Originally Posted by wfield0455

Actually, sounds more like asking for extra bacon on your burger, when the burger you ordered didn't come with bacon in the first place.

From a larger dollar perspective it is short sighted. Are they going to make more money on new sail planes or digging for scrapes in one-off upgrade? Does not compute. Subtle marketing error that is not playing to human desire. If programing included in vnext airware, how many dx8 owners are going to install it? Probably most. How many of those will now just *"have" to have a shiny new sail plane to use that new functionality? Probably many (myself included). Remember the long-tail factor here also. However, if you force me to go out of my way to purchase and install a side upgrade, your probably only get the guys who already have sail planes and want to use their dx8. The play here is new shiny sail planes ($200-$300), not 30 dollar software. Expanding the ecosystem is bigger then focus on the crumbs. Error in marketing. MS made it a few times also, and usually ended up with above reasoning.

Originally Posted by Skidman

I'm looking forward to the sailplane programming and don't mind paying a reasonable amount for the upgrade. Part of the advanced features of this radio is the processor capability to allow this type of upgrade.

There were two features that I really wanted in the DX8 but I couldn't justify, let alone afford, going to a 10 or 18: telemetry data logging and sailplane programming.

The data logging was a recent free upgrade (a capability the DX8 was never advertised as having) and now the upcoming sailplane programming make me very happy with my DX8.

I hope they have built in provisions for electric sailplanes!

Hey! I was about to write that!
Totally agree

So what about the advertised vario?
Would make the package complete...

Originally Posted by wjs

<snip> However, if you force me to go out of my way to purchase and install a side upgrade, your probably only get the guys who already have sail planes and want to use their dx8. <snip>

The cool part is nobody is forcing nobody. Just like when you bought the DX8, if it was the right radio for you you didn't have to buy it. If this upgrade isn't for you you don't have to get it.

Originally Posted by freechip

The cool part is nobody is forcing nobody.

You missed the larger point. It is basically not a smart marketing move for reasons stated. Stepping over dollars to pickup dimes. Instead of cost recovery, they should be looking at a larger profit center.

You claim this as if they are a young company who doesn't know what they are doing. LOL

They know exactly what they are doing, they will get exsiting owners to buy the upgrade, they will get new buyers who weren't look at the DX8 because of the lack of programming and at the same time they will get people to buy more sailplane.

Sounds like a good plan from where I'm sitting.

They will even get people like me who own the DX18 already with Sailplane want to get the Sailplane programming for my DX8 just so I can have the latest and greatest for it.

your probably only get the guys who already have sail planes and want to use their dx8.

No, they will get new DX8 buyers. They will buy the DX8 for 360$, get home update to 2.XX version and then pay to get Sailplane programming.

But at the end of the day I don't work for them and don't really care if they make more or less money but will say there marketing group is pretty good cause they will get more money from existing owners and will get new money from new buyers since now you will get the most advance 8 channel radio with sailplane programming.

Originally Posted by freechip

....They know exactly what they are doing...

Too much confidence if you ask me.

Trust no one. Not even yourself.

Originally Posted by struggleforlife

Too much confidence if you ask me.

Trust no one. Not even yourself.

Check the date of the post.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...6&postcount=81

Originally Posted by freechip

You claim this as if they are a young company who doesn't know what they are doing. LOL
They know exactly what they are doing, they will get exsiting owners to buy the upgrade, they will get new buyers who weren't look at the DX8 because of the lack of programming and at the same time they will get people to buy more sailplane.
Sounds like a good plan from where I'm sitting.
They will even get people like me who own the DX18 already with Sailplane want to get the Sailplane programming for my DX8 just so I can have the latest and greatest for it.
No, they will get new DX8 buyers. They will buy the DX8 for 360$, get home update to 2.XX version and then pay to get Sailplane programming.
But at the end of the day I don't work for them and don't really care if they make more or less money but will say there marketing group is pretty good cause they will get more money from existing owners and will get new money from new buyers since now you will get the most advance 8 channel radio with sailplane programming.

They are young (not that it matters). 2005 was the first spektrum copyright they claim. All I am saying is creating and maintaining another SKU for this is a waste of time. Integrate in the airware, along with everything else that will make this the best radio and sell the Radio!! You get new buyers, you feed the old buyers. The old buyers feed the new buyers. It all a happy party. Building the ecosystem is the end game here. The cost recovery comes inside that with benefits. We can agree to disagree. No worries.

Agree to disagree yes.

It's not the limited few here not happy that will put a dent in there plans.

Originally Posted by freechip

Check the date of the post.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...6&postcount=81

What I am trying to say is: I do not know any (big or small) company's that don't make (small and huge) errors in strategy.
To put it short and bolt: nobody makes the right choices all the time.

Originally Posted by wjs

From a larger dollar perspective it is short sighted. Are they going to make more money on new sail planes or digging for scrapes in one-off upgrade? Does not compute. Subtle marketing error that is not playing to human desire. If programing included in vnext airware, how many dx8 owners are going to install it? Probably most. How many of those will now just *"have" to have a shiny new sail plane to use that new functionality? Probably many (myself included). Remember the long-tail factor here also. However, if you force me to go out of my way to purchase and install a side upgrade, your probably only get the guys who already have sail planes and want to use their dx8. The play here is new shiny sail planes ($200-$300), not 30 dollar software. Expanding the ecosystem is bigger then focus on the crumbs. Error in marketing. MS made it a few times also, and usually ended up with above reasoning.

This would be true if the sailplane and the DX8 were under the same department; but I suspect Spektrum don't give a hoot about E-flite or Parkzone. Spektrum probably only cares how the 'Year End' looks in their department.

RT

@ Struggleforlife - Sorry I misunderstood the Too much confidence as directed towards me hence why I linked the two year old post.

Actually, RT, we DO care a lot. We're all on the same team. We eat lunch together, play with our models together, and work on technical stuff together. In the end, my pay depends on how well we ALL do, not just Spektrum.

As for our "age" you might not understand that many of the people in Marketing have been around this for 20+ years. They aren't all spring chickens ... The DX8 isn't the first transmitter I ever wrote (more like the fifth), and there are ways to manage software SKUs that don't complicate things too badly. At my last employer I had 8 different SKUs built on a single set of files.

Andy

Originally Posted by AndyKunz

Actually, RT, we DO care a lot. We're all on the same team. We eat lunch together, play with our models together, and work on technical stuff together. In the end, my pay depends on how well we ALL do, not just Spektrum.

As for our "age" you might not understand that many of the people in Marketing have been around this for 20+ years. They aren't all spring chickens ... The DX8 isn't the first transmitter I ever wrote (more like the fifth), and there are ways to manage software SKUs that don't complicate things too badly. At my last employer I had 8 different SKUs built on a single set of files.

Andy

I didn't say you didn't care about each individual. What I'm saying is, if Horizon Hobby is like most other larger companies, every division within is probably their own department; and therefore each division has their own finances to worry about. Or not??

Just like where I worked. We all had the same cafeteria, ate together, played ball together, played cards together, etc; but that didn't mean every department was intertwined. Each department was financially separate.

RT

Not, at least from what I see. We're all working together for the maximum benefit.

Andy