Electronic recorders:

[eastside]

@fantasychess

@eastside

I’m not sure why that would be the most important question, especially at this point in time. I’ve long believed MonRoi’s greatest obstruction to becoming more widespread is the relatively high price of its PCM notation units, not in its PTM broadcasting units (which aren’t really designed for individual purchase anyway).

I once tried convincing MonRoi they should give away the PTM units. Not only does it provide live broadcasting capabilities but it also provides a central monitoring system for keeping an eye on all the devices within reach. I felt this aspect of the system could have been developed much more to assist TDs and to provide an additional security feature for those people skeptical (or uneducated) about their use.

I had the same conversation with Zeljka about six years ago. I thought the PTM would be a great loss leader, and they’d sell more than enough PCMs to recoup the investment.

[DENTONCHESS]

@eastside

@fantasychess

@eastside

I’m not sure why that would be the most important question, especially at this point in time. I’ve long believed MonRoi’s greatest obstruction to becoming more widespread is the relatively high price of its PCM notation units, not in its PTM broadcasting units (which aren’t really designed for individual purchase anyway).

I once tried convincing MonRoi they should give away the PTM units. Not only does it provide live broadcasting capabilities but it also provides a central monitoring system for keeping an eye on all the devices within reach. I felt this aspect of the system could have been developed much more to assist TDs and to provide an additional security feature for those people skeptical (or uneducated) about their use.

I had the same conversation with Zeljka about six years ago. I thought the PTM would be a great loss leader, and they’d sell more than enough PCMs to recoup the investment.

The two are a team. Without the PCM, the hub PTM, has little value. But the PCM does have limited broadcast capabilty,
within a tournament hall to communicate with the PTM. But, I do think the question remains, at its current sales price
how long can the PCM device be attractive to a key market–upwardly mobile (ratings-wise) scholastic chess players??
Really, how many in this market have any concern whatsoever for broadcast capability when used with a PTM??

Rob Jones

[jwiewel]

@eastside

Chess tournaments are no less accessible to people who use paper score sheets because of the existence of electronic score sheets.

The combined cost of an eNotate download and a Dell Axim x50/x50v/x51/x51v PDA is no greater than $60-$70. Most big weekend events have entry fees that are in that neighborhood, if not higher.

MonRoi’s cost is high, to be sure. However, I predicted a while ago that, just like with digital clocks, if electronic score sheets were popular enough, lower-cost dedicated-hardware alternatives to MonRoi would be developed. Plycounter is now on the market, approved by USCF, and costs less than half of a MonRoi PCM. I have no doubt that other, even lower-cost alternatives will come out as more people make the switch. However, even if no other such alternatives are developed, players still play the same game either way.

Did Plycounter ever get approved by FIDE?

I did a search on the FIDE website for both plycounter and enotate and didn’t get a hit on either.

[eastside]

AFAIK, MonRoi is still the only electronic scoresheet approved by FIDE.

[Sevan_Muradian]

@eastside

AFAIK, MonRoi is still the only electronic scoresheet approved by FIDE.

No one can actually provide any documentation that MonRoi was in fact approved by the Technical Commission. It has always been assumed that it was because of a partnership.

In fact, you won’t find any regulations for electronic scoresheets at all by the Technical Commission, QC, or RTRC. That’s because they don’t exist. It was supposed to be discussed two years ago at the Estonia Congress but was postponed until the MonRoi contract expired.

You also won’t find any regulations stopping the usage of other electronic scoresheets and the power for the Chief Arbiter to allow the presence and use of ‘electronic devices’ with his/her permission.