On a personal note, not speaking for URC, this thread reminds me of a business anecdote I learned about perhaps a decade ago.

One of the major American auto manufacturers (I don't recall which for certain, but I think it was Chrysler, and I am pretty sure this story was in reference to the creation of the PT Cruiser) was having lackluster sales across their product line. Their business model required that they take customer polls to determine which of their vehicle concepts would move from mock-up to the showroom floor. They knew that you can't please all the people all the time, so what they looked for in making this decision was for a concept car to get an average customer rating of 5-7 out of 10.

After extensive research into their poor sales numbers, they figured out that the way they were interpreting the poll data was causing their problems. By seeking a mid-range number, they were creating cars that were appealing to many people, but they were just average, "5-7 out of 10" designs. Someone very smart in the organization convinced them to instead look at the polarity in the data, not the average of it.

The result was that the manufacturer started looking for concept cars that received very split ratings: very strong weighting towards "I love it" and towards "I hate it!" Specifically, they started looking for designs that had very few customer opinions anywhere in the 4-7 range. Why? Because the polarized data meant that people either loved it or hated it, but... the end result is that cars with mid-range scores evoked no passion in buyers, so those cars tended to sell mostly to utilitarian drivers.

But the designs that evoked polarized responses had such strong responses on the "I love it" end of the scale, that the "I love it" people bought more cars than the utilitarian-minded drivers of the average-scoring cars.

Sales increased, and other auto manufacturers took note. We've all noticed that automotive designs have gotten more adventurous in the last decade. There are tons of cars on the road that you absolutely hate, and a few that you absolutely love.

In my opinion, the moral of the story is that the best products are not designed to meet the needs or desires of the broadest possible group of consumers. The best products are designed to meet a specific need or passion very, very well.

Again, I'm not speaking for URC here; I've been a member of this forum years longer than I've worked for URC. But personally, I'm happy to see that the MX-810 and ProWizard are evoking strong reactions.

ProWizard was designed to reach a particular goal, and the software helps you get there quickly with minimal training. If you're okay with that goal, the MX-810 is an amazing bottleneck reliever that lets you take on more jobs with your existing staff. We're getting ecstatic reactions from those dealers.

But dealers who have their own goal in mind (generally very well-thought-out solutions that they've grown accustomed to providing for their customers) will be very frustrated indeed if they try to make ProWizard arrive at that predetermined goal. I liken it to a highly skilled American football player stepping onto a European rugby field for the first time without being given the chance to learn, or practice, the new rules. Sure, you're highly skilled, and the game is similar, but ultimately, the rules and goal are different. Once you learn to play by the different rules, you will become a skilled and experienced player at both games.

And yes, that polarity I mentioned above means that some dealers are naturally going to dislike the alternate choice. But if reactions at trade shows and in orders taken are any indication, the MX-810 is going to have quite a following. It's not "right" or "wrong" to see the MX-810 as a good solution for your customers: it's just a matter of your own preferences, experience, and programming style as dictated by the needs of your clients.

If the MX-810 doesn't fit into your model, take a look at our other products. Our development efforts are driven by installers' needs; there's a very good chance that we've got something now, or coming very soon, in the category you're looking for.

My apology for the very long post, and best regards,
Dale