Because the hardware is only as good as the software you use with it and there are bigger differences in the apps in terms of features than the hardware.

Well, sure, but you without the good dongle you can't use the good soft, and the question was what is the good dongle.

This thread went like
Question "what is a good laptop"
First answer "use Red had Linux"
Second Answer "the laptop doesn't matter much , it's the OS that counts"


To be clear.. The dongles are not all the same, cause the cheaper ones have slow transfer speeds.
And they will not work with apps that code.. So no , they are not the same at all.

IF you want to do serious things with the software, you'll definately need a good one or you might actually mess up the the car if you do anything with coding.. I've seen a Bimmer get all out of whack from using a bad dongle.


so you have it reversed : The Software can only be as good, as the Dongle you use with it.
And you can delete software and get another app instead
you cannot simply buy a dongle and then 3 months later decide you'll just send it back and get another one. the one you buy you are stuck with, if it's no good, you'll have to spend more to get a new one.
And you might blame the softwares along the line if they don't work well over that cheap dongle you have.

So step 1 : get a good dongle , because there are chitty ones out there.

To give you and idea :

Both bought on amazon
Top one is good, made in Germany
Bottom one will brick the software and you are off to the dealer to get the car reprogrammed SmileWavy
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1641752638.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1641752638.jpg


Top one has way higher transfer/sample rates, which is what you need for diagnostics as well.

I went through all that but I am a little suspect. I’ll get it plugged into a shop’s PIWIS to check it out.