Nov transition update
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@fejker
… my wife will kill me…
this QS is getting improved at a nice pace and into the right direction
excellent!! -
I don’t get it. Why Suunto can’t just make a desktop/mobile companion application for all of it’s watches that simply will be used for: (1) managing watch features/settings and (2) synchronize exercises to 3rd party web services? No cost of maintaining a web service and they could focus on product (hardware and software) improvements.
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So moveslink2 devices are going to be supported and moveslink not.
That’s a pity for my old, good Quest
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Honestly it’s a shame. For example, my A3P is now stuck in daylight savings mode, including sunrise/sunset time. Suunto App doesn’t synchronize time, and even getting GPS lock on the watch doesn’t update the time for some reason, even with GPS timekeeping on. Small things like that spoils the whole experience of owning a top of a range adventure watch.
Not to mention I’ve upgraded from A1 to A3P specifically to get BT sync, since I don’t have windows/mac on hand on a regular basis. So killing the mobile app basically rendered my A3P useless for hiking.
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@Adam-Lantos
did they clearly state that A3PS can not be synced to SA at all? Or was the whole cable and “new MC” thing a generalization for ambit? -
@TELE-HO SA works well for downloading activities, in fact, it’s better than MC. But not being able to upload a route to the watch is a deal breaker, and renders half of the watch functionality useless. Ambit1/2 users won’t lose any functionality yet, but A3 users.do.
The point is that A3P is marketed as an outdoor/adventurer watch, and claiming that it has mobile connectivity (via SA) is seriously misleading, when one can’t customize the watch, use custom apps, or upload routes to it without a desktop computer at all.
I’m happy using any third party or open source solutions, and I hope Suunto come to their senses and make the sync protocol documentation or even MC client source code public, so dedicated people can fix this mess.
(I also suspect that the reason they are pulling the app is due to some sort of licensing/copyright issue, no sane company would just delete the only app that enables connectivity to one of their best products. But I digress.)
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@Adam-Lantos
my feeling is that it is not yet possible to update these things for ambit3…
ambit3 is too new to be pushed aside in my opinion. -
@TELE-HO "gently convince customers to upgrade"
Suunto’s problem lately is the change of mentality to a Silicon Valley greed type. This used to be a brand for the hardcore divers and sport enthusiats with gear that lasts and stable, full of features/data software. Since the launch of Spartan the decline is evident with flimsy devices and now even the software shrinked in order to save some money for the shareholders.
So you’re telling me that after I spent one grand on a DX I need now to upgrade to have my dives on a public platform where I can share it with friends and the comunity in general? And after I spent another £600 on a Spartan I need to use some 3rd party website to build a route and then transfer it into the SA?
Suunto doesn’t realize that there is fierce competition out there and if I feel attached of my DX, I don’t feel the same about the disappointing Spartan at all and I’ll ditch it for a Polar as soon as the MC webservice will cease to exist in the shape it’s now -
So is this definitive that Ambit 3 will not have the ability to change watch settings from Suunto App? We’ll have to use what remains of the Movescount website and a cable connection?
Why not? That functionality is there for Spartan and S9 already. It can’t be that hard given the code is already written for Movescount app and the connectivity layer is already set up for the Suunto App.
Additionally, what happens to Ambit 3 Workouts? The only way to manage them currently is via the MovesCount app. You can’t do it on Movescount web or on the watch itself.
Will that be added to the stripped down website at least? -
@rob_nz said in Nov transition update:
Why not? That functionality is there for Spartan and S9 already. It can’t be that hard given the code is already written for Movescount app and the connectivity layer is already set up for the Suunto App.
Because the configuration of Spartan and S-line is much simplified compared to Ambit line. For newer watches only sport mode displays can be customized, and the set of fields and the possible display layouts are all completely different. For Ambit line, for example, there possible to select up to 4 different fields displayed in the bottom row on each display (and then rotate through them by pressing the View button). That means that the sport mode displays configuration is quite different between the two series. Furthermore for Ambit watches the configuration includes setting the GPS accuracy mode, logging intervals, which sensors are supported, etc. Ambit configuration also has to include HR and pace zones because that can’t be done on the watch, and potentially some other things. Obviously Suunto doesn’t want to invest money and time in the features that won’t help them sell any new watches and will be obsolete. They try to get by with the absolute minimum no matter how ugly the experience will be for the users.
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@silentvoyager @rob_nz At the end it all comes down to is Suunto willing to invest money and time to give legacy customers a proper solution not just a crippled one.
I’m a software developer, I know it’s not easy to build old software parts into new one, but it can be done, and the difficulty level depends on how well was designed and executed the new software.
Anyway, I can understand they don’t want to implement full Ambit3 line support into Suunto app, but then they should provide a new Moveslink like application for legacy watches, for configuration and sync, not a crippled solution of “new MC” (for settings) - Suuntolink (for sync setting and exercises) - Suunto app (for analysis).
As an Ambit3 user I used Movescount app to sync my settings/moves and used Movescount web site for analysis. I’ve tried a couple of times the new Suunto app, but always ended deleting it (it’s just not there for me). Will try Suunto app once again + Movescount web site to configure my watch + Moveslink2 to sync the settings, will see how it goes Suunto’s development, then decide what’s next.
If you ask me it would be more fair to customers if they just stated: “we will end support for old devices at X time, sorry”. Yes, they would get bashes and hate, but are getting now or will get in 2020 anyway. Then everyone could decide what’s next. Now we are in an uncertain ground where nobody knows the result and it’s a shame.
Keeping high hopes even if you know you can’t provide at the end, shows a level of “lack of respect” toward your customers. -
I think at the moment the cheaper solution for Suunto is to offer discount coupons for legacy users to “upgrade” to newer models of watches, than to code for legacy hardware.
I don’t agree with this policy and in the long run it will cost them more, because an unhappy customer is something every company should fear and there are a lot of unhappy customers out there right now.SHUT UP LEGS!
-Jens Voigt -
@fejker
with a voucher a watch at suunto is still more expensive than in several online shops -
Some great posts, comments and thoughts being shared. It’s clear that disappointment is the pervasive feeling among customers with older Suunto products.
And a few of the die-hards continue to defend the company, saying that the hardware is better than the competition. That’s debatable, but hardware and software cannot be separated from one another. And the software is in a sorry state. That is not debatable.
I get that things like Sport Modes, watch screens and workouts are hard to port, but seemingly basic features like importing/syncing routes not working just boggles the mind. As someone stated above, the products are still being advertised and sold on their website as having this functionality.
I agree with @andrasveres that it would be better almost to say they will end support full stop, rather than dangling the “bogus carrot of reconciliation” in front of us.
I don’t know man, it’s just a bit tiresome, this carousel…
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@andrasveres I know next to nothing about these things but, as a software developer, you might:
Could you modify/finish the Suunto FW for abandoned models if they released the source code? (Would they be likely to do so?) Also, MovesLink?
Could the Suunto FW be replaced with an OpenSource OS?
Could you write apps (or whatever) for such a platform to do what Suunto won’t and integrate them with a phone/computer app?
Or is everything too complicated, integrated and proprietal?
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@Fenr1r
Firmware development is not an easy task, but if you got all the documentation it surely can be done.
Replacing the firmware on an existing device with other OS need proper understanding of the underlying hardware and I doubt Suunto will provide such info.
As for Moveslink alternative or any other piece of software sure it can be done if they provide documentation or open source drivers to communicate with the watch, otherwise it needs time consuming work.
But as I know there are some good projects already, take a look here. -
@andrasveres Thank you: very interesting. I have adjusted my realism filters accordingly.
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@Fenr1r
I usually think when I am annoyed about something that somebody who is smart was annoyed by the same thing before me and provided a solution… -
@TELE-HO Or couldn’t either but has good reasons why. Which works, too: misery loves company.
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@dsc1401 But Suunto has your money now and new type of customers will probably arrive so why care… I am their new customer and of course would be Garmin’s if I had understood the changes at the time of purchase. Even if in the end it really turns out that in summer 2020 I don’t need to buy a new bloody phone compatible with my watch.
