Maglite to introduce LED's in near future

[Phaserburn]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

Maglite would be wise to introduce a new brand under the Maglight name for it's led lights. A seperate identity for a premium line, but supported by it's market share. Kind of like Gallo did when launching a premium wine label.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

I think that the importance of patents for the modders may be overstated unless the holders of them have deep enough pockets to go toe-to-toe with Magzilla in court...for years.

This makes me think of SCO vs IBM...and everyone else.

 

[Flashlightboy]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

I would like to see their LED lights but deep down inside I'm not hopeful that they will produce anything that doesn't already exist.

I think that they could really ramp it up for their new lights but they have a solid core of purchasers that will buy whatever they sell. They have been successful at what they do even though innovation hasn't been seen around their Ontario CA headquarters in years, perhaps decades.

 

[dougmccoy]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

Reality Check guys! Do you really think Mag is worried about diminishing sales of its incandescent range? If so, who is the competition? I can speculate that Osama Bin Laden will be caught by Delta but until it happens my speculation isn't worth a damn?
Yes, it is possible that Mag would introduce a new LED light, but to introduce a range of lights in a market already bristling with competition would be very ambitious for any manufacturer, let alone the conservative Maglight.

I am always suspicious of what any salesman says as it's his job to persuade a customer to buy his company's products. In most large firm's, the launch date of a new product is kept under wraps until just before the launch in order to deny the competition any details of what they will bring to the market place.

Until I see something more tangible this is all just vapour!

Doug /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif

 

[Cosmic Superchunk]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

Sub Umbra and others have said it. Modders get your patents ASAP. Hey, it's something to consider. I wouldn't put it past Mag to run out and start suing everyone for infringements on their LED lights.

 

[batterystation]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

Not to be sarcastic, but I almost hope that when MAG comes out with any LED flashlight, that every current LED flashlight manufacturer sues their butt off for copying of products.

 

[batterystation]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

[ QUOTE ]
Cosmic Superchunk said:
[ QUOTE ]
BuddTX said:
No other flashlight (in America) can legally call itself the "Best Flashlight" unless they risk copyright infringment.

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

WHAT A CROCK!!! Best flashlight my MAG!

 

[KDC]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

Why are they taking so long?
The engineers probaly have thier designs completed and revised several times by now.
The production people are probably all ready to go, producing thousands of units each day.
But there are a few entities out there which are even slower than Tony Mag's flashlight company, and the most noticable of those is the U.S. Government.
And among the slower parts of the Federal folks is the Patent and Trademark Office -- which happens to be a necessary part of Mag's product launching plans.
Also, while the production machinery may be automated, the Legal department is probably still doing it manually. The delay is most likely between those two.
Once the patents have been granted, we will see what the designers thought would be a great flashlight when they designed it (unless someone else thought of it first, and patented it earlier...)
So, the "near future" must be scaled to government speed. I am sure we can say that this will be a light for the 21st century, at least...

 

[turbodog]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

I think mag can and will introduce an led light. They are the only mfg that does NOT have one (yet). Even in a mature market, never forget that customers love choice.

I never meant to imply, and don't think I did, that mag would be direct competition with wayne. I simply meant that if you could buy a light with the features and quality of a blaster/etc at wal-mart for $30-$35 wouldn't you?

Also, don't be so sure that mag CAN'T compete with the likes of wayne on price though. Wayne has to farm out his lights. Mag has it ALL in-house. Shipping parts across the ocean isn't getting ANY cheaper as fuel prices continue to rise. Mag's prices have done nothing but DROP since they were introduced. Adjusted for only 2% inflation a typical 2d mag should cost about $40 now.

Mag... probably the largest light mfg on the planet. Selling in wal-mart... the largest retailer on the planet. You DON'T think they're able to compete?

Imagine for a minute if mag got into the "surefire" market. Ignore potential patent/legal issues. I really wonder what they would sell for. Would that make us happy... if they were selling a2 clones in wal-mart for $25?

 

[flashlight_widow]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

I realize this will probably alienate me, but I'm actually one of those people who likes Maglites. I own several in varying sizes & colors, and I think they are a good, reliable, decently-made light for the price. But hey, if you don't like them, well, just don't buy them. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I do think that saying they will be the "best LED lights on the market" and that everything else out there is inferior is a bit presumptuous, but I suppose that is neither here nor there. Perhaps they are only comparing their idea of an LED to the super cheap China/Taiwan $5 lights at Wal-Mart? Still, I'll be anxious to see what they come up with in the way of LEDs.

 

[Cosmic Superchunk]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

They are good, reliable, decently made lights for the money. Beam quality stinks as far as flashaholics are concerned, but they're popular with modders. I have an old Mag in the trunk of my car and 2 Mini-Mags with Opalec LED modules that I keep in the house. I think what alot of flashaholics dislike about Mag is their Microsoft-like tactics within the flashlight industry. That said, I am still interested in seeing what kind of LED products Mag plans to release and see if they live up to everyone's expectations.

 

[BillBill]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

Yeah I think that mag needs time to develop the automation process so that it can compete with foreign labor, as iterated many times. However mag may bypass patents by creating a slightly different body design. Just a possibility and an assumption /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

But if they can stuff a luxeon in a 2aaa then I would be all for it. But mag likely would aim for mass market and put 3 3mm or 5mm nichias in there /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif.

I dunno if this new wave of maglites are going to have an effect like the introduction of the original maglites but the lites should be good stuff.

 

[haertig]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

[ QUOTE ]
IlluminatingBikr said:But, just in case, all CPF modders/manufacturers/assemblers should get your patents now! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

[/ QUOTE ]Probably too late. If you're a little guy, the big guys have probably already applied for patents on designs similar to yours, or already own patents that they will argue you are in violation of. Preemptive strike. Patents - especially on software - are like a big game of chess to large companies. You don't just patent things that you think you'll need. You patent things that you think your competitors will need. And then do some bartering and trading when you find they have preemptively patented something you want. Maybe things aren't so bad in the hardware world of flashlight patenting, but software patents are a ridiculous mess. Even if you have all your patents lined up in perfect order, you'd probably be bitten by some company in some country you've never even heard of that is totally disinclined to honor any patent from the countries where you were granted.

 

[Lurker]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

Think about this: I think the last new product Mag released was the Solitaire, and that was done in about 1987. It has been almost 2 decades since Mag released a new product!

They may not even HAVE an R&D department at this point. They should probably just buy out the entire Arc AAA production capability, increase the volume and rebrand it.

 

[turbodog]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

Hey...

They released a new switch design and smaller battery tube!

Things like that take time!

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[leukos]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

I remember e-mailing maglite about two years ago asking when they would come out with a line of LED lights. The first time frame I was told from their customer service dept was Christmas 2002. When that came and went I e-mailed them again in 2003 and was told to look for them around Christmas '03. I can understand the delay, but I'll join the crowd that won't believe any announcement of a new line until we see it in the stores.

 

[geepondy]

Re: Maglite to introduce LED\'s in near future

Like it or not for everyone of us that realizes there are much better lights then Mag, there are at least one thousand who think Mag lights are the best. I sure used to.