May I introduce myself: I did start with Märklin in 1960
Later on about 30 years ago I made e restart and since about 20 years I’m using digital components and software from Märklin and other producers.

Today I’ve been on the” intermodellbau 2013” fair (once-a-year) in Dortmund (Germany). On the Märklin place I did hear that Märklin will introduce the new CS 3 end of 2013 – but that is strictly confidential… and the guys from Märklin were horrified that this information is outside now.

That the CS 3 will come isn’t a rumor – that’s a fact!

Good news for us as users – bad news for Märklin and the market position and price regarding the CS 2…

Regards Allways_maerklin

lets see.......................

so.....caricatural .

Hi!
Bad news for Märklin as many will now hesitate to buy a CS2.
But good news for the users? Not really IMHO.

Maybe there's a CS3 coming and maybe it shares the codebase with the CS2 - that would be good news as the software development for both CS2 and CS3 would go on in the future. That would be good.
Maybe there's a CS3 coming with a new codebase - improvements for CS2 would stop soon and CS3 would come incomplete with many teething problems.
Maybe there's no CS3 coming this year - and the rumour only irritates people.

Earliest rumours about CS3 came back in 2008. Time will tell ...

There is talking about on CS3 in magazine last year.

I can't find MFX plus locos in Summer new items, Could be CS3 coming end of this year.

Rumors aside, I would be more worried if Maerklin were NOT planing their next control unit iteration.

As with any Car, PC or smartphone - expect it to be superceeded in short order - that doesn't mean the older option is irrelavent.
In fact I think Maerklin have done an admirable job todate ensuring legacy support of more than 1 generation of device. (MM1-MM2-mFX ...)

Given the 2yr cycle of this century the absence of a pre-announcement at Nurnberg2013 (for Dec2013/2014) could mean a production slippage and a desire for better ROI. It could also mean they want to keep their powder dry and do a big bang announce in October with delivery for Christmas (like they did with the 60213 in 2008)

!Glib dates - but a pattern is decernable
2004NI/05 60212 announce
2006 60212 (with s88 and booster delivered)
2008Aut/09 60213
2009Sum/10 60214 mainly Marketing hype for DCC
2011NI/12 60215 theoretical 5Amp
2013NI?/14 ?expected 60216? announce for 2013Q4/2014

The question is not IF there will be new iteration announced shortly but will it be an evolution or revolution

Read what you will into ...
- Marklin db has 60215 not currently available - also reflected at dealers as "temporarily not available from producer"
- Summer2013 items include a CS2 megaset (runout ????)

Well, PCs and Laptops are becoming cheaper while becoming more powerful - or becoming much cheaper while maintaining their speed.

CS2 so far kept the specs (except for an increased output power), but prices (RRP) rose a lot. So PC "laws" do not apply to CS2.

Memory size and CPU speed grow according to "Moore's Law" - and a new Windows version also requires new, more powerful hardware.

While PC components in general are becoming cheaper, legacy items will become more expensive. So sooner or later components needed for the CS2 will go out of mass production. So maybe the new, rumoured CS3 will only have a different display (1024x??? or even more) and some other updated components with better availability.
What else could be new: maybe a faster GPU for the mfx+ cab control mode (or input for a video camera?), hardware that supports RailCom, a built-in 60883?

On one hand, M* used starter sets to get rid of outdated hardware in the past (including the 60212). OTOH there have been premium starter sets with a CS2 for several years now - this could be a clearance sale, this could be just another CS2 starter set.
An era IV starter set for a difference. Rather looks like a Lollo clearance sale.

Shortly after I bought my Intellibox, the new Intellibox IR and the CS1 were announced. Sigh.
I don't need the IR part and it took years for the CS1 to become available (and more years for it to become useful), so in the long run I did not regret getting the IB (which I still use to test and program locos).

Hello and welcome to the worlds best forum!
Well...i´m not suprised about another more new CS.
It´s business and the free market.
The most important is that CS must been in function so customer can use it and drive locomotivs on the layout.
Maybe this time there is only drive knobs and touch screen display.
Touch buttons is gone this time perhaps...?
So we needs bigger screen for the cab control...???

Hello,

a new model does not make your CS2 work worser. At least you got it cheaper.

curious that our german threadopener registered in an english - speaking forum exclusively to post a rumor and disappeared again. Why did he not post the same rumors in a german speaking forum?

rgds

Stephan

CS3 is old news lets look at CS4

This is the great thing with Internet forums - we get rumours, speculations, facts, help with our stuff and everything else in one place...

Agreed! I was one of those let down by Marklin's botched approach to the CS1, and I would be really peeved and annoyed at them if they did the same thing with the CS2.

CS3 will not be present this year - Marklin.

No News on next update for CS2.

I accept that at some stage there will be a need for an upgraded CS - CS3, CS4 or whatever.

However, I don't think the iThingy / PC upgrade argument applies here. Those devices are designed to do many things, many new features are demanded every day, new software is being developed, etc. Therefore manufacturers need to update every 2 or so years.

The CS is designed to do only one thing, i.e. run your trains, and we pay lots of money for them. A new CS every 5 years is probably too frequent to allow owners to maximise their investment.

As has been previously discussed, a new controller might be just a 'black box' with screen interfaces handled by iThingies/Android devices via wifi.

I guess it is a balancing act for Marklin - too frequent and folks will not buy as they seek to make use of existing equipment, but too infrequent means that stuff becomes out of date, or competitors have better devices, etc.

Of course !

Call me old fashioned, but I like a controller with knobs and buttons on it!

If they do go down the route of the "black box with WIFI connections" gadget I hope they bring connection ports so we can physically connect something like a MS2 to it.

Please Marklin : no Z21 black box , never !
For train players who play, the Z 21 black box is just a big connector .

Couldn't agree more Ray.
Model railways are tangible items - they have mass, shape and feel. I like a controller that has the same properties.

Paul