They did do their preview on-line after a couple of not-so-good videos. On-line from their factory they had top people and engineer explaining what they were working on and the features / functions it has. Nokta / Makro did the same thing, and then they had prototype devices out in the hands of some users to get feedback to continue their development. And then, after it had field use and user info, they finished up the final product before official introduction and release.

Garrett seems to be doing the same, by putting APEX units in the hands of some users, making it clear that they were test sample devices as they are working on the final product. Hopefully, they will also have bugs worked out and any worthwhile changes or additions taken care of by the official release. So, at least we know something is coming and what it will look like and kind of know what it will do.

Much better than the now defunct White's approach to putting out absolutely terrible videos with the early release of the MX Sport that obviously had NOT been in the hands of savvy users to get input so they could finish the project and eliminate the bugs. And the MX Sport, that was rushed-to-market, had far more 'bugs' than crickets!.

No detectors are perfect and there can always be a little glitch or two, but often they are minor and easy to live with. Then, in some cases, they can be fixed or updated. But most of the detectors introduced in the last several years have had very few, if any, real issues. They work, work well for their design, and that's good. In the last five years we have seen models such as the Makro Racer, Gold Racer and Racer 2, the Nokta FORS CoRe, FORS Gold Plus, FORS Relic and Impact. Then the Nokta /Makro Kruzer series, Anfibio series and Simplex +. There have been the Minelab Equinox 600 and 800, and their Vanquish 340, 440, 540 and 540 Pro Packs. XP introduced the ORX.

The White's MX Sport was another one of those rush-to-market intros which is usually a sign that things are not going too well and they are desperate for $$$ and trying to catch up. That model had a lot of bugs and, because of that, a lot of people became gun-shy of White's detectors. Too bad, really, because they worked out the circuitry and package design issues and made it work fine, and better still, used that circuitry in an affordable, functional MX-7. A good unit ... but it came too late.

In this past 5 years we have also seen Tesoro Electronics close their doors and go under, and now White's Electronics made that same announcement. The foreign detector manufacturers have really sprung to life and, for the most part, have command of the global detector market. It is up to First Texas Products (FTP who owns Bounty Hunter, Fisher and Teknetics) as well as Garrett Metal Detectors to.do what they can to design and develop some new detectors from the USA manufacturer's market to stay in the game, globally, and that means making sure thir products are used and tested prior to public release. I think Garrett is doing just that and don't mind if it puts them a few weeks or a month behind. Just get it right, first.

Monte

"Your EYES ... the only 100% accurate form of Discrimination!"
Stinkwater Wells Trading Post
Metal Detector Evaluations and Product Reviews monte@ahrps.org ... or ... monte@stinkwaterwells.com 503-481-8147Detector Outfit: A selection of my favorite makes and models, with the best coils mounted, for the tasks I'll take on.Pinpointers: Pulse-Dive & ProPointer AT .. Headphones: 'Hornet' & 'Wasp' .. MS-3 Z-Lynk .. ML-80 .. N/M Green edition*** All working well today to make memories for tomorrow. ***