Current Status Of The Moulds?

[MrBlais]

They do indeed, and Michael will be getting some final parts tomorrow, we decided to just get some samples minus that tweaked part so we had something to show you. So you might see a semi-final Pandora tomorrow.

perchance he's not at liberty to disclose information on the tweaking thing... or he's just offline, give him time.

Why not? This isn't a corporation. I want him to give me ALL the details!

 

[aesir911]

They do indeed, and Michael will be getting some final parts tomorrow, we decided to just get some samples minus that tweaked part so we had something to show you. So you might see a semi-final Pandora tomorrow.

perchance he's not at liberty to disclose information on the tweaking thing... or he's just offline, give him time.

Why not? This isn't a corporation. I want him to give me ALL the details!

I don't want all the details, I just want to know when I am really getting my Pandora. (so the updated statuses help...)

 

[sold]

I want all the details. All of them! Give them to me...

 

[aesir911]

quick aesir, post another topic asking what tweak it was. it seems the illusive craigix only comes out of its shell for your topics....

Not sure, but I'm pretty sure the tweak he's talking about is the one MWeston referred to in a different thread.

"There was one part coming out of the molds messed up and they were to fix it, make new parts and ship everything tonight. Now, two more molds need the extra treatment and will take a few more days. I'm hoping they ship new parts this weekend but no more count downs. Unbelievable." ~MWeston

 

[dupey]

In the german board, ED wrote that the part making problems is the upper part of the base (the one with all the holes for keys and buttons)

Deswegen wird alles gemeinsam produziert und versendet, sobald alle Gußformen bereit sind.
Sie arbeiten nur noch an der letzten - der kompliziertesten (unterer Teil des Gehäuses, oben. Also der Teil mit den ganzen Löchern für die Tastatur, dem Hinge, etc.).

Anyway, i thought the tweaking would only take a few days, and we are already a week overdue

 

[Monk]

It's been a few days since what, about June or July? I keep wondering who is incompetant. Are the mould/case manufacturers not able to do the job of designing and making moulds to suit the case design, or is the case design they are basing their mould design on no good? I guess that perhaps it's possible that OpenPandora are so far down the foodchain that the mould makers have consistently bumped Pandora work for more important clients, but that doesn't fill me with confidence either.

 

[Nation.A.List]

It's been a few days since what, about June or July? I keep wondering who is incompetant. Are the mould/case manufacturers not able to do the job of designing and making moulds to suit the case design, or is the case design they are basing their mould design on no good? I guess that perhaps it's possible that OpenPandora are so far down the foodchain that the mould makers have consistently bumped Pandora work for more important clients, but that doesn't fill me with confidence either.

These were virtually the same points I made back in Mid Oct http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/49961-surely-the-case-moulds-should-be-done-by-now/ Something is not right. Nothing has really changed in a month. i.e. another month on top of the already a month late. Somebody should be asking the mould maker some serious questions (aside from "where's our fricking mould?")

 

[Asmo]

I guess that perhaps it's possible that OpenPandora are so far down the foodchain that the mould makers have consistently bumped Pandora work for more important clients

On the German site there is a discussion touching on these issues, if you can wade through the shonky translation:

LINK: Wonky GP2X.de German Translation

 

[dupey]

I guess that perhaps it's possible that OpenPandora are so far down the foodchain that the mould makers have consistently bumped Pandora work for more important clients

On the German site there is a discussion touching on these issues, if you can wade through the shonky translation:

LINK: Wonky GP2X.de German Translation

"Only the best of the kite"
that made my day

 

[EvilDragon]

It's been a few days since what, about June or July? I keep wondering who is incompetant. Are the mould/case manufacturers not able to do the job of designing and making moulds to suit the case design, or is the case design they are basing their mould design on no good? I guess that perhaps it's possible that OpenPandora are so far down the foodchain that the mould makers have consistently bumped Pandora work for more important clients, but that doesn't fill me with confidence either.

Nope, that was a different back then.
The design was bad so it didn't fit perfectly. That's why we needed to tweak it a bit. Another quick CNC case showed everything was fine then.

Now there was an error in their first produced mould of the upper part of the base. This is the MOST complicated mould of them all. What's being tweaked right now is not another design change, but some of the more complicated areas to make it fit perfectly.

It might already be fixed - sadly, those chinese guys don't talk much. We ask them everyday, the last status update we got was from last week saying it will be finished on the 12th

At least it's the last mould they're working on (or have been working on), the rest is fine so far
They can't tweak forever (well, it does cost them ressources nobody is paying ), so it should be finished soon (if it isn't already, as said).

As the rest of the Pandora pieces (boards, etc.) is ready for assemble at the end of the month, nothing is lost if the cases need a few days more. As long as they don't need 10 - 15 days more from now on

 

[GizmoTheGreen]

Thanks for the update.
Makes it a little easier to wait, haha

 

[rabidpoobear]

As the rest of the Pandora pieces (boards, etc.) is ready for assemble at the end of the month, nothing is lost if the cases need a few days more. As long as they don't need 10 - 15 days more from now on

I guess the only thing that's lost is that you don't get to send out that iconic 1st pandora, that one everyone's been wondering about. Once it's out the door there will be a huge sigh of relief on the forums. Logically it doesn't make a difference for the bulk shipment, but it DOES make a difference to us irrational human beings.

By the way, ED, keep up the good work. If you guys let me know when you're in town (Dallas) I'll drive up there and buy you all dinner one day! We really are getting close, and don't worry so much that we didn't make your birthday as a ship date. It'll happen soon enough, and those in the know realize how good your product is and how hard you guys are working and we all just want it to be a success. At least all the cool people do.

 

[borgqueenx]

It's been a few days since what, about June or July? I keep wondering who is incompetant. Are the mould/case manufacturers not able to do the job of designing and making moulds to suit the case design, or is the case design they are basing their mould design on no good? I guess that perhaps it's possible that OpenPandora are so far down the foodchain that the mould makers have consistently bumped Pandora work for more important clients, but that doesn't fill me with confidence either.

Nope, that was a different back then.
The design was bad so it didn't fit perfectly. That's why we needed to tweak it a bit. Another quick CNC case showed everything was fine then.

Now there was an error in their first produced mould of the upper part of the base. This is the MOST complicated mould of them all. What's being tweaked right now is not another design change, but some of the more complicated areas to make it fit perfectly.

It might already be fixed - sadly, those chinese guys don't talk much. We ask them everyday, the last status update we got was from last week saying it will be finished on the 12th

At least it's the last mould they're working on (or have been working on), the rest is fine so far
They can't tweak forever (well, it does cost them ressources nobody is paying ), so it should be finished soon (if it isn't already, as said).

As the rest of the Pandora pieces (boards, etc.) is ready for assemble at the end of the month, nothing is lost if the cases need a few days more. As long as they don't need 10 - 15 days more from now on

So at the end of the month; will the factory essamle pandoras? Will they ship the parts to you guys? Or is it finally arrived at you aguys and will they be assembled and shipped?
I know nothing is sure, but if your estimations are correct, is the final assembling and shipping starting at the end of this month?

PLEASE reply to this post

 

[Monk]

These were virtually the same points I made back in Mid Oct http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/49961-surely-the-case-moulds-should-be-done-by-now/ Something is not right. Nothing has really changed in a month. i.e. another month on top of the already a month late.

Yeah, I remember though that thread went somewhat astray - and as you say, we're anouther month down the line with no real visible improvement (in as much as the "few days" tweaking hasn't been reported to have happened and resulted in a final set of moulds).

On the German site there is a discussion touching on these issues, if you can wade through the shonky translation:

LINK: Wonky GP2X.de German Translation

Thanks for that. Err. I think. My brain hurts now

(and I didn't even manage it all!)

Now there was an error in their first produced mould of the upper part of the base. This is the MOST complicated mould of them all. What's being tweaked right now is not another design change, but some of the more complicated areas to make it fit perfectly.

Thanks for your response ED - this is an issue which has been somewhat troublesome I THINK I understand the above, and it's not surprising that it's the most complicated mould - all those inner corners! Yikes!

It might already be fixed - sadly, those chinese guys don't talk much. We ask them everyday, the last status update we got was from last week saying it will be finished on the 12th

I love deadlines. I love the "Whooshing" sound they make as they rush past

It's not often that we stop to consider that what we ask of you - and then frustrate over the lack of a response - might be a mirror image of what you guys are, yourselves, doing. In that, at least, I think we can empathise because we know exactly what that aspect is like!

They can't tweak forever (well, it does cost them ressources nobody is paying ), so it should be finished soon (if it isn't already, as said).

Yup, and thanks for the update on that. Appreciated.

As the rest of the Pandora pieces (boards, etc.) is ready for assemble at the end of the month, nothing is lost if the cases need a few days more. As long as they don't need 10 - 15 days more from now on

One of the concerns though is that they do seem to be taking forever - agreed, populating the boards should take much longer than manufacturing the cases (once the moulds are DONE done) but it feels like the case moulds have already taken months when the estimate was days. The fear - with or without foundation - is that they will simply keep not finishing just like Pandora has kept on not being finished

(Fear need not be of something real. The fear of the unknown is very common!)


Ta

 

[second exodous]

I've noticed that updates form Craig are not that info centric, every time Craig gives an update a lot of questions are posted afterwards because his aren't packed full of info. He gives an update and it leaves you scratching your head because his updates can have so much info read into them.

EvilDragon updates, however, are very full of info and leave little room to speculate. They are always clear cut and on average a lot longer posts as well, with specifics on what is happening.

Basically, Craig's updates get me really excited and leave me wanting more and praying he'll post again in the next few hours. EvilDragon's updates allow me to say 'oh, I see, I understand now'.

Does anyone else feel this way? I'm not saying that Craig's updates are bad and EvilDragon's are good, sometimes I like that rush of excitement that Craig's updates give me but sometimes I just want to be calmed and informed by EvilDragon's updates.

 

[EvilDragon]

So at the end of the month; will the factory essamle pandoras? Will they ship the parts to you guys? Or is it finally arrived at you aguys and will they be assembled and shipped?
I know nothing is sure, but if your estimations are correct, is the final assembling and shipping starting at the end of this month?

PLEASE reply to this post

Given everything works fine and all companies keep the deadline they told us, assembly will start at the end of the month and we'll ship before christmas.
Companies MIGHT speed a bit up, as most of them know christmas is a very important event for such devices

 

[elwing]

Companies MIGHT speed a bit up, as most of them know christmas is a very important event for such devices

isn't it even more important for their BIG customers?

 

[borgqueenx]

350 units a day....mmm if no help comes i still get it after christmas. (12 days because im on the end of the list and 7 days shipping time with airmail.)

i may hope airmail is ensured. I dont wanna wait 10 months and then hear my pandora got stolen.

 

[greendots]

Is shipping pandoras unassembled still an option? I would prefer an unassembled pandora shipped sooner to an assembled one a week or more later.

 

[Bosbeetle]

Suddenly I realize that you hardly see devices with one hole per button anymore, there might be a reason for that