Drowsiness
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Not sure where the hilarity is in this thread, but thanks for your insights!
Home Patrol / The cost thread...
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Not sure where the hilarity is in this thread, but thanks for your insights!
RadioDaze
Member
"This really old man goes to the doctor and says, 'Hey, Doc - I can't pee.' The doctor looks at him and says, 'Eh, you've peed enough.'"
There's your hilarity.
Meanwhile, it seems that the new standard for GPS units is a 4.3" screen. I wonder if there was a large surplus of OEM 3.5" screens, giving Uniden an opportunity on costs?
There's your hilarity.
Meanwhile, it seems that the new standard for GPS units is a 4.3" screen. I wonder if there was a large surplus of OEM 3.5" screens, giving Uniden an opportunity on costs?
Drowsiness
Member
Yeah, even my 2 year old Navigon has a 4.3" screen and was only $180 at the time, far cheaper than any other unit with the same features.
Anyway, here's to hoping that Uniden follows suit!
Looking at Uniden's target market, looks to be the new to the scanning, Sold at Walmarts, Target, K-Mart, Sears.......... they must keep this unit under $ 300.00 or it will not sell or return to the stores in mass when the new to scanning can not hear what is in the marketing material
mikepdx
Member
The name Home Patrol sounds like something out of the 1973 Radio Shack catalog.
They should have thought up a less hokey name.
I say $350-450 - maybe a bit more thanks to P25 & GPS features.
Nevertheless, they sorely need to undercut everyone else.
They should have thought up a less hokey name.
I say $350-450 - maybe a bit more thanks to P25 & GPS features.
Nevertheless, they sorely need to undercut everyone else.
RadioDaze
Member
The name does seem to suggest a particular target audience, doesn't it?
Viper43
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I love all the speculation but besides R&D there are lots of other costs involved in any product, and I'm sure there are numerous patents involved in the HomePatrol and those aren't cheap. Some R&D on the patents alone could have taken years, those costs need to be recouped as well.
The funny thing in this thread though is the whinning about the screen size. So it's 3.5 instead of 4.3", were not even talking about an inch here. The fact is that this unit was probably on the drawing boards back when 3.5" was the standard. The design didn't occur overnight, it took months and years. I also find the comments and assumptions about the unit being the same as the 396XT with a touch screen amusing when no specs are known, who knows, it may have completely different circuitry than 396XT thats all new. Considering the touch screen, SD card and so forth I would actually think it does use different circuitry and therefore it would cost the same or more since the design would have been from scratch instead of taking from previously designed units.
V
The funny thing in this thread though is the whinning about the screen size. So it's 3.5 instead of 4.3", were not even talking about an inch here. The fact is that this unit was probably on the drawing boards back when 3.5" was the standard. The design didn't occur overnight, it took months and years. I also find the comments and assumptions about the unit being the same as the 396XT with a touch screen amusing when no specs are known, who knows, it may have completely different circuitry than 396XT thats all new. Considering the touch screen, SD card and so forth I would actually think it does use different circuitry and therefore it would cost the same or more since the design would have been from scratch instead of taking from previously designed units.
V
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What if this was priced at the cost of a 996XT/396XT, and the price of those dropped? That seems likely to me. Ease of use and design is something people often pay extra for. For example (and I know this is a really bad one) an Apple iPad costs two times plus as much as an Atom Notebook, and the argument could be made that the Atom notebooks are significantly more capable. It is all in the marketing. When you explain to Joe (as that is the example we have been using) that this has "special technology" (a decoder for an open source format) that allows the user to hear more than what is normally capable of being heard by most scanners they may be willing to fork over a little more. Also the digital capability gives this unit a huge advantage over the GRE/RS equivalent.
I just hope that it is a pleasant unit to use in a mobile setting, and also that down the road "advanced" firmware will allow a power user to take advantage of touchscreen as an interface, but not have the unit "dumbed down" at all.
I just hope that it is a pleasant unit to use in a mobile setting, and also that down the road "advanced" firmware will allow a power user to take advantage of touchscreen as an interface, but not have the unit "dumbed down" at all.
So far, no one's commented on the potential for pricing of the updates. Sucking down the information, processing it, and posting it are going to cost some money. Think this will be rolled into the unit cost? Or will there be a monthly fee?
Why do you think that costs money? I run a basic server 24/7 that is using maybe 5% of its potential. It could do that number crunching and not cost anyone a penny. I would have to imagine that Uniden has a few computers sitting somewhere that aren't at 100% usage 365 days a year?
Because the computer costs money. The internet connection costs money. IT supporting the machine consts money. Writing the code to suck down and process the RR.com information costs money...
...and because it is a revenue stream for the company.
...and because it is a revenue stream for the company.
Viper43
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how is it a revenue stream for Uniden? no one has said anything about charging (or not charging) for updates, but I doubt they will since GRE isn't. So how does that make it a money maker assuming it's free? It instead would cost money, money that needs to be recouped to cover the exspenses to make their profit margine.
V
V
If they charge for the update it is a revenue stream for the company.
Independent of whether they charge a subscription fee for the data, obtaining it, and processing it cost the company money.
Since the HP1 is already out there, I assume software has been written and deployed on their servers.
So as mentioned above - their cost is likely done. I'm not sure of how better to explain this, but when you have a computer that is on but not using 100% of its resources, it doesn't cost you a penny additional to use some of its resources.
Since the HP1 requires RRDB interaction, and given the background of Uniden, I think it's fairly off the wall to believe that Uniden would charge to get the data required to use the radio.
So as mentioned above - their cost is likely done. I'm not sure of how better to explain this, but when you have a computer that is on but not using 100% of its resources, it doesn't cost you a penny additional to use some of its resources.
Since the HP1 requires RRDB interaction, and given the background of Uniden, I think it's fairly off the wall to believe that Uniden would charge to get the data required to use the radio.
There will be no charge for database updates.
Dang - conspiracy theory shot in the foot...
I know UPman has already stated no pricing, but just to close the loop...
Here is a reference. Escort charges you a subscription fee to access a 'points of interest' database that warns you of speed traps and red light cameras:
DEFENDER® Database Subscriptions - Escort Inc.
Second, the HP1 database is a supported product. It will need to be supported. If the machine goes down, it will need to be fixed. If there is a bug in the program, it will need to be fixed. THis isn't some hobby site that can be run ad hoc. Consider the hoopla when RR.com goes down.
Anway, if the HP1 software isn't supported, the HP1 will fail. Uniden can't simply rely on tech saavy users or the natural curiosity of freeware authors to support a product that is dead in the water because lack of software suppport...
Drowsiness
Member
If the 996XT and 396XT prices came down to a respectable price range after this thing is released, I would probably snatch a few up for myself and family. But I don't see it happening... I mean, as long as these digital capable radios have been around there has been very little price change. Looking at the wiki, a quick glance shows at least since 2004. That is six years now and the prices are still half a grand? I am sorry, but it's a bit on the ridiculous side for tech to not become more affordable as time passes.
Anyway, yeah, I would buy the 396XT for myself if the prices came down after HPs release.
In 2004 you could have 1000 channels / banked digital trunking.
In 2006 you could get 9,000 channels / DMA trunking / Close Call / GPS Control / Fire Tone-Out.
In 2009 bump that up to 25,000 channels / DND modes / Enhanced GPS control / Unit ID Display / Band Scope / Channel Number Tagging...
Meanwhile, there have been no significant increases in the price.
Now we come to HomePatrol:
Virtually unlimited channels (1MB of channels at a time...) / Ultimate GPS Control / Simple to use / 3.5-inch LCD Touchscreen / One-Touch Recording / ...
In 2006 you could get 9,000 channels / DMA trunking / Close Call / GPS Control / Fire Tone-Out.
In 2009 bump that up to 25,000 channels / DND modes / Enhanced GPS control / Unit ID Display / Band Scope / Channel Number Tagging...
Meanwhile, there have been no significant increases in the price.
Now we come to HomePatrol:
Virtually unlimited channels (1MB of channels at a time...) / Ultimate GPS Control / Simple to use / 3.5-inch LCD Touchscreen / One-Touch Recording / ...
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