Re: X10 replacement?

["HLS" <henryhartley@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Marc_F_Hult wrote:
> On Wed, 04 Oct 2006 22:12:37 GMT, Joerg
> >BTW, Home Depot does not list the ICON devices. It's all $39.99 there
> >and that is too much.
>
> So don't buy from Home Depot. I'd buy from a locally owned hardware store to
> give them the business, or any store that added value by knowing something.
> But why buy INSTEON from a know-nothing, third-party, Big Box when it is
> available cheaper with a few mouse clicks directly from the manufacturer ?

I also have no problem shopping at stores other than a Home Depot or
Lowes or even shopping on the web.  In fact, I've been accused of
shopping on the web because it means I don't have to talk to actual
people.  The point being made, as Joerg pointed out, was that until
these devices are in the big box stores, they are not going to become
ubiquitous.  No one that I know (and I know some real gadget hounds)
has even one X10, Insteon, or UPB switch in their house.  Furthermore,
while I cannot say that I've checked all the local hardware stores -
there are a few left - those I have been to don't know any more about
this than the average shelf-stocker at Home Depot, which is to say not
much.  The ability to buy these things over the web is great for the
hobbyist, but it isn't going to get them into most homes.

Also, while $20 is a whole lot better than $40 for a wall switch, I'm
not sure that's enough to convince the unwashed masses.  Take your
average Joe walking into your average Big Box (TM).  He doesn't know
from home automation.  He sees two bins of wall switches.  One is
marked $1.25 each and the other $20 each.  A few observations.  First,
the fact that the second bin used to be $40 isn't going to matter much.
 Second, the fact that the second bin says he can control the switch
remotely may not be enough to overcome the 1600% price jump from the
standard switch.  On the other hand, if (as Joerg suggested a few posts
back) there is a nice, slick demo display, with switches, lights,
controllers, etc. that catches his eye and he can play with, he's going
to start thinking, "yeah, this would be cool."  Have you seen that
anywhere?  I certainly haven't.  If I were in the business (and I'm
not) I'd spend a couple weeks coming up with a killer demo and then
send all my sales force (assuming I had one) into stores and do
whatever it takes to get these things displayed and I'd offer reduced
pricing to stores that put up the display.

> Note too that the list of announced hardware from other than
> SmartLabs/SmartHome is growing.

Links.  I want links.  Not to belabor a point, but the small number of
styles is an issue for me and, I believe, for getting to the masses.
The reality in hardware stores is that Joe isn't going to find two bins
of switches, he's going to find a dozen or two switches in many
different styles and rated for different loads.  Currently, they will
be priced from the low end at about $1.25 to as much as $8 or $9.  Then
there's the $20 ICON switches.

Finally, I know guys are stereotyped as not caring about things like
style but that's not completely accurate.  I care that my house looks
nice.  My ideas of what is nice may not be as well developed as some
but I still care.  And I think the big rockers are ugly and I'd prefer
to have all the switches in my house the same.  The only thing I've see
that is different is this one (http://www.smarthome.com/2466dw.html),
and from the illustration I cannot really tell what it is.  That's
another reason to be able to see these and actually hold them in my
hand rather than buy them over the internet.  Even a PDF product spec
page with photographs from front and side would be useful.

--
H