seems to me that is NOT the question. How can one do anything now but wait for this next great step and to go with the XR-E just a quickly as possible? The reported advantages and the obvious "not just hype" excitement from many experts on this site seems to point to a rare event and one's that's likely to rock our world! This is not your run of the mill event.
In computing power advances come steadily and consistently (moore's law) - seems like now for the most part in steady incremental doses every few months. You can pretty much count on it, and for example know that you can wait 6 months and get ~20% more power, or you can buy now and be 20% or so "behind" in 6 months but perhaps catch up again in another 2 years.
LED's have also advanced over the years but at a much slower rate, as has been discussed in this forum before. The XR-E looks like a step change (2x) leap in performance - after almost no progress for years I guess. So now what? I cannot see myself buying another luxeon light. I have literally loaded up on them this past year, have some great lights and no real regrets, but I am definitely at an abrupt halt now.
Will competitors step up and start a real chase now with even more major advances soon? Maybe, but from the XR-E performance base, is there yet another competitively driven 2x step change in our future that perhaps we should wait for? Somehow I think not. From the new base I'd guess there will be incremental gains perhaps over the next few years (eventually zeroing in on ~50% efficiency?). I don't want to overstate this thing, but I think there's a good argument that this may be a once in a lifetime CPF'rs dream! Wow - this is exciting stuff.
Sorry for being wordy. Interested in how other members are seeing this! Am I missing something?
In computing power advances come steadily and consistently (moore's law) - seems like now for the most part in steady incremental doses every few months. You can pretty much count on it, and for example know that you can wait 6 months and get ~20% more power, or you can buy now and be 20% or so "behind" in 6 months but perhaps catch up again in another 2 years.
LED's have also advanced over the years but at a much slower rate, as has been discussed in this forum before. The XR-E looks like a step change (2x) leap in performance - after almost no progress for years I guess. So now what? I cannot see myself buying another luxeon light. I have literally loaded up on them this past year, have some great lights and no real regrets, but I am definitely at an abrupt halt now.
Will competitors step up and start a real chase now with even more major advances soon? Maybe, but from the XR-E performance base, is there yet another competitively driven 2x step change in our future that perhaps we should wait for? Somehow I think not. From the new base I'd guess there will be incremental gains perhaps over the next few years (eventually zeroing in on ~50% efficiency?). I don't want to overstate this thing, but I think there's a good argument that this may be a once in a lifetime CPF'rs dream! Wow - this is exciting stuff.
Sorry for being wordy. Interested in how other members are seeing this! Am I missing something?