Re: X10 replacement?

[Marc_F_Hult <MFHult@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:47:51 GMT, Joerg
<notthisjoergsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
<XwDUg.1433$NE6.1312@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
On Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:47:51 GMT, Joerg
<notthisjoergsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
<XwDUg.1433$NE6.1312@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

>Also, I strongly believe that any new stuff must be available through
>hardware stores. X10 mostly wasn't and that's IMHO one of the reasons
>for its low market penetration.

X-10 stooped being sold at retail outlets because when it was, it generated
too many returns.

FWIW, INSTEON is currently available at Home Depot
http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTTYPE=PROD_
META&CNTKEY=misc%2FsearchResults.jsp&N=2984&keyword=insteon&x=34&y=10

>> Trick is to combine your house and *non-toy* HA infrastructure investment
>> in the same mortgage. In that context, $1K is below noise threshold in the
>> price range for median US/Canadian/European homes.
>>
>If is is 100% reliable I agree, at least for upscale homes. However, in
>the retrofit market there must be a lower entry level. Plus a pathway to
>operate legacy stuff (X10) through Insteon. It will be very tough to
>convince someone to toss $300+ of accumulated X10 gear on the promise
>that it'll be better. Now if you could say "hey, you can keep using the
>old stuff for a while but you'll see the difference in reliablity" that
>would be a strategy that could work.

It's beginning to sound like you work for SmartLabs sales on the side  :-)

We haven't bought a new car in 19 years. We buy used ones with 70-90K miles
and drive them another 80-100K. These cars are "reliable" enough for our
purposes -- certainly *much* more reliable than X-10 on an absolute
work/don't-work basis.

With the money saved, I could throw away $300 of X-10 every month. Depends on
priorities.  My point of reference is a 1956 VW bug. All cars on the road
today seem !fantastic! compared to that reference. I never look at new cars
so like the first President Bush who marveled at the scanner at the grocery
checkout counter a decade after they were everywhere, I'm still thrilled with
them new fangled electric windows. We got air conditioning in the new (used)
car in Spain (where it gets very hot) for the first time this year. Depends
on priorities and personal preferences.

... Marc
Marc_F_Hult
www.ECOntrol.org