Just got my C-8 Pro successfully installed and wanted to share some impressions. I was coming from a C-5 which has same CPU\memory specs as the C-7.
The areas I noticed immediate improvement are:
- LAN connected devices. I have quite a few Tasmota devices and I notice a big improvement in responsiveness of these devices when initiating action on the Tasmota device from the hub\dashboard.
- Z-Wave Range. I had two z-Wave devices that would rarely connect because of distance and were essentially orphaned. I bought the C-8 Pro mainly to fix this problem vs investing in Z-Wave repeaters and I was not disappointed. Instant access and fast response. For context the two troublesome devices are both around 30ft from the hub (which is below ground level) and 1-2 two floors up, so there were significant obstacles.
- UI Responsiveness. The C-5 was not bad on a good day, but this is noticeably faster moving screen to screen.
- I do quite a bit of app\driver development so I'm frequently saving large files. I don't have any stats but I'd guess it's about 40% faster. I had hoped the Pro would have the gigabit ethernet but from what I've read it's only 100Mb. This is probably one of the few use cases where this would make a difference.
- Hub stats. My C-5 was consistently in the 10-20% utilization. The same configuration on the C-8 Pro has a utilization of 0.6% for devices and 2.9% for apps.
- Memory. This was never something that I had trouble with on the C-5. But it is nice to see all that memory there if I need it.
A bit like that feeling of having a full tank of gas.
Do I need a C-8 Pro? No. Do I want a C-8 Pro? Hell YES!
I had a few issues with the migration but overall very happy with my purchase.
