New To Rowing....interested in Online

[shorelinelaw]

Hi!

I'm brand new to rowing and have a Concept2 E. I love the thing. I'm actually just finishing a full gym in the house. I've left an INPUT for a computer. I was thinking it might be smart to start-in w/RowPro quickly to keep my interest going.

A few questions: Is this really a good idea for beginners? Last week I worked my up from nothing to now doing 3,500 meters like nothing. I assume I'll be at 5,000 quickly. But I'm pretty slow. (500 M times somewhere around 2:30?? - I'm not even watching that much). Should I wait?

My goal, truthfully, is to use rowing as my work out and to drop about 15-20lbs. (I'm 6' and low 190s). Is digital rowing a good plan?

Last, technical thing - We are a Mac family. I"m thinking of buying a small PC to hook up to my TV in the gym. How do you actually hook the unit up to the computer? Can it be done at a distance to a screen???

Thanks for any guidance!!!

[Bob S.]

Last, technical thing - We are a Mac family. I"m thinking of buying a small PC to hook up to my TV in the gym. How do you actually hook the unit up to the computer? Can it be done at a distance to a screen???

Thanks for any guidance!!!

I think you are wise to get a PC dedicated to the erg. I use the Mac/Parallels/Windows XP combo and it has been a bit of a hassle. I regret that I didn't just settle for a PC in the first place. It does help that I got a large (21'?) auxiliary monitor, since the 13' Macbook is rather small for my old eyes. There is a fairly long USB cord that comes with the Concept 2 ergometer and it just plugs in directly to your computer. I don't do any online rowing and am not interested in it, but it is handy to row against a pace boat or one of my old rows.

Bob S.

[Carl Watts]

Get an older PC on the cheap, format the drive to get rid of all the acumulated rubbish that slows down the boot up, reinstall Windows XP and dedicate it to RowPro.

The integrated graphics may struggle a bit on a machine older than 5 or 6 years and you may need a new graphics card. A graphics test is available on the Digital Rowing website before you spend your money. Also get Direct X from the Microsoft Website.

Just running an old HP DC7100 here with a new PCI-E bottom end of the market graphics card and it works fine.

Will eventually move from my 15" flat screen to a flat panel TV mounted on the wall in front of the Erg, this will really make it interactive ! also you ideally need audio for the "Prepare to Start" and the "Row" but it is not essential. speakers in the monitor or the PC itself work fine.

The online rowing against others from all round the world or just training with your friends is the best feature of RowPro.

[chgoss]

Ditto on the PC advice above.

RowPro is great for beginners! Do not be concerned about your times, you will find it is a very supportive group. There are all sorts of abilities. Pam Loeffen organizes beginner rows all the time.
Best thing is to get involved regularly with the online rows (start with the 5k, and 20 or 30 min pieces), and you'll see improvement no worries

best
-chad

[shorelinelaw]

Hi!

So, I think I'm going to do it this way. The TV I'm putting on the wall is an LCD/LED thing - 55". I'm maybe 5' away from where the components are going to go. I think I'll put a simple PC there and hook it up. Sounds reasonable? Is there a reason to use XP instead of Win 7? (To be honest - I'm such a MAC person - I almost can't stand buying one of these things. But, it is also good for my kids to play games.)

[jliddil]

Hi!

So, I think I'm going to do it this way. The TV I'm putting on the wall is an LCD/LED thing - 55". I'm maybe 5' away from where the components are going to go. I think I'll put a simple PC there and hook it up. Sounds reasonable? Is there a reason to use XP instead of Win 7? (To be honest - I'm such a MAC person - I almost can't stand buying one of these things. But, it is also good for my kids to play games.)

Ok here is my $0.02. So you are dropping some serious change. Get slides if you can afford them. Buy a $300-400 windows 7 home premium machine with 4 gigs of ram. Cheaper than a macbook that you then would have to put bootcamp or parallels on. I got a laptop with a 17" screen at Best Buy on sale. Make sure the video card circuit is pretty good since Rowpro use a bunch of rendering. The laptop has the advantage of being mobile and easy to put away. As a Mac person you don't want to futze with XP. It is a dead OS. Get and LED TV if you can, I just got a Samsung that is amazing. Much faster refresh than LCD, especially on games and fast action movies or even Planet Earth. It should have a PC video input. You can then get a video cable and run output from the computer to the screen if you want. I tend to listen to music myself. If you don't have one already get a wireless router. Then you can go cable free.

Windows 7 is pretty easy to use and I use my laptop on my Aunt's Mac network when we visit with no issues.

Get a small stand for the laptop then you can easily get to it. LIke this:
http://www.staples.com/TechniMobili-Adj ... =home_box1

Rowpro is great as others point out. It has it's issues. Reporting is weak IMHO. I export my data to another program. Once you start and figure out a time that others row it get's habit forming. You find you push yourself harder than you thought. There is also a training program in Rowpro that is OK and can provide further motivation. I hate "training" so I just row continuously alone or online. Row with Chad's group and you'll see what it is like to feel the burn.

But seriously all the folks I've rowed with on Rowpro have been great. I am also "slow" by many standards but they all welcome all comers. It is not so much about racing to win as it is to row together or support. For example when you attempt a half marathon or full marathon company can help pull you through.

Looking forward to seeing you online

[adutton]

It should have a PC video input. You can then get a video cable and run output from the computer to the screen if you want.

Just to clarify, you want an HDMI output on the laptop and HDMI input on the TV. Better quality than VGA and the audio is on the same plug. Less wires and a better signal.

[Carl Watts]

Personally I don't think you should worry too much about HDMI with RowPro. If you have the PC connectivity, then sure go with it but your going to be hard pressed to tell the difference with the kind of graphics your getting with RowPro. It's more of a convenience with a single cable connection for both Video & Audio. Pretty much every new flat screen has HDMI but many new laptops still do not have it, same with graphics cards. Any older PC will not have HDMI. Really it's up to how much you want to spend on a system. I managed to get good results with hardware that is practiaclly being thrown away as "Obsolete".

[shorelinelaw]

I think I'll buy one of those all-in-one jobies that are a PC knock off of a mac-mini. It's a new TV w/lots of HDMI's. I'm having my installer drag all the cables down. We'd had our basement taken out in unusual flooding. The kids are older, so I've build a gym down there (and I'm having an emergency sump installed. I know it was once in nearly 20years - but who wants it!). So I'm starting from scratch anyway - I might as well do it correctly.

The real issue for me is the connection. A long USB will do it? Also, will rowpro be OK on a 55" screen or is that too big?

I should be online in about a week. Frankly, that'll give me a little more time to build up. I'm pretty self-conscious about being so pokey when I enter an online rowing group. I just finished my first 5,000 at shot and I'm hovering over 2:30/500. But, I can't help but notice that my time keeps coming down.

Thx!