Alternative to monroi

[Jason Lohner]

Just saw this posted on chess.com... Finally someone has come out with a competing product to the grossly overpriced monroi

http://plycount.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSzTuSimTGE&feature=player_embedded

[Kerry Liles]

Re: Alternative to monroi

Just saw this posted on chess.com... Finally someone has come out with a competing product to the grossly overpriced monroi

http://plycount.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSzTu...layer_embedded

To be fair, this is a minimalist product to replace a paper score sheet or score book(s) since it does not have the same capabilities as the Monroi (specifically, it does not seem to have any networking capability). That fact, though, should more or less guarantee certification for use in USCF/FIDE tournaments - certification they say is 'pending'.

My first reaction was that $169 US is still rather a lot of money for such a simple device but maybe the price point is ok

[Kerry Liles]

Re: Alternative to monroi

Just saw this posted on chess.com... Finally someone has come out with a competing product to the grossly overpriced monroi

http://plycount.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSzTu...layer_embedded

I watched the youtube video... it is strange (to me) that the device allows the player to input an illegal move - but I guess in true emulation of a paper scoresheet that would be ok! They did not demo entering an en passant capture, but perhaps it recognizes that properly (like it does castling by moving the King 2 squares). I wonder if the software on the device can be upgraded/patched to fix bugs etc? Interesting all the same.

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: Alternative to monroi

There was a thread on thus subject last year:

http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=6746

[Roger Patterson]

Re: Alternative to monroi

Apparently duplicate bridge people have a similar product to mon roi (e.g. Wireless score transmission to a central hub for subsequent processing and Internet display). The individual units seem to go for about $50.

[Christopher Mallon]

Re: Alternative to monroi

My biggest issue with Monroi is not that they are charging $359 for it... it's that they are charging $359 for it but haven't updated it with new technology since it came out! Some of the technology was already ancient when it first came out (around 2006?) - for example the hub uses a Serial connection to the computer, and then a serial-to-USB interface made by another company, whose drivers put a virus on my laptop (downloaded directly from the company...) which is quite impressive.

If they really want wide acceptance of the product, they need to modernize it a bit (bigger touch screen rather than tiny stylus screen) and try to get the price down.

Also I seem to recall that the units were not able to read a memory card larger than 256 megabytes.... when was the last time you saw one of those for sale? Perhaps they fixed that at least.

[Zeljko Kitich]

Re: Alternative to monroi

I watched the youtube video... it is strange (to me) that the device allows the player to input an illegal move - but I guess in true emulation of a paper scoresheet that would be ok! They did not demo entering an en passant capture, but perhaps it recognizes that properly (like it does castling by moving the King 2 squares). I wonder if the software on the device can be upgraded/patched to fix bugs etc? Interesting all the same.

from the product review http://chess-coach.net/checkmate/?p=1256 it is explained that:

One feature that is required by the USCF (United States Chess Federation), is illegal move allowance. No player wants to consciously make an illegal move, but since the rules dictate that you can receive no help from the device, illegal moves must be permitted. During my tournament test, I found myself a couple of times trying to move a little fast. One time I tried to move for my opponent twice and skip my move. I don’t think that worked, however, it will let you drop a pawn almost anywhere you would like.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Alternative to monroi

Also I seem to recall that the units were not able to read a memory card larger than 256 megabytes.... when was the last time you saw one of those for sale? Perhaps they fixed that at least.

The newer units read larger memory cards. My student has one that came with a 1 Gigabyte memory card.

[Mathieu Cloutier]

Re: Alternative to monroi

Apparently duplicate bridge people have a similar product to mon roi (e.g. Wireless score transmission to a central hub for subsequent processing and Internet display). The individual units seem to go for about $50.

That sounds about OK. Monroi's price tag is simply ridiculous (and the tech specs are just... wow!). I don't understand how they even managed to sell one device.

The other option mentioned in the original post at around 150$ is also grossly overpriced. The device looks cheap.

It seems to me that some players equate 'spending money on chess' with 'getting better at chess'...

Mathieu