Eric Adams - Solo is a favorite

[Perry Lawrence]

Staff Favorites: Eric Adams - Gear Patrol

 

[User Name]

You have to wonder how 3DR could make such an awesome product, and yet screw up so bad that they need to exit the market.

 

[cheebs]

You have to wonder how 3DR could make such an awesome product, and yet screw up so bad that they need to exit the market.

It can be summed up in one word: hubris.

 

[User Name]

It can be summed up in one word: hubris.

I'm not sure to what extent that may have played a part. To me, it was:

Hardware issues:
-The gimbal being so late to market.
-The initial firmware problems (gimbal falling limp)
-The poor GPS performance (long lock times, few satellites) many experienced

Market issues:
-Drone prices fell considerably between Solo's conception and it's full (with gimbal) introduction.
-Other manufacturers released advanced features (vision, avoidance systems), and people love spec sheets over actual performance.

Consumer issues:
-The warranty really hurt them. People with zero experience were putting $1500 in the air, destroying it, and 3DR was accepting the bill. I think they drastically underestimated how stupid a great many people are these days.
-The marketing theme of "so easy a monkey could do it" played into the above.

I think the Solo is still the best, most capable platform under $1000, and I think they've shot themselves in the foot by abandoning the market so quickly. All the manufacturing costs and expenses are done, at a price point of between $500 to $700, they seem to be selling pretty well, and there's no way they can cost a significant chunk of that to produce.

Oh well, the best technology is often not the one that succeeds.

 

[Perry Lawrence]

This exactly. I'd also add missteps and poor assumptions as to the open source implications and not understanding how to properly leverage that model.

 

[PdxSteve]

It can be summed up in one word: hubris.

Colin Powels word of the day lol

 

[franknitty69]

I'm not sure to what extent that may have played a part. To me, it was:

Hardware issues:
-The gimbal being so late to market.
-The initial firmware problems (gimbal falling limp)
-The poor GPS performance (long lock times, few satellites) many experienced

Market issues:
-Drone prices fell considerably between Solo's conception and it's full (with gimbal) introduction.
-Other manufacturers released advanced features (vision, avoidance systems), and people love spec sheets over actual performance.

Consumer issues:
-The warranty really hurt them. People with zero experience were putting $1500 in the air, destroying it, and 3DR was accepting the bill. I think they drastically underestimated how stupid a great many people are these days.
-The marketing theme of "so easy a monkey could do it" played into the above.

I think the Solo is still the best, most capable platform under $1000, and I think they've shot themselves in the foot by abandoning the market so quickly. All the manufacturing costs and expenses are done, at a price point of between $500 to $700, they seem to be selling pretty well, and there's no way they can cost a significant chunk of that to produce.

Oh well, the best technology is often not the one that succeeds.

agree 100%