Craigx Twitter Update Cases This Weekend!

[Phawx]

Just thought I'd agree with emil10001 here. I think advertising the Pandora would only hurt OP right now. You will create a lot of demand when there is (supposedly) very very few left. Unless this is untrue, you are going to want that media coverage.

But, if these test cases are Okay'd, they should be exactly the same as what china will be pumping out by the thousands right? So, if the end result is the cases will be the same, I think you should send them to customers.

 

[WizardStan]

I would still like to know what press coverage, done in the way that Craig is suggesting, buys the OP team.

It buys them the six months they need to produce a second batch. Other devices are coming out, and the Pandora is being "forgotten" so to speak. There's the occasional blurb, but nothing really attention grabbing. Actually getting something into a review sites hands will rekindle the interest, more so than just saying "hey, they're shipping." They'll be able to say "They're shipping, and here's what awesomeness they can do!"
If they wait until the end, that might not be until almost (or after) Christmas. By that point in time, no one is thinking of buying anything. The "OMG I GOTTA HAVE THAT" impact is lost. If they're reminded of it at that time, it'll be less dramatic than if they're reminded of it in November, when they actually have money that they want to spend on it. Interest is peaked, and hopefully remains strong the next few months until they are ready for batch 2.

 

[Sturatt]

I agree that the OP team needs to think about what will happen if the pandora does get press, but then nobody who has not already preordered can get one for at least another 6 months -- I can see how that could be a bad thing. On the other hand, I don't agree that the test boards should be held back from the press on the principle that the customers should get theirs first. If it were a matter of choosing between whether to send the pandora to a customer or someone from the press, obviously paying customers come first. However, that isn't the situation, as Craig already stated that there is no way those boards are going to customers. If the OP team does decide that giving some units to the press would be beneficial right now, then have at it.

 

[WizardStan]

Also keep in mind that they probably aren't going to send that many out. How many major game sites do they need to cover? 5? 10 maybe? Table scraps! 5 consoles sent out to not-us isn't going to perceivably delay our receptions.

 

[emil10001]

I see where you're coming from emil, but I think there are two separate issues getting mixed together:

1. Press being given priority over paying customers

2. Potential negative effect of early press coverage (influx of 2nd batch hopefuls, supply not meeting demand etc)

Point #1 isn't really an issue, because there won't be any of the 3895 "virgin" boards ready to send to customers anyway. The 105 are sitting there though. I don't think sending a few of those out is disrespectful to customers.

Point #2 probably needs to be looked at by OP Ltd. I'd certainly hate to see a few thousand new people saying "great, the first batch waited for a year, now we have to as well." That's all very hypothetical though. At the end of the day, they'll choose what's best for their company.

The important thing is that the 3895 are sent straight out to customers.

My real concern was that these two separate points are actually, in fact, mixed together into one issue. The reason is that the negative effect of the press coverage will come from the fact that the customers have not yet been satisfied. It's not so much a principle thing as a business decision. The downside isn't that people will say 'oh we have to wait', the problem is that a good deal of them will come here to check things out and realize that the customers are annoyed at not having units yet. So, my suggestion was to wait until after shipping to the customers to send units to the press, because it would have a better result when people come here and see that people are happy with the product, and the next pre-order isn't that far off.

 

[Sturatt]

I see where you're coming from emil, but I think there are two separate issues getting mixed together:

1. Press being given priority over paying customers

2. Potential negative effect of early press coverage (influx of 2nd batch hopefuls, supply not meeting demand etc)

Point #1 isn't really an issue, because there won't be any of the 3895 "virgin" boards ready to send to customers anyway. The 105 are sitting there though. I don't think sending a few of those out is disrespectful to customers.

Point #2 probably needs to be looked at by OP Ltd. I'd certainly hate to see a few thousand new people saying "great, the first batch waited for a year, now we have to as well." That's all very hypothetical though. At the end of the day, they'll choose what's best for their company.

The important thing is that the 3895 are sent straight out to customers.

My real concern was that these two separate points are actually, in fact, mixed together into one issue. The reason is that the negative effect of the press coverage will come from the fact that the customers have not yet been satisfied. It's not so much a principle thing as a business decision. The downside isn't that people will say 'oh we have to wait', the problem is that a good deal of them will come here to check things out and realize that the customers are annoyed at not having units yet. So, my suggestion was to wait until after shipping to the customers to send units to the press, because it would have a better result when people come here and see that people are happy with the product, and the next pre-order isn't that far off.

Good point. I can see how it would be harmful for new people to come here because of the press coverage only to see people who payed over a year ago still without pandoras. No offense to the OP team (I mean you still have MY money), but that doesn't exactly inspire confidence in new potential customers.

 

[Game_over]

+1

Thinking about it again viral marketing is always more effective than the usual previews- if I was an unknowing end-user, I would be captivated by a random video of some community members helped make a badass open-source handheld system that got picked up by several tech websites. Besides, Engadget, Arstechnica, Think Geek, and GDGT already has an active eye on us.

 

[PoisonedV]

+1

Thinking about it again viral marketing is always more effective than the usual previews- if I was an unknowing end-user, I would be captivated by a random video of some community members helped make a badass open-source handheld system that got picked up by several tech websites. Besides, Engadget, Arstechnica, Think Geek, and GDGT already has an active eye on us.

Think Geek? Oh sweet dude they can put a 40 percent markup on it, slap some dumb jokes stolen from already dumb XKCD on it, maybe put up a pandora themed witty t-shirt, and sell it to all the ubuntu users who will never get laid

 

[Game_over]

Glad I don't shop there..... :lol:

 

[Dead1nside]

Well if sending it to the press could cause an influx of demand that cannot be met for at least 6 months, why not send them to the devs who certainly do deserve them? We'd get to see more videos of the Pandora and of the software being worked on. I know I'd be more keen to work on an emulator/game/other if I had a near complete unit, although perhaps devs don't think like that. Sending out to press should perhaps wait a bit.

 

[MWeston]

I don't think sending a bunch to the press is really the idea going. That would be silly because the software is still in such a beta phase that even if they just wanted to be nice it would be stuff like "but this will improve" and "waiting for next firmware update to fix xxxx". What would be the point?

 

[bzar]

I don't think sending a bunch to the press is really the idea going. That would be silly because the software is still in such a beta phase that even if they just wanted to be nice it would be stuff like "but this will improve" and "waiting for next firmware update to fix xxxx". What would be the point?

I have to agree. The vapourware status will take care of itself when the user videos start pouring in. Better to start advertising when there's something to sell, else you risk losing the "new stuff" momentum from press reviews.

 

[juniorm33]

I don't think sending a bunch to the press is really the idea going. That would be silly because the software is still in such a beta phase that even if they just wanted to be nice it would be stuff like "but this will improve" and "waiting for next firmware update to fix xxxx". What would be the point?

Just started to catch up from where I left off, and was starting to think few people were getting the issue's, and mixing them up thinking we were saying send users the burned in board when this isn't what we were saying at all.

It's about timing, in terms of creating a buzz getting it out there, we're more than capable of doing that. Especially with bloggers being pre orderer's.
Now you may ask well what's the difference then. Well the pre order bloggers have been part of the build up so understand, if things have some kinks in it's software they'll be fixed very soon, not just a reviewer with 30 mins of saying oh good idea just not ready yet, and oh the dredded fixed in the next patch (if ever).

I have the up most faith in the software dev's, but anyone in software development knows just what can happen. It's not like even the dev's have had fully functional units to see just how well things work together. Last thing I remember was sure which WM was probably going with but even that could change.

We have 6 months before the next batch, plenty of time to create the buzz, iron out the software, it wont be forgotten it will just be a polished item you'll be able to get soon, but hurry last time they sold out quick.

Let the Pandora bloggers have their day in the sun, they deserve to get the write up's first

(And again I'm not saying to ship out the burned in boards! Even if they would be fine)

 

[Tor]

I hope this "people showing up in Dallas to help assembling" idea is limited to putting the completed devices in boxes. I for one don't want any folks without full ESD training handling any boards. This will only result in more boards failing at a later stage. Keep them off our Pandoras I say.

 

[juniorm33]

I'm sure there's lots of jobs they could do, boxing, unboxing parts, sweeping, making the coffee it all helps

 

[pshunter]

There goes another week. And if the first cases "ship" this weekend, doesn’t it mean that they will be *sent* this weekend? It might take some days before they arrive, and even more if they get sent to the wrong person again, which already happened twice for the case prototypes AFAIR. This project has a background of underestimating shipping times...

 

[juniorm33]

To be fair as far as this round of predictions go they been pretty good. Another week has gone, but it is on schedule to when they said they were hoping to be shipped out (Just)

 

[Monk]

It's actually more to do with the fact the press won't get the keep them and we need to remove the 'vaporware' myth. It's likely we will use the well tested boards in them - I'd rather not give them to customers.

Send one to "MythBusters"

 

[matzesu]

Please dont make this!!!, they would use dynamid to see that the Pandora isnt vaporware...
lets give the angry video game nerd a pandora (than he is the happy video game nerd..) B)

 

[ben_dash]

I'm sure there's lots of jobs they could do, boxing, unboxing parts, sweeping, making the coffee it all helps

I don't mind, within reason, what the actual tasks are, whether it's assembly, boxing, unboxing, sweeping, filling coffee cups or whatever. I'm in the Dallas area and willing to help if I can.

I have been kicking myself for not helping, thus far, on the software side and so this is a great opportunity to contribute some of my time for something that will help in the critical path to get this first batch into the hands of those who have been willing to stick it out for the longest "2 months"(TM) in history ;-)