RowPro Too Unreliable to Buy

[michaeln]

I've been trying out RowPro (latest version downloaded from their site) for the past week, and it pretty much leaves me cold. I find the onscreen 3D stuff to be pretty lame (sometimes the guy just stops, sometimes he rows right off the screen), and the software is unreliable.

For instance, this morning I started RP. Set up a 15 minute row with 2 minute warmup and cooldown. It set the PM3 (which is at firmware level 97) to 2 minutes and counted down as I did my warmup. Then when I finished it, it popped up the annoying dialog box for me to click OK or something and start the row. I did.

It reset the PM3 to 15 minutes and said to pull the handle to start the row. I started rowing, the PM3 started counting down and showing all the normal stuff updating, but no reaction from the RP screen, it was still saying I should pull the handle to start.

I checked the indicator for PM3 connectivity, and it was green. I disconnected and reconnected the USB cable at the PM3 end, the indicator turned red when it was disconnected and went green when reconnected. It was still saying to pull the handle to start rowing. I started rowing again, still no reaction.

I pulled the USB cable out of the PM3 and continued my row, and the PM3 worked fine.

The RP has done this several times, and frankly I don't have the patience to deal with software that claims to be commercial grade and wants my 99 bucks, but is this crappy and unreliable.

I may give it a go again in the future if they come out with a new version, but right now I wouldn't give 99 cents for it, let alone 99 bucks.

[rtmmtl]

For instance, this morning I started RP. Set up a 15 minute row with 2 minute warmup and cooldown. It set the PM3 (which is at firmware level 97) to 2 minutes and counted down as I did my warmup. Then when I finished it, it popped up the annoying dialog box for me to click OK or something and start the row. I did.

I may give it a go again in the future if they come out with a new version, but right now I wouldn't give 99 cents for it, let alone 99 bucks.

Try this Michael: CONTROL CENTER > USER SETTINGS > AUTO ADVANCE > (seconds box - far left middle) Set for a minimum of one second - it will automatically roll over to the next part of any row you plug in with a pause of how many seconds you select.

Yup, RowPro can be flakey, there was to be a new version this month, but have not heard anything yet. You might try assist@digitalrowing.com, in the subject line address it to "Pete", he is the honcho and very helpful. Or pete@digitalrowing.com may work. Avoid the 800 number like the plague, as of about 5 months ago they were located in New Zealand and completely clueless.

I have settled in on RowPro, despite, It fits my needs best. There is http://homepages.isunet.net/smichael/rowit It's a freebie. Also look at http://www.x2row.com/ It is $30 I believe.

[johnlvs2run]

Bob,

Have you tried x2row and how did you like it?

I went to try their trial version but it says all registration info is public so I didn't sign up.

[SteveV]

Avoid the 800 number like the plague, as of about 5 months ago they were located in New Zealand and completely clueless.

The whole development team is based in New Zealand, so no suprise to find the helpline is out there too

[rtmmtl]

Bob,

Have you tried x2row and how did you like it?

I went to try their trial version but it says all registration info is public so I didn't sign up.

I tried it and had problems. I emailed the guy who programed it and eventually ended up talking to him on the telephone. Worked with him about three hours on the phone, me trying to get it to work as an user and he (am old.....don't recall his name.....nice guy and very knowledgeable) doing code fixes on the run. He even gave me a key for my trouble, 30 bucks if I remembrer. Any how finally got it running fairly well. But decided to stick with good old flakey RowPro.

x2Row did not have the ability to race others or to upload to C2 if I recall. I do know he was, and still may be adding new versions. So if you are gonna try it I would suggest you download the available version if you haven't done so in a couple of days.....it might well have been changed.

When you say, "I went to try their trial version but it says all registration info is public so I didn't sign up.", I don't follow what you are saying. I don't recall anything unusual when I first downloaded it.

[michaelb]

Any RP user needs to admit that RP has bugs and quirks that can be annoying. But:

1) they seem to inflict new users trying to get their computer set up and RP installed and running, particularly during the demo period, and

2) online rowing and chat has ongoing bugs and problems.

Have you used RP successfully offline on several occasions, or have you always had problems? For the most part, as best as I can tell from my own experience and from the reports of others here and in the UK and on the new and old DR forum, RP, once properly installed and up and running, is very stable offline, and offline problems are very rare. At one point a year or two ago, Pete at DR said there were no known offline bugs. While that was an overstatement, probably, and new bugs were introduced by later versions of C2 firmware, for the most part RP works very well offline.

Online rowing is a lot of fun though, and many of us yearn for stable, dependable online rowing and racing with RP. They are promising a new beta with a new race server, now promised for mid Feb, so that is something that I am looking forward to (bugs and all).

[johnlvs2run]

When you say, "I went to try their trial version but it says all registration info is public so I didn't sign up.", I don't follow what you are saying. I don't recall anything unusual when I first downloaded it.

The first page says to register to get the trial version. The registration page says:

"Membership to this portal is Public. Once your account information has been submitted, you will be immediately granted access to the portal environment. All fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required."

http://www.x2row.com/Home/tabid/473/ctl ... fault.aspx

[michaeln]

Try this Michael: CONTROL CENTER > USER SETTINGS > AUTO ADVANCE > (seconds box - far left middle) Set for a minimum of one second - it will automatically roll over to the next part of any row you plug in with a pause of how many seconds you select.

I will look at that, but I guess I didn't make myself clear. I DID use the mouse to dismiss the box that said the warmup was done, and it went away. It did trigger the 15:00 clock on the PM3, and it did start counting down when I started rowing. Problem was, RowPro never reacted onscreen to the fact that I had started rowing again. It wasn't waiting for me to click OK.

I just want to exercise on the rower, and I feel like RowPro gets in the way of that.

[michaeln]

Have you used RP successfully offline on several occasions, or have you always had problems?

I've been doing the tryout for about a week. At least 1/2 the time it has some kind of problem. I'm tired of screwing with it. If they want $99 for it, they better get the warts out of it.

Right now, it just gets in my way when I want to work out on the rower, and that's inexcusable for a commercial product. I live and work in the Linux environment most of the time, and there is tons of FAR more complicated and higher quality software out there for Linux that is FREE. Every hack programming for Windows thinks his crap is valuable and charges for it.

What a joke.

[johnlvs2run]

Michael,

I agree with you completely regarding the software and would like to see more higher quality programs for rowing and at reasonable prices or else free. I've been looking at rowpro too, which is very basic but great graphics.

I've been thinking of posting on the Ubundu forums about rowing software. Perhaps someone there would have the urge to develop something for the rowing machine. What do you think of this?

Another alternative would be simply a duplicate display of the pm3/4 on computer. This would have the great advantage of a big display plus very nice visual acuity and also storage of more repetitions and splits.

John

[Nightrower]

I use RowPro mainly for offline racing. I download rows from others and then race against them. I like to try and find rows that push me, ones that are anywhere from 5 seconds or more faster than my fastest so I can push myself to row faster without getting my butt kicked by the other person. I have never had a problem with RowPro, other than computer issues. Any question I did have about RowPro has been answered very fast by the guys at RowPro. I have nothing but good things to say about the program.

As for something that is "better". Good luck and perhaps you can find it but for free, well that is just silly. Who is going to want to program and support a detailed, graphics intensive program for free? If you want anything in life, you need to pay for it. I would give RowPro a 9 out of 10. It gets me to row, I can push myself with downloaded rows and when I have gone online to row I have not had any problems. I have only been online to row "live" less than 10 times.

Darren

[michaeln]

I've been thinking of posting on the Ubundu forums about rowing software. Perhaps someone there would have the urge to develop something for the rowing machine. What do you think of this?

Go for it. I don't know how good the API support for the PM3/PM4 is, and that is what will be needed by any Linux programmer. Frankly I think it is unlikely to happen, but it sure won't hurt to ask.

[SteveV]

I've been thinking of posting on the Ubundu forums about rowing software. Perhaps someone there would have the urge to develop something for the rowing machine. What do you think of this?

Go for it. I don't know how good the API support for the PM3/PM4 is, and that is what will be needed by any Linux programmer. Frankly I think it is unlikely to happen, but it sure won't hurt to ask.

They haven't even released the racing start part of the API, so a lot of things you want to do will be impossible

[johnlvs2run]

Steve,

Is linux not possible for the pm3 until then?

[jlemon]

Let me say that there is an alternative in the process of being developed, that will run on Linux, OSX, and Windows. Just wait a little while longer.
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Jonathan