Mares Icon HD Net Ready Connect USB to Mac
- Thread starter peterbkk
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
With all due regard for Mares, and I do highly regard their products, they have no idea what they're talking about. The programmer they're using is just clueless. I have a MacBook Pro running Lion. For the VM, I use Parallels with Win XP. I've used the Mares Win Dive Log to update firmware and download maps - no problems. For my real dive log I use a combination of Macdive, which communicates easily with the Icon, and Dive Log DT, which I use to synchronize with the version on my iPad.
OP
Not sure if it is an issue with capability and budgeting. Maybe both.
Uwatec made the same mistake with Macs. They tried to do a generic Java app for the Mac and Linux, called JDive. But were never able to get it working because, for the sync function to work well, you need closer coupling with the OS layer. I suspect that Mares hired the same guy to work on their Mac / Linux app.
Looks to me like Mares have been seduced by the same "cheap" option: spend a tiny budget on something quick and dirty so you can say that you've got the Mac users covered in the marketing material.
This approach might have worked a few years back but, if you look at Apple's burgeoning market share, you'll see that it is not actually the"cheap" option. It'll cost a lot on the revenue side of the ledger as the social networks spread the news about these issues.
It is their decision but, if I was them, I'd set aside a decent budget to build a decent Mac app. Maybe contract MacDive to manage it for them.
Reyards
Peter
Uwatec made the same mistake with Macs. They tried to do a generic Java app for the Mac and Linux, called JDive. But were never able to get it working because, for the sync function to work well, you need closer coupling with the OS layer. I suspect that Mares hired the same guy to work on their Mac / Linux app.
Looks to me like Mares have been seduced by the same "cheap" option: spend a tiny budget on something quick and dirty so you can say that you've got the Mac users covered in the marketing material.
This approach might have worked a few years back but, if you look at Apple's burgeoning market share, you'll see that it is not actually the"cheap" option. It'll cost a lot on the revenue side of the ledger as the social networks spread the news about these issues.
It is their decision but, if I was them, I'd set aside a decent budget to build a decent Mac app. Maybe contract MacDive to manage it for them.
Reyards
Peter
All this cometary is great, I am looking for solutions. Does anyone have it working? If so what did you do?
Peter: It is the same person who did Jdive - I learned this from the developers of Dive Log DT. He's also the person that you're forwarded to from the Mares support site. An email exchange with him confirmed to me that he really does not understand the problem, and obviously does not know what the solution might be.
Richard: As indicated in a prior post on this thread, I use Macdive to sync with the Icon, and then import the Macdive database into Dive Log DT so I can then synchronize with Dive Log for IOS (Dive Log does not sync with the Icon). Macdive syncs with the IOS app also, but not as completely as Dive Log. The same company, More Mobile Software, makes both the Mac and IOS versions. I should add that Nick at Macdive was and is incredibly responsive and knowledgeable. I was an early adopter of the Net Ready, and he worked with me to create a beta version that was ultimately released as an official update.
Also keep in mind that Macdive will not allow you to download firmware updates or maps to your Icon. For that, I run the Winblows version of the Mares software in a virtual machine on my Mac. I was told by Mares' outside developer that this should not work - which just further confirms my opinion.
Richard: As indicated in a prior post on this thread, I use Macdive to sync with the Icon, and then import the Macdive database into Dive Log DT so I can then synchronize with Dive Log for IOS (Dive Log does not sync with the Icon). Macdive syncs with the IOS app also, but not as completely as Dive Log. The same company, More Mobile Software, makes both the Mac and IOS versions. I should add that Nick at Macdive was and is incredibly responsive and knowledgeable. I was an early adopter of the Net Ready, and he worked with me to create a beta version that was ultimately released as an official update.
Also keep in mind that Macdive will not allow you to download firmware updates or maps to your Icon. For that, I run the Winblows version of the Mares software in a virtual machine on my Mac. I was told by Mares' outside developer that this should not work - which just further confirms my opinion.
OP
Heard from Mares that 1.3.1 of DiversDiary is up on their software downloads page.
This release seems to have made quite a difference.
Tonight, after I installed 1.3.1, I was able to connect to the Icon, upload my name, see the stats, and download the 37 dives in memory into DiversDiary. You have to be very careful how you align the clip-on connector.
I'm looking forward to June when they intend to release the firmware upload feature for Mac through DiversDiary.
For a Mac divelog, I second the vote for MacDive. Great piece of software written by a great guy (we had a beer together in Singapore a year ago). Very responsive. I have 30 years and 1,500 dives in MacDive, with the first 15 years all typed in from paper log books and the remainder from Uwatec, Suunto and now, Mares computers. I'll keep using MacDive but it'll be nice to know that I can soon use the Mares software to manage the firmware in the Icon.
So, for now I'll retract my criticism and give Mares a thumbs-up for fixing the problem.
Regards
Peter
This release seems to have made quite a difference.
Tonight, after I installed 1.3.1, I was able to connect to the Icon, upload my name, see the stats, and download the 37 dives in memory into DiversDiary. You have to be very careful how you align the clip-on connector.
I'm looking forward to June when they intend to release the firmware upload feature for Mac through DiversDiary.
For a Mac divelog, I second the vote for MacDive. Great piece of software written by a great guy (we had a beer together in Singapore a year ago). Very responsive. I have 30 years and 1,500 dives in MacDive, with the first 15 years all typed in from paper log books and the remainder from Uwatec, Suunto and now, Mares computers. I'll keep using MacDive but it'll be nice to know that I can soon use the Mares software to manage the firmware in the Icon.
So, for now I'll retract my criticism and give Mares a thumbs-up for fixing the problem.
Regards
Peter
This is from an e-mail that went out yesterday to registered users on the Mares support site from Sergio Angelini, Mares' Director of R&D. It was sent as part of an announcement regarding the 1.3.1 update:
"I know most of you are frustrated about the unstable USB connection, this is not fixed yet but we have scheduled a session for early June to address that and just that. We realize this is not the highest customer service but we are facing issues that we have been unable to tackle for now. I will contact everybody on this list as soon as we have a solution."
I'm as hopeful as you are Peter, but for now I think I'll keep my thumb pointing sideways.
"I know most of you are frustrated about the unstable USB connection, this is not fixed yet but we have scheduled a session for early June to address that and just that. We realize this is not the highest customer service but we are facing issues that we have been unable to tackle for now. I will contact everybody on this list as soon as we have a solution."
I'm as hopeful as you are Peter, but for now I think I'll keep my thumb pointing sideways.
OP
Try again a few times. The positioning of the clip-on interface dongle is critical.
Maybe the sequence of connection has an impact. Start with nothing connected: Dive computer, dongle, USB cable, Mac, all separate. Plug in USB cable to Mac computer. Place dongle carefully on dive computer, ensuing all 4 pins drop into the recesses. Fire up the DiversDiary software on Mac and click on dive computer. Carefully plug USB cable into dongle. Both Mac and Icon should indicate that USB is connected. If not, undo and start again, repositioning the dongle slightly. Click the "Download Data from Icon" button (top left on Mares Icon panel). Acknoledge the "unstable" message. Wait a few seconds. Should get a download count on the bottom of the dive computer image on the Mac.
It's working every time for me now.
Regards
Peter
Maybe the sequence of connection has an impact. Start with nothing connected: Dive computer, dongle, USB cable, Mac, all separate. Plug in USB cable to Mac computer. Place dongle carefully on dive computer, ensuing all 4 pins drop into the recesses. Fire up the DiversDiary software on Mac and click on dive computer. Carefully plug USB cable into dongle. Both Mac and Icon should indicate that USB is connected. If not, undo and start again, repositioning the dongle slightly. Click the "Download Data from Icon" button (top left on Mares Icon panel). Acknoledge the "unstable" message. Wait a few seconds. Should get a download count on the bottom of the dive computer image on the Mac.
It's working every time for me now.
Regards
Peter
Similar threads
- Locked
