Fancy new thermostat

Happy Monkey · 10-25-2011, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

Plus it has a motion detector, so if the house is unoccupied for a while it can adjust the temperature.

Do you need one in each room, or can you link other motion detectors to it?

glatt · 10-25-2011, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Do you need one in each room, or can you link other motion detectors to it?

Probably neither. But I'm sure you can set the motion detector interval and/or turn it off.

Pete Zicato · 10-26-2011, 11:45 AM

Glatt, I'm sorry to say I don't think it's going to take off at that price.

I generally only interact with my thermostat twice a year, when we switch on the heat in the fall, and when we turn on the AC in the summer. It's a pain in the ass to program, but I only do it twice a year.

If this was priced just a little higher than other programmable thermostats, it might make it, but not at this price.

Spexxvet · 10-26-2011, 01:47 PM

It's interesting what some people won't pay more for. I won't pay more than $20 for a bottle of wine, or $100 for a cell phone. I can see this getting thrown in for a new construction, but I wouldn't go out and buy it to replace a thermostat that is functioning.

glatt · 10-26-2011, 02:37 PM

It is interesting. If this thermostat can save 5% off your heating/cooling bill, it will pay for itself in a few years. And it probably can do that. (YMMV and all that) It depends on what you have now, how you live now, and what you are paying for heating and cooling.

I wonder if this will come down in price the way all other portable consumer electronics come down in price. I don't see how it can be improved each year with a new model the way everything else can. It's not like you can go from 3G to 4G or fit more songs on it. It controls the temperature. Period. It's $250 now. Will it be $129 in three years?

Part of the package is that you get an account with this company so you can access it through the web. They aren't going to web host your home thermostat forever for free if this becomes a bargain basement item. That actually makes me wonder how they are going to handle the accounts. TIVO charges a small monthly fee after you buy their box. I wonder if these guys will too?

Spexxvet · 10-26-2011, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

I wonder if this will come down in price the way all other portable consumer electronics come down in price.
...
Will it be $129 in three years?

Yes, it will, because it will be bootlegged and made in China, unfortunatley.

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

Part of the package is that you get an account with this company so you can access it through the web.

That is definitely a cool aspect. He should try to bundle in with the new ADT packages that allow you all kinds of off-site features.

Oops, ADT Pulse let's you do that already.

glatt · 10-26-2011, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spexxvet

Oops, ADT Pulse let's you do that already.

I didn't spend a lot of time at that website, but on the front page they offer a coupon for $250 off, so it must cost significantly more than this thermostat.

Pete Zicato · 10-26-2011, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

It is interesting. If this thermostat can save 5% off your heating/cooling bill, it will pay for itself in a few years. And it probably can do that. (YMMV and all that) It depends on what you have now, how you live now, and what you are paying for heating and cooling.

I bought a smart thermostat for ~ $20 a while ago. It's got settings for wakeup/leave/return/sleep and those are different for weekdays and weekends. It's also got a lock mode for when someone's home on a weekday.

What's this got that will save 5% for me?

Pete Zicato · 10-11-2013, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete Zicato

Glatt, I'm sorry to say I don't think it's going to take off at that price.

I generally only interact with my thermostat twice a year, when we switch on the heat in the fall, and when we turn on the AC in the summer. It's a pain in the ass to program, but I only do it twice a year.

If this was priced just a little higher than other programmable thermostats, it might make it, but not at this price.

Obviously, these are marketed to some type of person who isn't me. The company is still going strong. And they seem to be selling well on Amazon.

xoxoxoBruce · 11-17-2013, 11:58 PM

Al Gore likes the Nest.

Quote:

When Al Gore talks, people listen. On Friday, it took an off-hand reference by the former vice president to his investment in "Nest" to send the stock for the failed red light camera and speed camera firm Nestor soaring 14,900 percent.

"There are a lot of great companies out there, and our general counsel's always cautioning my partners and me not to be caught giving portfolio advice," Gore said on Yahoo Finance's Daily Ticker show. "But I'll pick one out of the blue, a product that you wouldn't think of as a great opportunity, and that's a thermostat, NEST, is a terrific company."

glatt · 01-13-2014, 03:33 PM

Google just bought the company for $3.2 billion. I wonder if my brother had any shares?

10-26-2011, 11:45 AM	#3
Pete Zicato Turns out my CRS is a symptom of TMB. Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Chicago suburbs Posts: 2,916	Glatt, I'm sorry to say I don't think it's going to take off at that price. I generally only interact with my thermostat twice a year, when we switch on the heat in the fall, and when we turn on the AC in the summer. It's a pain in the ass to program, but I only do it twice a year. If this was priced just a little higher than other programmable thermostats, it might make it, but not at this price. __________________ Talk nerdy to me.

10-26-2011, 01:47 PM	#4
Spexxvet Makes some feel uncomfortable Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 10,346	It's interesting what some people won't pay more for. I won't pay more than $20 for a bottle of wine, or $100 for a cell phone. I can see this getting thrown in for a new construction, but I wouldn't go out and buy it to replace a thermostat that is functioning. __________________ "I'm certainly free, nay compelled, to spread the gospel of Spex. " - xoxoxoBruce

10-26-2011, 02:37 PM	#5
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	It is interesting. If this thermostat can save 5% off your heating/cooling bill, it will pay for itself in a few years. And it probably can do that. (YMMV and all that) It depends on what you have now, how you live now, and what you are paying for heating and cooling. I wonder if this will come down in price the way all other portable consumer electronics come down in price. I don't see how it can be improved each year with a new model the way everything else can. It's not like you can go from 3G to 4G or fit more songs on it. It controls the temperature. Period. It's $250 now. Will it be $129 in three years? Part of the package is that you get an account with this company so you can access it through the web. They aren't going to web host your home thermostat forever for free if this becomes a bargain basement item. That actually makes me wonder how they are going to handle the accounts. TIVO charges a small monthly fee after you buy their box. I wonder if these guys will too?

01-13-2014, 03:33 PM	#11
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Google just bought the company for $3.2 billion. I wonder if my brother had any shares?

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