I like it so far.
The app design, with the page swiping and scrolling, does make some of the on-screen controls difficult to use, but I think you will learn to modify how you touch things as you use it for a while.
Anyone know what the The MTH "Premium Mode" will look like and how it will operate?
I really love how Lionel's LCS App lets you build a visual touch screen control panel of your layout and yards. Tap to throw a switch. Tap to power up a track. Which track? The one I touched, not a "name on a list" type arrangement. Lionel's LCS App is meant for tablet devices so you have the screen real estate a phone just doesn't have. They have a separate throttle only phone app.
The problem is that Lionel's required hardware components are WAY more expensive than whats needed to use the MTH system. For example, you need 3 of Lionel's ASC2 modules and 2 BPC2 Modules at $120 each ($600) to do the work on one AIU for $120. For my layout I would need at least twice the Lionel hardware I listed ($1000) or just 2 AIU's for MTH. ($240)
I'd like MTH to do a similar kind of tablet app that lets you make visual touch screen control panels just using your existing AIUs.
There is also a DCC based product called JMRI PanelPro™, so this concept isn't anyone's "intellectual property" but you need a PC, a DCC signal module, many turnout controllers. e.t.c. so things get expensive again. Probably a better choice for large layouts.
I think MTH has a real price point advantage here. If the "Premium Mode" is more than just a list of switches and routes, it could be a real knock-out.
Fingers crossed!
- RICH
