v2.0.0 Status

[nick]

If you were wondering why MacDive hasn't been updated much lately, it's because I'm busy working away on a brand new version. It's a complete rewrite - new interface, new everything. Work is progressing nicely. I still haven't quite finished some of the existing features (things like UDCF import, printing, etc) but I'm getting there.

It already supports a lot of new dive computers and has some cool new features, and is much easier/nicer to use in general.

Anyway I thought I would post this just as a bit of a heads up, as I've been putting off working on features that you've been requesting for the last few months. Well, not so much putting off, they've (usually) been going into v2 but I'm avoiding doing too much work on the existing MacDive (1.5.3).

I'll try and post the odd update as to what's going on, but as for a release date, there's nothing solid yet.

[sdeyerle]

I have an Atmos AI and I am desperate to move away the crappy windows software they have.

Is there any chance you could put out a beta version or something of 2.0 early? I'd love to try it out / help find bugs.

[nick]

Hey,

First off, just to make it clear, the Atmos AI is indeed supported in the new version!

I'm definitely planning on a beta version. I would like to get it out to a few people nice and early and try to polish up as much as possible before it gets released to everyone, especially a few people with newly supported devices (the atmos ai etc).

What I will be looking for is people who are happy to actually test the whole program, and give it a fair run - not just spend five minutes testing that it works with a particular device. Pretty much everything has changed - the entire interface, how gear management works, everything.

So, if you're happy to do that, to really try and give it a good looking over and spend some time helping test it out, then that would be great. Ideally you'd have access to windows (in parallels or another machine) so you can check that your data looks the same also.

Of course, I'm still finalising things and making reasonably core changes (to the way the data is stored, for example) which break compatibility with older betas. So once I have that mostly stabilised, and I finish putting in a few more of the kind of necessary features, then I will start looking for people, and probably put up a post on the macdive site. So keep an eye on the RSS feed, and I'll let you all know when I'm ready.

[egon]

If you hadn't guessed yet, I'm interested in beta testing the software

[nick]

There are a few other caveats, also. I won't go into most of these yet, until it's beta time, but one thing you can do is make sure you're on macdive 1.5.3.

There are so many changes to the database between v1.x.x -> v2 that it's a little unmanageable to ensure proper migration from all of the old versions to v2, so only upgrading from 1.5.3 will actually be supported. Take this as fair warning

I'll make a blog post about that later on the actual site, but in terms of using the betas, yeah, you'll need to be on the current version.

Says you have Suunto/Oceanic - which models do you have ? That would be quite handy, as you'd hopefully be able to spot any inconsistencies between the two. My wife has a Geo which is handy.

[egon]

I mostly dive a Cobra2, but I also have a HelO2, Geo2, and ProPlus2. I think my new dive configuration is going to be Cobra2, HelO2, Geo2, and the secondary configuration will be ProPlus2 and Geo2.

[nick]

That is an absurd amount of computers

I only realised the Geo2 existed I think yesterday. It doesn't appear to be on Oceanic's site, but there are other places that have pictures/you can buy them. Weird.

edit: ok if you go to "computers" it says "new: geo 2" but it still looks like the old model when you click on it, and it's not in the menu on the left. Haha.

[egon]

Yeah, and the "new" part of the link goes to a different computer.

[nick]

I'm still laughing at a mental image of someone diving with all of those computers.

[egon]

Well, I have two reg setups. The Oceanic equipment is new, so I have my Legend, Cobra2, HelO2, and just added a Geo. And then the secondary reg is a Neo, ProPlus2, Geo..... but what I really need is a set of doubles so I can dive ALL of that gear at the same time