rtitmuss;259266 Wrote: > I can't really discuss part costs etc. but the DAC and accelerometer > really don't add up to a large cost. Certainly adding a bigger touch > screen would increase the cost even without the 'extraneous' parts.
I agree, touch screens are very pricey, but they also contribute to the perceived value of a device for consumers. The smaller screen on the controller and slightly cheap feeling scroll wheel, when compared to the iTouch's really slick interface, makes the iTouch look a better proposition. The DAC and accelerometer may not add much component cost, but are they contributing much in terms of value to the end user? Perhaps a few people might use them, but I'm not sure we all would, but we all have to pay for the additional R&D and design costs as well as the component costs. I'm assuming that you had to consider, design and plan the features, so it isn't just raw part costs. Even if it saved only a few cents for each controller, that's a lot on the bottom line if you sell a lot of them. I also feel that there is a slight conflict of market direction within the product. It has components to allow geeky developers like me to create new features, yet seems to be targeting an audience that want a fit and forget package - those that would have bought Sonos gear. So we have something that tries to be easy to use, but confuses with no obvious entry point for a beginner. I'm asked "how do I use this?" rather than "This is cool, I can find all the songs I like!". Most people just want to listen to music and want a controller that does just that. It's a consumer product sold as a package, so why is there so much to fiddle with and set up? Why doesn't it just work out of the box like the TV or DVD player? We may feel that's unreasonable comment, but it's typical. Most people prefer simplicity and I thought that's where this product could score. At the moment it feels unfocused and overly complex. There are just too many options visible and the main reason for buying it is often hard to find. rtitmuss;259266 Wrote: > Interesting when discussing this with a friend a few days ago they much > preferred the SBC for use in the home. They thought that an iTouch was > much more likely to be missing (borrowed by his girl friend for > example) when he needed it.So... he prefers it because it's less attractive > to his partner. Not exactly a great marketing message! "Buy the controller, she'll hate it!":-) Perhaps making it camouflage with a belt clip would really make sure no-one else used it! Sadly, it reflects my own experience. My family would run off with an iTouch, but they have steadfastly ignored the controller, even when it's been explained what it's for. Their major complaints are; "there are all these menu options, where's the music?" "How do I find this song?" "What's a player?" It raises some good points for me. Why do I need to say which player to use if I only have one? Why do I need to set it up at all? I understand why I have to tell it which WiFi network to use, but surely it knows where the player is, they came in the same box! I don't need to name it unless I have more than one, so it suggests to me that set-up and menu structure should be radically simplified for that use case, which is likely to be a common one. One final comment. Within my family and circle, the controller gets directly compared with the iPod/iTunes experience, not a Sonos or other network player experience. So whilst the controller may be better than obvious competitors, it's not a better experience with those players that most people are familiar with, which is why my family grumble. -- CardinalFang ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CardinalFang's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=962 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=41024 _______________________________________________ jive mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/jive
