I have been trying to figure out how to download and view the CAPWATCH reports on a mac and am not having any luck. Can anyone offer any suggestions?
There aren't any reports.
Capwatch is just a bunch of text tables which are useless without something to parse the data. Most of the readily available front ends like SIMS and the encampment system require access and or a PC.
The file you download is a zip archive, the actual files within that archive are in a .txt file which should be easily read on Macs version of notepad. Alternatively, you could import it into MS Excel for Mac to view, or do the same in Open Office.
You can unzip a zip archive by using programs such as winzip mac edition.
the mac can automatically uncompress a zip file, no external software should be needed
Wasn't/Isn't there a front-end that created different reports from the CAPWATCH download?
Yes, SIMS, but it's Windows only since it requires Microsoft Access:
http://squadroncommand.com/filemgmt/index.php
No, not SIMS. There was a basic interface that enabled things like "Member Address Labels" and would populate the appropriate fields on to the Avery template. It was built right into the download.
Yes, back in the day when the CAPWATCH download was an Access database rather than flat text files.