Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Reef, I'm going to have to kindly disagree with you on this one. Lowrance has remained very consistent in how they introduce units and what updates are available.
As for computers, they are very different believe it or not. The computer you bought 4 years ago, is nowhere near the same as the computer you will buy today. For example, I bought a brand new computer 5 years ago when I started college, it came with only a 512mb of ram, I don't even think a512 is being nowadays.
Sure, there are some things that can be updated, for example, windows updates and anti-viruses are ones that are typically free. But, if you wanted to put Windows 7 on a computer that came with Windows XP, you'd have to pay for that one way or another. Or, if you wanted to take your computer that has a 250 gig hard drive and upgrade that to a 500 gig, you'd have to buy the drive. So, point being here, if you want the new technology, you have to pay for it. Certain things can be updated even if they are 10 years old, but I promise you, a computer that is bought new today is very much different than that computer that was sold four years ago. If it wasn't different, they wouldn't be able to sell new computers.
You may have bought that unit 3 years ago, but the software is not 3 years old. With most electronics, it goes by the date it's released, not by the date it's being sold. I find it sufficient that Lowrance is supporting the last generation of LCX units(113, 112, 38, 37, 28, 27, 520 series). Asking them to support units that are older than that, I think is unreasonable to ask of a company.
Also, as far as Hummingbird, great units, don't get me wrong. However, they've only had a solid unit out that can even be compared to a Lowrance for about four years. Lowrance has at least two dozen units in the last 8-10 years that require software updates. Hummingbird might have a quarter of that. Much easier to offer updates for all their units versus a company who has put out more units in three years than Hummingbird has in four years.
As far as people willing to put money down for updates, I'm sure there are some. But, the cost of those updates wouldn't make a whole lot of sense in my opinion. I'd rather put the money towards a newer unit, something that is more up to date. What's happening is just part of technology, it's the way it works. The Apple IPhone is a prime example. Apple is supposedly announcing the 4g IPhone in June, I just bought a 3GS last June. It's just how it works, imo. |
