Re: Why cling to old X10?

[Neil Cherry <njc@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 12 Sep 2007 02:51:53 -0400, Robert Green wrote:
> "Jeff Volp" <JeffVolp@xxxxxxx> wrote in message news:FeKFi.88259
>
>> Maybe there are more war stories regarding X10 because many more people
> are
>> using it than the newer systems.
>

> Bingo! I read an interview with David Rye that implied that there
> are at least 2 million X-10 households out there and perhaps as many
> as 5 million.  That's probably more than all other HA protocols
> combined and multiplied by a number that might be more than a single
> digit.  I believe I quoted that article a while back in another one
> of these numerous "X10 is dead" threads.

IMnsHO,( ;-) X10 is dieing but it just hasn't realized it yet (or
maybe they have and are just milking it to death). They have no new or
improved products in relation to their HA line of products. Instead
they seem to be focusing on the wireless / entertainment aspect of
their product line. I beleive that Z-Wave, Insteon and/or UPB will
overtake X10. We're starting to see a lot of new products from all
three. Also the price of these new products is comparable with X10, at
least the Insteon seems to be. Give that these new products are more
reliable I think we'll see more of them being sold. What is really
needed is an application where these products are more fool proof.
That way the average consumer can use them.  I'm not too certain we'll
see that but I was impressed with the Linux MCE (
http://www.linuxmce.com/ ) video (
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2176025602905109829&hl=en ) I
saw. It made it seem like the setup was very easy to use.

I'm sticking with Insteon though I did pick up a ZWave USB stick (but
it's not code compatible with the ACT ZWave controller, argh) and lamp
module. I'd like to pick up a UPB controller and lamp module but it's
not high on my priority list. Right now I neeed some software for
Mr. House (I'm working on that).

--
Linux Home Automation         Neil Cherry       ncherry@xxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.linuxha.com/                         Main site
http://linuxha.blogspot.com/                    My HA Blog
Author of:    	Linux Smart Homes For Dummies