Are Some Of The First 105 Still Going To The Press?

[Shadowcat]

I have no issue whatsoever with those 105 not going to paying customers, but from what I've been reading lately about the state of some of the software, in all honesty I'd be loathe to send units out for review yet either.

As absolutely critical as the hardware is, the software provides all the functionality and polish, and reviews now would seemingly be of a mostly-complete yet rather unpolished system.

If the reviews could come after all the spit-and-polish that will surely follow the initial release, that would be so much better for the ratings.

 

[Azure]

I was under the impression that it was going to be more than just a few days between the first 105 and the remaining units (something on the order of weeks was the estimate, I believe, and we all know how accurate these "estimates" tend to be...).

Hmm... doesn't bug me. You've waited this long - you can wait another week or two to make sure you don't get sub-par abused hardware.

"You've waited this long - you can wait another ******" <--- I think we've all heard that one enough over the course of the past year or so.

If the stress-tested hardware will really be as bad as people are making it out to be in this thread, why doesn't OP see anything wrong with sending it out as a finished product to some of those that pre-ordered (or is every unit in the first 105 going to the OP crew, developers, and the press?)?

 

[Pleng]

I was under the impression that it was going to be more than just a few days between the first 105 and the remaining units (something on the order of weeks was the estimate, I believe, and we all know how accurate these "estimates" tend to be...).

I think that was before all the case delays. I believe that now by the time the case is complete, the MP boards should be pretty much ready.

 

[juniorm33]

I was under the impression that it was going to be more than just a few days between the first 105 and the remaining units (something on the order of weeks was the estimate, I believe, and we all know how accurate these "estimates" tend to be...).

It would have been longer if the cases were done on schedule.
But since all the boards was being worked on during the delay, once they get the cases they can build the first lot quickly (as boards will be ready). So there shouldn't be that delay there would've been before is my understanding of the situation.

Edit: h34r: by Pleng

 

[SiegfriedCroes]

hmmm... now I'm wondering, how many preorders did they actually take? if the first 105 go to press/devs/... and there are more than 3895 preorders then the people that preordered late (like me) will not be able to get one (especially when taking the board fail rate in account). I just hope th OP them thought about this and did not take more than 3895 preorders...

 

[Eolair]

Unfortunately it's bit of bad timing to generate press at this time. The Pandora is already sold out and won't be available again for at least 4-5 months.

On the other hand the wait has just been too long and they need to show now that the Pandora isn't vaporware.

 

[LuvClub]

False - I actually heard about the project from a post on Engadget. That was when the second thread ("Our New Machine") was around 20 pages long. I've been here ever since.

I stand corrected about that assumption.

I still believe that a lot of preorderers got in early with the belief that they may get the Pandora before anyone else. Many have posted in this forum stating that they would not mind taking one of the 105, no matter how stress tested they are. I don't think it is right to decide what is right for them.

Maybe "they're dying to get it" even if it is only as little as one day (though unlikely) before the rest of us.

Maybe they would like one of the first stress-tested 105 just because it is one of the first 105 and they would regard it as a trophy? Not having the latter units'"enhancements" would probably make them even more attractive to them as it could almost be treated as a "limited edition" or "first batch of the first batch".

Maybe due to not sending these 105 out to willing acceptants out of the initial preorderers then an additional 105 subsequent preorderers would only get theirs after Christmas, if indeed only "some" are sent out before Christmas as stated by Craig.

Maybe they just don't want to "wake up".

I don't think we should judge those pre-orderers for whatever reason they would want their possibly sub-par Pandoras.

Maybe they're just crazy? But you can't take away their rightful place in the queue because of that.

I'm probably in the last thousand so none of this should affect me anyway

 

[WizardStan]

I have no issue whatsoever with those 105 not going to paying customers, but from what I've been reading lately about the state of some of the software, in all honesty I'd be loathe to send units out for review yet either.

Have we been reading the same posts? Did you see that video of pmenu playing a video? The insert-card-discover-PNDs-click-and-run videos before? Everything just seemed to work. It's beautiful. :wub:
The only thing I'm concerned about is the wifi config, maybe, on account that ED has only recently said it's working, but we haven't actually seen it working yet.

 

[VRAndy]

OK, we now need 105 people who would pay for a new car and take a 4-year used one instead of the new one.
Why? Because they would have to wait one day less. So they only have waited 405 days and not 407 days.
Did I mention that the engine of the 105 used cars makes a strange noise when you drive on the high way?
This noise is gone in the other 3895 NEW cars.

To be fair... 1.9% of customers are going to wish that they had gotten one of the 103 out of 105 that survived the heavy testing.
A burn-in test, even on the NAND, is not nearly the same as running an mechanical item like an engine.


Also, you're very optimistic on your time table.

 

[calc84maniac]

OK, we now need 105 people who would pay for a new car and take a 4-year used one instead of the new one.
Why? Because they would have to wait one day less. So they only have waited 405 days and not 407 days.
Did I mention that the engine of the 105 used cars makes a strange noise when you drive on the high way?
This noise is gone in the other 3895 NEW cars.

To be fair... 1.9% of customers are going to wish that they had gotten one of the 103 out of 105 that survived the heavy testing.
A burn-in test, even on the NAND, is not nearly the same as running an mechanical item like an engine.


Also, you're very optimistic on your time table.

Technically, that's not quite accurate either. OpenPandora isn't going to send out busted units if they can help it (which means if any of the tests fail).

 

[emusan]

The only thing I'm concerned about is the wifi config, maybe, on account that ED has only recently said it's working, but we haven't actually seen it working yet.

I think we should have everyone with a dev board and a camera(even a crappy one) get together some day and take a video of them all playing Quake III online over Wi-Fi on their Pandora's, then they could upload a mash up of all the video's.

 

[WizardStan]

I think we should have everyone with a dev board and a camera(even a crappy one) get together some day and take a video of them all playing Quake III online over Wi-Fi on their Pandora's, then they could upload a mash up of all the video's.

Oh, I'm sure the wifi itself is working. ED posted to the forum from his Pandora once. I meant the widget that tells you you're near a hotspot, and does all the configurating and connecting for you. If that doesn't work more or less perfect, it'll cause problems with reviewers.

 

[Vlynndar]

1. WiFi is working!
Yep, finally, after months of hard work by mostly DJWillis (with help from other devs), WiFi is working!
WEP, WPA, WPA2... including one of the best GUIs, the Network Manager are working fine!

I'd imagine that that's the widget you're talking about.