My Evoke Flow is installing V2.1 firmware right now!

[David Hartley]

David. Sorry but unable to supply the information you require as I don't have a Roberts 83i. Suggest you look here for further info" on this product.

Then I wonder why you were saying it was in need of a firmware update. You don't own one, have no info about it, yet you feel qualified to rubbish it and treat it's owners as fools. Therefore, I feel it only fair that I have the opportunity to defend it.

[airbourneuk]

David I've just re-read my post and can't see where I suggested your wonder product required a firmware update. I asked a simple question, 'Do Roberts upgrade their machines on a regular basis?'. Didn't expect such a prickly response. Obviously a sensitive point.

[David Hartley]

David I've just re-read my post and can't see where I suggested your wonder product required a firmware update. I asked a simple question, 'Do Roberts upgrade their machines on a regular basis?'. Didn't expect such a prickly response. Obviously a sensitive point.

Yes, I realise my response was somewhat prickly. unfortunately, your reply suffered an unfair response, as I had just read the post previous to yours, the content of which, was of a tribal childishness that I expect from a supporter of a football team, and unfortunately I say what I feel.
Nobody sung the praises of the Flow more than me as an early adopter of two of them with all the extras. It is easy for the late adopters of the Flow to say "It does what it says on the box", but if they were around to experience the original Flow forum, they would have seen Jason Voice give a concrete promise to us interested parties in August 2008, a full three months before release of the flow, that there would be a firmware update to enable multiple alarms "Very soon after release", so some of us spent £300. Eighteen months of being ignored down the line, we eventually got a answer from Jason in the form of "We have more important things to concentrate on". This, along with v1.5 firmware causing half a minute of buffering before playing, plus the inability to stream at the quoted rate viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13 upset many early adopters. Add the display problem, and you can see why enough have switched to the Roberts to knock the Flow off the Amazon No.1 spot.
I found the Flow a very reliable radio. My problem, like many, was the way Pure treated customers. So, like others, after finding the Roberts to be a much better built and performing radio, I feel justified in defending it against unjustified ridicule. If any Flow owner thinks they have a quality product, they should do as I did and take a look inside at what looks like a test-bench prototype, then see if they can keep a straight face while stating it was not built by a five year old.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dolby4/set ... 312012885/

[ahead999]

I didn't think my post was childish, and I'm not a football supporter, not sure of the connection?

I wasn't rubbishing the Roberts either. My post was a thanks to Pure for the update - my points about the Roberts are my views. You have yours. I'm not a late adopter of the Flow (I used to drop in on the old forum too) I also understand your frustration, but this does seem to have develped into an obsession with knocking Pure.

[David Hartley]

but this does seem to have develped into an obsession with knocking Pure.

A little like the obsession regarding the Roberts and the 'Ugly Stick'. As far as I am concerned, they are both piano black and the shape of a breeze block. Hardly something one would proudly display in the lounge.
I was just stating that the tribal goading between rival radio brands, can be likened to football supporters.

[robbie]

Hi all
Calm down boys, i have both but i would say the flow is the better sounding radio, and the wife likes the Roberts as well, not far behind i would say flow 100% Roberts 98% just hope the wife does not read this
both great little radios.
There is a old saying boys/girls, "Horses for courses" and "Courses for horses"

from.
A lover of good sounding radios

[JaWheels]

You could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw I had multiple alarms after the firmware update. I never thought it would happen. Like David I bought the flow at release after a specific promise that the alarm functionality would be improved. I finally have the radio I wanted that can wake me up to an Internet radio station as well as playing in the bathroom. I have bad mouthed Pure to quite a few people now so I may send them a thank you. I may be wrong, but to date I have not seen any non-Pure standalone Internet radios that can run off batteries – are there any?

[David Hartley]

You could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw I had multiple alarms after the firmware update. I never thought it would happen. Like David I bought the flow at release after a specific promise that the alarm functionality would be improved. I finally have the radio I wanted that can wake me up to an Internet radio station as well as playing in the bathroom. I have bad mouthed Pure to quite a few people now so I may send them a thank you. I may be wrong, but to date I have not seen any non-Pure standalone Internet radios that can run off batteries – are there any?

Well at least there has been some life in this site for the last 24 hours which is a pleasant change.
I am afraid I have to disagree with the Flow audio being better than the very good three way speaker system of the Roberts 83i.
There are those that ridicule the retro looks of the Roberts, but the 83 in it's name should give the clue that it was intended that way.
Now, on to Wi-Fi radios with batteries. There are quite a few, some of which will fit in your shirt pocket http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mutant-MIG-PI ... gMethod=rr ,I have owned several. I have owned the Orange Live Radio http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/orange- ... 680?page=1 and the Oxx Vantage http://www.oxxdigital.com/en/product.aspx?pid=153 to name just two. Both of these have a far better battery choice than the Flow, which has a Li-ion battery. These can be very dangerous, when charged they can explode if the protection circuitry to stop overcharging and overheating fails, you may remember the exploding laptop batteries a while back. The biggest problem with Li-ion batteries however, is that they degrade and lose capacity from the day of manufacture regardless of use. More importantly, they are designed to be kept almost fully charged. Full discharge damages them, as does any temperature warmer than a refrigerator, so a radio is not an ideal place.
http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-5.htm

[JaWheels]

Thanks for the tips David. I like the look of the oxx vantage. I had not heard of them before.

[Tonio50]

Like David I was disappointed with the flow and all the problems over the past 2 years. However I must say that I'm now delighted with the recent improvements. It really has become the radio it should have been at the start. I'm celebrating by picking the extra speaker from Richer Sounds tomorrow(29 quid!)

It really is a class act now and so gorgeous to look at:-)