[TenTec] Orion and O II Firmware Update?

[Rick Denney]

Barry N1EU writes...

> Rick, I think you have some good points in there but I honestly don't
> get the thrust of what you're saying - that Ten-Tec has a more mature
> system of control over change release because they don't release
> changes?  That Elecraft is eventually going to drive off a cliff
> because they release successful changes at a rapid pace?

No, I'm saying that comparing the strengths of one approach to the
weaknesses of the other doesn't seem to me quite fair. Ten Tec is a
corporation, and operates like a corporation, trading stability for
agility to some extent. And Elecraft is pressing its agility
advantage, and that agility comes from the small size and single
ownership of the company. But that small size and single ownership
makes it more vulnerable, and reduces its ability to support a larger
product line. If Ten Tec made itself vulnerable, as they might have to
do to become agile, they might give up their product stability. Nobody
recognizes the vulnerability of Elecraft because everything has gone
swimmingly for them, as we hope it will continue to do, but it's still
there.

And expecting a K3 to be an Orion or vice versa doesn't recognize that
each is designed to a different set of requirements, and those
different requirements seem to drive the endless comparisons we see on
the list.

Rick, KR9D