OP
AstroDad
Contributor
Sherwood SCUBA rep.:
Lets recap. This software package has been a fiasco from the start. First, the darn things won't connect to any of three different laptops I own and support tells me it's my computer. Seems like I wasn't the only one that was told this. Connection attempts churn up no error messages, and any further attempts to connect cause the PC's to lock up. I'm emailed an updated v1.01 of the software and told that should fix the connection problems. It doesn't. As I informed Paul on 8/31/2006, it wasn't exactly a software error - in fact, it was a coating on the contacts of the dive computer (and bad error handling by the software).
When I complained to support that I didn't think this application was up to snuff (serial port connection failures should *never* lock up a PC), I was lectured as follows:
"In the age of Play Station Two, our log book function of Diving Computers does not compete with the tens of thousands of SKU sold by game companies you need to sell a lot of them to increase the softwares sophistication. I am sorry that you find our software out of date, yet it is only designed to allow the diver to easily log their dives."
This was a wonderful start to our relationship. Aside from the above comment having nothing to do with buggy software, it's full of non-sense as well. It doesn't take dozens of programmers and the SKU count of thousands to justify doing a professional job. Most of the third-party dive log software that's out there is light years beyond this package, and those programs are done by the proverbial one-man-band on weekend time. There really is no excuse for the very poor user interface in the ReAct Pro software.
Once I've gotten past the connection errors, I find another very interesting bug. Recall that this software is for the React PRO - you know, the one that has Nitrox capabilities. Well guess what that latest version that was emailed to me on 8/31/2006 doesn't do? Right - it doesn't download the PO2 data! Big fat zero's. Doesn't anyone there know that you're supposed to TEST software before releasing it?
A few weeks later we burn through v1.02 and v1.03 trying to get the Nitrox data to function correctly. I got v1.03 on 9/17/2006 and it finally gets the Nitrox data right, but in the process breaks the display of min temp data. More big fat zero's. Good grief. Minimal testing anyone? How about a glance at the screen to make sure there aren't any OBVIOUS errors, like big fat zero's where there should be data?
On 9/19/2006 I send the following email:
Paul,
Version 1.03 of the software corrected the problem with downloading P02 from a Nitrox dive. I have a few new ones for you now:
1) There appears to be no way to determine software version. No Help|About dialog?
2) Min Temperature is always displayed as 0 in the dive details display (see below). The temperature data are downloaded and stored on the PC, it's just not displayed.
3) The main menu/opening screen is not displayed properly and limits the choices available. This is due to a miscalculation of the system font metrics (or not taking system font metrics into account) when calculating the display size. I run dual head high res displays, and set the system font to be 125% (see below). When I change the system font size back to "normal", the ReactPro main menu appears properly. Running the system font at 125% on a high res system is common amongst the over 40 crowd due to our degrading vision. If you run the fonts at "normal" on a high res system, the font is too small to read.
4) Not a bug, but a real PITA - the screens keep popping back up in the middle of the desktop. Yea, I know - this *seems* like a good idea, BUT, if you have dual head displays, any window that is centered in the (logical) desktop will have one half on the left monitor, and the other half on the right monitor (i.e. hard to read). It would be trivial and very much appreciated if the windows stayed where the user left them last (it's a simple call to the OS to find out current window position - save it and use it upon reopening that window).
that's all for now<g>,
Chris Curran
I hear nothing for a few weeks, so I try again on 10/05/2006:
Paul,
Good morning - hope this email finds you happy and healthy. Any news on the items below?
thanks,
Chris Curran
I finally get a reply:
Chris,
This is the latest I got from the manufacturing end.
1. Change font to normal is only solution. I guess that means its time for glasses Im 55 and I had to go that way @ 41.
2. Temperature will be addressed in an up coming new software version near end of year or first of next.
Other problems you spoke of they have not addressed as of yet.
Answer number one is really, really lame. That, and I already where glasses. Correct handling of system font metrics is GUI programming 101. Someone give these folks a copy of any Petzold book. Please.
Answer number two turns out to be equally useless as number one. Besides, months to fix a display issue???? Come on, I'm a programmer - I know better.
You want kind words and my support? You HAD my kind words AND my support for many months. I made no public comments until a few weeks ago. I've now lost my patience with lame excuse and outright lies. I don't much care what I burn down in order to get this BS problem cleared up. I'm retired and have plenty of time to bang on this drum....
