Richard Solomon

You can steal anything of course, but please support a small business and the entire infrastructure of Audi recoding/modification by paying a tiny fraction of your car's value to support the folks who made it possible for "normal people" to do this!

Grapeking

IT's really not that much considering everything you can do with the tool. These aren't $25,000 vehicles.....I figure if one can afford an A6, one can afford the Ross-Tech VCDS. It's worth it (and I'm as frugal as the next guy).

Mike_L

I'm cheaper than all of you, I bought the Chinese knock off. It works once, then you gotta throw it away and buy a new one. Fine for me, since I don't keep cars very long, but for those who do, you may as well buy the real one. You can only get so many knock offs before you've spent as much as a Ross Tech one costs.

Richard Solomon

Not to take anything away from Mike's message - because I think he makes excellent points, BUT in the interest of complete clarity... The Chinese "knock-off's" have stolen serial numbers, and when Ross-Tech discovers the stolen numbers they blacklist them. Also the firmware on the Chinese adapters won't be updated like a real one will be. It's not like Ross-Tech sells just the adapters for some crazy price, you're paying for SOFTWARE with a HUGE R&D effort and incredible support - that happens to run on a readily copyable adapter (the Chinese can copy darn near anything).

So when you buy a Chinese "knock-off" you're buying a knock-off (copied) adapter, but you're also buying a stolen serial number which means you're stealing the software


As Mike points out, Ross-Tech works hard to make theft not pay, but either way, please understand that buying the "knock-offs" is stealing. The choice is up to you as always.

Mike_L

The knock-offs all use the same serial number and a BETA version of the software. You cannot be online when using it, or it will be locked, then you gotta uninstall the software, restart the computer, reinstall and try again. Its a nuisance. It also causes a red flag with most anti virus programs. Don't know why, but it does. And you gotta set the system computer to a specific date for some reason. Its just more trouble than its worth for most people.

Again, if I kept cars more than a few months, I would have bought the real thing.

bruceaa

Sir -

I take issue with your assumption that "I" am trying to undermine small business and "steal" intellectual property. What gives you moral authority, "Super User" or not, to pass judgement on the motivation of my question? Do you believe that your status on a forum entitles you to this? If so, I hope your attitude is not emblematic of the forum population. That would be a shame.

Asking this simple question merely reflects my limited time in discovering if there are any legitimate competing businesses with Ross-Tech. I work at very high levels in the Federal Government with respect to the buying of materiel for the Warfighter. We avoid sole source / single source whenever possible due to risk and price. How would YOU like to be told that you can only buy your tires from a recapper?

And someone made the statement about "if you can afford...you can afford the Ross-Tech". If anyone here thinks there $50K cost thinks their in high-end hog-heaven...we'll that's just delusional. Audi's own literature states that the A6 is "an entry luxury vehicle".
When those of you with that kind of attitude have a license plate frame on their Carrera 4S that staes "My golf cart is an A6", then you'll have something to talk about.

snagitseven

While there are some legitimate OBD products on the market that may do some portion of the VCDS functionality, no product on the market as of yet has the comprehensive capabilities of Ross-Tech's cable and software. If you don't want to pay full price, I suppose you could look for someone selling a used cable in the AW classifieds or eBay.

DB22

[QUOTE=bruceaa;24601409]Any place to get a VCDS (Ross-Tech or equivalent) without paying Ross-Tech prices?

QUOTE]

Is there any place to get an Audi without paying Audi prices?

Richard Solomon

a) "Lighten up Francis" -Sgt Hulka
b) "VCDS" is the name of a particular product, so when you asked "Where can I get a Gucci without paying Gucci prices?" or "Where can I get a Porsche without paying Porsche prices?" or "Where can I get a VCDS without paying VCDS prices?" I don't think there's any "moral authority" in the interpretation.

FYI (as should have been clear from the ensuing thread) there are numerous "knockoff" or "stolen" cables/software being sold - that's the only "VCDS" you can get which isn't from Ross-Tech. Just like the "Gucci" you'd get at the "silk market" in Beijing, or the "Rolex" you'd get from a guy on the street corner....

c) Even in re-reading, I don't think I cast any aspersions on you or your motivation, I pointed out facts - and engaged in a sub-discussion with other posters who gave you their firsthand experience with "non-Ross-Tech VCDS" which *ARE* stolen.

d) It appears you believed VCDS to be some generic term like OBDII, apology accepted in advance. Seriously, no worries on my end.

Grapeking

It appears you have completely misconstrued my comment. Note that I clearly say I am frugal - yet I believe the Ross-Tech product is well worth the price. I readily recognize one can spend far more on a vehicle, as you point out - but that's besides the point. Rather, the point is that I regard the cost of the Ross-Tech VCDS as just another cost to extracting maximum enjoyment/personalization from my Audi. In other words, I treat it essentially as another option on the car. YMMV.