The DSM and EVO landscapes are littered with the carcasses of older engine management, OBD-II "loggers" and half-finished freeware. If you look around some, you'll find:

• Engine management companies who've abandoned the market because they just couldn't sell enough devices to pay the bills. Instead of stepping up to the plate and competing, these guys just jumped ship to more profitable cars. They usually come out with a big announcement of how their next software release is just around the corner. Three years later, you realize that there is no next software release.
• Freeware and almost-freeware loggers that some guy in his basement (not that there's anything wrong with that!) started on and never finished. You'll usually find a web site on AOL that was last updated two years ago. The download link gives you a "exceeded storage limits" page from AOL, and the contact-us link is just a 404 page.
• Open source software. But there's no source code available. And the developer always seems to be busy and doesn't answer e-mails.
• ROM tuning applications that worked pretty well in their day. The web site is there, but you can't buy it anymore because the developer is now tuning VW's. And another 404 contact-us page.

The ECU+ is different. There's a real guy on the other end of the contact-us link, and he answers e-mail. He also responds to posts on the forums - even the ones that say "help - it doesn't work."

The ECU+ has been under developent for over 7 years, (the first line of code was written in 1999!) and continues to evolve, adding the new features that current and future customers request. With 98% of the ECU+'s CPU time unused, a load of unused hardware, and a white-board full of TODO items, the ECU+ has a long way to go before it's "done."

And remember, when you buy an ECU+, you get the newest software and features for free. When you buy it, you're done paying. But the ECU+ isn't done evolving.