Re: X10 replacement?

[Joerg <notthisjoergsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Marc,

>
>>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.
>

That doesn't surprise me at all.


> 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
>

Interesting. Ours doesn't have it but next time I'll ask whether they
can order starter kits etc. Prices that I've seen elsewhere were a bit
steep, like $39.99 for a light switch relay. Don't know if that'll fly
with the average consumer and those are the guys who need to be
convinced. We'll see.

>
>>>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  :-)
>

No :-)

But I think they need a little shot in the arm to market this stuff.
Merely placing it onto the shelves isn't enough to push a new
technology. You know, the usual: Couple goes shopping on Saturday. Wife
can't decide on a few clothing items, husband rolls his eyes. To avoid
any discontent he vows to disappear for an hour and walks over to Home
Depot. That's where the opportunity is but it would have to be something
eye-catching. For example, a large piece of plywood with a few Insteon
modules, Romex in between, a Lexan cover and some buttons to play with.
Smack dab at the start of the electrical aisle.

Also, I hope that this time they had the right engineering talent on
board. It absolutely has to work. No weak signal issues and definitely
no dirty resets or software hang-ups.


> 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.
>

Same here. The only reason we bought one new and one used car was that
our European car could not have been registered in the US and out here
you need a 2nd car because their is no public transportation to speak
of. Both around 10 years old now, low mileage and we'll probably keep
them another ten.


> 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.
>

Ours are with A/C, first ones to have that in our lives. Mine is bare
bones, no electric windows, no central lock. The only thing that ever
broek on either car in about 10 years is, guess what, an electric window
motor on my wife's car.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com