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[Dan Lawrence]

I got mine in July of 2005 and 4 years later it's still happily working.

[Nate2]

and I remember using CM11 back in 1997 but do not remember when it first hit the market.

My CM11A has a date code "9A02".
That must be January 1999 ?
Continued to work in 2009! 

[Charles Sullivan]

The email from X-10 with the URL for downloading the AHP software for my CM15A was received 9 Sep 2004 and the shipping notice email the following day.  I'm pretty sure I ordered the unit within a month of its introduction.

I remember posting a few bug reports about it on comp.home.automation and getting a PM from X10Pro telling me about this forum.

[dave w]

For all you old guys  how long was it from AH/cm11 to AHP/cm15

OK there you have it. The CM11 lasted from 1996 or 1997 to late 2004.

[steven r]

OK there you have it. The CM11 lasted from 1996 or 1997 to late 2004.

That makes the a retail sales life of the CM11A about 7 or 8 years and the time that the CM15A has been out of about 5 years or a little more than half that time. We can hope and I expect we won't need to wait a full 7 to 8 years before something new emerges.

BTW... Anyone remember when the CP290 (think that was the model number) came out?

[HA Dave]

.....That makes the a retail sales life of the CM11A about 7 or 8 years and the time that the CM15A has been out of about 5 years or a little more than half that time. We can hope and I expect we won't need to wait a full 7 to 8 years before something new emerges.

I think your calculations makes good sense. Particularly when we look at the operating systems involved too. A new device designed for Vista/7... would seem reasonable. But current market conditions could also change everything.

But X10's mission statement does say:  Our mission is to design, develop and market quality home products and services at affordable prices that make our customers' lives better.

[dave w]

OK there you have it. The CM11 lasted from 1996 or 1997 to late 2004.

BTW... Anyone remember when the CP290 (think that was the model number) came out?

1986

[Dan Lawrence]

OK there you have it. The CM11 lasted from 1996 or 1997 to late 2004.

BTW... Anyone remember when the CP290 (think that was the model number) came out?

1986

That sounds about right.  I got my CP290 from a now-vanished Heath store on Joppa Road in Baynesville, a suburb of Baltimore. That was my beginning to X10.

[steven r]

BTW... Anyone remember when the CP290 (think that was the model number) came out?

1986

So that makes about 10 years for the CP290 and 7 or 8 for the CM11A. If one could make a reliable progression from that, then 5 years with the CM15A would make it about time for a new toy. 

[dave w]

Being the eternal pessimist, I would be surprised to find out that X10 has even a glimer of thought about a CM15A/AHP update. I don't think they have the technical or financial resources any more. One thing in X10 favor: I'm not an insider, but of the new automation protocols now available (Z-Wave, UPB, Insteon, etc) I don't see any standard really pulling ahead in the market place. I tend to think possible buyers are viewing the multiple standards as replays of the great Blu-Ray vs HD and VHS vs Betamax wars and that's good news for X10.

(yeah, I know, remembering "Betamax" pretty well dates me as an "ole man"...sigh, I even remember "U-Matic").

I wonder what a D&B on X10 would show?

[Dan Lawrence]

You may be right.   We may be stuck with 3.228 as the last good release (3.236 seems to like 1.42 was for Active Home  -  the buggy version. We all stayed with the prior version of 1.32 as 1.42 seemed to do funny things.)

[HA Dave]

Being the eternal pessimist, I would be surprised to find out that X10 has even a glimer of thought about a CM15A/AHP update. I don't think they have the technical or financial resources any more.

The best way to rid yourself of a resource... is to waste it. China has come a long way in recent years. There is no need to manufacture a product there... then write the software to use it...here. China has programmers and electrical engineers too. I would really doubt that the Chinese need any more than a product description for a new X10 product.

One thing in X10 favor: I'm not an insider, but of the new automation protocols now available (Z-Wave, UPB, Insteon, etc) I don't see any standard really pulling ahead in the market place. I tend to think possible buyers are viewing the multiple standards as replays of the great Blu-Ray vs HD and VHS vs Betamax wars and that's good news for X10.

Yeah... I think many automation users do a lot of research. I know I do! And if I thought there was a real advantage to these new more costly products... I would use them. But I haven't been all that impressed yet.

[dave w]

The best way to rid yourself of a resource... is to waste it. China has come a long way in recent years. There is no need to manufacture a product there... then write the software to use it...here. China has programmers and electrical engineers too. I would really doubt that the Chinese need any more than a product description for a new X10 product.

Yes I agree. But based on the problems and delays X10 had trying to launch the RF Icon (IR27A) I think they are strapped. The Beta test kept going into limbo because they had to juggle programmer resources between the IR27 and a customer OEM project.

I am hoping X10 is working on CM15A / AHP update and PC interface for the IR27, but am obviously pessimistic about the chances of seeing anything in the next couple of years.

[HA Dave]

... based on the problems and delays X10 had trying to launch the RF Icon (IR27A) I think they are strapped.

Being that X10 is privately owned... it would be impossible for me to even guess. I would doubt if even upper level X10 employees could. But with the current condition of global finances.... this could be the best time ever to have a solid working relationship with a Chinese manufacture. Having a market for Chinese made goods... would seem to me to be of more value... than having American dollars.

I would guess.... we have a better chance of buying X10 products a decade from now... than we do of buying an American made automobile.

[dave w]

Being that X10 is privately owned... it would be impossible for me to even guess. I would doubt if even upper level X10 employees could. But with the current condition of global finances.... this could be the best time ever to have a solid working relationship with a Chinese manufacture.

X10 "owns" the Shenyang factory. Radio Shack used to "own" the Plug-N-Power factory across the road (even though X10 did all the design work, the factory making Plug-N-Power products was wholly independent of the X10 factory and corporation, which is why X10 would not take back warrenteed Radio Shack PNP modules but would take back RCA, Magnavox, Stanley re-branded modules). I suspect X10 keeps the overhead at this factory as tight as they keep the American end of the business. Whether they would want to "hire out" to Chinese Design/Engineering firms is a good question. I think they well realize they have a growing problem with continued use of dated X10 protocol but don't have the capital to do much about it.

I would guess.... we have a better chance of buying X10 products a decade from now... than we do of buying an American made automobile.

Yup Dave, I think you are right. Perhaps Government Motors will still be around making electric go-karts.