diff --git a/experiments/example.nim b/experiments/example.nim
index fd1e208..d48143d 100644
--- a/experiments/example.nim
+++ b/experiments/example.nim
@@ -1,57 +1,72 @@
 
-import vdom, vstyles, components, karax, karaxdsl, jdict, jstrutils, kdom
+import vdom, vstyles, karax, karaxdsl, jdict, jstrutils, kdom
+
+type
+  Car = ref object of VComponent
+    counter: int
+    cntdown: int
+    timer: TimeOut
+    list: seq[cstring]
+    change: bool
+    onclick: proc (ev: Event; n: VNode)
+
+const ticksUntilChange = 5
+
+proc car*(images: seq[cstring]): Car =
+  new(result)
+  result.list = images
+  result.cntdown = ticksUntilChange
+
+  proc docount() =
+    dec result.cntdown
+    if result.cntdown == 0:
+      result.counter = (result.counter + 1) mod result.list.len
+      result.cntdown = ticksUntilChange
+    else:
+      result.timer = setTimeout(docount, 30)
+    result.change = true
+    redraw()
+
+  result.onclick = proc (ev: Event; n: VNode) =
+    result.change = false
+    if result.timer != nil:
+      clearTimeout(result.timer)
+    result.timer = setTimeout(docount, 30)
+
+method changed(c: Car): bool = true
 
 var
   images: seq[cstring] = @[cstring"a", "b", "c", "d"]
 
-proc carousel*(key: VKey): VNode {.component.} =
-  state:
-    var counter: int = 0
-    var cntdown: int = 5
-    var timer: Timeout = nil
-
-  proc docount() =
-    cntdown = cntdown - 1
-    if cntdown == 0:
-      counter = (counter + 1) mod images.len
-      cntdown = 5
-    else:
-      timer = setTimeout(docount, 30)
-    redraw()
-
-  proc next(ev: Event; n: VNode) =
-    if timer != nil:
-      clearTimeout(timer)
-    timer = setTimeout(docount, 30)
-
+proc carousel*(): VNode =
+  let c = car(images)
   let col =
-    case counter
+    case c.counter
     of 0: cstring"#4d4d4d"
     of 1: cstring"#ff00ff"
     of 2: cstring"#00ffff"
     of 3: cstring"#ffff00"
     else: cstring"red"
-
-  result = buildHtml(tdiv(key=key)):
-    text images[counter]
-    button(onclick = next):
+  result = buildHtml(tdiv(nref = c)):
+    text images[c.counter]
+    button(onclick = c.onclick):
       text "Next"
     tdiv(style = style(StyleAttr.color, col)):
       text "This changes its color."
-    if cntdown != 5:
-      text &cntdown
+    if c.cntdown != ticksUntilChange:
+      text &c.cntdown
 
 proc createDom(): VNode =
   result = buildHtml(table):
     tr:
       td:
-        carousel(0)
+        carousel()
       td:
-        carousel(1)
+        carousel()
     tr:
       td:
-        carousel(2)
+        carousel()
       td:
-        carousel(3)
+        carousel()
 
 setRenderer createDom
diff --git a/experiments/refs/demo.nim b/experiments/refs/demo.nim
index 6ecc7db..a0db59f 100644
--- a/experiments/refs/demo.nim
+++ b/experiments/refs/demo.nim
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ include karaxprelude
 import future, sequtils
 
 type
-  CustomRef = ref object of VNodeRef
+  CustomRef = ref object of VComponent
 
 method onAttach(r: CustomRef) =
   kout(cstring"custom ref attached")
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ method onDetach(r: CustomRef) =
 var
   modelData = @[5, 2, 4]
 
-  refA = VNodeRef()
-  refB = VNodeRef()
+  refA = VComponent()
+  refB = VComponent()
   refC = CustomRef()
-  refSeq = newSeq[VNodeRef]()
+  refSeq = newSeq[VComponent]()
 
 proc onClick(ev: Event, n: VNode) =
   modelData.add(0)
@@ -25,11 +25,13 @@ proc showRefs() =
   kout(refA)
   kout(refB)
   kout(refC)
-  kout(refSeq.map(nref => nref.vnode))
+  for i in 0 ..< refSeq.len:
+    kout(refSeq[i].vnode)
+  #kout(refSeq.map(nref => nref.vnode))
 
-proc secureRefSlot(i: int): VNodeRef =
+proc secureRefSlot(i: int): VComponent =
   while refSeq.len <= i:
-    refSeq.add(VNodeRef())
+    refSeq.add(VComponent())
   result = refSeq[i]
 
 proc view(): VNode =
@@ -53,4 +55,4 @@ proc view(): VNode =
 proc renderer(): VNode =
   view()
 
-setRenderer(renderer, showRefs)
+setRenderer(renderer, "ROOT", showRefs)
diff --git a/src/karax.nim b/src/karax.nim
index 77cebdf..56357ef 100644
--- a/src/karax.nim
+++ b/src/karax.nim
@@ -150,6 +150,9 @@ proc eq(a, b: VNode; deep: bool): EqResult =
   if a.id != b.id: return different
   result = identical
   if a.key != b.key: return different
+  if a.nref != nil and changed(a.nref):
+    kout cstring"yes, change!"
+    return different
   if a.kind == VNodeKind.text:
     if a.text != b.text: return different
   elif a.kind == VNodeKind.vthunk or a.kind == VNodeKind.dthunk:
@@ -201,6 +204,7 @@ proc updateStyles(newNode, oldNode: VNode; deep: bool) =
 
 proc updateDom(newNode, oldNode: VNode) =
   newNode.dom = oldNode.dom
+  newNode.nref = oldNode.nref
   assert newNode.len == oldNode.len
   for i in 0 ..< newNode.len:
     updateDom(newNode[i], oldNode[i])
diff --git a/src/vdom.nim b/src/vdom.nim
index 9f9c642..e478da1 100644
--- a/src/vdom.nim
+++ b/src/vdom.nim
@@ -101,8 +101,7 @@ macro buildLookupTables(): untyped =
 buildLookupTables()
 
 type
-  VNodeRef* = ref object of RootObj
-    vnode*: VNode
+  VComponent* = ref object of RootObj
 
   EventHandler* = proc (ev: Event; target: VNode) {.closure.}
   VKey* = int
@@ -111,7 +110,7 @@ type
     kind*: VNodeKind
     key*: VKey
     id*, class*, text*: cstring
-    nref*: VNodeRef
+    nref*: VComponent
     kids: seq[VNode]
     # even index: key, odd index: value; done this way for memory efficiency:
     attrs: seq[cstring]
@@ -122,9 +121,9 @@ type
     dom*: Node ## the attached real DOM node. Can be 'nil' if the virtual node
                ## is not part of the virtual DOM anymore.
 
-method onAttach*(v: VNodeRef) {.base.} = discard
-method onDetach*(v: VNodeRef) {.base.} = discard
-method changed*(v: VNodeRef): bool {.base.} = false
+method onAttach*(v: VComponent) {.base.} = discard
+method onDetach*(v: VComponent) {.base.} = discard
+method changed*(v: VComponent): bool {.base.} = false
 
 proc value*(n: VNode): cstring = n.text
 proc `value=`*(n: VNode; v: cstring) = n.text = v