Sam JH Posts: Why I was hacked off with the world [Apr 19, 2007 - 09:28 PM]
Chuck, as a Mac driver, you may not be able to relate.
You might be surprised. I had a problem with my first (ice colored) iBook (the drive failed on a Friday afternoon) so I dropped it off at the mom and pop and bought a new one for the weekend. I couldn't stand to be without over the weekend.The upshot... These machines only originally came with a 10g internal HD (1st one bought 5 July 2001, 2nd one bought 17 April 2002) and I had the mom and pop swap out that drive for a 30gig Toshiba drive I had bought from a 3rd party firm. So it was not the fault of the iBook or Apple. If I had kept the smaller original drive in it, it might have faired fine.
Any more I like to maintain a pair of "first/front-line" desktop machines [on a KDM switch] and a pair of "first/front-line" laptops in case I need to send one in for service, I can still be productive.
I had my laptop PC become intolerably inoperable while out of town. In reality, a plastic part on the on-off switch failed, but coupled with a flickering screen, rattling fan and whining hard drive, it was time to send it to the spa (junkyard but for the warranty).
Brand o'PC?
With a client waiting, I bought a new PC and struggled for the best part of a day and a half to become effectively operational again behind an unfamilar firewall and with none of my own software.
One of the things I have done is to create both "Genesis" external portable HD drives, and a "Go Case" set of CD/DVD's which fit in a commonplace Case Logic 1x1 32/34 disk case which has every bit of application-wear I need to get operational in a short amount of time. With the "Genesis Device" I can get a new Mac up and operational with all the apps I use in the space of about two hours, the CD/DVD's take longer because of the slower nature of the optical drives, but they can be easily and cheaply duplicated such that I have a set secreted in my Explorer, in my backpack, the "overnight bag" that substitutes for my briefcase, etc. I've also created a smaller "crash cart" set of about 16 disks that fit in my "laptop sleeves" that has the latest version of Mac OS X and my standard Mac OS 9/Classic setup, and all of my emergency disk utilities, along with a blank: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-R DL, in case I need to make a copy of something on the road.When you get your Mac, I'd be happy to lend you one of my backup "Go Case" set's so you can scrutinize it for ideas for creating your own set of similar disks for yourself.
I'd do it for you now for Windows, but hey! I have never run Windows to the extent I've needed them, only via SoftPC or VirtualPC up until this point...
Side note -- my next computer will probably be a Mac, if I can use a VPN or the equivalent on it (my only issue).
Well, I have good news for you. Not only will all current selling Mac's (and the AppleTV too by the way!) run Windows natively (up to and including Vista), but VPN shouldn't be any problem. There are plenty of information resources on setting it up available via a google search.Another neat trick I am fond of using (with three desktop Mac's running 24/7) is using a VNC client to control one machine from another:
I can control my desktops from my laptops or vice versa, really easy to set up and use. I use the "Chicken of the VNC" GNU/Freeware client and the Mac's are easily set up to allow VNC access.
Know that with all currently selling (Intel based) Mac's, you can partition the internal HD to have both Mac and Windows (and even Linux) partitions and both into the partition of your choice, or you can purchase Parallels ($79) or run VM ware and actually be running Windows and Mac OS X at the same time on the machine. It's truely amazing! OR... If you wanted to, you could buy a Mac, and use it strictly as a Windows machine (erasing OS X and just setting it up as a Windows box on Apple made Hardware). It's verstile!
I was seriously investigating it -- but in a crisis I went with what I knew I could get up and working without access to my software and home office.
In crisis mode, one goes with what one is familiar with.
So as I worked on configuration, client work and downloading MS crap needed
[rolls eyes - shakes head sadly]
to make their latest untested system work, I was not in a mood to brook disagreement and off topic comments. I was harsh, cynical and not entirely factual on several points.
Well, ok. We all have our finer moments, and then there are the other times.
The PC is working, and I feel much better now.
Good!
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I will challenge you on two points, Chuck.
Ok...
While Omega may have announced the Hour Vision before Basel, I think it was still a major new item. Prior to Basel, the only way to see the watch was to be in the jewelry press or see it on Urquardt's wrist (probably an exaggeration).
I accept the challenge.Perhaps to the ordinary non-WIS public the Hour Vision was a major new item. However, to anyone who routinely views TZOF, WUS, C/ZOWIE it was old news. Since your query was posted in a WIS rich environment it's probably not reasonable to expect WIS's to be gushing over this as something new and exciting two or three months after the fact.
Perhaps the only way to see the Hour Vision was at a Press Event or at Basel or on a Omega employee's wrist, but since most of the WIS's responding to Omega's Basel showing were not in Basel, still have not had the opportunity to see one in person and have known about the Hour Vision for months, a lack of excitement over it's being shown in Basel is not exactly shocking.
I would not at all be surprised to see excited and enthusiastic posts about the Hour Vision when it finally does hit the store shelves and posters here and in the other Omega forums have an opportunity to see one up close and in person.
And the accidental posting
I wouldn't necessarily catagorize the "leaking" of the 50th as accidental. [more to come on this]
of the 50th Anniversary watch on the website where you could only find it by a detailed text search (it was not listed as a model available) hardly means Omega didn't introduce the watch at Basel.
If it had been an accidental posting, it would have been pulled the moment an Omega representative became aware of the public knowing about it. I know for a fact that several AD's received inquiries after news broke and Omega was aware the hippocampus was out of the bag, as it were.Yes, perhaps Omega introduced the 50th Anniversary model's formally at Basel. But for most WIS's it had about as much impact as Apple would have if it formally announced this week the iPhone was going to be in stores in June. The cat is already out of the bag on that one too!
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So what ended up happening to Omega at Basel was that it had already announced most [if not all] of it's new products previously either by design [Hour Vision Press Events] or via [I'm struggling for words here: accident, blunder, slip, goof, oversight] I'll go with blunder, and as a result the "re-announcement" was greeted with yawns or "is that all?" by the WIS public.
If I have seemed frustrated, it's because sometimes it seems Omega can't do anything to get praise.
I don't think anyone has said anything other than praise for the Hour Vision. Ok, I've said the dial is a little too Art Deco for my tastes, and I wonder why Omega didn't emulate the rotor shape of their classic 5xx series movements on the Hour Vision, but that's not really harsh critism is it?I also think they bring some of it upon themselves. They knew Basel was coming up, they knew people were going to expect to see new things at Basel.
In house or not, they introduced a new calibre that will be the base of the entire line within 10 years.
Hmmm... Possibly. That's a stated intention. If they off the
On TZ, this caused less reaction than the average SOTC post. Correction -- much more negative reactions than the average SOTC post.
SOTC? Oh! State Of The Collection. Acronyms are fun! I was heading towards AcronymFinder when I figured that one out...From what I recall there were four threads involved with the Hour Vision announcement back in January [one each from Engi and Damon and two by Jorge Merino]. Four separate threads may have had something to do with a muted response.
Another factor may well be that all of the Omega Forums, here and elsewhere are heavily Sports watch oriented: Seamasters, Speedmasters, Moonwatches and Bonds, Planet Oceans and the like. Connies and DeVille's are not what's talked about most of the time. If Omega had introduced an Hour Vision model in a dive watch, the response (positive, negative and indifferent) would probably have been greater.
Omega introduced only the third manual movement in Speedmaster history (excluding moonphases, decorated movements and chronometer ratings) -- like it or not. This got only disappointment and at least 60% negative or neutral posts.
Let me ask you a friendly question Sam. What kind of response would you expect from the forum[s] if Omega were to introduce a ,,new manual wind movement,, for the Speedmaster and it turned out to be a c.1040 or a 7750 or an ETA/Dubois-Depraz without a rotor?I'd personally expect Yawns, disappointment and indifference.
Now maybe, maybe, there would be some excitement if Omega were to introduce a rotorless c.1045 in a moonwatch case. But that's only because folks really like the 376.0822 and that would be a pretty cool watch (and people might be able to scavenge a c.1045 movement to upgrate that watch).
But what Omega did with the c.3201 was to take a c.3313 strip off the automatic "bits", put it in a moonwatch styled case, and put [reportedly] a hefty price on the result. I understand the reaction among the regulars here.
Well, the 50th doesn't do it for me either, but it was better than several other alternatives. Present a better choice that doesn't involve the Lemania 2310/321 . . . I haven't heard any practical suggestions that weren't another repackaged 1861/1863/1866.
I've presented several... How about a c.910/c.910 revival [yes, I know that those are within the c.x86x family]. I think many many people would embrace a Speedmaster Moonwatch GMT, especially if it had a rotatable 12/24 bezel. What about that rotor-less 1045 I mentioned above. It might even fit into a moonwatch case (probably would need a taller crystal though]. We know Lemania was making movements for Fortis, Sinn and Tutima fairly recently, I doubt they've destroyed the tooling. Isn't it sad that the last c.1045's that were made were for a brand other than Omega?Here is another practical suggestion... With the Hour Vision Omega is making cases with Sapphire inserts. How about making a Speedmaster with a Sapphire DIAL? Create a dial out of Sapphire and mark with black paint everything which is white on an ordinary moonwatch dial [logo, model, tickmarks, etc.]. Make it a Genevé Wave movement with a display back, that'd ROCK seeing that behind the dial and folks might say "It's really too busy for my tastes, but what a COOL idea!". Consider it a "poor man's Skeleton" watch.
There are a lot of things that Omega could have done, even with a repackaged c.1861 that would have been better, and generated more interest, excitement and positive thoughts than what they did.
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I honestly believe that if Omega announced that they were cutting prices 15% and reintroducing the Lemania 2310 as the only calibre available in the Speedmaster, we would see a host of posts bemoaning the fact the price cut wasn't 20% and that the 2310 is so expensive to manufacture that prices will go back up, and besides, who wants a movement from Nouvelle Lemania -- only the original Lemania movements were any good (Georges?).
I don't believe that. I personally don't think you honestly believe that either. Certainly folks may post concerns that Omega couldn't keep those price points, and those posts would probably be right. But let's say for argument that a Lemania c.2310 costs twice as much as a c.1861. Omega can get them if they ask and they want to make 5957 piece LE and have spares. How many people would pay $5k or $6k (remembering that the moonwatch is a $3000 MSRP item today) Speedmaster with a c.2310 and a display back?Put me at the top of [or anywhere on] that list for one. I'd put off other watch purchases for some time to get one of those. SERIOUSLY.
Sigh . . .
Sam... Think about what Omega's done in the ramp up to Basel...
|
New Product: |
What was done: |
When Announced: |
General Reaction: |
|
Speedmaster Reduced |
Revised dials, improved W/R |
late 2006 |
Positive |
|
Speedmaster Day |
Revised Dials, 100m W/R, COSC |
late 2006 |
Positive |
|
Revised SeMPC |
Revised Dial, modest price increase |
late 2006 |
Relief it wasn't cancelled, Positive |
|
Seamaster NZL-32 |
New Model, c.33xx variant |
late 2006 |
Positive |
|
BA 1957 |
Revised enamel & 1957 dial |
4 Jan 2007 |
outrage @ putting 1957 on dial, enamel isn't very tool watch is it? Mostly negative. |
|
Hour Vision |
New movement, quasi-Inhouse |
23 Jan 2007 |
Positive mainly, some are guarded. |
|
Marine 135 LE Museum |
Homage piece to original Marine |
Positive |
|
|
50th Aniversary Patch |
Patch Dial, LE numbering, [Price?] |
late March 2007 |
Disappointment, underwhelmed |
|
50th Anniversary c.3210 |
"castrated" c.3313 LE numbering, Shocking pricing [if accurate] |
late March 2007 |
Disappointment |
I have a couple of points to convey with that table...1] look at when Omega did each of these things: weeks and months in advance of Basel, one doesn't go and pre-announce all of your good stuff prior to an event and expect to make a big splash at that same event. I mean, they announced the Marine 135 piece Limited Edition model in the Omegamania Catalog in Lot 280 for cryin' out loud!
I don't think anyone is going to expect a lot of buzz after the Apple Worldwide Developer's Conference Keynote in June if Steve Jobs gives another dog and pony show on the AppleTV and the iPhone. It's too late for that.
2] Most of the participants here in the TZOF and also at WUS and C/ZOWIE are Sports Watch Omega buyers. Yes, we see some Vintage Connie posts, the occasional Aqua Terra posts, and a smattering of posts on other models, but the vast vast majority of posts are in one of three to four groups: Bond and non-PO related Seamasters, Planet Ocean, Moonwatches, and the general "Chronograph crowd" for lack of a better term. Most of the folks here are into the Tool Watches.
And what did Omega announce at Basel [that hadn't already been known about] that would be of interest to Sport watch fans?
... A Gold Planet Ocean if I remember correctly. That's it. Or at least that's all I saw reported in the Basel/SIHH 2007 forum.
Omega shot their wad before Basel. Most Swiss watch firms are very secretive and hold news until the big event. So it's not surprising some people thought "Gee, I can't wait until Basel to see what new toys Omega's going to have" and was disappointed that Christmas had already come and gone. And I'm not certain it's reasonable to expect sport/tool watch devotees to get gushy and drooling over the Hour Vision. I wouldn't expect a Corvette or Mustang or Jeep or Hummer club member to start frothing at the mouth over a new Rolls-Royce sedan, would you?
Observation... When Omega starts pushing the notion that the BA 1957 is somehow emblematic with the heritage of the original Speedmaster, when Omega starts putting lacquer dials on what has traditionally been sport watches, when they have a Golden aniversary [I even looked it up!] and all they do is emasulate one movement for a LE and silk-screen a busy logo on another one [and posibly charge gouging prices] and other similar things, the "sports/tool watch crowd" is vocal and disappointed.
Speculation... Perhaps it would be in Omega's best interest to take stock of these reactions can learn to do better with future opportunities? After all, if all most of us wanted those kind of features, we would have bought Rolex or another brand in the first place. If they want a positive and forceful showing at Basel, don't announce everything weeks and months in advance.
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We have a brand we love, and we don't know exactly where it is going. It's unsettling, and change is uncomfortable much of the time. But let's be a little bit grateful for what we have in Omega.
I'm grateful for what we have in Omega, don't get me wrong.However, knowing the abyss that Omega was once at, knowing that Breitling failed and ceased being an on-going concern during those times, and knowing so many other firms didn't survive (Gallet for all extents & purposes among many others), I know what the stakes can be.
I've also watched another firm which I dearly love face some very similar dark times... Some said "been at the edge of the cliff and leaning over". Only to have been able to turn things around, survive and thrive. We were talking about that firm at the start of this post.
I see Apple has seemed to have learned it's lesson[s], for the most part. I'm not very sure Omega has.
And that scares me.
I'm not going to sit by meekly when I see that. I'm going to say something. Perhaps someone in the right position will take heed, perhaps not. But at least I will know I didn't sit on my hands.
thanks all
Likewise Sam!
Sam