New LCD Cables finished too early (2010 - 03 - 18)

[EvilDragon]

Some things in Pandora life are weird. Totally weird.


Like the new LCD cables.


We are all used to delays and deadlines that didn't work out.


It seems different with the new company who does the LCD cables (the new ones, way more robust and extensively tested that should NEVER cause a purple haze again).


The leadtime for the LCD cables was 6 weeks - so they should've been finished early until mid April.


However, they just called us today to tell us the cables will be ready within the next few days.


So we now have more than enough of the new cables to finish Batch 1 and start the first 1000 units of Batch 2.


We don't know yet though if the catastrophe in Japan will cause any delays with Batch 2... some parts (like ICs from Panasonic and TDK) are being used in both the Pandora and iControlPad - and they come from Japan.


The parts are ordered and according to the schedule from the distributor would've been there early April, so just ready for Batch 2.


With the current happenings in Japan, nobody knows what will happen right now. It will surely cause a major chaos in parts and electronic production.


But to be honest, if delaying Batch 2 by one or two months would help to reduce the suffering in Japan, we would gladly do so.


Sadly, it won't help... we can only pray for those people right now.


So of course we'll try to get everything ready ASAP, but right now, no one worldwide knows what will happen within the next few days

 

[Austin25]

We don't know yet though if the catastrophe in Japan will cause any delays with Batch 2... some parts (like ICs from Panasonic and TDK) are being used in both the Pandora and iControlPad - and they come from Japan.

Will mine be radioactive?

 

[WaveHack]

We don't know yet though if the catastrophe in Japan will cause any delays with Batch 2... some parts (like ICs from Panasonic and TDK) are being used in both the Pandora and iControlPad - and they come from Japan.

Will mine be radioactive?

Glow-in-the-dark Pandora's!


Bad jokes aside, it's of course very disastrous what happened there in Japan, and I'm sure people will understand if it causes delays on the boards. Good news about the LCD cables, though!

 

[kmob]

<snip>


However, they just called us today to tell us the cables will be ready within the next few days.


So we now have more than enough of the new cables to finish Batch 1 and start the first 1000 units of Batch 2.


<snip>

This is good news . But given the twists and turns of the past, can you clarify this a bit?


When you say the cables will be "ready" in the next few days, I take it you mean "ready for shipping out" rather than available for use in building Pandoras? And if so, how long is the shipping expected to take?


Is the intention to use up the existing stock of "mark 1" LCD cables before switching to the new improved cables?


Lastly will the improved LCD cables be available for purchase separately to allow existing units to be upgraded?

 

[EvilDragon]

When you say the cables will be "ready" in the next few days, I take it you mean "ready for shipping out" rather than available for use in building Pandoras? And if so, how long is the shipping expected to take?

Ready for shipping out. The cables do not weigh much, so shipping will only take a couple of days.

Is the intention to use up the existing stock of "mark 1" LCD cables before switching to the new improved cables?

Yes, we won't throw away 5000 USD


We still got about 1000 left of those, enough to build units until the new ones are here.

Lastly will the improved LCD cables be available for purchase separately to allow existing units to be upgraded?

Pretty sure we will do that.

 

[MarioPandio]

We'll this is all good news, except Japan of course. To whom I give my thoughts but not prayers, given my shared stance on such. I know people out-there who've been in touch and it has caused devastation and a feeling that a life before it occurred, is just a distant memory.


It would of course be lunacy to disregard the original remaining stock of LCD cables aswell, as few in reality of those shipped have actually failed, no matter how high a percentage it may appear upon here, where such an issue will be reported by the few who are vocal.


I had intended to post a George Carlin video about natural disasters in relation to Japan but rest assured it wasn't the stand up routine, which would have been taken offensively.


Rather a version of his comments in an interview, overlayed upon video of flocking starlings. Within which he spoke of how 'we are all too consumed by the need for electronic gadget X, such that we are out of balance with nature, which few but the Hopi Indians ever worked in balance with. As a result every now and then the Planet puts things in perspective for us.' Today I cannot find the same video again and was surprised to discover it yesterday.


As an existing Pandora owner I can appreciate how that would've come across as arrogance and lack of sympathy for fellow batch 1 and 2 pre-orderers (and the Japanese nation) but yes, it seems engineered financial collapses and Volcanoes weren't enough of an obstacle for this project to endure and long may it do so. Patience will pay off for everyone eventually and hopefully for the OPT.

 

[Gring]

Will the last 1st batchers supposed to get the first 2nd batch units have priority over the Icp regarding the japanese components shortage?

 

[EvilDragon]

Will the last 1st batchers supposed to get the first 2nd batch units have priority over the Icp regarding the japanese components shortage?

The parts used in the iCP are different ones, they don't share with the Pandora parts


Also, nobody knows yet IF it will cause any delay at all, even the distributors don't know anything yet.


It probably depends on how fast normal production resumes in Japan, and that depends on how badly damaged the production sites are and what will happen in Fukushima...


But my primary concern are the people there, to be honest.

 

[porg]

We don't know yet though if the catastrophe in Japan will cause any delays with Batch 2... some parts (like ICs from Panasonic and TDK) are being used in both the Pandora and iControlPad - and they come from Japan.


The parts are ordered and according to the schedule from the distributor would've been there early April, so just ready for Batch 2.

As a first week orderer, I have observed the Pandora process over the years, and I could not help but have the impression, that almost any major catastrophe (almost conspiratorial) haunted the project.


Meanwhile I come to a different conclusion: It just shows a) how interconnected our global economic system is, B) especially observable for products which use many components, and c) for companies/entities, which cannot afford to have large stocks or alternative suppliers / logistic routes.

 

[EvilDragon]

Meanwhile I come to a different conclusion: It just shows a) how interconnected our global economic system is, B) especially observable for products which use many components, and c) for companies/entities, which cannot afford to have large stocks or alternative suppliers / logistic routes.

Definetely. Before the economical crisis, you could get almost every electronical part within a few weeks.


Nowadays, some ICs have lead times of 10 - 20 weeks. Those leadtimes are based on the production running steadily. If production stops, of course, the leadtime increases.


GM in America halted production because they couldn't get some parts... so yeah, the disaster might have a HUGE impact on electronic production depending on what will happen...

 

[Pickle]

Meanwhile I come to a different conclusion: It just shows a) how interconnected our global economic system is, B) especially observable for products which use many components, and c) for companies/entities, which cannot afford to have large stocks or alternative suppliers / logistic routes.

Definetely. Before the economical crisis, you could get almost every electronical part within a few weeks.


Nowadays, some ICs have lead times of 10 - 20 weeks. Those leadtimes are based on the production running steadily. If production stops, of course, the leadtime increases.


GM in America halted production because they couldn't get some parts... so yeah, the disaster might have a HUGE impact on electronic production depending on what will happen...

It was really the suppliers to GM that couldnt get the parts needed like where i work. Everything shut down and then when we needed processors they werent there. And you cant just whip some up out of thin air, it takes time to build a silicon based part.

 

[iArnold]

Better keep those OpenPandora boxes closed people! (What's in a name!)


A good deal of Toyota factories have been closed, you might have seen the pictures of the floating cars. Wonder where the Panasonic factory for the Pandora IC's was/is located.


@Austin25: I would settle for a ported version "Duke Nukem".


Regards,


iArnold

 

[Bosbeetle]

Better keep those OpenPandora boxes closed people! (What's in a name!)


A good deal of Toyota factories have been closed, you might have seen the pictures of the floating cars. Wonder where the Panasonic factory for the Pandora IC's was/is located.


@Austin25: I would settle for a ported version "Duke Nukem".


Regards,


iArnold

duke nukem 3d is already there, plays really well I finished the first episode yesterday

 

[marktuson]

Better keep those OpenPandora boxes closed people! (What's in a name!)


A good deal of Toyota factories have been closed, you might have seen the pictures of the floating cars. Wonder where the Panasonic factory for the Pandora IC's was/is located.


@Austin25: I would settle for a ported version "Duke Nukem".


Regards,


iArnold

duke nukem 3d is already there, plays really well I finished the first episode yesterday

What about Unreal Tournament?

 

[Bigun]

By the tone of the post, I was expecting bad news.

 

[noobermin]

I don't give a fuck if my pandora is late when people are scrambling to survive over there.


For the other news, it's good news that you can have less stress off your shoulders.

 

[FRZ]

Earthquakes happens, there's nothing we can do about it. The OpenPandora on the other hand, now that's something we can kick n scream about...

 

[Benoît E. Donnette]

Earthquakes happens, there's nothing we can do about it. The OpenPandora on the other hand, now that's something we can kick n scream about...

More than that, death happens, as it has sadly been massively the case in Japan, and everything they could do there has been tried so the figure is probably reasonable count given the event - a sentence which shall do no good to all the people who are now sadly missing someone, unfortunately.


What can we all do about that ? Well, it turns out that telling them "please, go rebuild your living environment, we can humanly wait till you recovered" just does not apply. When major Japan companies announced they would give money to help Japan recover (including - and not limited to Toyota, Canon, Nikon, Sony, of which at least 2 are materially significantly affected), their shares drop... I hope that keeping faith in their abilities will help prevent insane people from beleiving their work is worth less.


So, I'm waiting for my Japanese-elements fitted Pandora, I'll do things with it, and I will share my pride of their acheivements, as well as my pride of the OP team's acheivements.

 

[shideneyu]

That's soooo cool ! I'll like to have radioactive components :lol:


I hope my pandora will shine at night :rolleyes:


Seriously, think about Japansese people who are living a real nightmare...


However, don't say "Wow, I have no news from the components' supplier, their factory could have been destroyed, but I don't want to ask what's happening, it could bother them 'cause they have a lot to do in this huge crisis..."

 

[Blue Protoman]

Am I the first to notice that the year is marked as 2010?