V3i

[alric]

I understand the frustration expressed by early V owners. Having said that, I agree with RacerX. I too am happy that White's created the V to be a software upgradable machine.

White's is a business and we all need to understand that they have to be profitable, not greedy - just profitable. I think the asking price for the upgrade is fair and I look forward to having it.

The V3 and V3i are worlds ahead of any competing product in terms of hardware, software, features, and "bells and whistles". I am also grateful that White's released the Vision when they did, as I was one of the first people to buy one at the treasure show in Longview last year. The process of "working out the bugs" was worth it.

There are not many companies like White's left in our country and we need to appreciate those that take care of their customers as well as White's does.

Way to go White's! Thank you for continuing to make the best machines and provide world-class customer service.

 

[andreak77]

This is an UPGRADE NOT AN UPDATE - Our customers are under no obligation to get the UPGRADE.

Plus, I don't know where you got your pricing info from but the MSRP V3/Vision has always been $1699.95. And regardless of msrp, once they purchase the product dealers are free to set their own prices.

Just one more note - Did anyone stop to think that there just may be a logical reason for the $100 upgrade for units purchased prior to November 1, 2009?

 

[Carl-NC]

So, I await the lottery but I don't buy tickets regularly. I don't figure that really matters though.

You're right... the odds of winning the lottery are about the same, whether you buy a ticket or not.

 

[cvs]

Just one more note - Did anyone stop to think that there just may be a logical reason for the $100 upgrade for units purchased prior to November 1, 2009?

Sure! Whites "NEW" I bought "MINE" before Nov 1st, they have been planning this all along, it's a conspiracy

 

[jbow]

I've always figured that the odds go up when you buy the first ticket but not much if you buy two tries...

J

 

[jer4004]

Just one more note - Did anyone stop to think that there just may be a logical reason for the $100 upgrade for units purchased prior to November 1, 2009?

Ok I give up what is it?

 

[strock]

i have been reading the comments on this. i know how tight money is right know, and though i do not speak for whites i am sure they are too. but at today gold price one gold ring will more pay for this. i found one gold band 7.1 g , 14k today's gold price is 150.00. thanks and thank you whites for being as fair as anyone could ask for.strock

 

[Andy Sabisch]

By offering to upgrade - remember no one said update - the V3 to the newest technology it shows that they are considering the customer and trying to give them the better technology at the best possible price.

Care to reflect on Minelab's release of the Explorer SE Pro which was in essence nothing more than the Explorer SE with a new decal and a different coil. A few months later they introduced the E-Trac and people were stuck with no upgrade option other than an $1895 new detector. The same thing happened with the X-70 to X-705 or event the X-50 followed by the X-70. No upgrade path was provided short of buying a whole new detector. Other manufacturers have done the same thing and with most models being chip-driven, could have easily offered to update previous models for a nominal fee rather than requiring customers to drop another chunk of change.

Whites was actually the first one top do this almost 20 years ago when they offered an upgrade chip for their Eagle detector . . . again, offering people the OPTION to upgrade - agin, not update - their machine for a fraction of the cost of a new one.

Reading some of the posts one would think that the V3 is broken and outdated . . . . . how far from the truth is that statement? The V3 was last month and is this month a state of the art detector that can more than hold its own in the field. Am I going to box my V3 up tomorrow and send it back to Sweet Home to get the new options thinking that it is now obsolete? Not hardly . . . . too busy finding stuff and it will be going with me on a relic hunt in a few weeks.

So one person's opinion on this V3i issue is that being able to upgrade for $100 is a real bargain and just one more example of how White's values their customers.

Andy Sabisch

 

[Butch in Colorado]

n/t

 

[Calnevaroy]

What I'd like to get with my upgrade is an "i" decal that could be added to the V3(i) on the side of the control housing.

 

[dave5710]

I would want the option of adding my own decal. Visioni sounds like some sort of Italian pasta dinner.

 

[BarnacleBill]

Then by following your logic the update/upgrade from the F75 to F75LTD and T2 to T2LTD should not have necessitated the purchase of a new detector, correct? And following the White's scheme anyone purchasing an F75 or T2 within the previous 6 months to release of the LTD's should have received a "free" upgrade, correct? Or is First Texas to be held to a different standard?

 

[bfodnes]

I think it has something to do with company profile.

Founder or family operated businesses often has a closer relationship to the end user and often is the motivation behind the business not only bottom line dollars but they take more pride in their products.

Whites have had the DFX for 8 years before the V3 and now chose C++ as the programming language. In their Enginering guide for the V3 they state that it was chosen because it makes it easy to upgrade older machine of the same type.

And they now did. They show they stand behind their product and the owners buying them and they will do it with the V3 for many years.

A good signal to others now looking for a top of the line detector that doesnt get devalued very soon. And the V3 is a very very good detector for sure.

At this point I realy do think it is the absolute best top of the line allround detector available. Knowing it wont be devalued in many years is a very good bonus not available in other machines. It is realy a new standard in many ways.

 

[jbow]

Geez... they make their own business decisions and we can buy or not buy.

J

 

[jbow]

Julien

 

[OregonMike]

I am happy to learn of the i upgrade and will be getting it as soon as I can....which is TODAY!!! This is one of the perks of living close to Sweet Home.

The folks at White's are the most gracious you will ever meet. No business I've ever dealt with in any capacity, for any product or service, has ever treated me any better than the people at White's have. For you American patriots, this is an American company with American workers and they are doing business the good old fashioned American way--outstanding products, backed by outstanding service. I will not begrudge them a profit if it keeps people in their jobs and keeps the company from outsourcing to places with cheaper labor.

By the way, on an unrelated topic, thanks to all you message boarders who have offered me ideas and assistance with my V-3. Last week, I was fortunate enough to find a 1941-S Merc dime, and then a big one, a 1918-S Walking Liberty half! The half was easy--it was a "sitting duck" (on private property, with permission) about 3 to 4 inches down. The Merc was tougher--in a public easement and quite a bit deeper. Both were fun to find--one because it took a bit of skill, the other because it was big and a lot older than any Walker I had ever found before.

I guess my hopes for the i upgrade are that once I learn what the detector is telling me with these enhancements, I won't waste as much time digging nails as I have lately. I've pretty much figured out the bottle caps, but every now and then the nails still fool me. I'm thinking the polar feature will help with that.

I'll keep you posted when I learn something new.

Mike

 

[Daniel Tn]

When Fisher announced they were coming out with the F75-LTD....which just adds two search modes BTW...EVERY F-75 owner out there asked the same question "are they going to offer upgrades/updates?". The answer came as a slap in the face. "We CAN update it, but we aren't going to offer it". That meant that every F-75 owner that wanted the two new modes was going to have to buy the LTD as a whole new unit. Everyone would have been more than happy to spend $150 for the updates on their current F-75s.

I know....I was one that was asking. Luckily for the Whites owners, you're getting way more than they put into the F-75 "upgrade" and they are offering it very cheap. The F75 upgrade they did that replaced the grip and put a new gasket in the control housing was $50 for just that!! I think Whites is doing a very good thing by offering this to you guys.

As many improvements as they made and added as entirely new....they could have very easily put a new name on the machine and sold it as a stand alone unit. It could have been the "Spectra Pro" or something.

 

[Andy Sabisch]

Bill,

My point was simple and that is White's has offered owners of their flagship detector a cheap way to UPGRADE to the newest features and functions. I would say that $100 to do the upgrade is a bargain for those that want the new features. There are many that are more than satisfied with their V3 and will not see the need to upgrade.

No other detector company has offered that option. How many people bought the [Insert make and model here] only to find out that the next model [insert make and new model here] came out a few months later? We do not control the marketing of First Texas, Minelab, Tesoro, Garrett or others . . . . If they opt to offer an UPGRADE for a nominal fee rather than have people buy an entirely new detector let them . . . if not, that is also their choice. Not a different standard to hold them to - just a higher standard that White's is willing to hold themselves to.

Seem to remember a lot of people that had an Explorer wanting to know if the E-Trac upgrade could be backfitted . . . nope, shell out $1895! Same comment when the X-Terra 705 came out and the only difference was the box - why not at least let people just buy a new control housing . . . again nope!

Let's look at other industries . . . . . you buy a laptop today and the faster, lighter cheaper model comes out in a month. Does Sony, Dell or IBM offer to upgrade you to the new model for $100? If so I must have missed that offer . .. . you are stuck buying a new model. Same holds true for anything you look at - cars, electronics, tools . . . . . you want the new model you buy the new model.

I stand by my position that Whites has once again shown what customer focus and service is all about and in this economy that says even more about the company.

As far as your statement "Then by following your logic the update/upgrade from the F75 to F75LTD and T2 to T2LTD should not have necessitated the purchase of a new detector, correct? And following the White's scheme anyone purchasing an F75 or T2 within the previous 6 months to release of the LTD's should have received a "free" upgrade, correct? Or is First Texas to be held to a different standard?"

Not a different standard to hold others to - just a higher standard that White's is willing to hold themselves to.

Andy

 

[mgtmadness]

Just one more note - Did anyone stop to think that there just may be a logical reason for the $100 upgrade for units purchased prior to November 1, 2009?

Ok I give up what is it?

hmm, could be something added in them models. New hardware??? new software that allows/unlocks this upgrade potential in the models manufactured/purchased AFTER November 1, 2009..

 

[Butch in Colorado]

n/t