Quote:
Originally posted by Diki:
I think you underestimate the cost of adding the extra flash memory, Beaky. It's not just the cost of adding the raw component itself, but the cost of redesigning the main board in it's entirety... it's the cost of redesigning the chips, logic board and a host of other things. There's a reason why Yamaha can keep trotting out quite improved arrangers at little more than the cost of the previous models... It is because they are using essentially the SAME hardware architecture, and the majority of the improvements are due to upgraded sounds and OS features.

But once you start to add in hardware components that are main board related (unlike, say, a better display, a separate component), you vastly increase the cost of production. No the flash memory itself is cheap, but the cost of incorporating it into a new design is the TRUE cost.


I thought they would need a new chip when they add voice rom, so I wouldn't think that adding flash rom would be a big deal. I mean they have two years to do it.

I think Yamaha's been using the same a/c adapter since the PSR740 (10+ years) and the same speakers since the PSR2000 (8 years). They can spring for something new once in a while.

With the S900 they took away hardware: They removed the Smart Media storage and they took away RCA outputs. They also made the Direct Access aspect of their OS vastly inferior. With the PSR3000, I used to be able to get into a lot of different submenus on the fly when I was playing. I can't do that anymore.

I think Yamaha added a couple of buttons on the PSR-S900.

Most of the time when a manufacturer offers a new product they do have major hardware improvements. The cell phones aren't any more expensive and they have much more memory and better cameras and mp3 players. The cameras are going down in price, and they have more pixels and can bluetooth to your computer and printer. Laptops are getting more and more powerful for the same price.

It is rather surprising for a product to come out after a two + year hiatus and for it to have essentially the same hardware except for a screen - and then to charge more for it (and don't forget that they raised the price for the S900 by $200 or so several months ago).

Oh well, someone connected to Yamaha on the yamahapkowner forum mentioned that there would be unexpected goodies, so we will see what those are.

I'm excited about the new voices. I'll probably use the mp3 player. It would be nice to be excited about other things as well. I would have rather waited another year to get real revamp.

As I have competitors in the senior circuit here in Chicago that have the T3, however, I'm going to pick up the S910 so I'm not blown in the dust.

Beakybird