IDL Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q.  What is the trial period for IDL?

A.  There is no trial period defined. IDL will allow you to enter 20 dives without being purchased.  Once you have entered 20 dives IDL will still operate normally, however you will no longer be able to add or download any dives.  Once you have purchased IDL using the online form, you will immediately start using IDL with no limitations.

 

Q.  Do you distribute my e-mail address? Will I get unsolicited e-mail from advertisers as a result of subscribing to your services?

A.  We will never distribute any information that you place on the server. You select what data you share with others. If you decide not to share your data so be it. If you do elect to not share your data nothing is stored on the IDL server or sent to any other location. However if you do not share your dive data you will not be able to view other divers data either. We thought that would be a fair trade off.

 

Q.  What is the cost of IDL?

A.  The registration fee for IDL is $39.95 US for web orders only.  CDs are not available yet.  The CD price has also not been set at this time.

 

Q.  How can I get support for my dive computer in IDL?

A.  The first thing you need to do is "Send Feedback" from the "IDL Server" menu in the program, indicating what computer you would like added.  Once this occurs we will contact the computer manufacturer to request the download interface specifications.  Some computer manufacturers feel that this information is proprietary and may not allow other software to interface with their computers.  If this is the case we will be unable to add an interface for your computer.  If the manufacturer is willing to provide us with this information we should in most cases be able to provide these features within 1 to 2 months.

 

Q.  The text in the tabs on the right does not display.  How can I change this?

A.  Windows 95 does not support vertical text.  If you want to see the text in the tabs open the Configuration box and slide the page layout slider bar to either the left or right until you see the tabs displayed at the top of the main IDL screen.  With the tabs at the top you should see all of the text.  Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0 do not have this problem.

 

Q.  How can I keep copies of my data on another computer?

A.  Following are instructions for using a remote system to add dive information and how to retrieve that information from the server to your local IDL.

1. Be sure your local IDL installation is set up to Enable Record Sharing (File, Configure).

2. Initiate a Quick Synchronization (IDL Server, Quick Synchronization with Server). This will ensure any changes you made to your local records are copied to the Server.

3. Install IDL on the other computer.

4. Create a user account for yourself with the same user name, email address and password you use at home. This user name, email address and password MUST be EXACTLY the same or the security will not allow the synchronization to occur.

5. Initiate a Full Synchronization (IDL Server, Full Synchronization with Server). This will copy everything from the server to your account on the new computers copy of  IDL.  When the Full Synchronization occurs, you will be prompted with a message indicating that a particular record is on the server but not local. You can simply click the "Copy All Local" button and all of your information on the server will be copied to your account on the dive shop's IDL. If you choose "Copy It Local", you will need to select this for all of your records found on the server that you want local. The "Copy All Local" option saves you time in this case.

6. Enter your new dive data (dives, resources, divers, etc.).

7. Initiate a Quick Synchronization when you're done to be sure all the local changes you made get copied to the server. 

Now when you arrive home, before adding or changing anything, initiate a Full Synchronization and again, you will be prompted with a message indicating that a particular record is on the server, but not local. These were the records you added remote (at the dive shop) that are not currently local on your PC. Again, you can click the "Copy All Local" to copy all of the information that is on the server, but not currently on your local PC.  If you arrive home and make changes before issuing the Full Synchronization, be sure to issue a Quick Synchronization before issuing the Full Synchronization so your current changes are saved on the server and not overwritten.