As an owner of an electronics repair center...

[LVNeptune]

I own a local repair shop here in Las Vegas, I repair mostly videogame consoles and can tell you from firsthand experience if one user has an issue it is probably more widespread than you may think. Years ago when the PS3 first came out there was an outcry of something referred to as "YLOD" or the "Yellow Light Of Death" which Sony abruptly shot down saying it's extremely uncommon. Fast forward 3 years, I am receiving 40-50 PS3 YLOD's per week, LOCALLY. Obviously it was not an issue in the beginning but as time went on it seems it is inevitable.


I am reading on and on about these nub issues and case issues. Let me use the DS as an example as well. When the DS Lite's were first shipped out a few people complained that within a few weeks the hinges were cracking. Fast forward 3 years, I am replacing more DS Lite shells than I ever thought possible.


My point is this:


If one user has an issue, hardware or software related, and one other person has it as well, it is most likely a widespread issue that will happen to EVERYONE at SOME point in the future.


I am trying to secure my $550 USD investment (overnight shipping for $50 or so)...


I am not sure how the nub issue affects people, I assume it's either worn out internally or the solder joints start cracking (you can thank EU's requirement for Lead-Free based solder for the majority of ALL electronics failures).


If it is wearing out internally and assuming it's not a BGA device (and I pray to god it isn't BGA "Ball Grid Array") They should be easily soldered/desoldered. I would like to possibly lend a hand to the developer's/staff of OpenPandora to assist in those repairs as well. I am super busy as it is but I would have no issues assisting if needed.

 

[Letalis Sonus]

You're not here very long, yet, are you? As you can see on many pics, the nubs are not using BGAs, but 4 relatively large amounts of solder at the border of their round PCBs, they can be unsoldered very easy with such a special blade (don't know what it was called, some other user did it to show the nubs' internals).


The nubs itself only consist of the PCB with the contact pads and the plastic/silicone hood on top, the controllers etc are on the main board. The cause of the nubs failing is already well known and the company producing them is currently trying to fix that issue as they have to pay for those being replaced. The main boards are currently being produced without nubs, until the nub company can send them the new ones which should last much longer.


Problems with the W-LAN etc are mostly software related, the whole OS is still WIP and especially the Wifi driver is still very young and quite immature, so there's lots of room for improvements and several devs are already working to make things better. As the OS can be updated very simple this is not much of an issue.


Currently the only issues that won't get fixed very soon are related to the case, like the screen bezel issue. As the OPT just recently told us, the case was accepted because it was already in a usable state and they were afraid that the Chinese would once again need 5-6 months to fix those little issues, which was unacceptable, even though those small issues were nothing too big. However, it's not like the case would fall into pieces after a short time, ED has been using his prototype unit a lot for over 9 months and he keeps telling us that he had not a single issue.

 

[WizardStan]

I am reading on and on about these nub issues and case issues.

The nubs were accepted as a major problem months ago. The issue is with the rubber that was used, or something like that. OPT tells us that the nub company was very embarrassed that there were so many failures and set about to set things right. Unfortunately, that's what we're waiting on now: improved nubs that are expected to survive over 500K motions, which gave them an estimated 5 year life of hardcore gameplay. Any week now, the nub company is going to finish their tests, sign off on them, and ship them to Texas for mounting on the board. Hopefully fewer weeks than more.

 

[Zor Prime]

However, it's not like the case would fall into pieces after a short time, ED has been using his prototype unit a lot for over 9 months and he keeps telling us that he had not a single issue.

Do you own one of the painted ones?


I've had my Pandora about a month now and the case has developed a clean fracture. I treat the thing like it's Helen of Troy. I've never dropped it, tossed it, and I've let one of my kids use it two times under close supervision (even make them wash their hands before they're allowed to touch it ... )


The fracture that has so far formed is by the USB slot, and I've never even plugged in a USB device yet.


It's an unadvertised "Feature" because if something doesn't change with the cases being pumped out, new owners are going to end up with a case that spontaneously forms fractures.

 

[DaMummy]

the case crack by usb slot is also something that has already been addressed and we already know the cause of it. its cause the screw closest to it is too tightly screwed in, opt are already taking care of it, now whether theyre using a rubber washer or just not tightening it as much, that much i do now know

 

[levi]

We've had at least one report from a user that loosened the nearest screw that the crack still develops regardless. That's an open issue as far as I'm concerned (though not a massive one unless crack propagation proves problematic). Other issues as far as I know have been reproduced and are being tackled by the production team.


FWIW My DS lite shows no signs of cracks on the hinge whereas it shows shiny patches round the d-pad and buttons through overuse, though I admit one case of circumstantial evidence is far from conclusive.

 

[LVNeptune]

You're not here very long, yet, are you? As you can see on many pics, the nubs are not using BGAs, but 4 relatively large amounts of solder at the border of their round PCBs, they can be unsoldered very easy with such a special blade (don't know what it was called, some other user did it to show the nubs' internals).


The nubs itself only consist of the PCB with the contact pads and the plastic/silicone hood on top, the controllers etc are on the main board. The cause of the nubs failing is already well known and the company producing them is currently trying to fix that issue as they have to pay for those being replaced. The main boards are currently being produced without nubs, until the nub company can send them the new ones which should last much longer.


Problems with the W-LAN etc are mostly software related, the whole OS is still WIP and especially the Wifi driver is still very young and quite immature, so there's lots of room for improvements and several devs are already working to make things better. As the OS can be updated very simple this is not much of an issue.


Currently the only issues that won't get fixed very soon are related to the case, like the screen bezel issue. As the OPT just recently told us, the case was accepted because it was already in a usable state and they were afraid that the Chinese would once again need 5-6 months to fix those little issues, which was unacceptable, even though those small issues were nothing too big. However, it's not like the case would fall into pieces after a short time, ED has been using his prototype unit a lot for over 9 months and he keeps telling us that he had not a single issue.

I never saw pics of one of the analog sticks so I wasn't sure either way


I have been lurking for quite awhile so I do keep up with the WLAN and other stuff, I never mentioned WLAN once ...And I assume by your tone you figure I am debating on whether ordering one or not. I have one coming so it's not an issue. I can fix my own stuff. In the end, I just want to make sure if I have to repair this on my own that I will be able to order spare parts

 

[LVNeptune]

We've had at least one report from a user that loosened the nearest screw that the crack still develops regardless. That's an open issue as far as I'm concerned (though not a massive one unless crack propagation proves problematic). Other issues as far as I know have been reproduced and are being tackled by the production team.


FWIW My DS lite shows no signs of cracks on the hinge whereas it shows shiny patches round the d-pad and buttons through overuse, though I admit one case of circumstantial evidence is far from conclusive.

If your DS flops open and closed and/or doesn't make a "click" sounds when it's being opened chances are it's already cracked but from how you explained it I doubt it. It mostly happens to people who open the DS ALL the way even though it is not supposed to it should sit slightly curved not fully straight.

 

[quartercast]

We've had at least one report from a user that loosened the nearest screw that the crack still develops regardless. That's an open issue as far as I'm concerned (though not a massive one unless crack propagation proves problematic).

On my unit, the two sections of the case bottom were warping away from each other, with a big crack appearing around the USB port. I wonder if heat and flexing during charging is exacerbating the cracking issue?

 

[ahahah]

improved nubs that are expected to survive over 500K motions, which gave them an estimated 5 year life of hardcore gameplay.

i'm not agree about this.


if we consider we move the nub (values lower than the reality) 1 time every 5 seconds and consider a player plays on the average 30 minutes a day.


so it is 360 motions a day.


and the estimated life would be 3.8 years (lower than 4 years for an optimistic estimation....)

 

[levi]

The 500k tested motions are full range though. For a bit of F-Zero I'd imagine many of the motions would be full range, but other than than type of thing I'd have thought that in general use we'd not be swinging them about as much as the testing facility is.

 

[WizardStan]

indeed. As I understand it, a full motion is center->left->right->center. If the average real motion is just center to left, then you get an estimated 2 million of such "average" motions to their 500K "full" motions.

 

[Ratfink]

About the little crack by the USB port, my solution will probably be a simple one. I'll just take the screw out when I get my Pandora, and keep it in a safe place. If it feels like it's going to open up any second, I might put it back in gently.