mickman wrote:but I also feel the right to express how it was you launched your thread right before the Omni campaign kicked off. (not cool )
See, if would have asked me why I created a thread before the Omni campaign kicked off directly, I would have answered you.
I insist it's not my intention to hurt Jan's campaign in any way. This type of threads and announcements will rise again and again. It's a niche segment of VR and new products will appear that will compete on this segment. There are folk in here and elsewhere that put out plans for DYI designs that do what the Omni does. Neith of us reinvents the wheel. Patents for omnidirectiona treadmills have been applied since 2003, by IBM.
The simmilarity ends there. Each product would have its pros and contras. Some will be lighter. Some will be cheaper. Some will be more complex and some simpler. You can't expect realistically for independent development to stop dead on its tracks. Look at the 3d printer technology.
Jan's KS is a perfect example of how someone believing in his design and despite all challenges managed to launch a product and having success. He raised so far more than 600.000 on a 150.000 goal and will probably make more than a million. Talking about setbacks due to a thread on the MTBS forums.
The Omni is an american design and there are people who suggest that the bulk of the buyers are from the US (it's not me who said it, and it won't be me who'll repeat it, I'm just observing). My product will be a european one. Probably there will be assembly and selling chains set up in all the continents (I'm talking about the Omni). What I'm trying to say is that there's no really a competition here. I don't have the resources and means to market a product like that. I'm just trying to build a concept I had and make it accesible to the public.
Hopefully I could drive my point across to you. We're talking about a prototype that's going to be launched sometime in July. Who knows if it will be successful ? It might not and that's what it is. Jan dedicated 2 years to his ideea and you don't see anyone asking him why it took so long for a prototype to be shown. I for myself understand perfectly why.