Sneak Peek...

[[old] PaulH]

Much nicer layout. The only thing I'd change is to make the picture of Vin Diesel rowing a little shorter - the first 'screenful' on the home page is the most valuable space you have, and ...<br /><br />scratch that, I just realized that it's a flash layout. I don't have flash enabled, so for me the exciting bit at the top of the screen is largely wasted. I know most people have it, so perhaps not a big deal.<br /><br />Cheers, Paul

[[old] gw1]

<!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->With the picture on the new site it looks like your target market is competitive heavyweight rowers with shaved heads. </td></tr></table><br /><br />Easy John, I resemble that comment! Although fast becoming non-competitive!!! <br /><br />GW

[[old] SimonB]

<!--QuoteBegin-John Rupp+Mar 6 2005, 06:00 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Rupp @ Mar 6 2005, 06:00 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Simon,<br /><br />I do have flash player.<br /><br />Is satellite DSL a reasonable cost and performance? <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Hi John<br /><br />I would say no. I get around 100KB (kilobytes) per second download performance for $70 CAD a month.<br /><br />However, when you live in the middle of nowhere and DSL and cable are nowhere to be seen, your lucky to connect at 21Kbps (kilobits) on a modem, and the phone line buzzes when it rains, the cost performance is very good

[[old] SimonB]

<!--QuoteBegin-gw1+Mar 7 2005, 09:47 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(gw1 @ Mar 7 2005, 09:47 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->With the picture on the new site it looks like your target market is competitive heavyweight rowers with shaved heads. </td></tr></table><br /><br />Easy John, I resemble that comment! Although fast becoming non-competitive!!! <br /><br />GW <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />And I also look like Xeno Muller............ (in my dreams) <br /><br />But, John does make a good point. You do need to target your audiance (with any website). <br /><br /><br />C2Bill: Perhaps you do need to place some ordinary rower pics on the web site too. The UK site I think does a fine job of promoting health and weight loss which seem to be two major selling factors at the moment. Just look at the number of posts on this forum for weight loss, and you get a fair idea why the populace is buying this equipment. In fact I would guess that the majority of ALL excercise equipment is bought by people to lose weight....<br /><br />That Weapon of Mass Reduction pic is an instance hit.

[[old] dgg]

Bill,<br /><br />In case you would like to know how the new page looks on a Mac running FireFox -- an out-there combination, I guess -- the page is beautiful and it loads quickly. The big graphic at the top (w/ the menu) is a little flaky; it comes and goes. But otherwise everything seems stable. I really like the new design. Very striking.<br /><br />Best wishes,<br />Dennis

[[old] GeorgeD]

<!--QuoteBegin-gw1+Mar 8 2005, 03:47 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(gw1 @ Mar 8 2005, 03:47 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->With the picture on the new site it looks like your target market is competitive heavyweight rowers with shaved heads. </td></tr></table><br /><br />Easy John, I resemble that comment! Although fast becoming non-competitive!!! <br /><br />GW <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />I can agree with that, the guy looks fine to me (where is the shaved head?) - only improvment would be if it was one of the Swindell twins or better still both of them <br /><br />Page loads quickly in a land downunder no problem at all.<br /><br />George

[[old] TomR/the elder]

Bill--<br /><br />You sound equivocal about your target market. <br /><br />All three main pics show big guys (when you hover on on the tabs at the top of the page). As SimonB noted: Does your research show that studs appeal to your varied audiences? I would guess--a fact-free observation follows--that a number of potential customers would get the impression that this machine was primarily designed for accomplished athletes. <br /><br />Are you going to test this on more than the forumites and forumettes?<br /><br />Tom

[[old] John Rupp]

Tried it again just now:<br /><br />1) Cookie Security Problem<br />A path in a cookie does not match the page address<br />You might want to ask the site's webmaster to set legal cookies<br /><br />2) Took 1:30 to finish loading the page, whereas the forum page took 2 seconds.<br /><br />Why not take some machines to a mall, have people there try them out and take some photos for the web site etc.

[[old] PaulH]

<!--QuoteBegin-John Rupp+Mar 7 2005, 10:31 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Rupp @ Mar 7 2005, 10:31 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Tried it again just now:<br /><br />1) Cookie Security Problem<br />A path in a cookie does not match the page address<br />You might want to ask the site's webmaster to set legal cookies<br /><br />2) Took 1:30 to finish loading the page, whereas the forum page took 2 seconds.<br /><br />Why not take some machines to a mall, have people there try them out and take some photos for the web site etc. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />What operating system and browser are you using, John - it seems odd that it should take so long just for you

[[old] c2bill]

re variety of people on home page:<br /><br />i've added a kind of cool feature - look down on the page to 'why i row' - there is a randoml loading collection (5 for now, soon to be 43) of people who talk about why they row - this will present a fairly diverse view of rowing...<br /><br />we do have some other images in the works for the main 'rowing person' image... stay tuned.<br /><br />as far as stability of firefox on mac - in theory the image that loads for that combo is a simple jpg / image map - stability shouldn't be an issue...<br /><br />-bill<br />www.concept2.com/_05

[[old] PaulS]

<!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->With the picture on the new site it looks like your target market is competitive heavyweight rowers with shaved heads.<br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />As it should be. Whadya want, little mop-headed trolls? <br /><br />The "Total Gym" users would be out less money if their first purchase had been a bit wiser, sorry Chuck and Christy.

[[old] Ducatista]

<!--QuoteBegin-c2bill+Mar 8 2005, 08:11 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(c2bill @ Mar 8 2005, 08:11 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->we do have some other images in the works for the main 'rowing person' image... stay tuned. </td></tr></table><br />Don't be too quick to ditch the tough heavyweights! I don't want to see <i>me</i> on the machine — I can see that every day, and it's none too impressive. I want to see an ideal. Plenty of room for us commoners to be pictured in "Why I row."<br /><br />The site looks great, and Mac Safari likes it fine.

[[old] John Rupp]

Paul,<br /><br />I have windows XP and use Opera.<br /><br />Just now I checked Explorer and it takes 6 to 10 seconds, but no warning about the improper cookies.<br /><br />Perhaps the improper cookie path is what slows the loading on Opera.

[[old] ebolton]

Really nice...understated classy...my favorite part.<br /><br />Ed<br /><br /><br /><!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->i've added a kind of cool feature - look down on the page to 'why i row' - there is a randoml loading collection (5 for now, soon to be 43) of people who talk about why they row - this will present a fairly diverse view of rowing...<br /> </td></tr></table>

[[old] PaulH]

<!--QuoteBegin-John Rupp+Mar 9 2005, 02:41 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Rupp @ Mar 9 2005, 02:41 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Paul,<br /><br />I have windows XP and use Opera.<br /><br />Just now I checked Explorer and it takes 6 to 10 seconds, but no warning about the improper cookies.<br /><br />Perhaps the improper cookie path is what slows the loading on Opera. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />It's certainly a possibility - it's definitely not the first browser in line to be compatibility-checked!