*sigh*
Why don't people seem to understand that the Evic is not just any old AVP?
It's like a smartphone. Do you expect your smartphone to survive every bit of abuse? Chances are if you drop it without a case, you flip out because you know it may break, right? How about if you root it and install a ROM? Do you blame the device if you brick it from that or bugs develop? Do you have any idea how buggy the first versions of Android, iOS, WinCE, etc. were? Do you blame your smartphone for not being as durable or bug free as the cell phones prior to smartphones were?
The Evic is no different. It's a sophisticated, high tech device... like a smartphone. So just like any other computerized device, it has those issues. You have to treat it with extra care, and you have to expect things like firmware glitches to happen.
My recommendation: if you're a geek or nerd with a high tech addiction that knows how to troubleshoot high tech devices/firmware and takes good care of their toys, then you won't be disappointed by an Evic. If you're not, you're better off with just about anything else. The people that talk about the Evic forums like it's such a bad mark on the Evic that so many people have technical/breakage issues obviously have never been through the posts on a vendor specific tech support forum before for something like laptops or cell phones. You'll see just as many posts in those forums about crap like broken screens as you do on the Evic forums about broken control heads. I wish a lot of hobbyists would wake up and realize the Evic is outside of their known territory, and stop bashing it like it's supposed to be yet another tough but stupid APV. I remember when smartphones came out, there were people complaining then too that they weren't as tough or reliable as say, candy bar cell phones. Yet now just about everyone has one... and no one really complains about the same issues that exist now that existed back then. When CDs came out, there were die hard tape cassette enthusiasts bashing them because they were more fragile than tapes, too. But who still uses tapes now?
You win some; you lose some. So is life.
Bottom line: If you're not going the Evic route, make sure whatever APV you get is steel. Not aluminum, not a mix of metals, heaven forbid not plastic or anything else... S-T-E-E-L. Equally make sure that the body is one solid piece, or at least that the top connection part is reinforced by screws, as that's usually the first part to go on any APV if it gets dropped enough. As far as features go, you at least want VV and the ability to check ohms and remaining battery. Don't buy from a Chinese vendor... if you have to return it, you'll be crying over the cost of shipping. Make sure you research whatever you pick out and know the common user issues experienced with that device and are willing to deal with/fix those issues should they become a problem for you also. And screw the popular vote. Buy what you think will make YOU happy. People will argue all day in these forums about which device is better and the more mind you pay them the more confused you'll get about what to purchase. There is no superior device above all else... same as anything else you buy.