Put Us Out Of Our Misery!

[gibberish]

have to say i agree with most of Kyosis rant.
you'd have to be daft to think we havent been directly lied to numerous times throughout the project.

 

[Dead1nside]

Well maybe I'm one of few coming out in support of Craig, OP Ltd. and the whole team. I also haven't had to put up with this all for as long as some (Oct 7 2009 was my preorder date) but if I didn't trust anyone involved in the project, then I wouldn't have put my money down. After over a year, anybody and everybody has legitimate grievances but if you don't like what's happening or the way things are being conducted you can talk on here and, or in addition cancel your order and get a full refund. That's quite unique and so too overall is the Pandora project. I put my money down -- and despite OP losing money on every order currently it's still a substantial sum -- with knowledge that this is a small project that works in a unique way, where the community can interact with each other _and_ the developers, also expecting that due to its size the process would not be trouble free.

I can really see it both ways: angry customers tired of waiting and Craig having enough and saying, and I'm paraphrasing 'just cancel then'.

The biggest grind is on the team. They're the ones who have to be the eternal optimists for ~4000 people. They're the ones financially liable if it goes wrong. They're the ones who are really being lied to, they're just kind enough to pass on the information when they get it. You've got to have something wrong in your head if you think Craig and the team want all these delays.

 

[urjaman]

with knowledge that this is a small project that works in a unique way, where the community can interact with each other _and_ the developers, also expecting that due to its size the process would not be trouble free.

Actually, I have to note that the thing that is the most appreciated about this project for me is, that I've PM'ed with eg. MWeston _and_ gotten nice replies (thanks for that, and everything), --- I mean really, can you just go and send a message to the creator of eg. PSP hardware _and_ get a proper reply?. That's a big part of the wow factor of this project for me.

 

[rmm2131]

Well maybe I'm one of few coming out in support of Craig, OP Ltd. and the whole team. I also haven't had to put up with this all for as long as some (Oct 7 2009 was my preorder date) but if I didn't trust anyone involved in the project, then I wouldn't have put my money down. You've got to have something wrong in your head if you think Craig and the team want all these delays.

I know what i've read.

I know that many times things were said that never happened again and again or questions were asked and were left unanswered and buried in old threads. I know that things that are said by some, in my experience in life, can just be words and have no truth contained in them. I know the Pandora has nearly everything we've all wanted in a handheld and that a lot of talent went into creating it. I know that it is now 2010 and I still haven't read a static cost breakdown on what has been spent in making the Pandora. I know money that sits can collect interest over extended time periods. I know Fatih should of pressured the mould company harder in 2009. I know that I still don't know if final first batch Pandoras will have silkscreening, or if they will be shipped from the Texas assembly plant to U.S. buyers, or sent overseas and imported back. I know that only Michael Weston has posted information where I never doubted his words. I know that Craig has severely stretched dates to keep money from leaving the project's hands and thus kept the Pandora endeavour alive.

I know the next few weeks will be critical on whether I revoke my investment in this project. I know only what I think and that I thank Kyosys for reminding me of that by seeing him use his mind rather than blindly follow the crowd. I know some would prefer to be led by a leash than walk in their own direction.

I know none of what i've said will be popular and I know I don't care.

 

[Bigun]

Hate to break up the 13th billionth "I hate Pandora" thread, but I have a relevant question to ask:

When will case production start? In other words, when does CNY end for this company?

 

[EvilDragon]

In other words, when does CNY end for this company?

February 22nd.

 

[Bigun]

In other words, when does CNY end for this company?

February 22nd.

Danke ED... punctual as always.

 

[Patrick R Ludvigsen]

In other words, when does CNY end for this company?

February 22nd.

Thanks for the info B)

I hope that Craig does explain this, however I'm pretty sure he is not _actively_ trying to stretch information... it's just that he says things very optimistically to keep everybody on board, however if the Pandora doesn't ship soon I'm afraid more people will be bailing :\ I won't bail though.

 

[MonkeyChops]

I think if it was me I would have paid the extra $$ for them to work over the holidays. It's easy for me to say though (1st 500). It's much harder to justify if u don't have the dough and u have as many orders coming in as cancelling. Its business people, not personal.

 

[Sonict]

It is a shame when stuff doesn't work out. I have been and still am a pre-orderer of the first batch Pandora. Since I actually live within 10 - 15 minutes from Skeezix, I am still thinking to myself if I want to go over there or not. The next two weeks should be interesting...

 

[atomicthumbs]

Managing a Chinese plastics factory seems like it would be more complicated than playing Dwarf Fortress

 

[Pleng]

Principle, really. I just simply do not wish to give these people my money.

But you know the worst thing about the team is truly Craig.

This is the unfortunate thing. I can't condone the way Craig acts. The lies are one thing but hell I was an Amiga fan for years so I'm used to those. Sharp business practice is something we have become used to from the Microsoft era. But what really makes me green is his attitude to people that don't 100% agree with him and his entire disrespect for people in general. Insinuating that somebody was homosexual (and therefore insinuating that this was a bad thing) because that person had a different interpretaion of the word 'complete' absolutely took me sideways. I also remember a comment to somebody which went along the lines of 'some people have no idea of how the manufacturing process works' regarding the moulds. No, he was not talking about the OP team himself, he was using as an insult towards people who were trying to give him advice. Now I don't know how accurate or helpful this advice may have been but for Craig to assume he was an expert in the field (this was a *good* few months back) was just plain arrogance.

The big problem for me is that I can see SO many situations in my everyday life where a Pandora would help. I have often considered cancelling in favour of a Netbook, or something like a Nokia N900 but nothing will suit me better than a Pandora. It was gaming that originally attracted me to the device, but as time has gone on gaming has dropped down to a nice bonus, considering all the other things the device can do.

So where am I at? A device I feel I need led by a guy I can't stand. Well I still use Windows every day, my phone is a cheap Chinese dual-SIM knock off made in conditions I wouldn't approve of. And I would have bough a new Amiga up until a few years ago, despite the face behind the company. My morals are clearly not strong enough to resist myself of these corporations, so why should I deprive myself of a Pandora? Craig just joins the long list of people I hesitantly choose to give my money to, joining the hall of fame alongside Bill Gates, Bill McEwen and Steve Jobbs (well, if he ever makes any products that I'm actually interested in!)

Anyway, glad you're still gonna be around Kyosys.

 

[Vlynndar]

Managing a Chinese plastics factory seems like it would be more complicated than playing Dwarf Fortress

That is... a remarkably accurate description.
Does that make us or the team nobles mandating things? In that case... Ohshi~

 

[PhillipJ]

Remember Hanlon's Razor: "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
I don't mean that Craig (and co) are stupid but the general idea still applies. This whole project was bigger, longer and harder (heh) than the OP guys expected. As far as I can tell most of the problems come from them being out of their depth rather than because they want to piss you off/scam your money/seduce your girlfriend/kick your dog/bet against your football team/kill the last white rhino/whatever anyone else has claimed.

 

[mali]

The big problem for me is that I can see SO many situations in my everyday life where a Pandora would help. I have often considered cancelling in favour of a Netbook, or something like a Nokia N900 but nothing will suit me better than a Pandora. It was gaming that originally attracted me to the device, but as time has gone on gaming has dropped down to a nice bonus, considering all the other things the device can do.

I actually went that route and bought a netbook. An Aspire One A110L, which I got for 179€, a pretty good deal. It was nice to play around with but now it's collecting dust. I _still_ use my old N800 for certain things, though. I've owned many handhelds and Pandora combines what I've been waiting for.

The funny thing is, that I'm actually a gamer, but could never justify buying a gaming handheld. I _can_ justify buying a Pandora though, as it's a general purpose handheld.

 

[Vlynndar]

The funny thing is, that I'm actually a gamer, but could never justify buying a gaming handheld. I _can_ justify buying a Pandora though, as it's a general purpose handheld.

Pandora, Jeep among handhelds.

 

[ste_167]

If it wasn't for Craig, this project would have died. They've survived a world financial crash, it's been a massive achievement.

If you look at the pinnacle points in the journey (situations where Craig has been heavily criticised), if things had been done differently would the Pandora project still be active? Sometimes a bit of spin is needed, just think of it as being done on your behalf ;-)

 

[Kyo]

Really? He hasn't lied about the tv-out cable? He was literally forced to sell that separately for an expensive price? That's what you believe? You believe the lies about the delays are stupidity? Well that would make Craig really, really, REALLY stupid.

Would you really prefer that? Him being a moron? I wouldn't want to trust a moron with my money, but if that's a good explanation for you and you're content with that, then whatever floats your boat. Again, I think people confuse talking to us (as in the customers) with being good to the customers. They're not talking to us because they are DIFFERENT and they REALLY CARE ABOUT US!!!!, they talk to us because they have to. They're a small company. Talking to us allows them to effectively have their customers work for them, for free. Who's coding the OS? Who's coding the software? It's the customers. Yeah, sony wouldn't reply to you if you asked them how you can install emulators on your PSP, because they know how to do business. But that doesn't mean openpandora is smaller, openpandora just gets a free ride from their customers. Now, I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but I really wouldn't give them any credits for that.

How many times has Craig made vague statements and not explained them at all or only later? You really think none of that was deliberate?

I really don't like the atmosphere here or on the unofficial blog. It's either you love the pandora team unconditionally and follow them blindly, or you are not one of us. As soon as PoisonedV talked negatively about the pandora (in the comments I might add), he was removed from the brave new blog by the dear leader gruso. If you say something negative about the pandora, you will get warned for cursing, but if you're pro-pandora, the thought police lets you throw around curse words, as we've witnessed in another thread. It's pure hypocrisy. Enjoy your victory gin.

 

[r00tw00t]

I really don't like the atmosphere here or on the unofficial blog. It's either you love the pandora team unconditionally and follow them blindly, or you are not one of us. As soon as PoisonedV talked negatively about the pandora (in the comments I might add), he was removed from the brave new blog by the dear leader gruso. If you say something negative about the pandora, you will get warned for cursing, but if you're pro-pandora, the thought police lets you throw around curse words, as we've witnessed in another thread. It's pure hypocrisy. Enjoy your victory gin.

+1

 

[torpor]

Whats the point of being critical of the Openpandora team at this point in the game? The answer: there IS NO POINT, because no amount of criticism is going to actually result in anyone learning anything, or in the product coming out faster. The only possible reason one could have for delving into the rights and wrongs of this project at this point in the game is to make oneself feel more righteous about how things are being managed - but it won't change the end product one single bit. The fact is, there is a physical universe out there, and until all the management of this universe is done by brainwaves alone, no amount of flaffle and huffaw is going to change the fact that the work *is being done* and there is *still work to be done, yet*.

Statistically, we've seen a lot of progress, and a lot of delays and a lot of missed opportunities to get it out faster - but none of that is relevant *right now* because we've gotten as far as we have under the guidance of the team we have so far - love him or hate him, Craigix has managed to get this whole thing happening and even though its been a struggle, we are where we are today because he put up the money, time, and effort to get this all happening.

Nobody is saying "don't be critical" and attempting to censor peoples ideas and thoughts about the product, but if you're going to position your point of view as being "more productive than the view of Craigix and co.", then you will be wrong: as far as I know, Craigix and co., are the only ones who have gotten us this far. The core OpenPandora group are really a Team, and this Team has managed to deliver great results so far, in spite of countless setbacks and costs.