Hi,
After using Imp for quite a while, I got some thoughts when comparing imp vs other IoT solutions:
Right now, Phillips Hue and smart things, are all using a box (with ethernet port and Zigbee chip inside) + Zigbee modules in their devices, while imp is using WiFi.
So imp guys, why imp decided to use WiFi, not Zigbee (or other wireless protocol) in a SD card plus a gateway box?
Another question is: why are the wifi modules much more expensive than Zigbee module? is this because the chip are more complicated for manufacturing? and is this going to change in 10 years?
And how do you guys see the price of imp in 10 years? isn’t $30 too expensive for large scale IoT applications?
Sorry for so many questions, I am just curious. 
for about $50 you are set. This won’t be possible with a Zigbee.
Besides that, a Zigbee is not a computer, and an Imp is.
So you can’t compare those.
Having to use a wifi - zigbee bridge drives up the cost for small installations, and it is yet another thing the user has to configure.
The 13 US $ x-bee modules can’t really compare with the imp as far as program-ability is concerned.
Imps are much, much less than $30 in quantity… though zigbee etc devices also get cheaper with volume.
As Dolf says, it’s not just a wireless interface - the imp is a complete, secure, connected system.
Beyond that, it’s a complete, secure, connected system with easy field upgrades and end-user configuration.
Beyond that… etc etc
But yes, over time they will get even cheaper. We’re working with many customers for whom the current price is hard to deal with right now, but they know that initially their devices will sell in small volumes, and the imp allows them to get to market with a quality product quickly.
We have some big things coming up in 2014 which will result in some much cheaper imp variants… and for many applications customers won’t even need to change a line of code
WOW, can’t wait to see those imp variants. It sounds awesome. Will those imp variants still in a SD-card?
I think the SD card was chosen just because the SD holder (hardware) is cheap, easy to find, and easy to use. The physical package could be anything … they had to start with something, and their choice was brilliant in my opinion. Maybe we can offer them suggestions about physical packages … but I’m sure they have a pile of possibilities.
I hope the SD card form factor does not change. I would like the ability to change my impees to new technology as it arises. Isn’t that one of the points of using removable designs?
I don’t know if I can wait until 2014 though… we are still waiting for things coming in March but discussed much before that and it is now April. Will the 2014 products come in 2015? I’ll be on to other things by then.
There will still be an SD form factor, but that won’t be the most optimized for cost.
We’re scaling up as fast as we can here to get all the promised features out - but these things take time…