How Do We Decide?

[Tensuke]

Excuse me if this is posted elsewhere, I did not see a thread yet.
From Craigix's twitter:

How do we decide who gets these first 100 Pandoras.. and how might we organise the feedback? For the sake of software should we go all devs?

Devs are a good choice, I'm sure future Pandora-owners would rather have plenty of working software rather than a buggy test device. Unless there are no hw bugs, and then maybe people are fine with the current software lineup. Any ideas?

EDIT:
Added a poll.

EDIT again:
Added a new question thanks to Squidge.

EDIT the third:
Update from MWeston. Shiny new Pandoras are just two months away!

Hey there,

This first 100 debate might not be as big of a deal as you might think. It's likely that the time difference between the first 100 and the next 1000 will only be one week if any delay at all. The first 100 will be going nowhere until the case is done and shipped since we are no longer shipping out bare boards to anyone. They will go through very rigorous testing, over and over again. They will be used to establish the test procedure for the next batches of thousands. It's even possible that all 4000 will be done testing at the same time the cases show up and they will all start going out immediately after being put together.

I would say 95% of the parts are in Texas this week and the remaining parts (some connectors) should finally ship this week with the taxation stuff better understood. The case molds should be going to production this week as well. Dave was hoping to have it done this past week but it didn't happen so it seems reasonable to assume an extra week is all he will need.

The mold creation is the long 45 day process that will involve several reviews and tweaks but we are getting the mold company involved with this so that the time is used as efficiently as possible. We're not making anymore CNC/SLA prototypes because it seemed like every time we got one, something new was not quite right on it. It got to the point where we had to ask ourselves if we made the error, or if they did! This could go on for years if we are attempting to trust prototypes to get it exactly right. In fact, I don't think any company does this. I think we are to get it very close and fitting together and then allow the plastics company to make it perfect. I'm sending them everything they need to build a Pandora unit so that they can tweak the molds to have the tightest tolerances and guaranteed fit for the tens of thousands of units that will get squeezed out after this. By taking us out of that equation, there is no need to ship us anything or get approval on little things that could add weeks to the process. We stay involved in the major decisions and wait for real test units to ship to us for approval before pumping out thousands more.

Based on these calculations, it looks like the end of August to start seeing fully assembled units and then shipping to customers in early September. Having to ship things back and forth around the world really sucks, but it's unavoidable on this first batch due to taxation laws. Only the developer units provided free of charge to those involved with Pandora's development can ship direct so, in a way, shipping to developers first is the only way this can be done without needlessly wasting time.

Let's hope this is the final "in two months" calculation and we make it well before being one year late. What a nightmare this all has been. I really wonder what 2007 me would have said if current me went back in time and told him what was in store for the next 24 months. Ah, who am I kidding? I'm a sucker for punishment. I'm sure I'd still be right here.

 

[Bosbeetle]

Craigix: How do we decide who gets these first 100 Pandoras.. and how might we organise the feedback? For the sake of software should we go all devs?

I think it would be a wise disicion to go all devs, as example it wouldnt be benefitting for the pandora if I got one of the first 100, I'd love to but it wouldnt be of much use.

 

[Bosbeetle]

Ah double :{ and 1 minute late, damn me for slow typing. Close this one please, or merge it with http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/48538-how-do-we-decide/

 

[spinghed]

I'd love one, but the devs need them more... poos!

rick

 

[Miner49er]

I'd love one, but the devs need them more... poos!

rick

Who decides who is an official dev?

I mean, I've been working on a game intended for my Pandy when it arrives, so does that mean I get one first? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea

 

[NLS]

I think everyone should have an equal chance of getting one. I should have an equaler chance though

 

[Bosbeetle]

Well maybe just the first 100 in line is also an option, or the first 100 devs in line. erm complicated matters

 

[Red Ring Rico]

I'd say developers.

 

[Bosbeetle]

I'd love one, but the devs need them more... poos!

rick

Who decides who is an official dev?

I mean, I've been working on a game intended for my Pandy when it arrives, so does that mean I get one first? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea

This is a valid point I think

 

[javaJake]

Whatever happened to first come first serve? I say just dish 'em out to whoever ordered first. Everyone will get their Pandora eventually, and we all understand we have to wait for new software to be developed anyway.

Besides, they already tried to distinguish between someone who would develop and someone who would just use. And I can see how it would be hard: someone might have a good resume, but "forget" to mention they have a busy schedule, and so on.

 

[Tensuke]

I don't really care who gets them, as long as whoever does get them properly uses them and reports ANY flaws they find. Anything to make the mass production process faster...

 

[DigitalWings]

I wouldn't say devs exactly more people who have experience testing OS Betas and Driver Betas. And not just the hardcore fanboys who download betas because they think there cool but people who really go at it testing them and finding bugs. Also a selection of people including some who will be using the Pandora as there main if not only computer and a few fanboys who will be dong nothing but gaming on the Pandora for 2 weeks straight after they get it.

 

[Miknal]

I'd love one, but the devs need them more... poos!

rick

Who decides who is an official dev?

I mean, I've been working on a game intended for my Pandy when it arrives, so does that mean I get one first? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea

This is a valid point I think

Surely Craigx etc have been in touch with the devs working on the pandora the most, so they could decide? If not, people could just email to craigx what they are doing for the pandora. Imagine it like the apprentice, accept the selling of the idea doesn't need to be very long. And I would be more interested in it!

I don't think the first 100 should not go out to anyone who is not pro-actively working on the pandora though.

 

[noisome]

How about 50 go to the most popular devs (who created the most used software for the gp2x and who want to create/port programs for the Pandora) and 50 go to the first fifty people who ordered. If this happens, several good things will come of it.

You will:
1. be able say you finally shipped some Pandoras to the customer, so its proof its not vaporware, hence growing the fanaticism of Pandora-fever.
2. have developers who are able to produce fantastic software and who want to work on the Pandora.
3. have oddballs breaking things so you can find where the weakest points of the Pandora are. If it is built well, and oddballs don't break it, then you should be able to ship more out comfortably.
4. have more movies as regular people are just as crazy as OpenPandora crew members walking in the field tripping over field mice and doggy land mines.
5. be able to get me mine sooner as I think I'm one of the top 100.

Noisome

 

[elwing]

sorry, but trying to find who is a developer looks quite a bad idea...
because how will you find out who will be a good developper? example: I am a realtime engineer, i'd be a quite usefull developer, but i won't have enough time for it... how would you find that out?

I think a more simple approach is to simply send the pandora as the order arrives... that makes sense as lot of the people who have the time and knowledge are probably in the first people who ordered...

 

[Shaun199three]

I think it shouldn't go to first ordered but rather the developers. We don't have much dev's at the moment and we still got a decent library of software. Just wait to we give the Pandora to 100 developers for a month or so. Basicly anyone who has made software or intends to make software for the Pandora. People like me would just go showing it off any playing games.

 

[noisome]

How about 50 go to the most popular devs (who created the most used software for the gp2x and who want to create/port programs for the Pandora) and 50 go to the first fifty people who ordered. If this happens, several good things will come of it.

You will:
1. be able say you finally shipped some Pandoras to the customer, so its proof its not vaporware, hence growing the fanaticism of Pandora-fever.
2. have developers who are able to produce fantastic software and who want to work on the Pandora.
3. have oddballs breaking things so you can find where the weakest points of the Pandora are. If it is built well, and oddballs don't break it, then you should be able to ship more out comfortably.
4. have more movies as regular people are just as crazy as OpenPandora crew members walking in the field tripping over field mice and doggy land mines.
5. be able to get me mine sooner as I think I'm one of the top 50.


Also, to organize the feedback, maybe use Trac or some other software to track the work orders . I do have a simple work order tracking program (Kamelion Tracker) already designed which I made for the college I worked at. It can be easily changed to track work orders for Pandora, and also assign to OpenPandora team members. To test it, just go to the link above, and to download go to Digital 52 Downloads.


Noisome

 

[Miknal]

sorry, but trying to find who is a developer looks quite a bad idea...
because how will you find out who will be a good developper? example: I am a realtime engineer, i'd be a quite usefull developer, but i won't have enough time for it... how would you find that out?

I think a more simple approach is to simply send the pandora as the order arrives... that makes sense as lot of the people who have the time and knowledge are probably in the first people who ordered...

You could ask them to say what they have done so far for the pandora, and in the past for other systems.

 

[elwing]

sorry, but trying to find who is a developer looks quite a bad idea...
because how will you find out who will be a good developper? example: I am a realtime engineer, i'd be a quite usefull developer, but i won't have enough time for it... how would you find that out?

I think a more simple approach is to simply send the pandora as the order arrives... that makes sense as lot of the people who have the time and knowledge are probably in the first people who ordered...

You could ask them to say what they have done so far for the pandora, and in the past for other systems.

manually asking to hundreads of people??? you want your pandora delayed for two more month?

 

[Schprlock]

Who is a dev, really? We are not buying a Nintendo DS. Most of us have some knowledge of Linux and C++, or at lease some scripting language.
I am all for the decision of having sent the devboards to the devs, but I think that right now there is some software available for the Pandora. More software will come from lots of people, including me, hopefuly. I am considering to port some games to the Pandora, but I don't think I would be considered a dev (like many of us).
I think the first 100 should be like all the others, and the way it has been discussed: First come, first served.