Translators For German Post?

[Monk]

I have no choice but to believe this is the situation.

It COULD be but it isn't necessarily so. Seriously (and I'm no fan of the delays or the...inaccuracy in reportage from OpenPandora at times).

So as long as the Pandora's are shipped form the Texas place to the US customers (never verified) so there is no further wait time and no import fees, then I may be able to stretch it out a week or two.

Stretch it out then. It has been confirmed that the assembler is in Texas and will ship directly to US customers. Repeatedly, IIRC.

It's just nearly impossible to get a solid answer to any question.

I'm afraid the US shippijng plan was the only one I could address (and even that... well no-one knows what WILL DEFINATELY happen until after it has). Others may have spotted posts that I missed on the other topics tho.

I just hope this is over soon and we all have Pandora's in our hands and can forget this nightmare (Don't care what anyone says, this is NOT fun, it's a nightmare)

Agreed. It's probably mostly not fun for the OpenPandora team members either.

general feeling of being strung along.

This is probably my biggest gripe/concern.

Most of us are adults, we can handle the truth.

You can't handle the truth!

Sorry, slipped out of character there. Ahem.

I'm finding trying to be more productive and put IN to the project is helpful. Go scan the dev forum and see if anyone wants any kind of help you could offer.

 

[Gary13579]

I know nobody can really tell, how much more expencive (or cheaper) this would be and I know it's far to late...but I really would like to know it.

We did look at making these in the UK/USA but the price was insane. Like close to a million dollars.

It's costing something approaching $100k in China.

An on these one Site they offered a complicated mould for $5000 (example price) or so, lets guess, the Pandora needs 10 Moulds we still UNDER $100k.

The $100k should include the 10,000 cases that they have ordered. And as Jasay stated, if there were 10 molds it'd cost $50k already, and if you add the 10k cases onto that... it'd come out to be about the same, if not more (no idea how much the cases cost).

Poem58, there are a multitude of things keeping the mold company up. You can't blame it on the iControlPad when you know almost nothing about the situation. And please, we really don't need anymore 'blah blah I will cancel if this keeps up blah blah' posts. No offense, but it sounds whiny. If you cancel, I guarantee someone will step up and take your place in hours.

 

[WizardStan]

Stretch it out then. It has been confirmed that the assembler is in Texas and will ship directly to US customers. Repeatedly, IIRC.

No it hasn't. Craigix has said on more than one occasion that he wants to, and that they should be able to, but hasn't actually said that they absolutely will or can. That might be the plan, and everything looks good, and then suddenly at the last second someone says "what about X?" and for that reason they can no longer ship from Texas to the US.

 

[Monk]

Stretch it out then. It has been confirmed that the assembler is in Texas and will ship directly to US customers. Repeatedly, IIRC.

No it hasn't. Craigix has said on more than one occasion that he wants to, and that they should be able to, but hasn't actually said that they absolutely will or can. That might be the plan, and everything looks good, and then suddenly at the last second someone says "what about X?" and for that reason they can no longer ship from Texas to the US.

What so the texas factory will make the boards and essemble the rest of the pandora themselves and ship them straight to the US customers? lol

Yes they already do this for other customers.

That's about as close to a straight answer as I've ever seen from Craig - but still, I did an a note of caution to the post you're responding to. To whit:

I'm afraid the US shipping plan was the only one I could address (and even that... well no-one knows what WILL DEFINATELY happen until after it has).

 

[kattle87]

I'm finding trying to be more productive and put IN to the project is helpful. Go scan the dev forum and see if anyone wants any kind of help you could offer.

Sorry guys but I can't handle this anymore. You keep saying "come on, help the project instead of complaining".
Can I rant a little? Guess what, I'm a F****** CUSTOMER, I DON'T GIVE A **** ABOUT DEVELOPING ANYTHING for the Pandora. What I wanted was some UMPC/console, I did not asked for developing the software side. I'm not part of the community that designed this awesome gadget, I'm JUST A CUSTOMER. And since I gave you my trust (don't care that much about the money, since I can get that back) I would LOVE to know WHEN it is going to ship, not that it got delayed and will be ready within 2 months (seriously, it's been the same story for 1 year!). I hope that lots of people are really getting tired like I am, since what is going on is just plain wrong and the OP team can't keep running a business in this way. You know what I'm starting to think? That there will be nothing after the first batch, if the first one is to deliver at all!

Not saying "I hate you guys!" nor "I want my money back". It's just that i think this is really, really becoming too much for lots of people.

 

[borgqueenx]

I'm finding trying to be more productive and put IN to the project is helpful. Go scan the dev forum and see if anyone wants any kind of help you could offer.

Sorry guys but I can't handle this anymore. You keep saying "come on, help the project instead of complaining".
Can I rant a little? Guess what, I'm a F****** CUSTOMER, I DON'T GIVE A **** ABOUT DEVELOPING ANYTHING for the Pandora. What I wanted was some UMPC/console, I did not asked for developing the software side. I'm not part of the community that designed this awesome gadget, I'm JUST A CUSTOMER. And since I gave you my trust (don't care that much about the money, since I can get that back) I would LOVE to know WHEN it is going to ship, not that it got delayed and will be ready within 2 months (seriously, it's been the same story for 1 year!). I hope that lots of people are really getting tired like I am, since what is going on is just plain wrong and the OP team can't keep running a business in this way. You know what I'm starting to think? That there will be nothing after the first batch, if the first one is to deliver at all!

Not saying "I hate you guys!" nor "I want my money back". It's just that i think this is really, really becoming too much for lots of people.

You're in desame boat as i am, exept im a bit more then just a customer.
I am also getting more angry about delays every day,
and yes the copyrighted 2 months joke is already going on since the start of this year.
The date seems to be going up and up....and up again.

Im still having the energy to hold on though, by all the news and videos and photos.

 

[kattle87]

Im still having the energy to hold on though, by all the news and videos and photos.

I am still holding too but really dunno how much I will resist.
I am sure someone can end all of this. That someone, whoever he is, should do something now

 

[Tensuke]

Wow, "Off topic" seems not to be a problem here in the english boards, try this at our german boards! :lol:

I guess you got a lot of...Hitlers moderating?
I kid, I kid...

 

[Monk]

I'm finding trying to be more productive and put IN to the project is helpful. Go scan the dev forum and see if anyone wants any kind of help you could offer.

Sorry guys but I can't handle this anymore. You keep saying "come on, help the project instead of complaining".
Can I rant a little? Guess what, I'm a F****** CUSTOMER, I DON'T GIVE A **** ABOUT DEVELOPING ANYTHING for the Pandora.

Guess what? I'm just a f****** customer as well... and I get frustrated... and I complain... and I didn't tell you not to complain. I suggested an activity to try and take your mind of it, in a friendly gesture to try and encourage self-help toward happiness AND a better experience all round. But if the above is your response then, frankly, f*** off.

 

[Screeny]

Wow, "Off topic" seems not to be a problem here in the english boards, try this at our german boards! :lol:

I guess you got a lot of...Hitlers moderating?
I kid, I kid...

No! I'm one of the german board moderation staff
There is not Hitler, I think.

 

[Poem58]

I know nobody can really tell, how much more expencive (or cheaper) this would be and I know it's far to late...but I really would like to know it.

We did look at making these in the UK/USA but the price was insane. Like close to a million dollars.

It's costing something approaching $100k in China.

An on these one Site they offered a complicated mould for $5000 (example price) or so, lets guess, the Pandora needs 10 Moulds we still UNDER $100k.

The $100k should include the 10,000 cases that they have ordered. And as Jasay stated, if there were 10 molds it'd cost $50k already, and if you add the 10k cases onto that... it'd come out to be about the same, if not more (no idea how much the cases cost).

Poem58, there are a multitude of things keeping the mold company up. You can't blame it on the iControlPad when you know almost nothing about the situation. And please, we really don't need anymore 'blah blah I will cancel if this keeps up blah blah' posts. No offense, but it sounds whiny. If you cancel, I guarantee someone will step up and take your place in hours.

I know as much as you do on the situation (If not more). So thank you for adding nothing. My post was whiny, that is the point. I want some definite answers like many people who have posted the questions since January when I joined and there has been no response. I don't want to cancel and of course someone will take my order, thanks for stating the obvious. Also you got some info wrong, I never said the molds were being held up by the ICP, but that it's new design, held up making the original molds which if you remember were supposed to be done in June (The months when the ICP disappeared and the Pandora was silently waiting) Seems a bit obvious to me as I said, it only makes sense to do them both at the same time and the redesigned ICP suddenly has Pandora parts...doesn't take a rocket scientist to put 2 and 2 together but since you say I know nothing about it, please tell me what you know and that should make me feel better.

I don't know why people feel compelled to answer another's questions or comments with just plain opinion comments, if you know something I don't then please say it, otherwise, don't.
You and I both have been here a lot less time than others, which is why the lack of certain answers makes no sense.

Monk, if you read this, thanks for your comments, there was a couple of times mention of the Pandoras shipping from Texas, however, when I tried to pin that down I believe the message from Craig was a sort of "That should be possible" or "That is the plan" which once again, are ambiguous at best. Then everyone else quoted Texas Shipping to US customers as gospel. Which is how I have noticed is the pattern around these parts (Post, let them argue, say something ambiguous, it's now fact and only changes when it's posted we never actually said that.)
It's good to see progress today, I'm still holding out hope. However, a promise is a promise (those of you who are married know!) so the clock is ticking (For me Gary, not all the whiny refund people!) I'm still going to email to see what is said.

 

[Bosbeetle]

Wow, "Off topic" seems not to be a problem here in the english boards, try this at our german boards! :lol:

I guess you got a lot of...Hitlers moderating?
I kid, I kid...

No! I'm one of the german board moderation staff
There is not Hitler, I think.

Who is this hitler you keep referencing?

 

[RajTakhar]

They need to get focused on one product at a time - by that leave icontrolpad well alone until you prove to the marketplace that you can deliver the Pandora first. The impression some of us get is that too many other things such as iphone games and icontrol pad have taken the wind out of their sales somewhat - in getting Pandora out.

The blog updates today go some way to proving the initial batch can be produced, but what we need to know in all realism is when the Big Batch that everyone ordered from will be delivered.

My suggestion of mid-Jan looks okay - I cant see the big batch being shipped any time befor xmas - its just too wishful thinking

But I guess like others if its any later than late Jan 2010, people will begin to look elsewhere - its no-ones fault - its human nature - there is a limit to delays, and seeing other stuff like the ODROID coming out in Jan dont bear too well for pandora - at the end of the day, if that company delivered something of similar quality to Pandora (ok no keyboard) with 512MB and ability to run Android and quite possibly some of Pandora's apps - then there is a real chance that some of us (including myself) will switch to that device as they have delivered in a much shorter timescale.

Even the Sharp NetWalker opens up more options.

I want something soon, not today, not this month, but by the end of Jan - no I am not bitching just itching to get my hands of something to use and code for

 

[fusion_power]

I'm an engineer and have worked quite a bit with the US arm of Protomold. It's a good company and they do quality work very quickly. The biggest problem with using a company like Protomold for production runs is that they specialize in, and in fact only work with, aluminum molds (pardon my American spelling). Aluminum is much easier to work with than steel which allows them to machine the molds much more quickly. Unfortunately, it also wears a lot faster so the part quality will begin to degrade after several thousand parts. In this case each "batch" or two of Pandoras might require a new mold to be made at OP's expense.

Counting parts (and I've likely missed some) I get at least 17 molded parts:
Screen bezel sides 1 and 2
Bottom sides 1 and 2
4 buttons (ABYX)
2 Shoulder Buttons (L/R)
Battery Cover
Stylus
Power/Hold Slider
D-Pad
Mic Channel thingy
2 Light pipes

Looking at pictures it looks like most of these parts could be single pull molds which makes them much cheaper and some of them might be suitable for multi-cavity molds--to either speed up production and make more parts with each press or else to make multiple parts in one press. The pictures from the Chinese company show that they made the ABYX buttons and D-pad in a single mold. Multi-cavity molds often reduce costs since fewer, but more complicated molds need to be made and there is less operator time required to setup/take down each mold and run the parts. The 17+ parts might be able to cut down to ten molds so I'd give a ballpark of $30k-$40k for molds + $4-$5/part (prototype parts are expensive, steel molds would likely have part cost <$1/part). Keep in mind that after 10k or so parts new molds will have to be cut.

Also, the hinge in the keyboard section of the device may not be something that Protomold would make. It appears as though side action cams would be required to create the holes. Side actions from the outside in are no problem, but these ones have to move from the inside out and I've never seen Protomold do that.

Just to reiterate, I don't work for a molding company, just with them, and this is most certainly not a quote, just a guess because I was curious in added it up and thought I would share.

Very interesting infos, thanks alot. I don't know if all the mold pricing is per complete mold (2 pieces per part of course) or for every side of the mold. But I still want to believe that the Pandora molds could be done in europe for the same price or ceaper as in Asia. And I know (at least in germany), the Companies keep their work in time and respect contracts, at least not such huge delays like in asia plus shipping would be much quicker plus ED could visit a german Factory if things going wrong. (That actualy many pluses. )

The $100k should include the 10,000 cases that they have ordered. And as Jasay stated, if there were 10 molds it'd cost $50k already, and if you add the 10k cases onto that... it'd come out to be about the same, if not more (no idea how much the cases cost).

You forget, that the number of 10000 Cases are choosen because it was the MINIMUM ammount, the cinese factory offered. Other Small-Series-Companies would sureley do only 4000 Cases, this would also saves alot of money for the first batch. AFAIK, the OP team doesn't wanted to make 10K cases at the first batch but they had no choice, at least not with the current Factory. This is actualy a good reason to select such small prototype-Companies instead of huge Mass-Production Factories where nobody moves untill you order Hundredthousands of Units.

Wow, "Off topic" seems not to be a problem here in the english boards, try this at our german boards! :lol:

I guess you got a lot of...Hitlers moderating?
I kid, I kid...

my god, we're in the 21. Century and this is still the only thing, foreign people know (or care) about germany. Very poor.
OK, I try a quick history education with you: what happend onto 11. November 1989 in Germany? NO, NOT the end of WW2!!!

 

[renwils]

my god, we're in the 21. Century and this is still the only thing, foreign people know (or care) about germany. Very poor.
OK, I try a quick history education with you: what happend onto 11. November 1989 in Germany? NO, NOT the end of WW2!!!

Thankfully, there haven't been many German totalitarian leaders in recent history.

 

[zhasha]

my god, we're in the 21. Century and this is still the only thing, foreign people know (or care) about germany. Very poor.
OK, I try a quick history education with you: what happend onto 11. November 1989 in Germany? NO, NOT the end of WW2!!!

Pff, of course not. Everyone knows it was the end of WW3. WW2 ended like, back in 1918.

 

[borgqueenx]

wait this is world war victim forum or pandora? i guess i need to look futher for finding the pandora forums.

 

[atomicthumbs]

I guess you got a lot of...Hitlers moderating?
I kid, I kid...

even if you're kidding, this invokes Godwin's Law


quick someone close the thread

 

[gaterooze]

Who is this hitler you keep referencing?

Edward Elizabeth!

edit: now there's a fucking good swearer (in live shows).

 

[dflemstr]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law