Further Problems?

[joseluisjazz]

There was something about the cases going to the wrong place...

The whole first batch will come directly to the recycling facility

That would be awesom
I'm totally laughing in the floor :lol:

 

[JerryG20]

You know, people are never happy. We knew what MWeston had with him, we knew what he was getting, we demanded the pictures for days, we went on and on and on and on about news. We got something, the world is coming to an end.

Now, now, we were all expecting a CNC'd case resulting in a fully-assembled, fully-functioning prototype Pandora (which would then lead to media of the Pandora running while fully assembled, instead of just a bare PCB with an LCD lying next to it). What we got is the bottom half of an FDM (NOT a CNC case, Dunny), and the FDM case looks to be the same case we had over 7 months ago, and we got word that, due to the nature of the prototype, the keypad on it doesn't even function fully. So, those pictures and videos people were waiting months and months for of a fully assembled Pandora (prototype or not) *in action* (particularly the keypad in action) will not be delivered, at least not until 2009. We got something, but it wasn't what people were expecting.

But the above are probably just lies because I'm just a sorry excuse for an asshole :rolleyes:

 

[Frogboy]

You guys should know better by now. They have always given us the best-case scenerio time tables from the beggining. We were actually supposed to have this by Christmas...of last year, when it was first announced. Then it was April/May; then October; then late November, early December; now January/February. Pandora will come out when it does. I wouldn't pay too much attention to the estimated time tables. All I know is that I want one when it does come out. I just hope that I don't have to cancel my preorder.

 

[j.pickens]

Now, now, we were all expecting a CNC'd case...

Where did you read that a CNC'd case would be ready for MWeston to install the test keypad in?

 

[JerryG20]

Now, now, we were all expecting a CNC'd case...

Where did you read that a CNC'd case would be ready for MWeston to install the test keypad in?

Well, I don't know about others, but I was under the impression that this case and what MWeston was going to assembled was going to be the same case that Craig talked about a while ago spending lots of $$$ for just for us so that we'd have something to look at. Craig was talking about CNC cases a few days leading up to pre-orders; then of course delays and delays happened, and then finally in late December we got a picture of the bottom half.

Ed is busy making some videos with sound tonight (Pandora sound).

The default minimal GUI as said in the newsletter will just be gMenu (from the GP2X), you can run gMenu on your GP2X now and try it out.

We are having some cases CNC'ed but we don't know if they will be ready before the 30th, they will just look shiny in comparison to the old FDM photos.

I guess I should have taken some video with my digital camera when I had the FDM case assembled rather than those photos.

It's important to understand the extreme expense and time consumed making prototypes, things like LCD cables cost $800 each to quick prototype, this is why we have done this *only* when required - we learn what we need to know and move on to the next part.

It's a tricky balance, but we are trying to keep this thing down to a (pretty tiny) budget where most companies would have 100x as much - if we didn't do this the Pandora would easily be over $450 by now just for us to break even.

Yes, we don't want to CNC more test cases than we have to really. Although you might see the working keyboard and controls before you see the final case (if that makes any sense!)

The above quotes indicate they were having cases CNC'd. What MWeston got appears to be an (quite possibly 5 month old? we know it's out of date from appearance since it was clearly designed for the old nubs) FDM case. The quotes do indicate that there could be a slight delay in getting the CNC cases, but it's been 2-3 months and suddenly there was talk again of a fully assembled Pandora that MWeston was going to get from the factory. I don't think it would have been too out of line to interpret that to mean the CNC case we've been waiting for for months.

My only question is what happened to these cases craigix was talking about getting CNC'd and if we'll ever see a fully assembled Pandora in one of these CNC cases before the Pandora ships (or is what MWeston has the final stage of the Pandora we'll see before it's finally made; I am aware that none of us, including the developers, will see the actual, final Pandora until they call the assembly line in manufacture mode).

 

[RajTakhar]

It's the Holiday break right now - the season of goodwill and all that - these guys are like us - normal :blink: human beings and deserve a chill out period. The past few months has been beset by probably the start of one of the biggest financial crisis and recessions in history, which have not helped the OpenPandora project one bit ...

So PLEASE give the developers some respect and well earned time off

Bug them in the New Year - thats when things will start happening again

Right now - Everybody just chill - the Pandora is coming, albeit a little slower than expected

When you get yours you'll be singing 'I bet it could be christmas everyday!!' - like Me!! :rolleyes:

======

gp32_console + :gp2x and hopefully a andora1:

http://gp2xwizandpandora.blogspot.com/

 

[TaG]

My only question is...

Actually, I have several, and they are not even 'further' problems - they are issues previously raised by the devs that have not yet been answered as far as I am aware:

• There were problems with supply of screens - there were either 640 or 400 received, it was raised as one of the main problems. There were supposed to be 2000 by Christmas. Did this happen or are there problems with the manufacturer again?;
• There were problems with the supply of batteries, hence the suggestion for the hacker version. Has it been solved by the passage of time? (If so, where is the easily obtainable information?);
• The new RAM was reported as delayed. Same questions;
• Have all refunds been processed from openpandora's end? Excluding the Amex situation, I can't find reference to the all clear being issued. Does that mean it is still ongoing?

This is not a bitch and moan - I'm not asking when exactly the product will be delivered. These are simply questions that have already been put out there and then not closed off which is not good PR.

 

[mali]

I fully support TaG's request

 

[grobi]

My only question is...

Actually, I have several, and they are not even 'further' problems - they are issues previously raised by the devs that have not yet been answered as far as I am aware:

• There were problems with supply of screens - there were either 640 or 400 received, it was raised as one of the main problems. There were supposed to be 2000 by Christmas. Did this happen or are there problems with the manufacturer again?;
• There were problems with the supply of batteries, hence the suggestion for the hacker version. Has it been solved by the passage of time? (If so, where is the easily obtainable information?);
• The new RAM was reported as delayed. Same questions;
• Have all refunds been processed from openpandora's end? Excluding the Amex situation, I can't find reference to the all clear being issued. Does that mean it is still ongoing?

This is not a bitch and moan - I'm not asking when exactly the product will be delivered. These are simply questions that have already been put out there and then not closed off which is not good PR.

+1 on all these questions. I think its fair to expect answers to issues that were raised by the devs earlier and are either solved or still open. Both should be communicated the same way as the issues themselves were.

If it were only to ease impatience, it wouldn't bother me. But as I just missed out the primary gift for my son whose only wish was a pandora, I think these answers are owed.

grobi


grobi

 

[kingbiscit]

I have followed these forums for years now. I owned a GP32, a GP2X and am very excited about receiving my Pandorda. I tend to keep my mouth shut, but not this time...

I think people are getting worried about nothing... This is a small group of people creating a handheld themselves, something like the Sony PSP would have hundreds of people working on the hardware alone. There were always bound to be delays and problems, not even taking into account the current global problems. But I trust Craig 100%, I have bought things from GBAX for years and years now without any problems. I feel really chuffed to be on the list of the first people to recieve the Pandora, a few extra months really isn't that big a deal, if anything it gives the core dev team more time to get the software polished.

Just hang in there and relax... it will be well worth it!

 

[quasist]

Only real problem of pandora's team the is the fast&sudden release of pandora, since money of preorerers is lying and multiplying in banks, and hardware becomes even cheaper from time. The more they delay = the more their profits are. It is like to feed the trolls with candy.

 

[mali]

How good is your WIZ, what games have you played already :lol:

 

[Fishbong]

I'll go out on a limb here and predict that there will be another sabotage attempt by those who are trying to stop it, and it will be at least 3 months yet.

Wat?
Sabotage attempt? Please elaborate.

Because as i see it, all that happened was that the team grossly underestimated the work that had to be done after the boards were completed, plus some banking troubles. As in most projects, the first 80% of the work takes 80% of the time and the last 20% takes another 80. It´s easy to forget that.

 

[EvilDragon]

Only real problem of pandora's team the is the fast&sudden release of pandora, since money of preorerers is lying and multiplying in banks, and hardware becomes even cheaper from time. The more they delay = the more their profits are. It is like to feed the trolls with candy.

Well, the problem is that neither the OMAP nor the LCDs got any cheaper, but the USD got worse and worse. And there's not much money lying around as all those credit card orders had to be send back (or are still being sent back, as the banks are terribly slow doing that) so there's not much to win.

In fact, at the moment we are happy to not make a LOSS with the first batch.

 

[truekaiser]

My guess that as soon as any credit card re-order pages go up, you can guarantee that you'll have a Pandora in your hands in the next 30 days. The devs don't want to fall into the paypal trap again, so will wait until they know they can ship in that timeframe.

So, at the time of posting, that means no Pandora until at least 27th January.

considering all the things paypal has done i am surprised that someone has not shut them down..

 

[Mr.Gonzo]

Well good job ... but this leaves many questions unanswered

TaG asked the right questions.

 

[Nilsiboy]

About the prototype cases (the CNC ones)... Mweston's page with the FDM pic gives at least some information:

QUOTE

As far as more complete prototypes (CNC'd) go, I won't have anything until the New Year.



That page overall somehow gave me the impression that the CNC case is on its way to him, though that may just be wishful thinking.

And the sabotage idea, which I first read in This Post by Gruso (don't know if s/o else said it before), is actually sounding scarily imaginable

 

[CandidStan]

Sorry to derail this topic, but when can we expect a second batch preorder?

 

[mali]

My guess: After the first batch is ready to ship?

 

[TaG]

My only question is...

Actually, I have several, and they are not even 'further' problems - they are issues previously raised by the devs that have not yet been answered as far as I am aware:

• There were problems with supply of screens - there were either 640 or 400 received, it was raised as one of the main problems. There were supposed to be 2000 by Christmas. Did this happen or are there problems with the manufacturer again?;
• There were problems with the supply of batteries, hence the suggestion for the hacker version. Has it been solved by the passage of time? (If so, where is the easily obtainable information?);
• The new RAM was reported as delayed. Same questions;
• Have all refunds been processed from openpandora's end? Excluding the Amex situation, I can't find reference to the all clear being issued. Does that mean it is still ongoing?

This is not a bitch and moan - I'm not asking when exactly the product will be delivered. These are simply questions that have already been put out there and then not closed off which is not good PR.

First two questions updated in craigix's Little Christmas Update. Thanks craigix.