From what I have seen, SureFire used the marketing strategy of announcing a new product when it is barely into the prototype stage. There's nothing wrong with this, as it generates interest in their products. The point I object to is that the *time* from announcement to availability is excessively long, leading to customer frustration. They should announce a timeline, even if it's approximate.
SureFire hasn't even settled on the basic design of some of their LED lights, much less being close to producing beta test models.
I don't think we are going to be seeing SureFire LED flashlights anytime soon, although I would be happy to be wrong on this point.
How long has it been since SureFire announced the reduced output lamp for the E2?
This is a sore point with me, as I placed an order for one about 6 months ago, with the promise that it would ship in about 2 weeks!
I have a word that I use for people who make promises they have no way of keeping, but I'll spare you.
A company with the enormous resources that SureFire has likely has the capability to set a reasonable timeline for prototype to production; but they don't seem to want to do that, preferring to announce products that are so far from production that it's fairly irresponsible to even announce them, since the production units may have very little resemblance to the prototypes.
There is noting wrong with making significant improvements in prototypes and beta test units. But SureFire does this under a tight blanket of security, as though some other manufacturer could steal their ideas, and get them into production before SureFire can. Yeah, right!
Likely, I am severely spoiled by the open door policy Arc Flashlight has when it comes to their product development. When there is a delay, Peter tells us why; and shows us pictures, etc.
Obviously, SureFire and Arc Flashlight are very different operations, but I think it's pretty poor for SureFire to show prototypes of new products at the SHOT show, knowing full well that production is a very long ways off; if indeed the production units are the same, or similar to the prototypes.
End of rant; flame away....