I have observed in the Support category that a fair share of posts are regarding the Proxmark 3 Easy. The Proxmark website states that it is obsolete. Therefore I am asking “Why is the Proxmark 3 Easy so popular?”
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I wouldn’t call it obsolete. It doesn’t have Bluetooth or a battery pack, but pretty much every version of proxmark hardware can do what any other version can do. It’s just a matter of the Easy being much cheaper than say the RDV4 
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I got the Easy because I’m less an enthusiast and more a dabbler, and I have maaaaaany other hobbies, so I wanted the low-budget option (also why I have an xem instead of one of the fancier implants, though I kinda regret that now).
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its not depreciated, the source which that comes from is the official proxmark site, which itself has been depreciated for ~10 years.
the only actively developed and maintained firmware for the proxmark, the iceman repo has continual support for all proxmark devices, including the Easy.
most people do not need the rdv4 and most who buy it do not use it for the features that cause it to cost 300$
the proxmark3 easy is cheaper, shares the exact same base functionality as the RDV4 and is the objectively best route in to RFID research as youre not witheld any core functions, just things like modular antennas, SPI Flash (some easy even come with spi flash now) and the ability to add a Bluetooth module, toggle the Q and precise frequency and the overall smaller form factor and assured hardware quality.
with DTs proxmark3 easy, you have the assured quality (a lot of aliexpress & 3rd market proxmarks recently are proving to be incredibly poor quality n QA)
its like buying a car and opting not to pay a premium for leather seats and cup holder, they’re additions you don’t need unless you decide you want/need them. its still the same car
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Thank you for the great answer. I now know not to fully trust the official Proxmark website. 
Same here, except for the implant part.
Nothing stopping you now.
A Fancy reccommend would be the APEX
Many security applications, and probably the most used implant I have.
it’s also Easy to use (Fidesmo app store)
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The xEM is a great implant, and you can always add a HF chip next to it.
I mean, sure, the NExT and xMagic have two chips in a single implant. But you can always get the xEM replaced or add another implant.
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The thing stopping me from an upgrade is that I’m not a desk jockey – I need both of my hands for the heavy manual labor I perform every day. When I got the xEM installed, the initial pain of installation made me never want to do it again, and the healing time made it extremely difficult to do my job, even with a manager who was supportive and flexible.
I’m also on a tighter budget than I was then, and my other hobbies are far more useful/fun for me, so they get the fun money and there isn’t any left for a new implant. Maybe someday, but not in the next few years.
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Can I ask… Who installed it? Typically the pain is minimal (like a bee sting) and healing time is 2 to 4 weeks for full encapsulation, but I was back using my hands pretty roughly (being careful to not purposely bash my new implant) in just a couple days.
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I don’t fault the installer at all – he has plenty of experience doing (and getting) subdermals and was great through the whole process. I’m autistic (so hypersensitive to everything), I have delicate hands despite the work I do, and I’m a slow healer, so it’s entirely my body’s non-standard reactions to things. I had to be careful how I grabbed/held things for several weeks, and had to change how I dry my hands after washing for several months because the nurse-zeroing-out-a-thermometer shake I usually do before I reach for a towel resulted in a shock of pain. It’s been almost a year now, and I have to remind myself not to fidget with it because I’ll end up with a bruise for a week or two from a minute of poking at it. Normal for me, but also why I’m probably not getting another one.
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I don’t know the specifics of your case but you shouldn’t feel anything at all a few days after the install. Except for maybe a bit of itchiness or pain around the wound from the needle, but the implant itself should not hurt or feel weird in any way.
Once it’s fully healed, you should almost forget it’s there. Because it shouldn’t feel like there’s anything there at all.
As long as you’re not abusing the implant, this should not happen. I’m no expert but I’d look into this.
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I bruise from leaning against a workbench for more than a few minutes. I bruise if I wear a watch or other snug-fitting jewelry on my wrist. The best various medical professionals have been able to offer by way of advice is to eat more red meat and drink more water, neither of which has made a difference over years of testing.
I have myriad sensitivities to various things (fabrics, foods, medications, noises, etc.), so bruising isn’t even the weirdest or most inconvenient thing on the list. Somehow, I survive.
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