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Re: X10 replacement?



On Tue, 03 Oct 2006 21:56:30 -0400, Marc_F_Hult <MFHult@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote in message  <ss36i2th5hufr24q2sphkgmprkcqkjd6uv@xxxxxxx>:

>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.
>

Oops... forgot about that 1993 Subaru. So OK. Two new cars in 26 years shared
between two to four drivers.

... Marc
Marc_F_Hult
www.ECOntrol.org


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