MacDive review (v 2.6.5, Mac OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan, Aeris Atmos 2)

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tep

ScubaBoard Supporter
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Messages
534
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Location
San Diego CA USA
# of dives
100 - 199
TL;DR: I'm a new MacDive convert. It "just works". I don't feel the need to replace my dive computer, because MacDive has given it new life. MacDive 2.6.5 installed fine on a MacBook Pro mid-2009 model, running MacOS X El Capitan (10.11.6) and downloaded all my dives, in about 10 minutes.

I just installed MacDive this morning and was able to pull 17 dives off my 2007 vintage Aeris Atmost 2 computer in about 10 minutes. That's the install, some customization and then the downloads. It all just works. I was able to pull dives off the computer that the Aeris PC software had missed.

I have been using an Aeris Atmos 2 since I (re) started diving in 2007. I have loved the computer itself, but had a consistent hate/hate relationship with the PC software from the manufacturer. It has always been flakey, and felt like a DOS program that had just been recompiled when needed to make it work on newer versions of Windows. I've seen it lose data, corrupt data and just flat out not work. I've updated through the years, and it got a LOT better, but never felt like anything other than an afterthought to a great little dive computer.

A few years later I switched to a Mac, and had to keep around VMWare Fusion with a Windows install, just for my dive computer, ham radio programmer, and Quicken.

As I've been diving more this year, I was really thinking that I might want to buy a new computer, just because I really want to be able to log my dives on my Mac. I initially tried Subsurface, which had driver issues, and MacDive on one of my Macs, which had tty/driver issues. I suspect because that particular laptop has a fair amount of "unusual" software installed for work.

I decided to give MadDive one more test, on a very vanilla MacBook Pro. Third time was the charm. It downloaded 5 dives, I looked through them, and immediately bought the full version.

It's only been 60 minutes since I bought the software and I like it so much I decided it was worth my time to write this review. For $25 I get to keep using the dive computer I like, and I have one less piece of bad PC software in my life. Sold!
 
MacDive is a great program and there is a MacDive for the iOS platform that allows easy syncing between the two platforms. There may be a MacDive for Android.

Most of the manufactures logging software suck big time. Suuntos software is a real POS.
 
I'm with you brother! I had all my dives on a Windows laptop that my daughter took to college along with all my logged dives, so I went out and bought my first Macbook Pro 2 years ago.
My biggest regret is that I didn't convert to a Macbook sooner, it has been amazing for editing my videos from my dives. So recently I decided to give MacDive a try and I too have been amazed at how well it performs, I did also get the iOS for my iPhone 6+ and they work seamlessly together.
Now I can upload from my Oceanic VT3, Suunto Zoop, Citizen Hyper Aqualand dive watch and soon I'll be adding my Shearwater PERDIX to it as well.
 
I know this is an old thread but am hoping for a reply. I just bought a Zoop Novo and will be getting the download cable for it. I have been researching dive log software, have a MacBook 12” and just found this thread.

Are you all still using this software and has anyone used it with the newer suunto.....does it connect and recognize the unit on the Mac?
 
According to their web site the Zoop Novo is supported by MacDive on the Mac.
Here is their web page which should answer any questions and if not the author seem to be very responsive.

MacDive
 
I do not have a Zoop Novo, but the MacDive software works extremely well with my Aeris Atmos AI computers, and the customer support is top notch.
 
Thanks
Do you like the software?
Yes. I have found it to be the best Mac logging program I have seen. Next would be Subsurface.
I have almost 400 dives lodged on it, many with two computers per dive. It can give you just about any information you wants about a dive. It allows you to keep track of all your equipment and tanks and log what was used on each dive. It allows pictures to be entered into the log and enter each dive sites location for future reference, if i remember correctly you have the longitude and latitude but you may be able to drop a pin. It will sync with iOS devices through the cloud, iCloud Dropbox. You can enter dives manually and re-number them if you wish.
 
I am still a very happy MacDive user. I now only have ONE thing left that I need the Windows VM for, for everything else I found a Mac replacement. In the case of MacDive, it is light years ahead of the Windows program I had been using.

(If I could just find Mac software for my ham radio programming, I'd be set!)
 

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