Encore Pro Reader Program is (almost) Here!

[DreamDiver]

Panhandler,

Neither my doctor, nor the sleep center nor the DME owns this software.
You couldn't be more right.
When I asked why, they just said, they didn't know or that it wasn't necessary.
I wonder how many of us are in that boat.

It's not Respironics fault that our docs and DMEs don't care enough to read the data!

[Wulfman...]

Why would they need software when most of the machines they sell don't have data recording capabilities? And, more than likely they don't even have compliance recording data cards, either......THAT information they can get from the LCD screen on the machine.

Den

.

[___H]

GreenIce, ____H,

Probably the best storage device would be an SD card. They come in a myriad of storage sizes. They're also easy to pop into a laptop. They're used in everything from still and video cameras to audio recording devices to phones.

They also come in uniform physical sizes, which jump drives do not.

It's likely they chose the smart card method to keep a proprietary foothold on the market.

I have devices that use removeable storage media, and agree that SD is a fine format. But generally, the average user will still need a specialized device to read it, while memory sticks do not. I have acquired a collection of readers over the years. Some would not work when I upgraded operating systems, etc. USB is more or less universal - any pc can read/write to them without a unique interface.

.02

[DreamDiver]

____H,

For USB vs. SD, I think about form factor. Most modern computers today have multiple card readers and usb slots on them. My laptop is almost 4 years old, and it has an SD slot built into it under the PCMCIA slot.

When I look at a usb jump drive, I see the interface sticking grossly outside the form of the machine. Just knock it or bump it against the edge of the nightstand and you could end up with a broken CPAP and a bent up jump drive. It just sticks out and is waiting for someone to knock it. I don't know about you, but I move my machine around a lot when I'm cleaning the tubes and emptying or adding water. Heck, I've even cut myself a few times on the door that hides the water tank. (That's one sharp edged booger.)

With the SD card, it slips right into a subsurface slot, similar to the smart card, but is easy to retrieve with a click. It wouldn't stick out any more than the smart card does. The SD card is made to be portable when necessary and out of the way when it needs to be more stationery. USB interfaces generally are not. What makes jump drive useful is their temporary interface rather than stationery.

Alternatively, if they used usb, it might just be a matter of embedding some negative space into the side of the CPAP to accomodate the majority of jump-drive sizes.

Between us, I think we agree that a different media would be better.

I have devices that use removeable storage media, and agree that SD is a fine format. But generally, the average user will still need a specialized device to read it, while memory sticks do not. I have acquired a collection of readers over the years. Some would not work when I upgraded operating systems, etc. USB is more or less universal - any pc can read/write to them without a unique interface.

.02

[goose]

I'd have to agree that the form factor on the SD or other micro cards is more convenient than the USB jump drive, but the USB drives are less expensive and are, as others have said, much more universal. (I had to look to see if my Z60m had a SD slot -- it does).

I'm not a driver expert, but I would think that the USB driver would be marginally smaller than the SD driver on the xPAP machine itself -- also, doesn't the present card have a CPU on it to control the input/output?? (again, I'm no expert on those things)......

I would also agree that the USB solution would need some "negative space" to put the drive "inside" the perimeter of the machine so it wouldn't get knocked around......

Mis dos centavos......
cheers
'goose

[roncron]

I do not mean to discourage anyone from continuing the debate over media format. But we should recognize it's a moot point. We don't get to choose the media used in Respironics machines; Respironics does.

I agree with DreamDiver's earlier comment: Respironics uses a proprietary format to corner the market, i.e. squeeze more money out of us. If they switched to a standardized media, such as USB flash drives or SD cards, they would lose the ability to profit from selling us grossly overpriced "smart cards" and card readers. (Yes, I know the reader can be obtained for $30 from Hong Kong; but most Respironics customers do not, and would instead pay $160 to buy from a US retailer.)

Yet, the discussion over various storage media has some momentum. Perhaps there should be an item where you can continue that, and perhaps we could reserve this item for discussing Encore Viewer.

[Guest]

roncon - is ANYTHING good enough for you? Your comments toward Respironics' "squeezing the money out of us" are childish and inappropriate.

And god forbid a company profit from something in your eyes...

You should be ashamed.

[DreamDiver]

Dear 'Anonymous'

roncron might have said it, but I was thinking it too. Is it easy to tell someone to be ashamed when you log in as anonymous? <sniff, sniff> I smell trolls...

roncon - is ANYTHING good enough for you? Your comments toward Respironics' "squeezing the money out of us" are childish and inappropriate.

And god forbid a company profit from something in your eyes...

You should be ashamed.

[jskinner]

the cheaper one is "cutepdf".

CutePDF Writer is pretty good, its the one I use. Best of all its free
http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp

[goose]

I have to agree with DreamDiver -- if you're going to hop aboard and make snide comments regarding another's post, at least have the guts to log in.....

Your credibility is zero, and what you have to say is meaningless -- whomever you are.......

cheers
goose

[roster]

[quote="Anonymous"]roncon - is ANYTHING good enough for you? Your comments toward Respironics' "squeezing the money out of us" are childish and inappropriate.

And god forbid a company profit from something in your eyes...

You should be ashamed.

[DreamDiver]

Going back to the original topic of this thread...

If Respironics had their way, we would be buying the card reader and viewer from them separately. Doesn't that mean we would spend more for the unbundled viewer and card reader than we would for the bundled Encore Pro that comes with the card reader? Why should consumers be penalized by paying more for a product that does so much less?

Things that seem evident, but may need clarification:
A. The viewer software is too expensive for what it provides
B. There is no upgrade path.
C. There is there no support mechanism for consumers.
D. If you want the latest software - and you find yours was the one with the bugs - you'll have to buy the whole thing again.
E. The card reader is at least 4 times what they probably pay wholesale.

Why wouldn't Respironics offer it free to users? If more users found it helpful, wouldn't Respironics be more likely to sell the Encore Pro software to industry professionals? To me it seems this company is taking a short-term business model view rather than the long-term.

Adobe Acrobat made their reader free to the public. It's the acrobat composer/editor you have to pay for. Why doesn't Respironics make their reader free too? I'd consider looking at it if it were a freely available download. Professionals are willing to pay for the pro software because they know their clients will already have the viewer.

For the price they expect you to pay for the card reader, the software veiwer should be included 'free' with it. Frankly, even then, it's nothing less than feudal extortion.

Health insurance companies are all about prevention. As goose suggested earlier, shouldn't any software/hardware combination that is capable of putting the power of prevention into the hands of patients at a minimal price be bundled with the xPAP machine itself?

my .02

[goose]

I've said all along that I believe the reason Respironics pulled the Encore Pro software from the market was dollars. DME's were whining that "we users" were now able to control our treatment positively without them being able to bill the Insurance company for a 60second pressure change. The prescription issue was just a convenient smoke screen.
Besides, it just provided them with another revenue stream -- even if it wasn't planned that way in the beginning. (I have no problem with a company enhancing their revenue stream -- that's what they're in business to do, but I do think they're overcharging for their product by a lot!!!!)

I still think that the Viewer software should be included with the xPAP machine -- no charge (they'd just up the price of the machine by $50 or some nebulous number to recoup their "development costs". Of course then we'd whine about the raising cost of the machine ).
IMHO the price they charge for the reader is nothing short of rip off -- since we all know we can get the identical piece of hardware for about $35 directly. And now the Hong Kong distributor even provides the proper driver for the software.
Respironics should spend their efforts improving their machine (it's very good, but can always be better!!!). Like get rid of those blue lights!!!

Don't get me wrong -- I totally appreciate their decision and execution in making a user version of the software available!!!! High kudos for that!!!!!!! Like any ver 1.0, I think they should listen to the "user group" and improve their product (like put in a way to save the data!!!).

But all that said, we're all along for the ride. There's not a whole lot we can do about it other than what we're doing. Gripe. We can either choose to buy the software and reader and be done with it, or do without. If my EP software dies and I can no longer use it, I'll have to bite the bullet and get Viewer software because the data is that important to me. I'll just figure other ways to save the data which I think is a real oversight in the Viewer program.

otro valor de dos centavos ("another two cents worth" for those language challenged )

cheers
goose

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[6PtStar]

Yea goose, It's a bit to high but if you look at it and it may be a for very limited market (Those of us on this form). I suspect the average cpap user would not know what to do with it nor have any desire to own it. I have talked to 5 or 6 people I know that are on CPAP's and only one expressed any desire to look into it. I wonder if there is really as big a market as we sometimes think and maybe if and after they recover their development costs it might come down in price. With mycpap.com's utility program and adobe printer I think it will do everything we need and it sure is nice to be able to get it and be up front about it.

If they really pulled Encore Pro because of the whinning from the DME's where is the viewer going to put them now. I for one sure appreciate their effort and the flack they are going to catch if this is the real reason.

Blue lights and 2 days of vacation a month is another thing. Sure wish they would fix those two items. Put that on my Christmas wish list.

[goose]

Hey 6P --
You're probably right. There is a limited market presently.
But, I do think that if they bundled it with the machine and made it easier (less expensive) for some to get the data that it may spur some interest -- but I agree there are limited numbers of folks that are really interested. I know some that could care less, but that's a whole different thread!!!!
If bundled, they could recoup their cost with a slight price hike.....But bundling with the machine would mean they care about their customers health issues.......(brings me back to the buck)

With Viewer, the DME's are back in the "control" place they were before EP was avaliable. Having only the viewer program, most people probably won't change their pressure settings etc. (the manual process is always still available so it can still be done -- just not as conveniently ), so the DME's can go back to billing the insurance company over $100 for a 60 second pressure change.

I don't think having access to the data itself was ever an issue - only the ability to bill the insurance. But that's the cynic in me.....

cheers
goose