I don't agree with the IT analogy, because the consumer still gets to choose "when/if" they are willing to make the upgrade to get enhanced features with a PC. What MyLaps is doing is literally extorting more money from customers who already bought their product. MyLaps is forcing all new decoders sold to be fixed with RC4.5 and will not allow them to be backward compatible to RC4.4 and this in itself is an unethical business practice worthy of a class action lawsuit IMO. Although MS no longer supports older OS's, they do not physically lock out those systems the way MyLaps has done it. I can still install Win7 on a new PC which is a requirement in order for me to run software for my CNC.


If the local club in my area decides to upgrade to RC4.5, then I will be forced to pay the $50 upgrade fee for the 5 MRT's that I currently own for a net extortion fee of $250. This is the definition of a monopoly because it eliminates the ability for the consumer to have any choice in the market. I believe in free enterprise because once you have a monopoly then there is nobody to compete for reasonable pricing.


While the "Speedhive" app is technically an enhancement with RC4.5, they should simply limit the newer generation of PT's to integrate with Speedhive without locking out the older units which would not get to leverage the new service, simple as that. What's crazy is that the local tracks are already paying for the LiveRC service as it is, now MyLaps is double dipping by charging the racers an additional fee (via the extorted upgrade fee) on top of what the tracks already pay... this is criminal activity in my book!

What might be more translatable are some of the older generation cell phone plans, but even then the phone companies have absorbed the cost by offering free phone upgrades to get consumers switched over to newer phone signal services when necessary.