Anyone have any info/experience with this company?

Scary as it is to embrace a new company, this one looks promising. I like that they have a turnkey approach to a whole-house system. They have a hardware cabinet and the software drivers for a limited number of the best subsystems in all the major categories. Other startups in the past failed because they tried to support ALL subsystems.

Best of all, their Web server modules ("bricks") let third party mfrs or savvy dealers write drivers that will IP-enable their products. The HomeLogic system, then, automatically populates its UI to incorporate these products.

Similar concept as In2 Networks (working with B&W/Rotel), Extron, and a few others, but HomeLogic has a nice base package that incorporates the most popular whole-house apps.
-julie

Thanks Julie,

The main thing that worries me about this (and similar products) is their reliance on a Windows based OS to work.

I don't want to be stopping by every week or two (for enternity) to reboot the system!

I am a HomeLogic dealer (A Plus Electronics - www.apluselectronics.com) and I have one installed in my showroom. I have also installed a large system (retro fit) for a customer and have sold 3 other systems (prewireing soon on new construction jobs). I love this system and can't say enough about the company.

I too was leary about a Windows server based system. But after having one in my showrrom since April, I have to say that my fears have vanished.

For 1 thing: It is really an XP imbedded appliance. Essentially HomeLogic has stripped everything out of XP that is not neccessary to drive thier system and the result is a very clean registry. This is not a computer that the customer can use for anything other than HomeLogic's "OneHome" system.

But in the event a "reboot" is necessary, the dealer can reboot the system from their office (over the internet). In fact, all of the "soft changes" in HomeLogic's "Configurator" can be done over the internet w/o a truck roll.

But I believe Julie's 2nd paragraph is NOT true (maybe I'm wrong Julie but you might verify this with the folks at HomeLogic). AFAIK, only HomeLogic writes their "plug-ins" for all of the subsystem and their system is not based on an open source. However I could be wrong on this, but I know all the guys at HomeLogic and I don't ever recall them discussing opening up their code.

But the beauty of the system is that it is IP based (finally a Home Automation standard that we know will be around for a while) and the hardware is based on Win CE touchscreens (but could also be XP touchscreens) sitting on the Home Network, talking to a very reliable XP server also sitting on the Home Network.

And the real bottom line is the stuff really works. I pound on this system every day at my showroom (Ademco security; April Aire thermostats; Pansonic IP cameras; Russound CAV6 with ST2 XM tuner; MP3 serving and much more). Soon to be adding a Vantage lighting system (first got to get rid of my old Lutron HomeWorks system). It rarely hiccups and I am very picky about problematic equipement. I don't feel comfortable putting in systems in customer's homes that are prone to even slight problems. I can honestly say that I have no reservations, whatsoever, about installing this sytem in any of my customer's homes. Finally a system the we dealer's can sink out teeth into!!!


John

John that's an impressive testimonial.

One question though. What happens if the power goes out for 12 or 24 hours? What do you have to do to get the system back up?

The server is designed to boot back up upon power up (keep in mind that this is more of an XP "appliance" than a computer, much more reliable and stable. I put a UPS on my servers but in reality, it is not necessary. The UPS is simply to keep the server going for short power outages not 12 or 14 hours. I have had the HomeLogic server at a customer's home boot back up (on it's own) after a 2 hour power outage. It was a longer outage than the UPS could handle. The HL configurator also allows the server to work in conjucntion with the UPS so that it does a shut down when UPS detects a power outage and send you an email before it shuts down. It will then power back up when power is restored and send you an email informing you of such!

Actually I have other hardware that is less tolerant of power outages than HomeLogic! It simply is not an issue. I would encourage you to give HomeLogic a call for all your specific questions. But if you have any other real world concerns feel free to post more questions.

This is a very cool system and if you are looking for a reliable IP control system that you can simply plug in and configure w/o being a Java or Flaash programmer, I don't believe they have a peer (not even Control4). If you are looking for something that you have to program and tinker with to the ends of the earth, then HomeLogic is NOT for you.

A few gripes, is that they need more sizes of touch screens (and they are working on that). I also wish their MP3 interface (which is actually very cool) had an "all tracks/random play" feature (something they are also suppoedly working on)