OK. Let's get something straight. AJ Machine does sequential conversions of just about any box. With their system, you end up with a hydraulic shifter unit you can place just about anywhere. I have run one of these for close to 6 years on a desert car and had only ONE issue while trying to speed shift in a drag race. That was fixed by the owner at AJ Machine, and he subsequently upgraded the part that failed. The failure occured in the first six months I had the unit. NO PROBLEMS SINCE. The benefits are numerous. You can "feel" the gears just like a rod shifter, better than a cable shifter, there is no adjustment necessary due to cable stretch, and there is no binding like a rod shifter. It is a very unique system. If you don't like what you see, don't use it. I was merely stating a fact that "there is more than one way, or in this case two ways, to skin a cat" and I would suggest that you not knock it till you've tried it.
MasterShift markets a paddle shifter. They incorporate some hardware from AJ Machine that helps them do that in some cases. That was the case with the G50/20 mentioned. They are two seperate companies.
Also, you guys are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT about the synchroed boxes. They are difficult to automate. The use of pneumatics that are properly set up softens the blow and eases the ring into position when set up correctly. I have many of the same questions of the MasterShift product as you guys have and will be investigating them with MasterShift. Again, I'm not gonna knock it till I've AT LEAST investigated it a bit. As for it blowing up the first tranny? I would expect nothing less or more. There is always some trial and error involved in these types of things. If you want something cheap and with a warranty, go buy a Honda.