@OF: Thank you for answering my question. It was asked twice and directed directly to TV. Unless you work at TV you couldn't possibly answer my question. I have yet to receive any answer from him on this question? Please... keep up with your opinions, but also... let TV do their job by providing an official answer.
You're welcome, just trying to pass on what's 'known'. I noticed you'd asked twice, which is why I responded. Feel free to ignore it.
Please rest assured nothing I'm likely to do or say will interfere with what they wish to say or do. FWIW I don't presume to tell them what their job is, they get to market their product and control the information as they see fit where I come from, frustrating as that can be. That is I don't think they're obligated to answer a question just because someone asked, their lack of response is in a way an answer too perhaps?
Several folks asked similar questions along the line of:
One would usually expect the battery and charger to be included with the kit, since they are required for the functioning of the unit.
After a bit of thought I'm going to guess that this is a result of history? Recall back to other 'package' offers, a number of guys came back with '...I already have XXX, can't you take that out' kind of questions. Each of those took special processing (with delays) to be answered. TV made it a policy to break down prices carefully so it was neutral cost wise. Now, I think, we're being offered an 'a la carte' deal? You can still get the full meal at the same price as before but you can order the bits straight from the web page without the former problems.
Lots of us have piles of 18650s charged and waiting....often with 'more than enough' chargers already. In fact one of our more colorful posters has pushed just this point for some time now, I'd hate to see him disappointed yet again....it's sure not to be very pretty.
A couple of thoughts on price, and I fully understand money is very dear these days to many of us, consider the history of T1. The price came down as some of the tooling and development costs got paid off through volume ($50 IIRC?). Likewise, TV has offered several 25% off sales with very generous 'windows' this year alone. If I was a betting man I'd expect a lower price to be available one way or another (perhaps both) for those who can 'afford to wait'.....or I guess in some cases quite literally 'can't afford to not wait'?
Hopefully by then there will be abundant end user reports to help those on the fence with their deliberations?
OF