Here Is What Will Be Happening.

[marshal]

First I want to thank all the team for sharing so much about the project.

When I first red Craig idea of the poll I though he was trying to get the forum down. (It's actually running better than yesterday evening for me though).
Seriously I am not again the idea of the poll per say. The customer deciding sounds nice, even if I am not sure a poll forum is the most representative. (it's definitely the only solution that can be used with so little time left though)

What I am really puzzled about in the idea of producing only 500 "imperfect" cases (or even 1000). Does the plastic factory even allow such small order. By asking them to produce just 500 I think you might just get them to produce something with recycled plastic (ok that just a wild guess... i wouldn't be surprised if they were to be even more sub-par tough).

Beside it just seems to be overly complicated and cumbersome to get just a few hundred cases produced and then having to produced the rest latter when they are perfect. Nobody know how long it will take to make them perfect and I believe that without a good incentive the Chinese factory just won't care. (seriously what did they do during last month ?).

Also I believe the team is trying really hard to make all of they customer happy but nothing is perfect in real life. They tried hard with the factory to get the case as good as possible and that's already means enough to me. It it was the d-pad of the controller that weren't 100% it would be a different issue but the case cosmetic is just not the end of the world IMO.

Personally I would like to see the percentage of people that would be happy with the current cases. If it's the majority I would say produce all 4000 first batch cases. I know some people will not agree with me but I don't think it's fair to let the Pandora team with more pressure to make perfect cases for some people in the first batch. I believe we has enough delays and unless the cases are really that bad it's time to get those Pandora out of the door.

That being say I myself will still need to watch the video and picture before making a final decision. If it's only cosmetic and I consider it not that bad I definitely would go with it.

EDIT: Also I wanted to add that it will be great if the team sell spare cases in the future... and I don't care if they do some profit on it. It's a business after all and it's not like they are making millions now. The idea that you can get a case from the original manufacturer is just awesome in my opinion.

 

[Dead1nside]

I like the way you're handling this. Some people quite rightly would prefer to have their Pandora sooner rather than later if there is any chance, and this is one. I on the other hand want a perfect case and don't mind waiting. So your solution solves both problems.

Is fitting the Pandora-board etc. into the case a hard job, or can it be done reasonably risk free by customers themselves? What is your price estimate for just the case?

There is something terribly wrong with the Chinese factory and I'm not just moaning about delays, it's delays and lying/misinterpretation. How do they expect MWeston to trust that everything will be almost magically alright with a mass-production run, like the finish and stuff like that? We've been hearing that from them for ages, these and the last ones I believe were meant to have the final finish.

I think it would be wrong to present every customer with a cosmetically defective case if they didn't want it. So I am pleased you're giving people the option instead of waiting.

At this point, out of everyone, I feel bad for the team because you're the ones getting messed around and having to come back to us, through no fault of your own, and say it's still not done despite all our collective hopes.

Perhaps Fatih needs to go to China, that's a decision for you guys as I'm sure the expense there is also quite prohibitive. But then again I'm sure it's not cheap to keep the mass-production and assembly of the boards all geared up and waiting doing not too much at all.

Thanks for communicating this, I'd far rather be told if there are still problems than be waiting around for a week to hear disappointment in the end.

I know the Pandora will be great and I want mine to be perfect, so I don't mind waiting, it'd probably save my degree anyway

 

[Azure]

And as the case does work fine and we'll offer the good-looking replacements later, you should all be fine.
The cases won't break or so, I had my Pandora since a few days before christmas. It fell to the floor a few times and there are no issues with it

You can be sure we'll continue bugging the company (maybe even send somebody over to keep watching over them) until everything is perfect and you can all get replacement cases after that if you want.

We should all be fine? Are you implying that we'd get the "perfected", updated case later down the road *free of charge*? If not, then in my opinion we aren't fine. I see no reason why I should be charged extra money to get the product I was supposed to get over a year ago. I should not be punished by having to pay for a quality case because you guys were so inept as to A) pick a terrible company to make the cases (stop tooting your own horn with the BS about how amazingly complicated and technically advanced the Pandora case is for a company to make; I sincerely doubt there's anything revolutionary about the case design compared to the thousands of other electronics that are released in a timely fashion), and B) wait this long to get a translator to actually find out what's going on (that's just a bad business decision on OP's part and doesn't sit will with me, a customer and, essentially, an investor in OpenPandora LTD.).

As you can tell, I clearly want to wait for a finalized case. Unless, of course, a polished case will be sent for free later down the road (though I wonder what that'll mean for my warranty if I have to install it myself...).

 

[pepone]

I really don't care about small finish issue. I'd say go for it! Unfortunatly, I don't think I'm in the firt 500.

 

[b._.o._.b]

The MAIN optical problem with this first case in my opinion are the color differences in the plastic. Some parts are a bit brighter, which does it make look a bit smudgey.

Who cares, bring it on! I am curious how you will determine who gets the first 500 though.

 

[tsh]

I'll take one now - no need to wait for pictures. Sure others will have a different view, but I want this to use, not to admire or show off. Plus I'm perfectly capable of re-finishing the case if i feel like it. I've never been one for screen protectors - my toys seem to outlive their usefullness before they become worn-out.

 

[canguy247]

I am #68 in line and all I can say is SEND IT. Looks good to me!

 

[quartercast]

Rant

What a load of bollocks, how can you to expect them to foot the bill for 500 free cases? Its either or, for those who can't be bothered waiting anymore.

 

[Bosbeetle]

Is it reasonable to expect it can be 'perfect' I dont know but I think the chinese compagny already worked a lot on it I'm not sure how much longer they have to tweak to get it perfect?

 

[fiori_musicali]

Can you configure a new mailbox and let through spamfilter only the incoming mail coming from the databased unique customer e-mail addresses, then after first incoming mail from any allowed address exclude it from the list so that everyone can only send once. Send a newsletter to all the customers explaining the issue, along with some pics of the case issues with explanations, ask everyone to send e-mail to that aforementioned address to sign up for taking a 3rd rev. case. Give it the weekend or so, check the inbox counter, and adjust the batch of "flawed" cases accordingly?

 

[mvickers03]

I Pre ordered Aug 2009 so probably 3000-4000 I would definatly have the current case if it was an option... and i wouldnt mind buying a case later down the road. if its my choice its only fair to charge for the second case

 

[second exodous]

Even my GBA SP has some uneven plastic at the ports - I never did realize that before.

Hey, you're right, I have my SP right here and the EXT. port is a little off. I guess even when you're a big company like Nintendo you can't get it perfect.

 

[mvickers03]

My Squeezy Heinz Mayonnaise bottle is imperfect and I would buy again ;-)

 

[Lafazar]

I'll probably be happy with this case. If it's functional (as it seems to be), I doubt anyone has a right to complain or return their Pandora on that ground.

And even if it's that ugly (which I doubt from seeing all the pitures and videos from the previous cases) I'd be fully willing to pay for a second case + shipping and install it myself. It would be really interesting to know what the price of one case is, though.

There is one thing: I now seriously doubt the chinese company is actually capable of making the cases any better than they already are. Waiting any longer on them to improve the case molds could very well be a complete waste of time.



One option for the Pandora team would be to ship out all 4000 first batch Pandoras now with an accompanying letter stating that case quality is not as intended, and if the customer is indeed unhappy with the case, they have the option of ordering a replacement case as soon as it is ready, for production cost or even only the price of shipping (depends on how much a single case costs and how much OP can afford) and install it themselves or send it in to have the case replaced (customer pays for shipping both ways and case).

Thoughts?

 

[peelie]

is this not all moot until OP team confirm that the production run won't have the finish issue?

again i think in the rush to please the masses OP have ended up confusing more than helping.

 

[trooper]

One option for the Pandora team would be to ship out all 4000 first batch Pandoras with an accompanying letter stating that case quality is not as intended, and if the customer is indeed unhappy with the case they have the option of ordering a replacement case as soon as it is ready for production cost or even only the price of shipping (depends on how much a single case costs and how much OP can afford) or send it in to have the case replaced (customer pays for shipping).

Thoughts?

That sounds like a VERY good plan, It gets mass production rolling, Get`s Pandora`s into the hands of customers, And the whingers.., Sorry, I mean people who would like a "perfect" case, Can order one at a later date.

You sir are a genius.

Trooper

 

[BackAssward]

is this not all moot until OP team confirm that the production run won't have the finish issue?

again i think in the rush to please the masses OP have ended up confusing more than helping.

Not completely moot. It is more time efficient to find out if some people (and how many) will take these cases *while* also confirming (in parallel) if the final ones will be like this; instead of confirming first, then asking us later. Waiting to ask us, until confirmation could push out a production run by a few days.

That, and people knew they were delivered... if they said nothing, the speculation and trolling here would be even worse than this thread. Notice, the majority of posts are positive, it wouldn't be as positive if they simply went silent, or said they needed another test run before any production

Edit: Especially given it's been so long since the last run, they didn't ship on the 15th of Jan, and these were hyped as being final.

 

[marshal]

I'll probably be happy with this case. If it's functional (as it seems to be), I doubt anyone has a right to complain or return their Pandora on that ground.

And even if it's that ugly I'd be fully willing to pay for a second case + shipping and install it myself. It would be really interesting to know what the price of one case is, though.


One option for the Pandora team would be to ship out all 4000 first batch Pandoras with an accompanying letter stating that case quality is not as intended, and if the customer is indeed unhappy with the case, they have the option of ordering a replacement case as soon as it is ready, for production cost or even only the price of shipping (depends on how much a single case costs and how much OP can afford) and install it themselves or send it in to have the case replaced (customer pays for shipping).

Thoughts?

It's a good idea IMO. Like I said before if the problem are only cosmetic I belive they should go with it.

The other thing is I just don't see Openpandora having enough leverage to make the chinese do a perfect case right now. They already give them a lot of time already.

 

[peelie]

is this not all moot until OP team confirm that the production run won't have the finish issue?

again i think in the rush to please the masses OP have ended up confusing more than helping.

Not completely moot. It is more time efficient to find out if some people (and how many) will take these cases *while* also confirming (in parallel) if the final ones will be like this; instead of confirming first, then asking us later. Waiting to ask us, until confirmation could push out a production run by a few days.

good point i guess we will have to wait for the vids/pics

 

[Lafazar]

It's a good idea IMO. Like I said before if the problem are only cosmetic I belive they should go with it.

The other thing is I just don't see Openpandora having enough leverage to make the chinese do a perfect case right now. They already give them a lot of time already.

It might also be that the chinese are simply not capable of making a better case. In that case, waiting any longer would simply be a waste of time.