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[God Ginrai]

Oh sorry.

I thought that Craig said that sending units directly to the customers was a service offered by whichever factory they are using.

I didn't realize that the factory was actually TI. But then I haven't been paying that much attention these last few days.

I'm pretty sure you're correct. The factory is doing the assembly and shipping for US customers. I don't think it's a TI factory. I'm assuming that most people are getting confused between "Texas Instruments" and "the factory in Texas" and assuming they're one and the same.

It is a TI factory. They told us this months ago.

-God Ginrai

 

[Vorporeal]

I stand (doubly) corrected. Wonder how I missed that...

Makes sense though, as the manufacturing process for the OMAP3 is really new, and is not widely supported by factories (as the team has stated).

EDIT: I feel like MWeston's a reliable source. (See below.)

 

[BackAssward]

Off topic, but in a previous job, I went to a Toshiba factory in the US, and you'd have no idea how much manual work is done on a laptop, even imaging and testing.

It is not at all like a car plant with robots.

I also went to Adobe and EMC, the same there as well. So much person work, you wouldn't believe it. Toshiba even had a cage with PHD engineers diagnosing boards and doing component replacements on motherboards, rather than throw them out and just make new ones.

Edit: Yes I know Adobe doesn't do hardware, it was a reference to the similarities of how they do things. Adobe had a huge waste in man hours too. Don't get me started on EMCP or the Sprint IT dept (actually, Sprint was pretty good, fine campus in Kansas (if it wasn't in Kansas)). IKON was the worst, they appropriated so many companies, their IT dept was a mess.

But see, OP is doing very well with a small number of people when compared to many big companies.

 

[j.pickens]

If TI is doing the final assembly, then I'd like to hear that all the LCD's, speakers, nubs, internal cables, hinge pins, batteries, screws, etc. have been shipped to Texas, so that all they have to wait for are the finished cases and keypads from the Chinese manufacturer.

Well, have they?

 

[MWeston]

No, Vorporeal is right. It is NOT a TI factory. Someone makes something up and it becomes fact somehow. I don't know for sure if TI even has their own assembly facility. I know they have their own facilities to make the actual silicon obviously but the rest might be cheaper for them to let a third party handle.

TI gets boards made there which is how we got introduced to the Texas assembler but TI doesn't have much to do with the Pandora project. There have been other misconceptions like we buy the chips from TI with the RAM soldered on too, but I think that got cleared up a while back. They want to help us with some testing now, but that hasn't started yet. That is how TI fits into the picture for us right now.

 

[BackAssward]

No, Vorporeal is right. It is NOT a TI factory. Someone makes something up and it becomes fact somehow. I don't know for sure if TI even has their own assembly facility. I know they have their own facilities to make the actual silicon obviously but the rest might be cheaper for them to let a third party handle.

TI gets boards made there which is how we got introduced to the Texas assembler but TI doesn't have much to do with the Pandora project. There have been other misconceptions like we buy the chips from TI with the RAM soldered on too, but I think that got cleared up a while back. They want to help us with some testing now, but that hasn't started yet. That is how TI fits into the picture for us right now.

I humbly apologize, I am not sure where that came from. To both Vaporeal being right and MWeston.

It was confused somewhere. If many of us are wrong, it must have been an odd misunderstanding. I will apologize for all of us who got it wrong.

 

[slygamer]

lots trimmed
At the end of the day, we probably don't need to be grilling them for immediate answers on this. Americans are getting a small favour, for the rest of us it's Plan A. No biggie.

One of the more reasonable and sensible responses I have seen on these forums for a long time. I have a very short list of people whose forum posts I take notice of (besides craigix, MWeston or ED), and you're now on that list.

 

[God Ginrai]

No, Vorporeal is right. It is NOT a TI factory. Someone makes something up and it becomes fact somehow. I don't know for sure if TI even has their own assembly facility. I know they have their own facilities to make the actual silicon obviously but the rest might be cheaper for them to let a third party handle.

TI gets boards made there which is how we got introduced to the Texas assembler but TI doesn't have much to do with the Pandora project. There have been other misconceptions like we buy the chips from TI with the RAM soldered on too, but I think that got cleared up a while back. They want to help us with some testing now, but that hasn't started yet. That is how TI fits into the picture for us right now.

I humbly apologize, I am not sure where that came from. To both Vaporeal being right and MWeston.

It was confused somewhere. If many of us are wrong, it must have been an odd misunderstanding. I will apologize for all of us who got it wrong.

You don't have to apologize for me, because I will be doing that myself.

Vorporeal, MWeston, I am sorry.

However, this is really going to bug me, because I could have sworn that I had seen a post by Craig about 6 months ago that said that TI was doing the assembling. :\ I guess I somehow read it wrong or something.

-God Ginrai

 

[gruso]

Shit, I've been helping to spread that misconception. Sorry all. :blush:

I just went digging to find out where I might have gone wrong, there are indeed a couple of (informal) dev posts that give the impression that the two entities are one and the same. Not worth going into all that though, I'm just happy to have the right info now. I'll have to apologise to a few blog commenters too.

 

[danielliu88888]

lots trimmed
At the end of the day, we probably don't need to be grilling them for immediate answers on this. Americans are getting a small favour, for the rest of us it's Plan A. No biggie.

One of the more reasonable and sensible responses I have seen on these forums for a long time. I have a very short list of people whose forum posts I take notice of (besides craigix, MWeston or ED), and you're now on that list.

there's a reason why he's a guru

 

[God Ginrai]

lots trimmed
At the end of the day, we probably don't need to be grilling them for immediate answers on this. Americans are getting a small favour, for the rest of us it's Plan A. No biggie.

One of the more reasonable and sensible responses I have seen on these forums for a long time. I have a very short list of people whose forum posts I take notice of (besides craigix, MWeston or ED), and you're now on that list.

there's a reason why he's a guru

Yea, I read anyone with Guru or Mod badges, and then I read whoever else I believe has good ethos or is entertaining to read.

-God Ginrai

 

[Username]

But if it is being assembled in the US of A then won't it still ship faster to customers in America?

 

[BackAssward]

I'm glad I am not the only one. I could swear Gruso and Go Ginrai also posted the same info. I also remember reading that they were one and the same.

Edit for spelling.

 

[danielliu88888]

But if it is being assembled in the US of A then won't it still ship faster to customers in America?

don't forget FCC

 

[BackAssward]

But if it is being assembled in the US of A then won't it still ship faster to customers in America?

don't forget FCC

True, but they will do FCC testing in Europe. After that, all units qualify.

 

[God Ginrai]

But if it is being assembled in the US of A then won't it still ship faster to customers in America?

don't forget FCC

True, but they will do FCC testing in Europe. After that, all units qualify.

Actually, the CE testing is in Europe. The FCC is seperate.

-God Ginrai

 

[BackAssward]

Actually, the CE testing is in Europe. The FCC is seperate.

-God Ginrai

Not true, the same people in Europe will do both.

 

[God Ginrai]

Actually, the CE testing is in Europe. The FCC is seperate.

-God Ginrai

Not true, the same people in Europe will do both.

Where did you hear this? The FCC is run by the US government. They do the tests themselves.

EDIT: However, if I am wrong in this, please do show me a link, because I have always understood the FCC in this way.

-God Ginrai

 

[mindlord]

Where did you hear this? The FCC is run by the US government. They do the tests themselves.

EDIT: However, if I am wrong in this, please do show me a link, because I have always understood the FCC in this way.

-God Ginrai

EvilDragon has indicated that he has a contact in Germany who can perform both tests. Apparently, Licensed representatives can perform the FCC test on the US Government's behalf. But the issuance of the actual FCC ID could take a couple of weeks.

 

[God Ginrai]

Where did you hear this? The FCC is run by the US government. They do the tests themselves.

EDIT: However, if I am wrong in this, please do show me a link, because I have always understood the FCC in this way.

-God Ginrai

EvilDragon has indicated that he has a contact in Germany who can perform both tests. Apparently, Licensed representatives can perform the FCC test on the US Government's behalf. But the issuance of the actual FCC ID could take a couple of weeks.

Hrmm... Maybe. I'd still like to see a more definitive answer about this specific subject before I fully believe it. Thanks for the link, btw.

-God Ginrai