We have Spring so where is air integration?

[rafal1676]

Hey guys i didn't start this post to be rude or sarcastic to Zak. I know he is not responsible for the way Mares treat their clients.I just asked simple question because i just want to find out when AI would be for sale. However today I was at Beneath Sea show and Mares rep. informed me that date for AI is June but they hope it would be May

 

[zoranb]

As far as the latest news are, I just got wind that the Air Integration will not be available in Central/East Europe before July 2011.

I would not say I'm 100% sure, but from what I read/gathered, the patent issue relating to the technical specs seems to have stoped the inital Air Integration that was already finished or close to being finished.

The patent licensing seems to have gone very wrong, and Mares was probably "blackmailed" to put it lightly. :rtfm: Mares probably calculated that the complete change of the technology + production of the completely new model will be less costly than the licensing of the originaly intended patent. I can't even begine to imagine how greedy someone was. :shocked2:

Of course, you can't put value on postponing a well touted flagship product, but I would like to beleive that Mares really had no choice.

Think about it. Had they had a choice the Air Integration would have been on the market more than a year ago. Now, they have to put into production a whole new product AND change it free of charge.

The late date that I heard of is also quite understandable. If the product is now being tested, as I read somewhere on this board, that would mean that it hasn't been released to manufacturing. Provided all the testing is finished successfully, it takes time to actually make thousands of the thing somewhere in China, and ship it worldwide, and organize the replacement process with all Mares handlers. Worldwide.

There's actually no reason to be angry or resentful with Mares. I'm sure they didn't have a board meeting one day and said: "Hey, let's annoy our customers, by releasing a good product, but leave something out that the competition has. Just for the fun of it. Than we can say it will be available later, but we'll postpone it a couple of times so Luigi in marketing pulls the rest of his hair out.

Mares, I'm with you. Maybe you can have someone in your legal department reread the non-disclosure agreement with your first intended air integration patent holder. Maybe there's a looop and you can scream out the name of the company for all the world to know...

Then again it might have just been a case of shabby production which rendered the Air integration useless. Who knows...

ZB

 

[AlanH]

For what its worth, here is my view...

Electronic Air Integration should be considered as a backup to a proper gauge only, not the only method of seeing how much gas you have left. Sure, it is useful to see an estimation of remaining gas usage time and more precisely what gas is left - BUT electronics fail, being near or in wrecks has been known to affect the readings. Also, I have seen on dive's two people with AI computers and they are both reading the same transmitter!

I bought the ICON because the display is awesome, and its a nice solid computer. It has its faults (way too sensitive in the ascent, something they know about and are trying to address in an update), but its a great computer.

Zak does a great job coming here and looking after us owners (and prospective owners!) and he doesnt need to. Sarcastic responses are really not needed or helpful. I personally would like to thank him for taking the time to update us all.

Yes, I will do the exchange program when the AI launches, but I will still keep my standard pressure gauge as well. To me, its not important when it arrives, its important that it arrives and works well - so I would rather Mares was happy to launch it rather than trying to keep to deadlines.

As I say, this is just my opinion..

 

[GoodKarmaKid]

I already rescheduled my vacations twice and my wife is really mad. I don't want to tell her one more time that we have to change our plans

To each his own, but I'd use an old manual guage or rental computer before postponing a vacation waiting for a product to come to market.


Jason

 

[Zak OHara]

Oh, I have an nice AI computer from another manufacturer. Reading this is my first experience with anyone from Mares. That is my point. When it is time for a new computer I won't be looking here with an attitude like that. What kind of response would I get if there were problems with a computer bought from them?

Acrofrog. I am sorry you took my comments about the sarcasm to heart. This was not my intention. I have been on this board for @@ years trying to help anyone with questions or problems as well as keep people informed about current and future developments.

I acknowledge we missed the deadline, I've apologized, I'm trying to keep all with up to date information, being cautious to not promise something we can't deliver. If you look around, you will see this is just one of a few threads re: the same issue. One of them has over 6 pages and 100's of posts. My point about leaving out the sarcasm, it's not helpful or constructive and imo has been done enough. I'm willing to take some verbal lashings, but there is a point when enough is enough. Scubaboard is a public forum, and there are plenty of places to voice ones opinion in any manner they choose. I'm just asking we keep it to a minimum in the Mares sub-forum.

I would hope my post about the sarcasm, doesn't lead you to think we are a bad company. In fact I just spent the last hour (that I don't have much of) helping people on this board with several issues or problems (that you don't see). I / Mares does this as an extension of extra service. I hope you will see it this way also.

Thanks to all for the kind comments. I really appreciate it and will try my best to keep it up.

 

[Zak OHara]

The A/I portion of the Icon HD unit is in a diveable state, we've been diving it, and will be sending it to production shortly. I would anticipate this availability by end of May or early June. This will be dictated by region and production capacity. I cannot go into any more detail for proprietary reasons. As soon as I have a concrete date for N. America, I'll let you know.

I hope this clears up any confusion.

Thanks,

Zak

 

[rafal1676]

Hi Zak ,thank you for info.From the beginning I just wanted to find out when AI would hit stores,and nothing else.

 

[AlanH]

Hey Zak, could you try and find out the expected availability for the UK as well?

Cheers
Alan

 

[=C=]

I am happy I passed on the Icon. Great looking computer but one thing I wanted was the AI. Decieded to go with the Uemis after waiting, and waiting, and seeing the AI getting pushed back more and more.

I was just thinking the same thing... but I went with a Luna, not that I didn't wait for a month or two before pulling the trigger hoping "Soon" meant well... soon. If its any consolation we are waiting for trimix software that was soon to be released in 2009

I would add the Icon sure is a nice looking comp.

 

[Zak OHara]

Hey Zak, could you try and find out the expected availability for the UK as well?

Cheers
Alan

Hi Alan,

Time frame should be the same. Maybe even sooner. You are geographically closer to Italy.

Best,