The DualPack put the two halves of the SharkPoint logbook in one package: SharkPoint for Palm for logging at the dive site, SharkPoint for Windows for the detailed work at home, and the DreamDives DiveSync software that carried records between them.
Why the pairing mattered
A handheld logbook and a desktop logbook that do not talk to each other are two logbooks, and two logbooks is worse than one. The point of the DualPack was that they behaved as a single record: a dive typed into the Palm on a boat was on the desktop that evening, where it could be edited properly, folded into the statistics, and printed.
DiveSync moved data in both directions and doubled as the backup mechanism. Given that a logbook accumulates over years and a handheld is the thing most likely to be dropped over the side, having the desktop hold the archive was as much a safety measure as a convenience.
A version note that mattered
The Palm DualPack was only ever supplied as SharkPoint for Palm v1.5 with SharkPoint for Windows v1.5. It could not be supplied with SharkPoint for Windows v2.0, because the database format changed at version 2 and the DiveSync 1.5 software could not read the newer format.
Divers who wanted the version 2 feature set with a handheld companion needed the DualPack (PocketPC & Windows) instead. See compatibility for the full picture.
What the package did
Running on a Palm OS PDA and a Windows PC (active version 1.5.1.49), the DualPack recorded dive information immediately and kept the full set of linked records:
- Dives across multiple logbooks, with multi-level logging
- Buddies, dive sites, dive schools
- Personal details and equipment with servicing history
- GPS co-ordinates for dive sites, from a connected GPS unit
- Advanced statistic and search tools on both halves
- Dive Plan Assistant and Dive Plan Wizard for checking a plan against the common table systems
- Dive computer profiling on both the handheld and the Windows PC, with dive computer import available on the Windows side through the DCU modules
As always, the planning tools sat alongside training, tables and a dive computer rather than replacing them; Divers Alert Network remains the reference for dive safety guidance.
Output
On the Windows side, entries could be printed through the EPF (Easy Print Format) system into a layout the diver had designed, and the statistics and search tools made the electronic log considerably more useful than a paper one — answering questions like what depth you most frequently dive to and how your air consumption has changed.
Documentation and availability
Factsheets were published for the Palm edition and for the Palm and Windows DualPack, along with a DualPack manual. Neither the software nor the documentation is distributed any longer.