antipodes.audio
I think software support along with hardware compatibility is very crucial, for instance on Aurender, once they discontinue a model, there is no further support, so even remote control with newer versions of Android, Ios etc won't work. Already Aurender w20 is available at 50% off original retail on Audiogon and once support stops they will be available for even less/else they will become paper weights - like perhaps a 6-7 years old windows 7 machine that cannot be upgraded to windows 10 due to hardware limitations like adding more ram etc. Anyways listeners with deep pockets will be buying these, and waxing eloquent how great they sound. I myself will never be able to afford these so it doesn't really matter to me. And to be honest even if I can afford them I don't see myself paying $20k for a glorified computer - in an amplifier chassis.
That lack of software support is a real deal killer. Even makes their lower end options unattractive. These things use custom hardware and firmware. They will have no options to tweak anything without manufacturer support. Makes a fan less pc a much better option.
This will be an ongoing issue with any manufacturer unfortunately. One reason why these higher end guys thrive in Western markets is because of low computer literacy (I.e building PC's etc) and age of the users - usually the higher age bracket who find such things daunting. In the Best Buy stores in USA for instance adding RAM will cost you $59.99 or something like that in labor charges.
Often the software is written by a 3rd party, on a job work basis.
Wow ! That takes me back to the year 1999 when I decided to upgrade the 4 mb ram to a 8 mb ones in my packard-bell computer. I had to take an appointment with a dealer and was made to sit in a sofa for 15 mins before I met the gent who handed me the ram chips in packaging that resembles the ones that gold ornaments come these days. He also said that the company offers the additional service of inserting the chips in for an additional charge.
I was no expert in computers back in the day, and I remember my first home PC that I bought was a micron model and I had AOL dial up internet that was super slow - somewhere around 95-96. I took it to the store to even have have OS updates etc. I remember there was a HR manager in my office who didn't know how to turn off the PC so she used to unplug the power cord.
Which part of the country was this in? Starting 1992-1993 onwards (AFAIK), RAM sticks, here (in then "Bombay"), were available freely at local PC assemblers, and were delivered wrapped in newspaper pages. They were smuggled/imported in by the "tokri" (Hindi for wicker basket) load. In fact it was called "tokri RAM" in the market. Crucial, Kingston, OCZ etc RAM sticks were stuff one could only ogle at in magazines - "tokri RAM" was only Hynix and some other Korean manufacturer whose name evades me.
