I know a lot of people want SPOT to work the way it is intended to. I also know from reading a lot of reviews & commentary that it doesn't work as advertised (qualified reviews such as national level magazine editors).

I guess it is a given that people who spend a lot of money on products like this will defend, and attempt to validate, their purchase feverishly. I myself eagerly look forward to the next generation of "spot" style location devices. The idea of keeping family informed that you are ok surely appeals to a huge number of hikers, but as with all of our gear we want it to be reliable so we can count on it if something does happen.

It is exciting to think of what Spot 2.0 will be like after all the feedback.