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Danyll Wills

I recently bought a Polar S720i heart-rate monitor watch that can record exercise data and download it to a personal computer through a proprietary USB infrared link. 
The problem is that the supplied Polar Precision Performance Software is only for PCs running the Windows operating system.  I cannot get it to run on my Apple PowerBook even under Virtual PC (version 6.0). 
Do you have any ideas on how I can make it all work on my Mac or will I have to dust off my old Pentium 200 machine and make do with Windows 98? 


Brian Paterson,Lantau Island


Despite the efforts of many, the PC world seems to have serious problems with standards. This is often blamed on some of the bigger players: Microsoft is accused of doing things to XML, Java and other technologies. Sony is said to have some rather rummy ways of implementing FireWire and Wi-Fi.  
Thanks to the Web and some clever out-of-the-box thinking on the part of some Mac enthusiasts, there is a solution to this problem. Here is what is needed: the Polar watch, a Polar serial connector, a USB-to-serial device and Virtual PC for the Mac. 
The Polar device  uses infrared to connect to the computer. First get Virtual PC working. This is usually a straightforward operation. Next, connect the USB-to-serial device. You can get one from Keyspan for about  $780 or you can opt for a generic one for as little as $120. 
The Polar serial connector can be bought at Polar's shop in Hong Kong for about $500, and you then connect this to the USB-to-serial connector. Now launch Virtual PC and install the Polar software.
Make certain Polar uses COM 3. It is possible that if you decide to use a generic connector instead of the Keyspan one, you may be confronted with a prompt to install the software from a floppy disc. There are several ways round this problem. You could borrow a floppy disc unit that connects to the USB or FireWire port on the Mac. You could see if the vendor has a website and download the software or you could try to move it over to a CD-Rom disc. 
There is a website for Polar watches and heart monitors  at www.polarusa.com. The fix for this problem is also discussed on a cycling forum at www.cyclingforums.com/t33318.html.
Questions to Tech Talk will not be answered personally. E-mail Danyll Wills at tech.talk@scmp.com.




Odd standards to blame for Polar problems