Any chance to see a Peregrine Ai?

[ElCarlos]

HI,

I am currently looking for a successor to my Uwatec Aladin and the Peregrine actually has everything I expect from a next generation dive computer.... except Ai.

Ai is not something I absolutely need but would like to have, also with a view to the future (it is better to have something than to need it).

Since the firmware of the Perdix and Peregrine are basically the same, I assume that the differences in hardware are not that great. Therefore, the integration of Ai should not be a problem (my layman's opinion).

In my opinion, a Peregrine with Ai would also fill a gap in Shearwater's portfolio. Except maybe a low budget entry level model After the presentation of the SWIFT transmitters, I could well imagine a Peregrine Ai as a logical consequence.

Anyone else who would immediately run to the store if the Peregrine Ai would be available?

 

[Mike1967]

Peregrine with Ai would also fill a gap in Shearwater's portfolio

There is no gap.
If you want AI get a Perdix, a Peregrine AI will never happen!

 

[ElCarlos]

Paying double the price and having a TC with features I do not need I as a recreational diver just to get Ai (thats the only feature I miss at the Peregrine) is not a gap?

I disagree.

 

[Mike1967]

I disagree.

You can disagree all you like mate lol
Ok so you want a Peregrine AI? Someone else might want a Peregrine with compass. Then the next guy wants a Peregrine AI with compass. How many models do you want to insert into this gap of yours?

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I think I read somewhere that to add Ai the chip was really inexpensive, like less than $1? It just reads a signal. The software is already there. Just look at the difference between Perdix vs Perdix Ai.. not a lot of $ really.

Now the compass on the other hand is a bit more involved and more expensive.

I could see a Peregrine getting Ai, but I think that would have been launched from the start. Why add it now? Idk.

There's a market for it, plus it would sell more transmitters. I'm not sure why they didn't launch it with / without.

 

[mwerle]

The only thing the Peregrine has over it's competitors in the same price bracket is the screen. Which, for my old eyes, was a must-have, and the fact I wanted a backup computer and couldn't quite justify another Perdix AI.

But to otherwise compete on a price-feature basis with other brands/models, it really should have compass + AI. The "problem" for Shearwater is that that would be too close feature-wise to the Perdix AI, which costs nearly double and hence might cannibalise sales of the higher-end models.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

The only thing the Peregrine has over it's competitors in the same price bracket is the screen. Which, for my old eyes, was a must-have, and the fact I wanted a backup computer and couldn't quite justify another Perdix AI.

But to otherwise compete on a price-feature basis with other brands/models, it really should have compass + AI. The "problem" for Shearwater is that that would be too close feature-wise to the Perdix AI, which costs nearly double and hence might cannibalise sales of the higher-end models.

I didn't think the Peregrine was a trimix dc? If that's true then theres a huge gap between Perdix and Peregrine. A ~ $600 Peregrine Ai / Compass intigrated dc would appeal to rec divers where as the Pereix would still have its place among the tech crowd... right?

 

[ElCarlos]

When I look at the Perdix and Perdix Ai, I can well imagine that the Ai feature was only disabled on the software side. From the manufacturer's point of view, this would make sense, lower manufacturing costs, less effort for spare parts stocking, simpler firmware development, etc.

Since I assume that the Perdix and Peregrine do not differ greatly in hardware and software, the effort for Shearwater releasing a Peregrine Ai would be minimal, also with regard to the costs.

What is currently sold (prices looked up on Amazon):

Perdix 900$
Perdix Ai 1000$
Peregrine 500$

If now would be added a

Peregrine Ai 600$

that would be a round portfolio, the price difference to the Perdix would be big enough and the additional features would justify the extra charge.

In conversations with Peregrine owners as well as prospective buyers (who find the Perdix too overfeatured) I have often heard "Too bad it doesn't have an Ai, that would be the icing on the cake". And that's how I feel too.

Besides, Shearwater could increase the sales of the (SWIFT) transmitters

 

[mwerle]

I didn't think the Peregrine was a trimix dc? If that's true then theres a huge gap between Perdix and Peregrine. A ~ $600 Peregrine Ai / Compass intigrated dc would appeal to rec divers where as the Pereix would still have its place among the tech crowd... right?

You don't have to convince me but to whoever makes the decisions at Shearwater. If they can get all the AI rec divers to spring $1200 dollars instead, they're happy.

Personally I think selling X x $600 is better than Y x $1200 as long as X > 2 x Y. Same profits, more people happy - and more people pushing the brand.

And quite likely quite a chunk of the people who bought the Peregrine will later go on to upgrade to a Perdix as their diving requirements increase, so you end up with more sales overall.

But I'm not an accountant... so what do I know.

 

[Martijn]

I didn't think the Peregrine was a trimix dc? If that's true then theres a huge gap between Perdix and Peregrine. A ~ $600 Peregrine Ai / Compass intigrated dc would appeal to rec divers where as the Pereix would still have its place among the tech crowd... right?

You're right, the Peregrine doesn't do Trimix