Roco z/Z21 app and other systems

[WIMorrison]

Roco have decided to start monetising the z/Z21 app which you have previously downloaded for free from the Apple App or Google Play store.

 

The latest version will now allow you control ONE loco with the free version or your entire current and future fleet if you pay a one off fee for the app which varies by country but would appear to be £17.99 in the UK. I also understand that feedbacks will not work when you are using a foreign system, however they will continue to operate as normal with a Roco Z/Z21.

 

What surprises me is not that Roco has done this, it is how long it has taken them to do the same as all the other app developers who charge for their products.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 30 by WIMorrison
spelling correction

[franciswilliamwebb]

Does this mean if you already own a Z21 system you can no longer use it without paying a further fee, or you can still use it as long as you don’t update the app?

[WIMorrison]

The charge only applies to ‘foreign systems’. If you are using the app with a z/Z21 command station then it will have no effect and it will continue to operate fully and without restriction.

 

Edited April 30 by WIMorrison
Added image

[franciswilliamwebb]

22 minutes ago, WIMorrison said:

The charge only applies to ‘foreign systems’. If you are using the app with a z/Z21 command station then it will have no effect and it will continue to operate fully and without restriction.

I get it now! 😜

[Kaput]

Bit underhanded to do this without any advance warning.

 

Wonder if the makers of "foreign command stations" can update their firmware to spoof being a real Z21 to the app.

[GrumpyPenguin]

Less than £20 to have access to a well developed App' - where is the problem ?

 

Not even the cost of a basic decoder.

 

I suppose those that complain also have "bootleg" version of MS Office on the PC's.

[PaulRhB]

11 hours ago, Kaput said:

Bit underhanded to do this without any advance warning.

 

Wonder if the makers of "foreign command stations" can update their firmware to spoof being a real Z21 to the app.

As most are the development defunct Digikeijs I doubt it ;) 

 

It was a bit cheeky of them to use another manufacturer’s app anyway and any current manufacturers that do use it could transfer their interface to work with freeware apps like Withrottle or Engine driver. 
 

 

Edited May 1 by PaulRhB

[Nigelcliffe]

50 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

As most are the development defunct Digikeijs I doubt it ;) 

 

It was a bit cheeky of them to use another manufacturer’s app anyway and any current manufacturers that do use it could transfer their interface to work with freeware apps like Withrottle or Engine driver. 
 

 

 

I'm pretty sure that Yamorc (technology successor to Digikeijs) already has a WiThrottle server, so works with WiThrottle and/or EngineDriver.     

Those with defunct Digikeijs are now looking at either hardware upgrades to their system, or interfacing via a computer to give the servers for phone/tablet clients.    Or £18, which might seem quite cheap in comparison, particularly if it's a per-user-account fee (App fees usually are, and screen shot implies it is).  Worst case is two payments, one for Android and one for Apple, covering the home layout.  

There are things in the Roco App which are not present in most other Apps.  That's because the Roco App was "app only" rather than "App as interface to a service running elsewhere".   So, the App holds the layout plan, the roster list, etc, rather than having those held somewhere else and only visually shown on the device.   The end result of control is achievable both ways (within the App, or interface to elsewhere), but having it all within an App offers some users a benefit which other common approaches don't offer.   

 

 

[WIMorrison]

Hello to all,

 

For almost over 3 weeks, it's been going here and in other forums and social media about the latest version(s) of the Z21 app.

Much is written, much is said. Of course, we have also dealt with the phenomenon.

 

Out of great interest, we even researched the background and effect of the app changes.

 

But beforehand, we would like to make it clear that we see the competitors more as "competitors" than competition. We are all fishing in the same pond for once. That means, your wallet.

 

Our goal is to win your hearts and trust through better products, innovation and support. So far with the general. Now on to the app.

 

In our research, we actually found out how the new app works. We were able to make our YD7001 or the new YD7010 work smoothly with the new app using original data from the various Z21 centers (whether it is Z21, z21, z21 start). We were even able to run an unlocked z21 launch from which we had entered its data, after connecting to the app as an unlocked z21 start....

We read here very often that you wish that the so-called "foreign centers" would have to bypass the changes to the app. We will also, unfortunately, often very rude and rude, be "accused" with the implementation of the freely available Z21 protocol of having obtained a financial advantage at the expense of Roco. We deny these "accusations" and want to write here again that the implementation at US has been driven by the end customers who very much wanted to operate the Roco Wi-Fi mouse at their DR5000 or YD7xxx headquarters. From very reliable sources, we can say that this has led to a considerable, extra, turnover in WiFi mice for Roco.

 

What and how Roco does with the app now is none of our business. Because while we have the technology to implement the much-requested "bypass" of "insurance", we will NOT publish it. We respect Roco's choice to provide the app, in part, to our customers at a cost. We are even happy that the use of our centers has not been completely hijacked.

 

We hope this statement has provided adequate information on how we see the matter and what we do regarding it.

 

 

Kind regards,

Karst Drenth as owner and CEO of YaMoRC