Railmaster next update

[RDS]

@AugustusCaesar

Totally agree!

[Augustus Caesar]

Thanks guys... all I am trying to do is get folk to relax and consider things from the other side of the fence for once. Maybe Hornby are keeping quiet because if anything is said here it could be thrown in their face later on if things take a dive. We don't want that. Patience is a virtue as we all know or should know. My parents always said great things will come to those who wait. Those who hunger and demand will receive inferior quality and complain.

Of course, if the new updates are released and some folk have issues then they will be sorted if dealt with in the right way. Not everyone will be happy. My namesake Augustus Caesar as Emperor of Rome was thought of highly and made a God! He left Rome built with marble after finding it built with stone... now not everyone liked this guy... but does that mean he was imperfect or even useless? Not a bit of it.

So, let's all calm down... forget worrying about dates etc... and if anyone really feels bad enough so as to go and use other manufacturers goods then just go and do it. The rest of us will be around on here for a while because we believe in Hornby as a product and support the company... even they DO get it wrong sometimes... and let's face it they have done more than once over the last few months but they'll get there - eventually... and so will WE....

[Graskie]

I think Hornby perhaps meant to say "eminent", anyway! I certainly have much more catching up to do on developing my layout, never mind fret about future releases, although I am of course looking forward to them in due course.

[St1ngr4y]

I was thinking of suggesting a competition (with a prize supplied by Hornby), the winner being the person to first download 1.56 then to post that achievement on this thread. That was an attempt to keep people interested !!

But then I realised that out friends down under would have 12 hours either advantage or disadvantage over the rest of us, depending on when the release occurred!

Ray

[Graskie]

We could just say thay those thereunder don't count!

[gilbo2]

Must be "imminent" or your point Graskie went right over my head :-)

Those down under don't get up until lunch time anyway do they? :-0

[Graskie]

Well, I don't usually get up until after lunch time.

[Fishmanoz]

So we can't count on lunch if we come to your place Graskie?  No matter where we come from?

[Smithy58]

Well guys I am afraid to say my patience has finally run out with waiting for the update /upgrade.  I have decided that after seeing Hornby bringing out numerous new models of trains coaches and wagon it has got a bit like stamp collecting where the Royal Mail did this to generate an income stream.  Well I just don't feel they are looking out for the real enthusiasts who want to have the fun in operating layouts.  I have decided to abandon all hope of Hornby getting their act together as it is now a long time since they promised the goods.  I am now looking at other systems on the market.

[Graskie]

No, but you could come to a fish supper, Fishy!

[Graskie]

Sorry you feel like that, Smithy. Would you rather have a bugged update/upgrade or ones that work somewhere near perfectly? I'm as excited as anyone about the update but I can wait. I have plently to do on my railway in the meantime. Of course, Hornby want and need an income stream. What else are they supposed to rely on in order to stay in business?

[Fishmanoz]

I'm with you on this one Graskie. 

[RDS]

And me.

I am looking forward to the update and very interested in the Loco Detection aspect when that is released but I have an awful feeling that I will not be able to get away with my entire layout being controlled by just one track connection!

[Augustus Caesar]

To walk away from a system that promises so much in the near future and plenty more besides in the years to come just when Hornby are not too far away from getting things out there us is a bit shallow really. No offence intended here to anyone who has now done this but as it has been said this an update and bugs will inevitably appear... so Hornby want things to be as tight cast as they possibly can and with little in the way of errors and little opportunity for folk to jump on their backs if they release software/hardware with errors inherent in their systems.

I know patience has to be a virtue and some folk don't have that or want things right first time every time with little room for bugs or anything else that might get in the way of their enjoyment... this is not always going to happen.

Look, there's one thing to point out here... if trust in Hornby has been lost and the modeller wishes to go elsewhere then so be it.. but that modeller HAS to be confident that the system he/she chooses to go for in the place of the Hornby one is better and suffers from less error related issues. Can one be reassured of this? Of course not.

Many a time I have been frustrated at Hornby over many years but when looking seriously around at other products and companies their just wasn't a competition level that could entice me away from Hornby... no matter what.

This company have made major strides over the years and it is NOT entirely their fault that other greedy people have cut them to size in the last couple of years and basically held them to ransom over quality and pricing not to mention distribution.

In the eighties I had the Zero 1 controller with three slave units  running very well. I have those units still but am eLink enabled now with RM but have hung on to the nostalgia of my past days. When Zero 1 came to an end (prematurely I may add) I was absolutely gutted... though there was a network of folk selling the goods for some time afterward.

This update will be out shortly and, who knows, will anyone kick themselves for moving on?

[GWR Greg]

I have just changed to Rail master from Dynamis. Teething problems getting set up but now all working. I read with interest the frustration at no knowing the detail of what is in the next upgrade and when. Before moving I had cable TV from VirginMedia and followed a forum about their service. The most comments seemed to be about lack of detail about the next upgrade. Their answer was simple until all is tested and checked we cannot guarantee what will be in the final release.

[idlemarvel]

Good points AG and Greg.  It's the same in any technology industry, people are desperate to know what's coming next almost to the extent of not getting on and using what they already have.  In the high tech sector there is a whole industry devoted to future watching (Gartner et al) which in general achieves nothing of any value.  RM and eLink is a bargain price system with quite sophisticated features, which will only get better with future releases IMO. Patience! :-)

[St1ngr4y]

Well put, Dave, I agree completely.

Ray

[Augustus Caesar]

One of the best virtues of humanity is patience and another, more important one, is humility. Reason? Moving on to other systems in the hope that they are better and updated quicker only to realise that a mistake has been made and that the maker of that decision admits it and comes back to their original choice.

That's one example of course but I wonder how many members on here have done this and been humble enough to come back when things straightened themselves out eventually... well, OK not quite straight but with a slight curve... :-) How many other companies get it right first time.... EVERY time? Short answer? None!

[PJ_model_trains]

This sounds better than a BBQ

But who would do the battering!!!

How I wish there were emoticons on here  !!! ;-) not the same is it LOL

[PJ_model_trains]

Patience... and I thought it was a game of cards LOL

We will see everything Hornby have said is coming, not in May, June or July as we now know but, in the busiest time of year when the audience is largest. The trickle has started and from mid September to December I believe they will continue to come, I have no doubt about that. I still think RM 1.56 will be Free, why? Because there will not be much of worth in it.

The RM Pro version will have all the tasty stuff we have asked for in it and although we suggested most of it they have programmed and made it so there will be a fee that is understandable.

I will be happy to pay a reasonable fee for the RM Pro version but sadly the fire has gone out for loco detection. 

I am sure the shows will also be used to further promote the new products and upgrades in this period, RM Live Event, TheGreat Electric Show and Wharley at Birmingham. Come on Hornby... bring it on!!!

[Augustus Caesar]

It IS coming... it'll be out shortly... I know... coz Hornby have said so... :-)

My guess, on a more serious note is around late September to mid October for the update. Timing then is perfect...

While some updates in the free version will excellent others will be in the Pro Pack. I don't think it'll matter where they are really because everyone will have their own idea of where each update should have been placed. Most of us will almost certainly go out and get both versions anyway so it doesn't matter where they are.

Of course we don't want to be paying for another round of software at £30-40 and I would expect a reaonable charge of something like £15-20 at most. Of course it does depend upon how super fantastic these updates are!!

If Hornby wish to time stuff for shows then they are perfectly entitled to do so and I wish them luck pushing the product. This will only help with sales and further development anyway.

[Yelrow]

augustus, hi, I think you are in for a disappointment,£30' will be nearer the price john

[RB51]

I promised myself that I would not post on this thread any more - but I can't help myself. I am astonished and a little disappointed that folk feel able to say things like "there is nothing of much worth in it [the new version]". How do you know? Not all details have been published and we certainly don't have the price yet. How can you make a cost/benefit argument without  those details? Come on guys think about what your saying, think about what your words sound like and who's forum your saying it on. I'm also sorry for the individual who feels "the fire has gone out [loco detection]". I hope you'll have a look at it when it does get distributed and then make a better and inforrmed decision about what you want to do. Have patience people. R-

[PJ_model_trains]

Hi RogerB

The statement... I will be happy to pay a reasonable fee for the RM Pro version but sadly the fire has gone out for loco detection. Is in context in the sentence talking of how I feel, I will be happy to pay a reasonable fee for the RM Pro version... but sadly (for me) the fire has gone out for loco detection. Had it been available earlier I would have grabbed it, I will probably go for it but, doubt if it would be this year. 

The statement 'there is nothing of much worth' in V1.56 is basically saying I do not think there will not be much in it that people want. Hornby's statement on 10 June more or less confirm where all the tasty additions will be.

Their statement reads... You will appreciate this update, with the new Pro-Pack, having over 100 enhancements including complex new features (Voice Control, multi-aspect light signals and so on) 

They are naturally going to push the Pro version and there will be a fee to pay. Although many of the suggestions came from Forum members, Hornby have done the work, programming and testing to make it available. 

We are being patient, Hornby know this, they are also aware of our frustratons and their timing to get the most sales. Again as stated 10 June they said... The next update to RailMaster (1.56) will be released shortly.  It was hoped it would be launched towards the end of May however we wanted to continue testing. 

[PJ_model_trains]

I agree with Ray

£29.99 is more realistic for the Pro version but, we just have to wait and see. 

Hopefully Hornby will see the software upgrade as a lead in to other things and be realistic on the price, the more we spend on the softwware the less we have for TTS sound, Loco detection etc.

They have to make some money for the software upgrade, they are a business and they have put time into progamming and testing, the actual price will be what is 'realistic' to them and to their customers, lets hope they get the balance right.