Aimulator64

can you say that on bike forums?

Tulex

See what happens when you kill an iCad Foo thread?

waterrockets 

No, no, this was on wikipedia, so it must be true. That's what I get for arguing from the google results page between compile/test runs on my Android app

Ugh. I think I'm going to write some iPad viruses this weekend. Too bad they don't have vibrate -- it would be cool to have it wake up in the middle of the night and vibrate itself off the kitchen counter. Stay tuned.

Anyway, my point stands that rarely is a revolutionary product announced long before release, then released on time.

The iPad's release date was never announced, so it has no horse in this race.

This is the nature of commercializing R&D.

Psimet2001 

The quality power meters on the market that are actually reliable and perform well have taken many iterations to arrive at what they are. When asked multiple times about the viability of this system I always said the same thing - "IF it actually becomes available for use or hits the market it won't really be a reliable and useful unit for many generations of development. That timing won't be close to what they are estimating now either."

If it does ever get to market it won't be until at least the end of 2011 and then it will be a few generations of units with key flaws until at least 2013-2015.

I predict the company will go bankrupt or sell off their work LONG before then. The partnership with Speedplay is obviously not going to work out and knowing how Speedplay works their withdraw is an indication that Speedplay doubts the end viability of the product, the money isn't there for real development or deployment, the company has unreal estimations or expectations. All indications that this thing is going South.

Aimulator64

There are a few hills on which ifart because ipush too hard

markymark69

I typically stay out of pissing matches on forums...but this one I cannot resist.

Napster...not iPod.

Im going to assume it has been quite a few years since you have been to college. I assure you..quite a few students had MP3 player and doing peer-peer long before iPods. Before iTunes it was winamp on campus.

merlinextraligh

I really don't want to believe that, but I think you're likely right.

Homebrew01

You must be getting pretty bored to get sucked into these 41 troll threads !

roadiejorge 

I like the idea of a power meter in the pedal spindles but I completely agree about a product taking several generations before the issues are resolved to the point it is an accurate and dependable product. I usually wait a few years until I buy products like these for the reason stated above but also for the price point to drop.

Psimet2001 

+1 - It is innovators like these that keep our sport alive from the technical side and I hate to see them fail, but it seems like - as with most industries - the true innovators tend to never really have a good idea for what is really involved tactically in bringing the idea to market or the $$ and time involved.

patentcad

Whatever you say WR.

I have a unicorn ranch.

patentcad

It's quite possible that they won't be able to overcome the engineering challenges of their design when they try to implement it in real-world conditions. It will be interesting to see what they come up with. Again, it would be good for everybody if they do succeed.

gsteinb

If only apple made powermeters we could all own functional touchpad powermeters/iPod/iPhones that cost twice as much as an srm and were obsoleted in 18 months.

jwible

My guess is the strain gauge tube has to be epoxied in the spindle to get accurate readings. I don't think this would work with spindles that don't have wrench flats as you wouldn't want to jam a hex wrench into the electronics end to torque the pedal. And I'm thinking Speedplay didn't want to redesign the spindles to accommodate the needs to metrigear.

Tulex

I have a red pencil box.

jwible

But you could get an app that could calculate how many KJs it would take to get to the nearest coffee shop.

patentcad

WR is the guy who thinks Corvettes are as fast as Formula One cars. Bear this in mind.

Tulex

It would come with an app so your iPod would call you a wuss under preset power levels.

Tulex

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/f1-2010/id306906440?mt=8

gsteinb

I love my apple stuff. But I'm long past spending good money on the latest and greatest from them. 2nd gen frequently replaces or adds significant changes, and the price usually drops. Hell when I replace my MacBook pro I'll almost certainly go refurb.

patentcad

Incorrect.

Apple has a long track record of holding price (particularly on laptops) and bumping the memory, processor speed, etc. In other words they add value, but at the same price. That's a long standing practice with Apple. Price drops are very slow compared to other tech companies, that's how Apple sustains profitability in a business that is notorious for tight profit margins.

MacBook Pro prices have slowly edged down, but a 15" version still lists for $1700, 2-3x the price of a decent Windows machine (if there is such a thing).

But let's not let reality and simple facts stand in the way of a perfectly good 41 Flame Out.

roadiejorge 

Amen. I've become really selective as to what technology I spend my money on and the criteria is all based on functionality in my day-to-day rather than novelty.

patentcad

By the way, that $1700 MacBook Pro can be had at the discount places for closer to $1500, maybe you can find a refurbished or slightly used model for under $1400.

Homebrew01

One question I have about pedal based PM. Wouldn't you get slightly inflated readings under certain circumstances when you have weight on the pedals, but no force applied to the hub ? For example, standing & stretching & softpedaling. It may not amount to much over the course of a ride .... just wondering.

tsohg

+1

While it's true that the iPod really opened the flood gates to the non-technical masses, anyone who had experience with MP3s and MP3 players- even CD based players- quickly recognized that MP3 or another similar compression format was the way of the future. If iPod hadn't come along, you'd just see more Creative, iRiver, Microsoft, etc. players to fill the void.

Apple's industrial design is second to none and the iPod interface is/was very innovative.

Apple laptops keep their value exceptionally well in the secondary market, but you can pay less for the previous-gen device and not be missing out on too much for exactly the same reason you mention (they incrementally improve technical specs or tweak the styling).