First Batch Advice

[juniorm33]

Sorry guys/girls I posted this in another thread but felt it needed its own, as it was off topic and got drowned out by the other conversations.

The first 4000 was supposed to almost a big beta test of software, system bugs, stability, etc.
It was always seen as for people who doesn't mind a product not being perfect when they receive it.
Second batch being the fully commercial everything working from the start model.
Has that changed, as we don't really point that out any more when someone asks if they should try to get one from the first batch.

Are we that comfortable that after the additional time that new users wont have any problems and we don't need to any longer give the warning. I'm just worried that a lot of people who seem's to be asking about buying one doesn't seem to know much about the Pandora at all.

 

[Exophase]

Time alone can't solve everything. Software and hardware need thorough testing from a large and diverse group of people. Pandora hasn't really had that yet.

 

[juniorm33]

Time alone can't solve everything. Software and hardware need thorough testing from a large and diverse group of people. Pandora hasn't really had that yet.

I'm just a bit weary that we no longer seem to giving that advice out with all the excitement of hopefully getting one soon, and seeing all the nice videos of everything.

 

[Jumpman]

Now I was under the impression that the first batch was going to be made at the highest level of quality that it could, so that none of 2nd or 3rd groups of units we be any better or worse than the first one. I remember reading that the team didn't want to release version MK1, MK2, ect. Like the GP2X had to do to make major revisions! Nobody wanted to get the first units, just to find out that the second round would be improved in some minor/major way. As far as the software end goes, I do believe that was always going to be an ongoing process. Maybe my memory is off on the subject though?


Jumpman

 

[rmm2131]

Sorry guys/girls I posted this in another thread but felt it needed its own, as it was off topic and got drowned out by the other conversations.

The first 4000 was supposed to almost a big beta test of software, system bugs, stability, etc.
It was always seen as for people who doesn't mind a product not being perfect when they receive it.
Second batch being the fully commercial everything working from the start model.
Has that changed, as we don't really point that out any more when someone asks if they should try to get one from the first batch.

Are we that comfortable that after the additional time that new users wont have any problems and we don't need to any longer give the warning. I'm just worried that a lot of people who seem's to be asking about buying one doesn't seem to know much about the Pandora at all.

The December 2009 Pandora should be much much less bug prone than the December 2008 Pandora would have been since they had all that time to polish it up. That's my hope, but it makes sense that they shined it up nicely to work near as humanly possible in the alloted time perfect. :blush:

 

[frostedfires]

Since the first batch is supposable not as stable as the second batch, is there a warrantee on them in case they break? Sry if this has already been asked somewhere.

 

[WhiteBat]

Since the first batch is supposable not as stable as the second batch, is there a warrantee on them in case they break? Sry if this has already been asked somewhere.

i don't see why the first batch wont be as stable as the next batches.
IIRC, by law there is a 1 year warranty, and if there is any noticeable dead pixels, OP said they will replace the unit.

 

[frostedfires]

Since the first batch is supposable not as stable as the second batch, is there a warrantee on them in case they break? Sry if this has already been asked somewhere.

i don't see why the first batch wont be as stable as the next batches.
IIRC, by law there is a 1 year warranty, and if there is any noticeable dead pixels, OP said they will replace the unit.

ok thank you a bunch! and btw I've been extreemly confused, is there still room for the first batch because I have heard that it ran out on some threads and others saying that theres still room. I emailed the ordering one and asked if it will be for the first batch still but they answered it weird and I couldn't tell. Thanks

 

[juniorm33]

Since the first batch is supposable not as stable as the second batch, is there a warrantee on them in case they break? Sry if this has already been asked somewhere.

It's a software thing more than a hardware.
A year doesn't necessarily mean a full year of development. Things have changed, i.e. moving from matchbox ->xfce via other WM's.
So yes, WIFI is operational which in 2008 it wasn't.
Yes the OS is an ongoing project but that doesn't mean that it's at a state for everybody from the get go.
OP team has done as good a job as possible, but that is still a relativity small amount off user testing.

I'm in no way implying that it's going to be flaky or bad!

Edit:
There's always a chance to get one from the first batch whether it's sold out or not!
Some people don't pay in time and their order is released.

 

[juniorm33]

Since the first batch is supposable not as stable as the second batch, is there a warrantee on them in case they break? Sry if this has already been asked somewhere.

i don't see why the first batch wont be as stable as the next batches.
IIRC, by law there is a 1 year warranty, and if there is any noticeable dead pixels, OP said they will replace the unit.

Stable hardware wise yes. Software primetime with people that don't know much about the Pandora etc is another matter.
Between the first batch and the second I expect the software to come on in leaps and bounds and I'm including firmware etc

 

[Monk]

Now I was under the impression that the first batch was going to be made at the highest level of quality that it could, so that none of 2nd or 3rd groups of units we be any better or worse than the first one. I remember reading that the team didn't want to release version MK1, MK2, ect. Like the GP2X had to do to make major revisions! Nobody wanted to get the first units, just to find out that the second round would be improved in some minor/major way. As far as the software end goes, I do believe that was always going to be an ongoing process. Maybe my memory is off on the subject though?


Jumpman

That was the INTENT but a lot of intentions have passed by-the-by (there was an intent not to take customers money and then leave them with months of delay, like GPH did - as one example).

 

[frostedfires]

Well I was sure that the software wasn't perfect yet but neither are computers when there released. I had to update a firmware on the volume control to make it even work when I first bought mine. I was just woried that the hardware might not be as strong as the second batch thats all. As long as we can update our firmwares just like an iPod does then all the batches will be the same.

 

[juniorm33]

Well I was sure that the software wasn't perfect yet but neither are computers when there released. I had to update a firmware on the volume control to make it even work when I first bought mine. I was just woried that the hardware might not be as strong as the second batch thats all. As long as we can update our firmwares just like an iPod does then all the batches will be the same.

I understand what your saying but..... (I wont get into the amount of net tops that was returned because people couldn't get their heads around Linux because it was a bit different than what they was used to, much less installing firmware, things being slightly buggy)
This wasn't a view that I've just come up with, it's something that the community said, and was actually the advice from OP team themselves.

And the sort of people who seem to be popping by recently that seem to have very little idea about it all, our advice has changed from it maybe best in your circumstances to wait, to all aboard!

I'm not saying this is wrong, I'm asking the question as it seems to have been a subconscious shift, in my eye's anyway.

 

[Paradox]

I, too, was under the impression the first batch was the final product, not some kind of beta test. that's what the first 105 are for.

 

[EvilDragon]

I, too, was under the impression the first batch was the final product, not some kind of beta test. that's what the first 105 are for.

The 105 were the HARDWARE test, and the hardware is final.
The software however will be enhanced A LOT after the unit has been released. A group of a few people who do the coding and devving in their spare time can't really come up with a 100% perfectly tested OS...
It is working fairly well, but I'm sure there are quite a few bugs we simply haven't encountered yet.

However, as software will be developed continuosly, the device can easily be upgraded and there will be a lot more devs who will probably help after they got their Pandora, the OS should shape up quite nicely within the next months

 

[wermy]

I, too, was under the impression the first batch was the final product, not some kind of beta test. that's what the first 105 are for.

The 105 were the HARDWARE test, and the hardware is final.
The software however will be enhanced A LOT after the unit has been released. A group of a few people who do the coding and devving in their spare time can't really come up with a 100% perfectly tested OS...
It is working fairly well, but I'm sure there are quite a few bugs we simply haven't encountered yet.

However, as software will be developed continuosly, the device can easily be upgraded and there will be a lot more devs who will probably help after they got their Pandora, the OS should shape up quite nicely within the next months

Is anyone working on any kind of bug reporting program for the pandora? Kind of like a "this program isn't responding... send a report to EvilDragon and friends" kind of thing, like Windows has? If it was very easy for people to report bugs, they might be more apt to do it, and they might get ironed out quicker. Just a thought.

 

[juniorm33]

The 105 were the HARDWARE test, and the hardware is final.
The software however will be enhanced A LOT after the unit has been released. A group of a few people who do the coding and devving in their spare time can't really come up with a 100% perfectly tested OS...
It is working fairly well, but I'm sure there are quite a few bugs we simply haven't encountered yet.

However, as software will be developed continuosly, the device can easily be upgraded and there will be a lot more devs who will probably help after they got their Pandora, the OS should shape up quite nicely within the next months

Thanks as I'm not sure if I was not explaining myself well or what, but I wasn't trying to scare people, and as I said the software/OS will come on leaps and bounds between now and the second batch once we're all as a community ironing things out and improving things.

But my question is still, should we be a bit more guarded in just advising people to jump on board the first batch without adding the note of caution we used to?

 

[gruso]

I reckon there's been enough OS development during the delay period not to worry. Not that I've used it myself - but as long as the OS is stable it can't be any harder than picking up a GP2X.

Oh, and Mali reported in the community blog thread that there's going to be some sort of setup wizard for newbies.

 

[juniorm33]

I reckon there's been enough OS development during the delay period not to worry. Not that I've used it myself - but as long as the OS is stable it can't be any harder than picking up a GP2X.

Oh, and Mali reported in the community blog thread that there's going to be some sort of setup wizard for newbies.

If it's what I think it is, that's just for the first time to choose default of either xfse and the minimal one.

And apart from the fact that it's been delayed by a year what other reason do you believe that the OS is good enough for pretty much absolutely anyone to use, considering the sort of questions people have been asking?

Edit: Taking into account that our advice was a bit different before

 

[mali]

Those people have found the page to order their Pandoras by themselves, so I think they will be able to find these boards too, and should be able to post a short question somewhere. Any bored Linux pro will answer, and everyone is happy.