To all those unhappy with the iDevice requirement

[Chachi_RC]

Well, I'll put my $.02 in about wishing/hoping for a Droid app of some kind, but I am not complaining in any way. That said, an idea for all interested would be Game Stop. Yes, the video game retailer has started taking iDevices in on trade and selling used ones as well. That may be a cheaper way to get the device you need, and pay less than new for it.

[jaman]

The purpose of the app is to give you much easier access to its pro-level tuning features and enable telemetry. It's main function is not a warning-dispenser.

When clicking through the various "I agree" buttons to unlock the 100mph speed capability, we DO require that the user agree to re-lock the XO-1 if they decide to sell it or gift it. Our absolute highest concern is that people respect the car and behave responsibly with it so they don't hurt themselves or someone else--not because of lawsuit avoidance, but because dang, we just don't want to see anybody get hurt anywhere, ever. We are particularly strident with the XO-1 because it is SO fast, but all Traxxas manuals have strong safety warnings. A 30mph Slash can hurt you if you do something stupid. We don't want our hobby to get a black eye, and we don't want anyone to literally get a black eye.

Unfortunately, some people need to be told "don't be stupid," but there's no gurantee--just search FAIL on YouTube.

I totaly agree.... When i was little i was watching a guy run his rc up and down the street fast, his boy went out and was jumping when the rc would get close and let the rc go under him, well needless to say he didnt jump in time and it shattered his left shin at maybe 30mph, now tell me what would happen if he was hit at 100+mph....

[deanwrx]

I totaly agree.... When i was little i was watching a guy run his rc up and down the street fast, his boy went out and was jumping when the rc would get close and let the rc go under him, well needless to say he didnt jump in time and it shattered his left shin at maybe 30mph, now tell me what would happen if he was hit at 100+mph....

Natural Selection

[revomikey]

I totaly agree.... When i was little i was watching a guy run his rc up and down the street fast, his boy went out and was jumping when the rc would get close and let the rc go under him, well needless to say he didnt jump in time and it shattered his left shin at maybe 30mph, now tell me what would happen if he was hit at 100+mph....

That's why it's got a skill level 10. It's not intended for newbies or idiots.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Carbonmaxx]

I think its a great idea that the incorporate the iphone/ipod touch into the controller It should work very well. But think about the size of most android phones, they have 4.3inches screens and up. Imagine you have your Galaxy S II on the controller it would look so big and obnoxious. Also if you realize not all apps in the android market place can be used on any android devices because there are so much different variation to the android device in screen size and hardware that they would have to make multiple versions of the traxxas software to be compatible. I say if you the car and willing to shell out the 1K price on it then spend another 100 bucks on a used ipod touch from craigslist and your set, then you can leave your android phone on the charger cause you know it needs a charge lol..........my 2cents

[jaman]

I also think that you should hold a drivers license to purchase and drive this car.

[deanwrx]

Very good point. And with a car this capable, you do not want multiple versions of software which could result in bugs and dangerous consequences. From a liability standpoint, its very smart.

I think its a great idea that the incorporate the iphone/ipod touch into the controller It should work very well. But think about the size of most android phones, they have 4.3inches screens and up. Imagine you have your Galaxy S II on the controller it would look so big and obnoxious. Also if you realize not all apps in the android market place can be used on any android devices because there are so much different variation to the android device in screen size and hardware that they would have to make multiple versions of the traxxas software to be compatible. I say if you the car and willing to shell out the 1K price on it then spend another 100 bucks on a used ipod touch from craigslist and your set, then you can leave your android phone on the charger cause you know it needs a charge lol..........my 2cents

[pavmentsurfer]

^^ It could end up like toyota... ghost throttle... 100mph car with no one driving it. hehe... not good.

I dont understand why everyones so uptight about it hitting people. An ERBE can easily be made to go 60mph with almost not aftermarket parts and its physically much bigger (and taller) than the XO-1... a rustler can do 100mph, there are lots of other 1/8 scale cars that can be made to run in the high 90's... its not like this is the first RC car ever to go anywhere NEAR 100mph... and lets be honest, once you get an RC vehicle of any kind going more than 60 or 70 they are all going to do similar damage. Hit someones leg at 70 with a rustler... broken leg. Hit someones leg with an XO-1 at 80... broken leg.

Which again is why the lockout is such a good idea. The car CAN do and WILL do 100mph... but not out of the box. No different than the rustler CAN do 70mph... but not out of the box. You have to do some tinkering and a bit of research to get those speeds and hopefully along the way you'll learn something about being responsible.

[jaman]

Pave you are a smart man, if you lived in bc ide hire you in a heartbeat....

[BrianG]

Someone on another forum came up with a rather simple and easy idea to avoid all the controversy about the unlock mechanism. Instead of including 6s (2x3s) battery pack in the box and requiring the unlock, include a 4s (2x2s) pack in the box. That will bring the speed down to around 50-60 with the taller gearing. Then, if the user wants 100mph, they have to buy 6s. This way, there is no crippling of anything. And the liability would be the same as anyone who buys a different vehicle (like an ERBE) and gears it to 100+. Not bashing, just an idea/suggestion.

[revomikey]

Someone on another forum came up with a rather simple and easy idea to avoid all the controversy about the unlock mechanism. Instead of including 6s (2x3s) battery pack in the box and requiring the unlock, include a 4s (2x2s) pack in the box. That will bring the speed down to around 50-60 with the taller gearing. Then, if the user wants 100mph, they have to buy 6s. This way, there is no crippling of anything. And the liability would be the same as anyone who buys a different vehicle (like an ERBE) and gears it to 100+. Not bashing, just an idea/suggestion.

Thats actually a brilliant idea.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[J3R3MY_H]

Someone on another forum came up with a rather simple and easy idea to avoid all the controversy about the unlock mechanism. Instead of including 6s (2x3s) battery pack in the box and requiring the unlock, include a 4s (2x2s) pack in the box. That will bring the speed down to around 50-60 with the taller gearing. Then, if the user wants 100mph, they have to buy 6s. This way, there is no crippling of anything. And the liability would be the same as anyone who buys a different vehicle (like an ERBE) and gears it to 100+. Not bashing, just an idea/suggestion.

Genius.

It will also bring the price down.

[deanwrx]

But there would be no way for the user to explicitly acknowledge Traxxas' terms when unleashing full power/speed. I'm thinking the liability issue plays a role with the unlocking.

And for those like myself and millions of other that already have an iPhone/iPod, it would make this more expensive.

Someone on another forum came up with a rather simple and easy idea to avoid all the controversy about the unlock mechanism. Instead of including 6s (2x3s) battery pack in the box and requiring the unlock, include a 4s (2x2s) pack in the box. That will bring the speed down to around 50-60 with the taller gearing. Then, if the user wants 100mph, they have to buy 6s. This way, there is no crippling of anything. And the liability would be the same as anyone who buys a different vehicle (like an ERBE) and gears it to 100+. Not bashing, just an idea/suggestion.

[BrianG]

But there would be no way for the user to explicitly acknowledge Traxxas' terms when unleashing full power/speed. I'm thinking the liability issue plays a role with the unlocking.

And for those like myself and millions of other that already have an iPhone/iPod, it would make this more expensive.

There is no acknowledging any terms when running an ERBE at max speed, why is this any different? Actually, an ERBE traveling at that speed is probably even worse since it wasn't designed to go that fast in the first place. BTW: I use the ERBE as an example because it is similar size and weight, and many people are pushing it to extreme speeds just with gearing, 6s voltage, and a tire change.

Also, I'm not saying to remove the iDevice capability. It can still be used for all the other neat features like telemetry, settings adjustment, etc.

In the end, it doesn't matter. I doubt traxxas is going to change their marketing and redesign box art this late in the game.

[deanwrx]

I catch your drift. And I'm only surmising - i could be dead wrong. lol
But one difference here is that Traxxas is advertising a 100mph car. They are not adverising a 65mph car. It just seems a little more risky to me. There is a reason they want people to acknowledge terms and are calling it a Skill Level 10.

There is no acknowledging any terms when running an ERBE at max speed, why is this any different? Actually, an ERBE traveling at that speed is probably even worse since it wasn't designed to go that fast in the first place. BTW: I use the ERBE as an example because it is similar size and weight, and many people are pushing it to extreme speeds just with gearing, 6s voltage, and a tire change.

Also, I'm not saying to remove the iDevice capability. It can still be used for all the other neat features like telemetry, settings adjustment, etc.

In the end, it doesn't matter. I doubt traxxas is going to change their marketing and redesign box art this late in the game.

[BrianG]

The thing is that right out of the box, this IS a ~60mph car. They could easily do this type of thing to other cars (like the ERBE) if they re-released them with this radio and stronger motor/ESC combo.

But I get you, and I know it's about marketing and such...

[unsulliedspy]

I catch your drift. And I'm only surmising - i could be dead wrong. lol
But one difference here is that Traxxas is advertising a 100mph car. They are not adverising a 65mph car. It just seems a little more risky to me. There is a reason they want people to acknowledge terms and are calling it a Skill Level 10.

VXL Rustler/Bandit is advertised as a 70+ truck, if you use the included power cell pack you'll never get anywhere near that. You have to re-gear it and put in a 3s lipo, even then it's tricky to hit 70 because of how the Rustler handles at anything over ~40 MPH (speaking of safety concerns).

What is another ~$100 for an iDevice after dropping $1000 on an RC car? A big, unnecessary expense. The whole telemetry/tuning thing is awesome and a big step forward for us that will trickle down into more affordable models but how many of us don't want to spend more money after dropping a grand on a car you can't even ride in (you can buy used 1:1 cars for $200 that run and drive). I'm OK with setting my truck up in CC Link, getting my controller dialed in, and going out and having fun. The telemetry is cool but I've lived this long without it, and with the XO-1 there is always the possibility to add it in the future by simply plugging in an iDevice but why should someone HAVE to have one in order to use their car?

[BL-Bob]

If I have to buy their lipos with it, they should at least max out my ESC voltage. It's too easy to use today's technology to dial it back and forth with.

[ChadRC]

I would think they would want to interface the new car with ANY smartphone. I'd be willing to bet there are more Android phone users out there than iPhone. Just my opinion.

I'm willing to bet you are 100% correct in that statement =)

I think for those many of use that have a Android phone. We will get an app for our phones. Made by Traxxas ( my preferred way ) or someone will create one. At that point I may consider the new TQ.

I guarentee there will be an android app made to work with this in no time. Only issue is plugging it in (Different plugs)
That is one good thing about Android. Android is not limited and you are able to develope apps for it. Apple is very limiting and only allows you do to what they want you to do. My wife works for apple in tech support as a Manager. I refuse to feed a money greed company by buying their products. But hey, thats just me =)

[unsulliedspy]

Pretty sure they use the Apple platform because it is very popular and, because of how restricted you are with Apple, it's all pretty much the same. With an Android you have a million different phones all different sizes and different versions of the OS and Traxxas' tech support would be overrun by people that can't figure out why their phone doesn't work right. Plus there's the issue of the connector, the proprietary iDevice plug will not work with any Droid so they'd have to make it work over USB or Bluetooth (which would be cool, but expensive). I've got an older BlackBerry and it would be cool to be able to use that, but I know that'll never happen. And I can't stand Apple and their products, and I know I'm not the only one. So some of us are stuck with a vehicle governed by an electronic nanny that we can't do anything about. I have thought a lot about whether or not I want to order one with my tax return, but the limiter pushed me over to the "don't do it" side. It's tempting to buy one to see how easy it is to bypass the speed sensor that tells the limiter when to engage, but I'd rather build something just as fast for less money that lets me control my own car.

[deanwrx]

I think your whole arguement rests on the fact (or to be more exact - emotion) that you hate Apple. If I follow your "logic," 2 good quality 3s batteries will run you more than ~$100. And then you will say "awe man, now i have to buy some new 3s batteries and my 2s will just sit there."

VXL Rustler/Bandit is advertised as a 70+ truck, if you use the included power cell pack you'll never get anywhere near that. You have to re-gear it and put in a 3s lipo, even then it's tricky to hit 70 because of how the Rustler handles at anything over ~40 MPH (speaking of safety concerns).

What is another ~$100 for an iDevice after dropping $1000 on an RC car? A big, unnecessary expense. The whole telemetry/tuning thing is awesome and a big step forward for us that will trickle down into more affordable models but how many of us don't want to spend more money after dropping a grand on a car you can't even ride in (you can buy used 1:1 cars for $200 that run and drive). I'm OK with setting my truck up in CC Link, getting my controller dialed in, and going out and having fun. The telemetry is cool but I've lived this long without it, and with the XO-1 there is always the possibility to add it in the future by simply plugging in an iDevice but why should someone HAVE to have one in order to use their car?

[Geodude074]

A lot of people who are saying that buying an Apple device or borrowing a friend's/family member's iPhone isn't really that bad, well... you just don't get it! What Traxxas is doing is alienating their customers.

I haven't been on this forum for over a year, and I actually forgot my old username and email, so I couldn't log in with it. But as soon as I saw the XO-1 was coming out and required an Apple product to unlock its full potential, as a loyal Traxxas customer with over five Traxxas models, I felt I needed to voice my opinion.

When a company is marketing a new RC, their job is to make it as accessible as possible to the consumers. Requiring an Apple device that many consumers do not have access to in order to make your $1100 RC car as fast as advertised is INACCESSIBLE TO MOST PEOPLE. Customers are unhappy about it. Traxxas fans are unhappy about it, and their unhappiness is showing on this forum and other forums around the internet.

I understand that using an app on an iPhone was the cheapest way to get a touchscreen interface for tuning the XO-1, but there should have been a better way of doing it. If you're releasing it on the Apple iOS, why not release it on Andriod as well? If it's just an application to tune the ESC, why not just include a CD/ESC link with the app on it so you can install it on your PC/Mac at home? Giving customers only one option out of several possible ones and then telling them "it's not so bad" will only frustrate, alienate, and more than likely anger them.

Customers do not want to go out and buy a nonrelated RC device in order to make their RC go as fast as advertised.

Customers do not want to go shopping around on eBay or Craigslist to buy a used Apple device to unlock the ESC, that should have been unlocked in the first place.

Customers do not want to go out and buy an Apple device when they are passionate about Andriod.

Customers do not want to be bothering their brother/sister/mother/father/neighbor/friend so they can use their Apple device on their RC car.

Traxxas, you need to address this issue and fix it, because a lot of people are unhappy. When the same topic is being brought up over and over, and not just on the Traxxas forums, you know it's a REAL issue, not just a whiny complaint that can be ignored, and it needs to be addressed and resolved.

I am not here to bash Traxxas. I'm here to voice my opinion. And I'm not just here to point and blame fingers. I have some solutions as well:

- Release the app on Andriod.
- Make the app standalone and downloadable on the Traxxas site.
- Include a CD and an ESC link for those without internet access.
- For those without a computer (and trust me, there are still people living without computers or smartphones), just release the ESC as unlocked already.

[pavmentsurfer]

Clearly you haven't read the other 4 pages of this thread and I would say theres probably a good reason you havent been back in so long you forgot your user name. Thinking the MAJORITY of people are upset about the iDevice requirement is very very wrong. The internet is a breeding ground for unhappy people to get together and complain. This fact often give the false impression of a "general" sense of negativity toward a product. But I promise you this... I know this from my own market research within my own company, the internet is NOT a good litmus test for the general populations feelings. To put it simply... Happy people rarely go on the internet to talk about how happy they are... unhappy people RUN to the internet to complain. That is exactly what is happening right now. All the unhappy non iOS users are literally scrambling to complain while the HOARDS of happy iOS users are just sitting back waiting for the XO-1s to arrive.

At the end of the day... the simple fact of the matter is that it costs at least $100 to get a Rustler to go as fast as the box says it will go... yet very few complain about that. The only reason everyone is complaining about the extra $100 or so it will cost to get the XO-1 to go 100mph as its advertised to go is because its something new to complain about. If that weren't the case, we'd see alot more threads about the rest of the car and fewer threads about this ONE point.

[unsulliedspy]

I think your whole arguement rests on the fact (or to be more exact - emotion) that you hate Apple. If I follow your "logic," 2 good quality 3s batteries will run you more than ~$100. And then you will say "awe man, now i have to buy some new 3s batteries and my 2s will just sit there."

Not at all. If they had released it with all the bells and whistles it has, minus the limiter, I'd be just fine with it. I understand why they use the iOS and it was a good decision, it would just be a feature that would go un-used on mine. About the batteries: Just because you have 3s lipos does not mean 2s is now obsolete and will never be used. I've got 2 2s packs for my Mini Revo, therefore I can run it on 4s but I prefer 2s for better run times and more usable power. If I were to purchase the XO-1 and it came on 4s I'd run it and be happy with it, it should do nearly 60 MPH out of the box on 4s and that's not slow and I'm very rarely going to see much more than 50 or 60 anyway so I, personally, would run it and be happy with it. I've got 6s lipos for my other RCs and sure I'd drop them in the XO-1 just to blast up and down the street on occasion, but honestly I'd run it on 4s most of the time anyway. Heck most of the time I spend flying my plane in the Summer I'm not using any throttle and just surfing on the thermals, if I want to go fast I push the stick further and it goes faster but in reality I'm not pushing it to the absolute maximum for the entire run.

My point (again) is that it is rediculous to sell us something with these great big claims and a big price tag only to find out it goes slower than cars costing a fraction as much so you have to go buy more proprietary hardware to make it work. I'm sure there are $100 iPod touches to be had (we won't delve into how many of them are hot...) but once demand goes up prices will go up as well. Plus there's the issue of buying used stuff and the possibility of getting ripped off or buying something that's already wearing out. It is NOT just because it requires an Apple device. All things being as they are minus the limiter I would be VERY seriously contemplating buying one, I'm expecting several thousand $ this year on my tax return so I will have the means to purchase one. I wouldn't go buy an iPod touch just to use the telemetry (though the speed and temperature sensors would be convenient) but that alone would not keep me from buying it. To reference a real car I'd be VERY upset if my Mustang were limited to 50 MPH, especially since you can buy all kinds of cars for less money that will go over 50 so what's the point?

Let me re-itterate again since you don't seem to get the point. The limiter is why I personally will not purchase one. I'm not spending "only $100 for an iPod Touch if you can find one that cheap on eBay" because I don't want one, it will sit in the corner and never get used. If I spend that $100 on batteries I will absolutely run those batteries until they die, I don't have a single battery that goes un-used. It is not about Apple, it's about Traxxas/CC essentially taking our freedom from us. Never before has an RC car been sold as less than it was designed (and advertised) to be.

EDIT: So I went looking for this famed "$100 iPod Touch" and found this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/cracked-scre...item3f10ca52b7
At the time of this post it's going for $76 because it's broken. All of the good ones were bringing well over $100. So really it's not "exactly like buying extra batteries except it's an Apple product and you don't like Apple so it's your problem." In fact it costs as much as several decent batteries which I'm sure I would get much more use out of than something I'd use to remove the limiter then ends up getting buried on my desk.

[MAMBA2200]

Not at all. If they had released it with all the bells and whistles it has, minus the limiter, I'd be just fine with it. I understand why they use the iOS and it was a good decision, it would just be a feature that would go un-used on mine. About the batteries: Just because you have 3s lipos does not mean 2s is now obsolete and will never be used. I've got 2 2s packs for my Mini Revo, therefore I can run it on 4s but I prefer 2s for better run times and more usable power. If I were to purchase the XO-1 and it came on 4s I'd run it and be happy with it, it should do nearly 60 MPH out of the box on 4s and that's not slow and I'm very rarely going to see much more than 50 or 60 anyway so I, personally, would run it and be happy with it. I've got 6s lipos for my other RCs and sure I'd drop them in the XO-1 just to blast up and down the street on occasion, but honestly I'd run it on 4s most of the time anyway. Heck most of the time I spend flying my plane in the Summer I'm not using any throttle and just surfing on the thermals, if I want to go fast I push the stick further and it goes faster but in reality I'm not pushing it to the absolute maximum for the entire run.

My point (again) is that it is rediculous to sell us something with these great big claims and a big price tag only to find out it goes slower than cars costing a fraction as much so you have to go buy more proprietary hardware to make it work. I'm sure there are $100 iPod touches to be had (we won't delve into how many of them are hot...) but once demand goes up prices will go up as well. Plus there's the issue of buying used stuff and the possibility of getting ripped off or buying something that's already wearing out. It is NOT just because it requires an Apple device. All things being as they are minus the limiter I would be VERY seriously contemplating buying one, I'm expecting several thousand $ this year on my tax return so I will have the means to purchase one. I wouldn't go buy an iPod touch just to use the telemetry (though the speed and temperature sensors would be convenient) but that alone would not keep me from buying it. To reference a real car I'd be VERY upset if my Mustang were limited to 50 MPH, especially since you can buy all kinds of cars for less money that will go over 50 so what's the point?

Let me re-itterate again since you don't seem to get the point. The limiter is why I personally will not purchase one. I'm not spending "only $100 for an iPod Touch if you can find one that cheap on eBay" because I don't want one, it will sit in the corner and never get used. If I spend that $100 on batteries I will absolutely run those batteries until they die, I don't have a single battery that goes un-used. It is not about Apple, it's about Traxxas/CC essentially taking our freedom from us. Never before has an RC car been sold as less than it was designed (and advertised) to be.

EDIT: So I went looking for this famed "$100 iPod Touch" and found this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/cracked-scre...item3f10ca52b7
At the time of this post it's going for $76 because it's broken. All of the good ones were bringing well over $100. So really it's not "exactly like buying extra batteries except it's an Apple product and you don't like Apple so it's your problem." In fact it costs as much as several decent batteries which I'm sure I would get much more use out of than something I'd use to remove the limiter then ends up getting buried on my desk.

so you dont know anybody with a I devise that could download the FREE APP to unlock the limiter ???? really

[unsulliedspy]

so you dont know anybody with a I devise that could download the FREE APP to unlock the limiter ???? really

Everyone I know has Droids, Alcatel, or just the standard flip phone that you get for free with a plan. Not everyone has an "I devise."

[MAMBA2200]

OK

[zoraduntov]

People love to complain about anything

[unsulliedspy]

People love to complain about anything

Like people complaining about people that have concerns about a product that costs a lot of money?

[Dadx2mj]

Please guys let's stop the bickering. We want to let everyone express their opinions but when it gets to the point of back and forth bickering and looking like members are determined to have the last word no matter how many times they have to express the same thing over and over then the mods are forced to step in and I dont think anyone likes it when that happens.

[Schuby_racer]

What makes you so "certain" this is the case? Is it not possible that Traxxas looked at all the options and simply felt that all factors considered this was the best over all option?

Maybe, more to the point, why not offer a droid based system. I, and many others, chose an android phone each for our own reasons. The number of android users, while less, is still competitively close to the number of iphone users. (about 56/44 split, save for the odd windows or blackberry user) If it were me, I would want my product to be available to as many people as possible rather than limiting it to just over half of the potential market. Even if someone decides to switch from an android device to an iphone(as i'm sure a few will for this reason), most at locked into a 2 yr contract. So in theory, the company would have to push this product 18-24 months until you see a real result of favoring one OS, and such result i believe to be minimal. I'm not saying don't offer the product for iphone, but be business savy and capture the market and offer it to the masses.

It's awesome that this little car can go 100mph... but it's not an incentive to me for me to switch to an iphone, and for that reason there's no incentive to me to buy the car knowing i'm limited to less than 60 because of it.

Do i think traxxas could have taken the time to weigh the options, but, as happens a lot in the technology world, and the drive to be first, better, best, i have to admit that it's possible that they were more focused on weather or not they could, and less about how good will it be. Being the first only means you're the best as long as you're the only one.

[Schuby_racer]

With all this going on about the car... maybe they should sell the car for less w/out an esc/transmitter. let the user put whichever device he/she wants to put into their car based on their wants and budget, and offer a controler for iphone's and android users. now you have 3 amazing products in stead of one ridiculously limited product. you have a 65mph car, you have an iphone powered esc system for the half of us with iphones, and you have an android powered esc system for the rest of us that have androids. and for those of us using windows based or blackberry.... sorry, they are too low of consumer volumes to warrant proprietary products (sorry guys)

[Schuby_racer]

I think its a great idea that the incorporate the iphone/ipod touch into the controller It should work very well. But think about the size of most android phones, they have 4.3inches screens and up. Imagine you have your Galaxy S II on the controller it would look so big and obnoxious. Also if you realize not all apps in the android market place can be used on any android devices because there are so much different variation to the android device in screen size and hardware that they would have to make multiple versions of the traxxas software to be compatible. I say if you the car and willing to shell out the 1K price on it then spend another 100 bucks on a used ipod touch from craigslist and your set, then you can leave your android phone on the charger cause you know it needs a charge lol..........my 2cents

No, i only charge at night... i just swap the battery out if it dies. what? you can't do that with your iphone?

[BrianG]

If I decide to get this car, the ESC and radio will be taken out in favor of the radio system I use in all my other setups (DX3r). I'm sure there will be a market for the ESC/radio since many people will want this system for their ERBE, EMBE, etc. For the ESC, I'll get a current model MMM with the newer/better FETs and add a cap bank on it. After all, aside from the "specialized" firmware, there's not much else different between this ESC and a regular MMM. The motor is definitely staying though as it is ~4% more efficient than a regular 1717 (according to the CC pres).

Lock-out problem solved (and I've never been interested in telemetry or the bragging rights of whatever speed it will do). It's just a pain to have to go through all that.

[Dadx2mj]

If I decide to get this car, the ESC and radio will be taken out in favor of the radio system I use in all my other setups (DX3r). I'm sure there will be a market for the ESC/radio since many people will want this system for their ERBE, EMBE, etc. For the ESC, I'll get a current model MMM with the newer/better FETs and add a cap bank on it. After all, aside from the "specialized" firmware, there's not much else different between this ESC and a regular MMM. The motor is definitely staying though as it is ~4% more efficient than a regular 1717 (according to the CC pres).

Lock-out problem solved (and I've never been interested in telemetry or the bragging rights of whatever speed it will do). It's just a pain to have to go through all that.

So what you are saying is you will buy a new ESC, capacitor bank, and receiver all to avoid buying an IDevice and to end up having the same performance but lacking all the telemetry? I can kind of understand wanting to use your preferred radio but I cant see buying a new ESC and capacitor bank just to end up where you would be by simply borrowing an IDevice one time.

[BrianG]

It was never about the money; like people have stated, what's an extra $100 when you just got a $1000 toy? No, it's about purposely crippling a system based on some thin excuse for liability. We all know all the warnings in the world won't matter to the people who don't care about responsibility. It wouldn't have mattered if an Android, Blackberry, or whatever was needed to unlock it.

I will say I will do my best to hack the system first - I have a pretty good idea how it's being locked. At least that way I won't need to replace the ESC, but like I said, that doesn't matter to me. Hopefully you won't take this as bashing the product, but you did ask, and I'm simply being honest.

[Dadx2mj]

It was never about the money; like people have stated, what's an extra $100 when you just got a $1000 toy? No, it's about purposely crippling a system based on some thin excuse for liability. We all know all the warnings in the world won't matter to the people who don't care about responsibility. It wouldn't have mattered if an Android, Blackberry, or whatever was needed to unlock it.

I will say I will do my best to hack the system first - I have a pretty good idea how it's being locked. At least that way I won't need to replace the ESC, but like I said, that doesn't matter to me. Hopefully you won't take this as bashing the product, but you did ask, and I'm simply being honest.

I am not taking it as a bashing. I was really wondering if I was missing something or if you were just making a stand based on a dislike of Apple or of the locking of the ESC or whatever. I have never been an Apple fan nor really a hater and I would have to agree I would like the car more if it came unlocked but will give Traxxas a pass on that as I am sure they have their reasons and I just dont see unlocking it with an IDevice as a big deal for what you get for the time and or money spent doing it. Sometimes taking a stand as you is a pain, but it is your choice and decision as to if it is worth it or not.

Even if the car came unlocked I would be buying a used ITouch just to use the telemetry. I really like my Spektrum radio set up and dont use the telemetry on it but am strongly considering dumping it in favor of this radio and the Itouch even if I dont buy the XO-1.

[j35u5fr34k]

Just buy a used old gen ipod on any auction site and you are set assuming the app works on old gen phones. Regardless, they should allow non-"i" users to program through their computer. That is the real issue here. Why on Earth would they require you to get an extra $200 - $300 device? And the OP regarding Castle systems that require a computer or a program card: most everyone has a computer and a program card is maybe $50 usually less. Not really a valid point imho.

I guess if you have $1100 dollars to spend on this then you won't mind another $300 for an "i' device.

[Philbilly]

Does like every rc enthusiast except for me and Dadx2mj hate Apple and everthing about it Apple makes the best touch screens ever and a great program for it.

[deanwrx]

I'll come right out and say it: I LOVE APPLE. They are a phenomenal company. The make gobs of money and awesome products because they are brilliant. I also think the Android is an exceptional product.

People have some odd desire to hate the strong and successful. Go figure.

Does like every rc enthusiast except for me and Dadx2mj hate Apple and everthing about it Apple makes the best touch screens ever and a great program for it.