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AMX New Products Release?

viningvining Posts: 4,368
in AMX General Discussion
I got the email from AMX as I'm sure most of you folks got and I found this:
Be sure to stop by booth #2525 during InfoComm next month. AMX will be introducing our largest product launch in 10 years.
Any body got a crystal ball or thoughts about what may be coming?

They also noted that TPC products will now be available direct from AMX and count toward your BS points. That's good cuz in this market every sale $ matters.

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    jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
    I don't have a crystal ball - but I've been hearing chatter that we should be pretty happy about InfoComm.
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    the8thstthe8thst Posts: 470
    jjames wrote: »
    I don't have a crystal ball - but I've been hearing chatter that we should be pretty happy about InfoComm.

    I have heard the same thing. I was told Infocomm and Cedia are both worth attending this year.
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    PhreaKPhreaK Posts: 966
    the8thst wrote: »
    I have heard the same thing. I was told Infocomm and Cedia are both worth attending this year.
    Why does all the cool stuff always happen on the opposite side of the planet. I'm keen to know of any new shiny things as soon as details come to light if anyone attending cares to share.
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    John NagyJohn Nagy Posts: 1,734
    Whatever they announce, they plan to ship within 90 days, that's their rule.
    Three short months of shining unobtanium brilliance...
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    viningvining Posts: 4,368
    John Nagy wrote: »
    Whatever they announce, they plan to ship within 90 days, that's their rule.
    Three short months of shining unobtanium brilliance...
    C'mon, we know you know so forget that NDA and spill the beans! :)
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    John NagyJohn Nagy Posts: 1,734
    I do not have any information on what will be announced. And if I did, I'd deny it.

    My comment was really about how every new product is wonderful until it ships, then a new topic opens here to complain about it.
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    PhreaKPhreaK Posts: 966
    John Nagy wrote: »
    My comment was really about how every new product is wonderful until it ships, then a new topic opens here to complain about it.
    That's not true. Sometimes we complain about it before it ships.
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    jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
    PhreaK wrote: »
    That's not true. Sometimes we complain about it before it ships.
    MVP-9000i == perfect example

    :D
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    ericmedleyericmedley Posts: 4,177
    I'm hoping for a new processor/software/firmware.

    But, we'll probably get a new product line of ice cream machines with interactive touch screens.
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    viningvining Posts: 4,368
    ericmedley wrote: »
    I'm hoping for a new processor/software/firmware.

    But, we'll probably get a new product line of ice cream machines with interactive touch screens.
    Will that be Bullseye program required selling product. If so that will be another product I have no market for selling. I'll buy a demo unit for the office but that's about the best I can do. :) I could buy an newer version every couple of years and put the old unit on Ebay I suppose, ,maybe donate it to a local school, that is of course if ice scream is still allowed in schools.
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    jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
    My wishlist:

    1. An update to Cafe Duet to use a newer version of Java (7 would be awesome, but unlikely.)
    2. A WiFi touch handheld remote (with transport AND number hard buttons!! Gasp!)
    3. A "live" keypad - i.e. buttons with dynamic text
    4. Anything for residential would be a nice welcome.

    I criticize because I care.
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    the8thstthe8thst Posts: 470
    jjames wrote: »
    My wishlist:

    1. An update to Cafe Duet to use a newer version of Java (7 would be awesome, but unlikely.)
    2. A WiFi touch handheld remote (with transport AND number hard buttons!! Gasp!)
    3. A "live" keypad - i.e. buttons with dynamic text
    4. Anything for residential would be a nice welcome.

    I criticize because I care.

    I'll add to that... a major reduction, if not full removal, of a Cafe Duet license.
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    ericmedleyericmedley Posts: 4,177
    the8thst wrote: »
    I'll add to that... a major reduction, if not full removal, of a Cafe Duet license.

    preach it brother!
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    the8thstthe8thst Posts: 470
    Well... I feel kind of stupid now.

    I just called AMX and found out that my company bought a seat of Cafe Duet for the 3rd party programmer they were using before they hired me.

    So... I am downloading and installing Cafe Duet as I type.
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    viningvining Posts: 4,368
    the8thst wrote: »
    Well... I feel kind of stupid now.

    I just called AMX and found out that my company bought a seat of Cafe Duet for the 3rd party programmer they were using before they hired me.

    So... I am downloading and installing Cafe Duet as I type.
    Nice of your company to tell you. :)

    I don't want to use Duet but I would agree that it should be free to dealers. I can't imagine charging a manufacturer that wants to create a Duet module for it either. Sure, maybe they'll sell a couple more units of what ever they make but if I were on the board of that company I'd say screw them. Anyone that provides AMX modules is empowering AMX dealers and they should be charged a fee on top of that.
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    Spire_JeffSpire_Jeff Posts: 1,917
    vining wrote: »
    I don't want to use Duet but I would agree that it should be free to dealers.

    I believe the licensing fee is because AMX does not own the development software and has to pay a licensing fee to use the software. If they did not have a fee associated with the product, then everyone would download it, install it, play with it for 30 minutes, decide that they don't want to learn something new and never open it again. Now AMX has just paid licensing fees on software that is not helping anyone and is not generating any RoI. I have said it before, and I say it now... if you are serious about developing with Duet and the cost of a license is the main thing holding you back, talk with your rep explain your side of the story (without whining is generally best :) ).

    Jeff
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    the8thstthe8thst Posts: 470
    Both Eclipse and Java were free the last time I checked.
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    Spire_JeffSpire_Jeff Posts: 1,917
    Are they free for business use? A lot of the "free" software out there is free as long as you are not selling something based on the software that is licensed. I am not a lawyer, so this is all me playing TV lawyer, but the last time I check on some "free" software (MySQL server), there is a lot of interpretation of the license to determine if it is really free. I really don't know the answer, but I am interested in factual information regarding the topic if anyone has a definitive link.

    The other cost of the software is in tech support, so I will add to my previous timeline .... everyone would download it, install it, call tech support because there is an install problem, play with it for 30 minutes, call tech support and ask why it doesn't just work with NetLinx code, play with it another 10 minutes, decide that they don't want to learn something new and never open it again.

    I apologize if I come off as (insert colorful term here), I am just trying to present a different side of the story. I have also been having a particularly "interesting" week at work :)

    Jeff
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    rfletcherrfletcher Posts: 217
    the8thst wrote: »
    Both Eclipse and Java were free the last time I checked.

    iirc that's not true for java for embedded devices
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    viningvining Posts: 4,368
    Spire_Jeff wrote: »
    I apologize if I come off as (insert colorful term here), I am just trying to present a different side of the story. I have also been having a particularly "interesting" week at work :)
    Jeff
    No problem. Nice to see you're still around since you've been quiet lately.

    If AMX has to pay licensing fees then they should definitely pass on those cost to the end user for the reasons you described but if they're just trying to recoup developement costs then maybe not.
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    jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
    vining wrote: »
    No problem. Nice to see you're still around since you've been quiet lately.

    If AMX has to pay licensing fees then they should definitely pass on those cost to the end user for the reasons you described but if they're just trying to recoup developement costs then maybe not.
    While it'd be nice to be free - we all do know there is no such thing as a free lunch, right? That being said, it's just numbers, you can increase your programming rate slightly, or add in a few extra hours of labor throughout a year to make up the cost of the license. There's always a way to pass on the cost to someone else.
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    viningvining Posts: 4,368
    jjames wrote: »
    While it'd be nice to be free - we all do know there is no such thing as a free lunch, right? That being said, it's just numbers, you can increase your programming rate slightly, or add in a few extra hours of labor throughout a year to make up the cost of the license. There's always a way to pass on the cost to someone else.
    The cost per se doesn't bother me, it's more a matter of "if" they should be charging dealers to use it. Basically it's the same as TPD4 or NS3 as it is a tool used by dealers to sell AMX products so AMX gets its rewards by empowering dealers to do their job and hopefully do their job better than with out it. Now as SpireJeff stated there's probably a lincensing fee that AMX has to pay and if this is indeed the case they have to charge at least for that fee so they're not pissing away money for the reason he eluded to. Why should AMX have to pay xx amount of dollars for every Tom, Dick and Jane (Harry) that just downloads it but never uses it. That wouldn't make sense and for that reason they should charge but putting that aside any additional cost for the software should be waived since it is at that point just another tool like NS3 and TPD4 that is used to make AMX money through their dealers or through manufacturers that want to empower us dealers by providing AMX modules. I don't think any company that provides us modules is going to see any significant increase in sales by virtue of providing that module.

    Believe me if I didn't want to waste money I wouldn't be in this part of the biz since this is the part of the biz that sucks the profits from the rest of it. This however is the part I like so I don't do things based on profits but what I can do that affords me my addiction.
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    John NagyJohn Nagy Posts: 1,734
    Often the fees for such a tool are based on what it costs to support it. I think we've been told that support eats 50% of revenue across the board at AMX. A "free" tool that needs training and handholding is very costly to offer, and if lots of "dabblers" pick it up and each asks just one question, the support staff would be overwhelmed... and such dabbling may or may not cause sales. That's where CRM statistics start to dictate policy. Like it did when they showed that the dealers who spend the least with AMX use the most support time... you know what happened next.

    Of course, this might argue for making it free without support, sink or swim or ask on the forum...
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    Jorde_VJorde_V Posts: 393
    John Nagy wrote: »
    Often the fees for such a tool are based on what it costs to support it. I think we've been told that support eats 50% of revenue across the board at AMX. A "free" tool that needs training and handholding is very costly to offer, and if lots of "dabblers" pick it up and each asks just one question, the support staff would be overwhelmed... and such dabbling may or may not cause sales. That's where CRM statistics start to dictate policy. Like it did when they showed that the dealers who spend the least with AMX use the most support time... you know what happened next.

    Of course, this might argue for making it free without support, sink or swim or ask on the forum...

    UK support when it comes to programming or the tools is nothing to write home about. I only call when the need arises and I can't figure it out on my own, and time is of the essence. Never did get anything useful out of them though.
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