As is the case with regular optics, they should listen to people like you.
I guarantee there are high up employees at Burris, that know less about using thermals than some of y'all do.
I have looked a new arriving rifle scopes, and thought many times "dangit, yall almost got it right".
You're very kind and to be honest, I totally agree, they should have definitely consulted with some thermal industry insiders. And because this is such a small industry, I know they didn't. I expect we'll see this happening more and more as the daytime scope companies continue to move into the thermal side of things. They think that just because everyone knows their brand name, they will sell a lot of scopes and sadly..... they are probably right.
I had a guy call me and ask about the Burris thermals and I explained in detail about why they were over priced, out dated and he could get a much better, prove optic from multiple other thermal manufacturers for the same or less money. He told me I was the second person to tell him that. At the end of the conversation he said, "ya but I like my Burris scopes, I'm going to buy one anyway." Hey, it's his money!
I will never understand that mentality.
I get the same thing (though rare) with regular optics. A guy tells me what he needs it to do. Then I ask his budget. I will stay in his budget. The lower the number, the less options there are. Most listen, the few that do not, guess what they end up doing? Selling the thing they shouldn't have bought in the first place, and buying what they should have bought in the first place. And the one they sell, they lost money on it.
I, on the other hand, know that I don't know squat about thermal rifle scopes. So I also know who to listen to, and pay attention to. It'll save me frustration and money in the long run.
John did it with a high end Leupold. I told him, "if you're willing to spend that much money go Night Force ATACR". He's a long time Leupold fan. Brand new scope came with problems right out of the box. Leupold sent him another scope, he sold it immediately, and bought an ATACR. And I got to say...