- The interface should be very, very familiar to anyone who's used the PC versions of the software. I quite like it. I prefer the workflow to that of any other dive logging software I've used, whether on PC or Mac. It's possible that's just a result of familiarity.
- A range of Pelagic Pressure Systems brands is supported. On the PC, it's necessary to install seemingly-identical software for each brand. Thus, if you have Aeris and Oceanic computers, you have to run both ACI and Oceanlog on your PC, while Diverlog will handle them both (if they're new enough - the PC software will handle all the downloadable models).
- The interface is fairly pretty and uncluttered. I prefer it to that of Mac Dive 2 (which also doesn't import .dlg files, but which does support all my Pelagic Pressure System computers, unlike the software from Pelagic Pressure Systems).
Summary:
- If the paid version of Diverlog supported all my Pelagic Pressure Systems downloadable dive computers and if it imported dive logs from the official PC software for those computers, I would be very pleased with the application and with Diverlog for iPhone and view them as good value for the money.
- Since it neither downloads all my computers nor imports my old logs, all it does for me is change dive computer settings. At $25, that feels like a rip-off.
- If I were a new owner with no old logs and no unsupported dive computers, I'd probably be a bit surprised at having to pay to get basic features but still likely satisfied.
- Dive Cloud needs work, especially as it's a paid subscription service. (There's a free version, but it's limited to 10 dives, so that's really just a demo.) Integration of Dive Cloud in Diverlog is very poor, which makes no sense since they were surely developed in parallel with the intention of integration from the outset.
It seems as if Pelagic Pressure Systems is pricing their software thinking that it's comparable to Mac Dive 2. It's not. For one thing Mac Dive 2 doesn't care who makes your dive computer and will likely download it no matter what, so Diverlog is only of any use to owners of one manufacturer's dive computers. One could argue that even then Mac Dive 2 supports Pelagic Pressure Systems computers much better, at least in terms of supporting more models. Diverlog (paid) does adjust dive computer settings, which Mac Dive 2 does not do. That's Diverlog's SOLE advantage.
This review is based on one evening of use. Who beta-tested this stuff? Was it even tested? Even worse, were some of these issues based on a conscious decision someone made?
Surely Pelagic Pressure Systems should be able to make Mac software that works perfectly with the dive computers they make, since they don't have to account for anyone else's products. Diverlog is not such software. It might be in the future.
*Yeah, I know: optical discs...
---------- Post added January 26th, 2014 at 11:20 AM ----------
I can confirm that Diverlog does NOT import profiles (or much of anything) from DL7 .zxu files exported by ACI. Keep in mind that importing is one of the added features of the paid version not present in the free version.
I got out a Windows computer and installed the most recent version of ACI from Aeris's website and set up a new user complete with all details.
I downloaded 2 recent dives from an Aeris Elite T3, which is supported on both platforms. I then exported both dives in DL7 format as .zxu files.
In Diverlog, I set up another new diver with all details. I then imported the 2 .zxu files.
The result is 2 dives with dive computer type and serial number, dive computer dive number, date, time in and out, max depth, max temp of (literally) 10,000,000,000,000 (ten trillion) degrees and nothing else whatsoever. There is no dive profile at all, though opening the exported file does show profile data.
Keep in mind this is exporting a file from the official PC software and importing it into the official paid version of the Mac software.
Mac Dive 2 has no difficulty whatsoever importing CSV .txt files exported by ACI. It doesn't handle DL7 files, so this is a bit of an apples to pears comparison. It allowed batch import of the data files as opposed to Diverlog's limitation on importing them one-at-a-time. It did not import diver or location information, but it did import all the dive profile data including air pressure.
If a third party developer can do this while supporting a large number of different manufacterers data formats, why can't Pelagic Pressure Systems manage it for the products they make?
---------- Post added January 26th, 2014 at 01:39 PM ----------
Another issue:
Dive Site names are stored in the order enter, and don't get sorted alphabetically as they are in the PC software and in nearly all other drop-down lists in nearly all other applications of any sort. This makes it very challenging to find the correct Dive Site if one has a list of dozens of dive site names.
Dive Site names do not auto-complete, as they do in the PC software. This makes it easy to have a number of variant spellings or capitalizations of the same Dive Site (Paso Del Cedral, Paso del Cedral, Paso del cedral, paso del cedral, Paso de Cedral, Paso del Cedra, and so on nearly ad infinitum). All, of course, appear essentially at random locations within the drop-down list.
Seriously: Who tested this? Was it even tested?
Here's why this is such a huge concern to me: This was viewed as finished software ready for commercial release and worthy of charging money for. Was the same degree of care taken with the internal software in my dive computer? If so, I am completely terrified.