I've cooled my jets and will bide my time with my CSW v2.5, which I'm more than happy with for the time being. If the Podium series review well and (more importantly) prove reliable, and if I feel the need to upgrade this time next year, then that'll be the route I'd probably take over an OSW. I hear all the time about how simple OSW ownership is, but in the same breath users mention adapters, coily USB cables, EM shielding, software in beta, etc etc. My current mindset is that I just want a truly plug 'n' play solution backed by solid after-sales support with the comfort that comes from components that are designed to work in harmony with each other and that don't need additional physical or electronic bridges to link them.
Maybe I'm getting old, but I really am looking for a faff-free existence.
I hear you buddy and was in the exact same boat. However I thought 'long and hard' and took the plunge with an OSW (small MiGE) from Sim Racing Bay primarily because I was impatient
plus the Podium does not have a front-mounting solution like the CSW v2.5 does and the OSW simply bolts directly on to my existing bracket. I just didn't want to have to buy a new wheel-deck from Sim Labs although, in the spirit of fairness, Fanatec did tell me that should demand for front-mounting be sufficient, a bracket would be considered although there's no way of knowing whether this would still be compatible with my Sim Labs set up.
With regards the rest:
HW / SW Set Up - Quick, simple & clear instructions provided. Pretty much plug and play.
Fanatac USB Adapter (supplied by SRM) - 5 minutes, job done. Quality product and everything works.
Coiled USB Cable - no issue for me. Not intrusive or restrictive unless you are possibly in to drifting!
EMI concerns - fully shielded cables available. (To be safe have also grounded the USB adapter and my HE Pros. Again very quick and easy to do.)
OSW Plug & Play - detected every sim first time. Calibration a breeze. (AC, ACC, PC2 R3E, rF2)
Simucube - in beta but appears very robust and is easy to use. Maybe lacking a few features and options that others have experienced elsewhere (FFB derived from telemetry data) but that's based on what I've read only.
Firmware - in development and very simple to update
Simucube Profiles - Okay so this is the most time-consuming element as ideally you need to set up a profile for different wheel rotations and for each sim to match the car in-game. And then you have to remember to select it before launching the sim. Saying that plenty are happy to stick with say a 720 or 540 set up for everything and apply the same in-game so that the onscreen rotation mirrors what's in your hands. After that there are just a handful, (if that), of sliders you are advised to adjust from those available. You Tube and the community offers plenty of advice. Have to say I was a bit daunted to start with but I've got used to it very quickly and have left everything alone since as I'm not chasing the Holy Grail. Maybe one day I'll experiment a little but everything feels pretty great so far. (AC & rF2 are simply fantastic. R3E's 'road feel' is a disappointment but its feedback of grip and wheel slip is outstanding)
Game FFB - in-game tweaks required as usual (down to personal taste) and sometimes to .ini files as well but again, YT and the community is your friend.
Customer Service - Tomo has been bloody fantastic, pre- and post-sale and is always quick to advise, help and answer any question you may have. I've a lot of confidence in his ability to support me going forwards, not that I expect to need it.
Other - OSW has a separate electronics / psu case so a little extra space and some cable management is required. Don't believe this applies to the Fanatec DD range.
I reckon that with reading up and advice from elsewhere, I was up and running with the three or four sims I enjoy and comfortable with everything and my new 'launch routine' in a few days. To me the OSW is a huge step up compared to the CSW v2.5 and I wasn't expecting that as I have nothing but good to say about the Fanatec product, which never let me down once and provided me with the perfect introduction to Sim Racing. As a result if reliability proves to be excellent, I would expect Fanatec's DD offerings to be 'right up there' and likely more user-friendly and intuitive in terms of set up, out-of-the-box compatibility with all major sims and on-the-fly profile management.
But I'm very, very happy with my choice to go down the OSW / Simucube route. My enjoyment and the level of immersion has, without doubt, gone up a few notches and it wasn't as if I was dissatisfied before. The way you can lean on the wheel and the way it fights back and provides you with so much feedback has been the most noticeable thing for me. Maybe it's because I was being overly-sympathetic with the Fanatec product but the OSW is such an industrial piece of kit that I've absolutely no fear of breaking it. Indeed it's not even sweating and is probably laughing at me.
'Choices, choices' but they are all good ones with pros and cons for each.