Cardo Packtalk Custom Explained | MotoNZ.com 

Glad I could help

oh man, did you even watch the video? to answer your question, no we're not turned off by this innovation from Cardo. The opposite in fact, it's a smart move for the company and the consumer. it gives us as riders more options. If you are the sort of rider who uses the features included in the subscription levels, then the custom is not for you. spend a little more and get all the features freehold in the Neo or Edge. if you don't need those features often or at all, then the Custom is an excellent option as it's cheaper, and gives you the ability to turn the features on for a period of time if you find you need them... The Edge and Neo still get all the features "for free" as you put it. nothing is changing with them. this is just a different option for those who see benefit in it.

I am turned off by paying money for a device that has features that is locked unless you pay more????

@@greyman0006you’re paying less for the Custom than any other DMC2 capable device from Cardo. That’s the point. Cheaper model for those who don’t need the features included in the subscription plan, but still have the chance to use them if you do find your self needing them. If you want all the features all the time, pay more for the Neo or Edge models and never worry about a subscription ever.

@@MotoNZ yeah man I watched the whole video. But when companies start flirting with subscription platforms it usually becomes that company's standard for all models. I'm turned off by the possibility of Cardo following that pattern. I guess I'm worried about the direction that the company will take going forward because personally I don't like subscription based platforms. I think it's an overplayed business model that, in the long term, doesn't benefit the consumer and actually leaves them worse off. aka eventually they end up spending more money on the product than if they just bought the regular priced version.

@@MotoNZI have to agree with 7thSentinel. The device already has the hardware. Arguably it's fair to say "well the hardware isn't the main cost, it's the development and software you pay extra for on the subscription". But that's ignoring the fact that the consumer-friendly option would have been to add a permanent "unlock" packs for features. Having hardware features that could just as easily be unlocked permanently only available via subscription (whether they sell other models or not) makes them anti-consumer. The only thing that defends it is the availability of various other models right now across the range, but don't be mistaken, this is probably an experiment to see if it's profitable to get rid of some of those and move them to this setup. Hopefully it sells poorly and leaves the market.

but, if you dont need all the features, you can save money by buying the Custom instead of the edge and not fork out for a subscription. I've been commuting with the Custom for ages, and not once have i needed the extra features found in a subscription... I fail to see the issue. It's not as though they're not offering the Edge or Neo with all the features unlocked any more. if that was the case then I would agree with you.

@@MotoNZ I’m not sure you understand my point. Both units are technically identical. The cost of the hardware is hiked to create a gap between the models. They don’t discount the price for the custom model. This is a marketing ploy that a lot of tech manufacturers are adopting and it’s very transparent. Take my car for instance. When I bought it, it had satnav, heated seats and cruise control. After 12 months the complementary subscription expired and I lost those features.. I know the car has the technical capabilities and yet the manufacturer wants me to pay for them to switch them back on!? As a customer that just pisses me off. It’s a bad business model