Thanks for the information. I have no problem if it's a brick-and-mortar store to go get one of the units, ask questions, etc.
My only problem with this whole "available to professional installers only" slant is that this is reminiscent of the earlier computer days gone by where the computer was considered to be "too complicated for the average user so don't go beyond this". Early adopters, like myself, tinkered, experimented, *learned* and then, I did what any mentor should do.....I taught others. It was nothing as if some of my friends were making this "mysterious" box out to be. Things like "It's too hard, you should not do this or that" just did not sit well with me and some were just downright lies. Sure, DOS was a bit cryptic, but not terribly hard to learn. You just had to invest a little of your time to learn the commands. Some things were easier than others but that was just the way it was. Ever try to understand Photoshop? It still has quite the learning curve but it pays off in the end if you just invest some of your own time to experiment.
However, my whole position on this is: service, service, service. As I taught, people came back to me for help and assistance, and word of mouth got around that I was a person who could help others. This is my fundamental position in life. You help others, others will refer more help to you and you have a growing business. Therefore, if I buy something from an owner who is willing to sell, support and maybe do a little handholding, I'm taking my business back to them and you can bet I'm going to refer anyone and everyone to that owner. That is fundamental to growing a business, a service.
So, this "mysterious" NevoSL is just another programming device like a Pronto that simply takes time and effort to learn and understand. It may certainly have some complex elements that need to be understood, but to restrict it to the "holy professional installer" is a disservice and frankly, an insult to my intelligence. No insult intended to those professional installers out there! However, look at when the Pronto arrived, forums like this one popped up and provided real help and assistance. There are a great many people here that provide lots of assistance and it has helped to grow the Pronto. The NevoSl really looks to be a great device; I just simply disagree with the positioning of the device by UEI. Will I but one...probably, it looks to be a great device. But I think that UEI is simply restricting the device to a limited market and could do better by the customer by making it widely available to the "general public" by a good sales and support team. Phillips does it here by proxy, but I have serious issues regarding their QC of the Pronto.
Bottom line, *I* will decide where my money is spent. Let's face it....$800 is a hunk of change and I don't just throw money away.
Sorry for the rant here guys.......must have been too much soda earlier in the day...no flame intended here....
This message was edited by pclark on 11/09/05 09:44 ET.
