No reason to bash (2010-12-15)

[WizardStan]

I hope we have some female pandora fanatics with us, or building a new society after the zombies are all dead will not be easy.

Cloning technology is right around the corner.

 

[Bladesman]

Ordered in September so am somewhere in Batch 2, but have been interested in a Pandora for much longer... Was generally a lurker on here but started to post for a bit of balance when one or two threads on here were going negative.


Maybe when I've been waiting Two Years I'll be a bit less positive...

 

[SNESFAN]

ok seriously, where are all these new people coming from? lately ive just seen random people post here, which is great dont get me wrong, but where are you guys coming from and what brought you here? was there some big openpandora advertisement somewhere that i missed?

they are the lurkers from batch 2, I lurked for 6 months before posting, I'm not the only one either, some of the high post count people joined about the same time I did on the other forum.


There's been a couple big influxes of people about the same amount of time after each push for preordering they come and go in waves.

 

[- Theo -]

Whatever the subject, everybody's wrong. We just have to live with it, and accept that people have different opinions on things. Thinking you're right and everyone else is wrong is called fanatism. We know where that leads.

ok seriously, where are all these new people coming from? lately ive just seen random people post here, which is great dont get me wrong, but where are you guys coming from and what brought you here? was there some big openpandora advertisement somewhere that i missed?

I confess I arrived here only last month, and funnily enough, although I always was a gamer, I was completely unaware of the Pandora. The thing that got me interested in it is the iControlPad. I've been looking for quite some time for that exact concept, and when I heard about it being "almost ready", I came here to see. And then I found the Pandora. Two days after, I ordered one, and here I am, as addicted as you all (how can you be addicted to something you *don't* have? I don't know).

 

[Gring]

Well, there are 4k first batchers too, so the vast majority must be just lurking or doesn't even come to the forum. With the first batch nearly complete and the invasion of trolls, it's normal that a lot of lurkers start poping out of thin air and write on the forum.


It's a good sign

 

[WizardStan]

Whatever the subject, everybody's wrong.

Including you about that subject.

 

[Seamus]

Right this is the situation some of us may not be used to posting on forums.


I posted the other day and then the topic was taken down because other people


were disgruntled like me.


I think that after two years we seem to be still going round in circles.


Forums are meant to be places to speak your mind.


I think too many dodgy companies are now involved and the project is stalled.


We will be into a third year and no deadline of any sort in sight.


I am a total retro nut who really wanted this machine last Christmas as I explained before.


I do have an awful lot of sympathy for Evil Dragon and the Team.


But this is a nightmare . We are all kids at heart wating for a new toy.


I do not want to cancel after waiting so long as many other forums members.


The last thing I wanted was to insult somebody as the people here are like true friends.


I will now wait for my Pandora.

 

[SirDregan]

ok seriously, where are all these new people coming from? lately ive just seen random people post here, which is great dont get me wrong, but where are you guys coming from and what brought you here? was there some big openpandora advertisement somewhere that i missed?

What Bladesman said

 

[RETRONATE]

I've only recently joined the forum im in batch 2 ordered 3 months ago... been keeping my eye on the forum though for almost a year. I love my retro gaming and badly want a Pandora especially for playing the amiga on the go and love the interface browsing capabilities and the fact it can even emulate n64!.. I have a caanoo at the moment and I enjoy it and it keeps me happy for now but I badly want a Pandora, I keep an eye on this forum everyday hoping that all of a sudden they will be mass produced. I just want to say that, that evil dragon guy seems like an awesome dude! and its great the way he finds so much time to speak to us, his videos on you tube really helped sell this concept to me

 

[emcee]

Yeah you're right if this kept happening we'd be in the middle of some kind of world wide financial crisi-- oh wait.

That's not why the world financial crisis has happened.

People keep saying it because it's true, I've seen my ex-bosses do it themselves, why do you think they're my ex-bosses? Because they screw up and it costs them business and they have to lay people off. Companies have deadlines and many times they meet them, when they don't they either have two responses, they tell the truth, or they lie. For some it catches up with them for others it doesn't.

This isn't one lie. This isn't like telling a costumer you have all their parts ready when you don't, then rushing around to get them finished before they notice. This is (at least) four months straight of lying.


I don't know what industry you work in, but in any of that the industries the company I work for supplies, this definitely wouldn't fly.


Lets say Maytag asks some company to make a fancy gizmo to put in their washing machines. That company will have engineers design it, and make prints for each of the individual parts. If that company comes to us to make parts for them and we say "yeah, we'll have all the parts you need in four months", they'll tell Maytag that they'll have gizmos dropping off the assembly line in four months. And in the mean time they'll start setting up equipment, ordering parts from other suppliers, and possibly hiring additional staff. But not looking for and setting up contracts with alternative suppliers for the parts we're supposed to be making, because every time they check in we say "yeah, were making them right now, we've got a pile of them right here in the shop". So if after four months, when they're ready to start producing after pouring piles of money into this project, we say, "Just kidding, we didn't really make your parts", then like I said, all hell would break loose.


Look at a car. It has thousands of parts from suppliers all of the world, yet auto companies keep churning them out, with out ridiculous two years delays. Do you really think that would be possible if the companies involved did this kind of thing "all the time"?


So no, this kind of thing doesn't happen all the time. It's rare, and when it does happen, it's a very big deal. Actually the fact that this is so ridiculous is why I have doubts that it actually happened the way it's been reported here (that and it appears ED is getting all his information second hand). CircuitCo is a a little company in Texas, competing in a market dominated by cheap Asian manufactures, I have a hard time believing they would have survived this long if they made a habit of this kind of behavior.


If OPT isn't 100% certain that everything they posted so far is absolutely true, then they need to do some serious damage control. The first step would be deleting both of these threads, and word-filtering "CircuitCo". That may seem pretty drastic, but libel is pretty serious.


On the other hand if everything ED has posted here is true, then I see no reason to call anything other than what it is. They lied. If putting that out there loses them business, then I guess that's a few less struggling companies whose trust they can betray.


...


I've been following this project for a long time. From long before I started posting, and before the first batch of preorders even started. I saw all the delays and setbacks, but I really wanted it to succeed because I liked what OPT was trying to do. When Craig was asking for investors, I offered to invest $3000, because I wanted to help make this happen. But with this latest turn of events, this is the first time I thought this project was most likely going to fail before this even finishing the first batch.


Not that this setback was much worse than the others, it isn't. The problem is that it's the same setback. Save for natural disasters, it's always been suppliers not living up to their own claims, jerking them around, or just generally saying one thing and doing another. Yet OPT reactions is always to push the deadline back Two Months and keep down the same path. How much did the antics of the case manufacture alone set this project back? Yet they're still the sole suppliers of Pandora cases.


A little over two years ago, my boss, and the owner of the company, made a really bad business decision. And as a result we went from two shops and 20 employees, to the middle of last year when he was working alone in a shop with everyone else laid off. This year was the second best year in the history of the company. That's how you run a business. You learn from your mistakes, and you course correct. You don't just keep doing the same thing and expecting different results.


Well that was a lot of words. If you made it this far, then I commend you on your attention span, but I would suggest better reading material. If you didn't, well, then I guess you aren't reading this. As I said in another thread I'm no longer interested in investing money in this project. But, I also don't think I should invest anymore of my time in watching its "progress", so I think I'm done with this site. If one day I, or my children, or my children's children happen to get an email confirming a Pandora shipment, then great. If not, oh well.


ED, thanks again for replacing my LCD cable when my Pandora wasn't under warranty, and wasn't even bought from your store. Stay golden.

 

[Link]

^


I have already invested in this project. Lies don't bother me. If I lose my money, sa la vie asthey say in France. My conditions for investing aren't so hollow. I hold and believe.

 

[marktuson]

^


I have already invested in this project. Lies don't bother me. If I lose my money, sa la vie asthey say in France. My conditions for investing aren't so hollow. I hold and believe.

C'est la vie is a bit of a crap attitude, really. We have be active, even if it's in our own minds. I never accept or resign myself to anything but the inevitable; what isn't inevitable can always be turned to your own advantage, if you go about it right.


I value the project, and if I had money to spare, I'd happily invest some. I've been buying lottery tickets, and part of what I'd love to be able to do if I won is to sponsor a complete batch of Pandoras.


But, sadly, this isn't something I can do. At least not right now - Saturday's just 'round the corner, and this might be my lucky week!

 

[Gring]

That's not why the world financial crisis has happened.


...


Look at a car. It has thousands of parts from suppliers all of the world, yet auto companies keep churning them out, with out ridiculous two years delays. Do you really think that would be possible if the companies involved did this kind of thing "all the time"?


So no, this kind of thing doesn't happen all the time. It's rare, and when it does happen, it's a very big deal. Actually the fact that this is so ridiculous is why I have doubts that it actually happened the way it's been reported here (that and it appears ED is getting all his information second hand). CircuitCo is a a little company in Texas, competing in a market dominated by cheap Asian manufactures, I have a hard time believing they would have survived this long if they made a habit of this kind of behavior.


...


Not that this setback was much worse than the others, it isn't. The problem is that it's the same setback. Save for natural disasters, it's always been suppliers not living up to their own claims, jerking them around, or just generally saying one thing and doing another. Yet OPT reactions is always to push the deadline back Two Months and keep down the same path. How much did the antics of the case manufacture alone set this project back? Yet they're still the sole suppliers of Pandora cases.

In the industy, companies have a large amount of cash to make a project. They can try and fail on some parts, they can put in competition several suppliers. If a supplier does not respect deadlines, they have sufficient money to switch to another supplier and meanwhile launch costy and long legal action against the first one, who signed a contract with constraints because it was interested in the juicy contract.


OP is a community financed project. Well, events proved this concept wrong: they don't have enough cash to make mistakes, they can't switch easilly, and therefore are sent to the bottom of the priority list of suppliers because they are not a threat.


So all the setbacks may have been because all the suppliers may have lied, and it doesn't matter: there are no morals involved, it's BtoB business. No authority will come tu "punish" the liars, because that's a world ruled by contracts, balance of power and not by morals.


So arguing about that is pointless. We know that a cashless and therefore powerless community financed project in the hardware industry will be bullied around. That's a mistake that was made at the beginning, and that could not be corrected on the way. OPT simply doesn't have the weight to make demands to their suppliers, it's like trying to play poker while being the only player without cards.


So now, the community has two options:


- Wait and let the project finally complete, even if we are going to have more drawbacks, and finally have a Pandora.


- Troll the project to death, give up on a whim, and lose everything.

 

[second exodous]

Maybe when I've been waiting Two Years I'll be a bit less positive...

I'm a day one person my self and I know that I've gone through a few phases as I think everyone will until they get their Pandoras.


I lost it and was hugely negative when the OP team said they were holding up the Pandora over mold defects in the cases that were only visual and did not affect any functions whatsoever. I swear I made those pics full size and just kept thinking 'WTF' over and over again and came here to vent my anger. I look at those same pics now and think 'yeah, I can see the defects now'.


Also around the same time there was the whole silk-screening thing that I also over reacted about but to this day I just don't see the point of sick-screening. However; I still don't think I'll overreact and vent my anger here if the team says it will be another 30 days before mine comes out because they feel the need to get silk-screening perfected. I'll be upset but I won't come and vent here.


I'm at the phase where I don't get violently upset anymore and can reason the OP teams decisions. I feel sorry for those that have not reached this phase but being newbie fresh has it perks also. Just get ready for a possibly bumpy road.

 

[Poem58]

Wow, it's just amazing how much dust this all stirred up. I have read most all of the comments except for the end of the locked thread as it must have gotten really ugly. All I can say is this was something I expected as ED did say he didn't trust they would be done as promised. It's par for the course as I feel almost like this project is becoming a test of my will. I feel also that it is teaching me a lot about just how hard it must have been for those rare inventors turned millionaires. When they say they worked so hard and sacrificed so much to realize their dream, normally I would think "Well, boo-hoo Mr. Millionaire."


This whole project has also taught me patience. I in the past have never waited so long for something I have wanted. Some things had to be saved for, some I just had to wait until release date. This device and it's struggles have made me question, just how much do I want this device? I can honestly say there is nothing I have ever waited for that I would have deemed this kind of wait enough to tolerate. I have come to realize of all the gadgets I have ever wished to own this may be the most useful and actually necessary of all of them to this point.


Also, I have learned more about the human condition. What extents people will hold their cool. What makes them break. What can alleviate the pressure (usually Humor.) Turns out this ride has been far more then just waiting for a toy. It's been an experience. One that while , when the time comes that I am using my Pandora for the first time, will make it even more special then just a little pocket PC.


Speaking of humor, now that the board company's name is out there and after all the fights and stuff. I decided to visit their homepage. This just struck me as funny, maybe because of just how things go for us all collectively with this project.


Right form the homepage itself...


SERVICE


* The foundation of our business model. Communication, Expertise, Dedication - our tools to help meet your project goals.


Communication...That made me laugh as it's the very thing that has many angry people out there. For many places I worked at there were so many mission statements, goals, company policies. We all know we've seen them bent over to the point of breaking if not flat out broken. Sometimes, we just need to realize that even when we put things in writing, we as humans can still miss the point. Even if it's one we made ourselves.


A year ago this news would have made me angry, now I have come to let the anger slide by for a sad felling, as long as I have the Pandora in my hand (hopefully sooner than later) I'm not getting angry anymore. ED's posting has done wonders for me as he is able to really show how much he cares for this project in a way I can feel. So thanks ED. Feelings can be contagious.

 

[007jaws]

Wow, it's just amazing how much dust this all stirred up. I have read most all of the comments except for the end of the locked thread as it must have gotten really ugly. All I can say is this was something I expected as ED did say he didn't trust they would be done as promised. It's par for the course as I feel almost like this project is becoming a test of my will. I feel also that it is teaching me a lot about just how hard it must have been for those rare inventors turned millionaires. When they say they worked so hard and sacrificed so much to realize their dream, normally I would think "Well, boo-hoo Mr. Millionaire."


This whole project has also taught me patience. I in the past have never waited so long for something I have wanted. Some things had to be saved for, some I just had to wait until release date. This device and it's struggles have made me question, just how much do I want this device? I can honestly say there is nothing I have ever waited for that I would have deemed this kind of wait enough to tolerate. I have come to realize of all the gadgets I have ever wished to own this may be the most useful and actually necessary of all of them to this point.


Also, I have learned more about the human condition. What extents people will hold their cool. What makes them break. What can alleviate the pressure (usually Humor.) Turns out this ride has been far more then just waiting for a toy. It's been an experience. One that while , when the time comes that I am using my Pandora for the first time, will make it even more special then just a little pocket PC.


Speaking of humor, now that the board company's name is out there and after all the fights and stuff. I decided to visit their homepage. This just struck me as funny, maybe because of just how things go for us all collectively with this project.


Right form the homepage itself...


SERVICE


* The foundation of our business model. Communication, Expertise, Dedication - our tools to help meet your project goals.


Communication...That made me laugh as it's the very thing that has many angry people out there. For many places I worked at there were so many mission statements, goals, company policies. We all know we've seen them bent over to the point of breaking if not flat out broken. Sometimes, we just need to realize that even when we put things in writing, we as humans can still miss the point. Even if it's one we made ourselves.


A year ago this news would have made me angry, now I have come to let the anger slide by for a sad felling, as long as I have the Pandora in my hand (hopefully sooner than later) I'm not getting angry anymore. ED's posting has done wonders for me as he is able to really show how much he cares for this project in a way I can feel. So thanks ED. Feelings can be contagious.

Dude you sound like an open pandora Psycologist (spelleing not checked)and win the award for 2010

 

[Anihil8ion2199]

Wow, it's just amazing how much dust this all stirred up. I have read most all of the comments except for the end of the locked thread as it must have gotten really ugly. All I can say is this was something I expected as ED did say he didn't trust they would be done as promised. It's par for the course as I feel almost like this project is becoming a test of my will. I feel also that it is teaching me a lot about just how hard it must have been for those rare inventors turned millionaires. When they say they worked so hard and sacrificed so much to realize their dream, normally I would think "Well, boo-hoo Mr. Millionaire."


This whole project has also taught me patience. I in the past have never waited so long for something I have wanted. Some things had to be saved for, some I just had to wait until release date. This device and it's struggles have made me question, just how much do I want this device? I can honestly say there is nothing I have ever waited for that I would have deemed this kind of wait enough to tolerate. I have come to realize of all the gadgets I have ever wished to own this may be the most useful and actually necessary of all of them to this point.


Also, I have learned more about the human condition. What extents people will hold their cool. What makes them break. What can alleviate the pressure (usually Humor.) Turns out this ride has been far more then just waiting for a toy. It's been an experience. One that while , when the time comes that I am using my Pandora for the first time, will make it even more special then just a little pocket PC.


Speaking of humor, now that the board company's name is out there and after all the fights and stuff. I decided to visit their homepage. This just struck me as funny, maybe because of just how things go for us all collectively with this project.


Right form the homepage itself...


SERVICE


* The foundation of our business model. Communication, Expertise, Dedication - our tools to help meet your project goals.


Communication...That made me laugh as it's the very thing that has many angry people out there. For many places I worked at there were so many mission statements, goals, company policies. We all know we've seen them bent over to the point of breaking if not flat out broken. Sometimes, we just need to realize that even when we put things in writing, we as humans can still miss the point. Even if it's one we made ourselves.


A year ago this news would have made me angry, now I have come to let the anger slide by for a sad felling, as long as I have the Pandora in my hand (hopefully sooner than later) I'm not getting angry anymore. ED's posting has done wonders for me as he is able to really show how much he cares for this project in a way I can feel. So thanks ED. Feelings can be contagious.

I too have never waited this long for anything...ever! I'm a go-getter to a fault. I do realize that aside from a PC, this is the best possible machine for doing what it does. I only pre-ordered in June, after following the project for a while, trying to figure out if it was legit, and for some reason or another trusting these people, and believing the project would one day become a reality. Since the boards openned though, my belief that I would one day get a Pandora (since it was explained to me that it would take a while) strengthened. I am kind of ok with just comming here and reading the news (and people bashing, for my entertainment), watching the videos (LOVE the videos), knowing that every day I am one day closer to getting one. Weather boards, or nubs, or units are produced or assembled, everyday we learn something and so does OPT. And we get closer. I truly believe that everyone will one day have a Pandora, and we will have one heck of a community! Keep up the good work ED, you should be thanked by everyone one day!

 

[trevj]

[...]


Before getting angry at anyone, let's wait how the production continues.


I am still waiting for an official updated schedule for the next 1000 boards and I will let you know as soon as I get it.

I think it's highly commendable that you're managing to retain your sanity through all this. Thanks for providing the ongoing updates and for all the work that you and OPT are continuing to do for us all.

[...]


You may not have to look the people at CC in the eye, but I do. So please remember to be respectful and informed about what you say. You all represent the community.

Indeed! The current situation's another hiccough but we're (mostly) waiting patiently... and may even proudly tell others about the board's origins/BeagleBoard link when we have our Pandoras! Thanks for your diplomacy.

 

[Pontaloon]

I've noticed that usually ED and even other members of the team like to hang out at these forums and post and now they're gone... I wonder if that's because they hate the monster they created and are now just praying if they ignore it enough it will go away.

 

[FaeMinx]

Also, I have learned more about the human condition. What extents people will hold their cool. What makes them break. What can alleviate the pressure (usually Humor.) Turns out this ride has been far more then just waiting for a toy. It's been an experience. One that while , when the time comes that I am using my Pandora for the first time, will make it even more special then just a little pocket PC.

Indeed.