Pay lots of dollars to upgrade from MkI to MKII doesn't.
I hear you. I wouldn't pay "lots" of dollars to do this, especially from a features standpoint.
I was trying to illustrate that there may be things to consider other than the marketed features of the unit. As they should, older units sell for less money. But it is more than the year it is made that affects the resell price...it is the perceived oldness. A simple announcement of a new product will decrease the value of my investment. This is fact. I used declining price as reasoning in my above post, but there are others for me.
My advice would be to ask these questions along with the analysis of features vs. price: Are you going to want the next generation Fractal? When are you going to want it? How much will it cost to upgrade from where you are at that time? This is my thought process.
Slightly off-topic:
--- As for my decision to upgrade from a Mark I to an XL+, for a couple hundred bucks I now have a warranty (because I upgrade to new units from Fractal), I can share patches with all current tinkerers, and I know I can move it for a decent amount of cash if need be. So my personal reasons for upgrading were not necessarily the features as marketed. They are awesome features that I don't use 90% of the time, but that's just me. For me, there is value in just being as current as my budget allows. I think of the differential value of old versus new as a "hassle" factor. I find it frustrating to own something that lends itself to collaboration when you can no longer collaborate with everyone. It feels less valuable, and it is in fact is less valuable. Just another example of my personal reasons to upgrade.
For me, what unit to buy for how much is a very personal decision that must take into account my style both as an artist and as a consumer (and obviously my budget, alternative uses of my money, etc.) There is nothing wrong with either keeping a car forever or getting a new one every two years. But if I try to justify the new car because it has a backup camera, how much do I really need a new backup camera? I don't. I just
want a new car. There is value in that. I want the latest Fractal unit I can afford. Congratulations to them on this fact. It is not because of the new features and capabilities alone. If my budget dictated an Ultra, I would make good music with it. If not, then everything said at the time the Ultra was produced and marketed was complete BS. (I know the world has changed since then, but I am just exaggerating to make a point. I can spin vinyl from 1975 and enjoy it as much as a download from iTunes today. Pretty sure there were no Fractals in '75.)
Of course I asked myself honestly what features I needed to be happy, but I also asked what type of consumer I am and what my style is. Because I intend to stay on this path, I enjoy a newer unit for its newness (and all the benefits that come with that) as much as its features.---
