patentcad

OK, so whatever happened to that alleged power meter in the pedal spindles? You know the one that 8 months ago half the idiots here were berating me for not buying instead of a Powertap. Which was odd at the time since you couldn't actually buy the thing. I haven't heard anything about this lately.

So?

patentcad

As usual, I have to answer my own friggin questions. In other words, don't hold your breath.




Utter, total, complete, friggin V A P O R W A R E.

guadzilla

Meh, you can be happy to be proven right - I'm bummed that it got delayed. The independent L/R pedaling analysis would have been very useful for me...

patentcad

My point has always been that when you see a press release about some alleged future product, assume it won't be available or worth your time until it's on the market, in the stores, and people have actually used the thing. Until then it's really vaporware.

I've seen this show before. Too many times. Particularly in the software business, where the term originated. I've been in my business for 20 years. If I had $10 for every vaporware episode I've been through on the computer side, I could buy you all coffee @ Starbucks.

The really stupid part is that people were really insisting I should buy this new product last Fall instead of the wireless Powertap. You know, the one that may be available in 2010. Or maybe not. And we're halfway through the year already. Very happy with Psimet's Ptap Zipp wheel set. It has made my Power Meter life much easier.

guadzilla

^^ Fair enough.

Although I do think the term vaporware, as a pejorative, really only applies once a few deadlines have been missed - as in, now - that's just splitting hairs. Your point stands.

Gluteus

Even if it was released in the near future (which won't happen), the prudent thing to do IMO would be to wait 6 months to year after it hits the market, for all the bugs to be fixed, the competitors to adjust their prices, etc.

gsteinb

https://www.metrigear.com/news/

patentcad

Vaporware is not so much the company's fault in this case - more the fault of bike weenies who seem to think some cutting edge product from a tiny company is going to be on the market soon, and this preposterous presumption that it will be reliable and work as advertised before anyone they know has any experience with it. In the software business it's almost always the company promoting a product that then takes months and months to actually materialize.

I hope these Metrigear guys succeed, the more competition in the power meter market, the better for everyone. But a pedal spindle is a tough place for those delicate electronics. Maybe they can pull it off. The field testing is going to be the hard part, and my guess is that they're finding that out right now.

Urthwhyte

To be fair, I don't recall anyone saying don't buy the PT. What people did say was that product announcement but no product =/= vaporware, an assertion I stand by.

Kotts

aaaaand you got into this thread how?

guadzilla

There's already indications that this is coming true - apparently, they may not launch on Speedplays after all, so there are problems.

gsteinb

his posts look like this.


his threads still appear on the main menu though. you should try it. that and titanium membership make BF a truly kick ass experience.

WhyFi

Yeah, but, because of the ignore, you posted the same "news" link that pcad posted...

...I'm not sayin'- I'm just sayin'...

gsteinb

that's pretty hardcore.

patentcad

Fixed for accuracy.

patentcad

We should have an upgrade to carbon fiber membership which would mercifully ban you from BF for life. That would be the ultimate BF Membership Upgrade.

datlas 

Wait, going from Ti to CF is an upgrade? I think not.

grwoolf

Another note on Metrigear - It looks like their original direction/partnership with Speedplay pedals has changed course. The latest word is that the powermeters will be incorporated into non-specific pedal spindles. It might still be Speedplay, but I'm guessing that whatever agreement Speeplay and Metrigear had in place is falling apart. This is not unusual as product launches are delayed and partners start going sideways. I'd be curious to know what is going on behind the scenes there.

waterrockets 

Their schedule is slipping, it's not like it's Duke Nukem Forever or anything. Sheesh. Same thing happened with Quarq.

I challenge you to find me a revolutionary product announcement in any industry that was delivered on time.

patentcad

That's not much of a challenge WR.

patentcad

Hey don't get me wrong, I'm all for this product. My observations are not so much about Metrigear, it's regarding the bike weenies here.

If these guys can pull this off it will be very impressive. I hope they bring a reliable and competitive product to market. Looks great on paper. I'll actually be amazed if this gizmo comes out and works well.

WhyFi

^^^ I KNEW that was coming!


But it doesn't qualify - it wasn't announced and then released on the date specified; it was sprung on us like a surprise pile of dog poo in a barefoot lawn.

waterrockets 

Note that I said "revolutionary" product. iPad's about as revolutionary as a McRib sandwich that gets re-released every year. Tablets are not new. Apple didn't even mention the iPhone at CES 2006, the year before its release.

And as WhyFi states, show me the date claims before the release...

patentcad

Profoundly incorrect.


There were MP3 players before the iPod. Did hardly anybody actually have one? The iPod ushered in the demise of the CD.


You'll see.

gsteinb

How is it an observation of folks here and not yourself? You're the one who started the thread. Seemed this topic slipped away quite a while ago.