The Isis Adventure

Hi folks. New to the adventure, somewhat ashamed of myself for not having heard about any of this until a week ago, but better late than never.

From browsing around the forums, I'm getting the sense that there are many versions of the Isis out there. I mean, obviously there are many color schemes and aesthetic designs, but am I correct in thinking that there are entirely different mechanisms inside some of the various versions? For example, the Extreme - Limited Edition says it "includes the new G2 improved lock with the extra 'extreme' lock feature".

Is there a list I haven't found of which versions have which mechanisms? And specifically, does anyone have any concrete information about the "Isis Titanium & Blue - Marbles USA Edition" and how it compares to other versions?

Basically, where I'm at with it is here:
Before coming to the forums at all, my roommate was playing with it and I had a thought that I now know is the solution to the elusive 11th clue, which he implemented when I said it aloud as I watched and winced. To our shared surprise and without any further movement to speak of, he found that the plunger could then be only half-depressed. We got excited, but failed to accomplish anything after that. Now, a day and lots of fruitless manipulation later, the puzzle is, as far as I can tell, in exactly the same state as it was when I first opened the box. Repeated attempts at the 11th clue behavior have yielded no results. So I'm kind of wondering if I should keep trying, perhaps less timidly, or if maybe I've reached some kind of middle-stage that I don't understand yet and someone might want to just confirm that and say "keep at it, mate."

In any case, hello again, and thanks for any information.

As far as versions go... There are quite a few variants, I believe. Many of which were limited edition items that can no longer be purchased unless you find a willing seller. E.g. the Isis 1A and 1C. I've personally solved the "Cool Blue Isis" I purchased back in late December, 2011. And I just received a new Isis Extreme. I haven't played with the later much yet, but I can attest to the fact that the "sound" inside of it (without having done anything to it yet) is significantly different. Don't know much about the Marbles edition... I purchased one as a gift for a friend/colleague recently, but I don't think he has made much progress on it yet. So I don't know what the differences would be compared to a more "traditional" variant such as the Titanium & Silver that was once sold through The Sharper Image pre-bankruptcy. There is no comprehensive list of all the variants to my knowledge.

Have you figured out the other 10 clues yet? If not, they certainly provide some additional help. Otherwise keep at it. Are you sure the plunger wasn't just stuck a bit? I had that happen once with my Cool Blue Isis when I was repeatedly pushing it in a vain attempt to make something happen.

Yes, solving the other clues wasn't a problem. I do fear we might have imagined it when we thought the plunger was only half depressing, since I've felt it snag a few times since then, but it's never been anywhere near as firmly half depressed as it was that first time, if that made sense.