Are The Minelab Manticore Users Just Beta Testers?

[King-Of-Bling]

I don't care what kind of product it is. I refuse to knowingly be a beta tester without being properly compensated. It is not my job. When buying a detector I expect it to have already been run through the gauntlet , gone through the company testing procedures and in my hands as the intended finished product. Anything other than that I expect to be paid , given products , etc. It should be illegal that a company knowingly releases an unfinished product and says "Let us know if you find anything wrong with it" or "we should be able to repair it with a software update". I'm not talking about cellphones or computers where they are constantly under attack from hackers and security updates are expected and required. It's a damn metal detector. So I'll wait until you figure it out. And don't be ramming this 9 months of marketing promises down my throat either. Shame on you once ! I learned there won't be a second...

[D&P-OR]

29 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Of course that is the case, but lessons learned from the Nox still applied in Manticore development. The 700/900 are Nox updates, the Manticore intended as an E-TRAC replacement.

The one I am waiting for----the CTX replacement!-----What must it going to be like--it has to be coming!

[phrunt]

The Manticore shares a lot more in common with the Nox than it does the CTX, maybe 85% Nox, 13% CTX, 2% Legend. 😜

It's built on Nox technology, the 2D Target trace is based upon Nox technology, and is more limited than the CTX target trace, it's not really CTX Technology at all, they've taken ideas from the CTX and used them in the Nox, these features like the Target trace are associated with their highest priced detector in the range, so of course adding them onto a Nox puts that Nox up at a higher level price wise but they kept it below the existing decade old CTX and I believe so far the CTX is still the best at what it's good at. They improved screen was required to for target trace so they took advantage of that to make the Manticore much easier to navigate and understand, again making it more premium over the more basic cheaper looking Nox.

The reason they'll only do minimal updates I believe is because the product is as close to a final product as you can get, it wasn't rushed to release because the competitors released their new models.   XP took everyone by surprise but have had countless bug fixes and their firmware is considered beta, Nokta responded by releasing an unfinished product as they saw the dollars flying off to XP they hoped and planned to get.   Minelab just kept working away on their new detector knowing that if its good it will sell well and so far it to me looks good.   

They'll leave anything new they discover from now on for the next Manticore model rather than put new features into the existing one and that's a different way of operating to some companies but it does make it easier to make a newer model when the time comes.  If you throw everything you've got at one detector what will you do when the time comes that detector is no longer selling well, you'll have little you can do for a new model.  Minelab are very strategic with their releases and do hold back technology that isn't required at the time for sales.

The Manticore certainly doesn't feel like a rushed to market unfinished beta detector.

[GB_Amateur]

George, your provocative title/question sure has bared some extremes in opinions.  Stirring the pot, were you?  😉

[Shelton]

So the new price of CTX 4040 will be catastrophic... one kidney and you have half of it... how to live?

[UT Dave]

My wife spends about $300 a month at the hair salon, the nail salon, the eyelash salon.  I figure I'll keep buying myself new toys as I see fit until her hair falls out.

- Dave

[DSMITH]

7 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Yeah well this is the Minelab Manticore Forum, not the Comparisons Forum, or the Nokta Forum. People here are supposed to be fan boys, and nobody will score many points coming to the club house and disparaging the fans. I do love the spin that Nokta planned a screwed up release though. If it was Minelab the Legend would have been a disaster and nobody would let them forget it. Nokta it was all planned for the good of all to jump the gun and ship unfinished product. Uh huh, sure. Who is the fan boy now?  Oh wait, that was me, first Nokta Fan Boy, swinging one before most people ever heard of them. I have to admit their ability to communicate with customers leaves Minelab in shame by comparison.

Manticore will not be remotely as bad as the Legend release though, not even close. It is a follow up second generation detector that builds on the errors made with Equinox. So that part is largely over with Equinox, and like Simon I doubt there will be more than one, or at most a couple updates to the Manticore.

The reality is Minelab has been driving the cutting edge of the technology now for decades, and people lining up to buy their latest product is based on good sense proven by past history, not blind fan boy loyalty. In the gold prospecting world it’s largely been a case of buy Minelab or be left behind now for going on 30 years.

well I figure this was directed at me, so I apologize if what I stated upset you, even though the Legend was brought up previously in this thread by others, I will not do it again, and just to let you know I am vary interested in what people have to say about the Manticore since I have an order in for one but oh well and no I am absolutely not a fan boy of any one manufacture.

[King-Of-Bling]

29 minutes ago, UT Dave said:

My wife spends about $300 a month at the hair salon, the nail salon, the eyelash salon.  I figure I'll keep buying myself new toys as I see fit until her hair falls out.

- Dave

I hear that. I been trying to convince the wife to shave her head. That way I could have a different flavored (color) girl whenever I wanted. But then I realized that quality wigs cost a small fortune.😂

[longbow62]

Your left feeling like a Beta tester because Minelab offers zero tutorials on the Manticore. A manual to tell you how to work it, and that's about it. How about a video explaining the differences between it and the Equinox and why they are different. How about a thorough explanation of each program and possible settings tweaks. How about a deep dive into the 2D screen. I saw a few decent videos from field testers on navigating the menus and settings. Those videos appeared self produced by the individuals. I want actual Minelab produced content be it in word or video form. 

I mean some people who buy them might get frustrated and think this thing is not as good as my Equinox just because they don't understand the Manticore's proper set up and function.

[strick]

6 hours ago, King-Of-Bling said:

It should be illegal that a company knowingly releases an unfinished product and says "Let us know if you find anything wrong with it" or "we should be able to repair it with a software update". I'm not talking about cellphones or computers where they are constantly under attack from hackers and security updates are expected and required. It's a damn metal detector. So I'll wait until you figure it out. And don't be ramming this 9 months of marketing promises down my throat either. Shame on you once ! I learned there won't be a second...

I hear you on this but it's it's impossible for any company to test their machines out extensively in all the different places in the world with different types of varying ground conditions etc.....therefore the need for an up date once in a while...but yea I'm kinda tired of hearing people say they need to do an up date to fix this. 

strick