@superwarp1 posted:Really, why are they doing a second run of the redesigned remote?? I have the app, I hate the app, I don't use the app. Two many bugs.
There are probably enough of the discontinued parts right now that the Remote and TIU use to do these "last runs" and maybe even a handful extra. That said, it's a bad idea to build a business around a part that distributors are telling you is discontinued.
If you are buying a new car, would you rather them put a transmission in it that will have parts available for the next 20 years, or do you want them to put an older transmission design in it that uses some parts that the manufacture has announced their discontinuation?
Could they do a completely new remote and TIU that use newer non-discontinued parts? Probably - but there is a lot of expense involved in that. There was probably a considerable amount of R&D that went into the current systems and right now it doesn't make business sense to start a brand new design. From what I've read, the WTIU has been in development for quite a while, so this is what is using current parts and what will be available, and what can still run your trains for the foreseeable future.
Maybe the DCS spinoff company that has been rumored will see fit to offer a "WiFi" remote that works with the WTIU in the future. There is a mode of WiFi called WiFi Direct that supports communication between two devices without the need for any other special networking equipment. That could be a potential opening for a future remote.
