Updates in all areas, spiced with case renders

[codifies]

'ere these backlights for the keyboard, easy to switch off? or will I have to break out the soldering iron.....?

 

[my opinion]

Otherwise a -dark- color.  I.e. Black, charcoal, dark grey or red so dark it's almost black.  It needs to look serious enough to set on a conference room table hooked up to a projector for presentations.

Beige looks serious. Black looks like a gimmicky toy.

Can I also provide some suggestions regarding the keyboard layout?

 

[pmprog]

Otherwise a -dark- color. I.e. Black, charcoal, dark grey or red so dark it's almost black. It needs to look serious enough to set on a conference room table hooked up to a projector for presentations.

I agree, whilst it's going to have a fun element, I definately want it to look like a serious/professional device. Could you imagine in a meeting taking out a "DS" to take notes on?

 

[Kev2442]

Beige and charcoal ! Beige and charcoal !

By charcoal, I mean this.

 

[Neelix]

Beige looks serious. Black looks like a gimmicky toy.

A bright red lid, on a bright blue base would look like a gimmicky toy. Black on the other hand is a perfectly respectable colour for a serious device.

Can I also provide some suggestions regarding the keyboard layout?

You're welcome to register an account on the forums. Then you'll be able to join one or more of the many existing keyboard layout discussions.

- Neelix

 

[PowerGod]

The rainbow hell has been raised

 

[slimeycat]

 

Well, not everything is nice and wonderful in real life, and that's also the case with designing and producing a new device.

The leadtime we got for the Wifi Chip is 30 (!!!) weeks - which is WAY too long.

Jorjin (the module manufacturer) could produce them within a couple of weeks, but it seems to take exceptionally long to get the needed chipsets from TI right now.

Also, some sample chips we ordered from TI two months ago haven't arrived (that's the part missing for the CPU PCBs).

 

We're also currently looking for different Wifi SIP manufacturers in order to be able to have a solution that doesn't take 30 weeks.

I'm sure we can work something out, but it's a bit of annoying work to do.

 

 

So much for the news today. We're moving along

 

In case there's a part of the case you want to take a closer look on, let me know and I'll render it

Is there a possibility of a FM radio?

 

[Silent-Hunter]

AM please.

 

[deadofmind]

Can't you get one that does AM and FM?

Would be a nice little feature!

 

[Hồng Thất Công]

Yeah!  That would make PYRA extra specially retro!  Then I would be able to listen to Michael Savage on my bus in real time  Go for it ED!  Is it too late? 

 

[TrashyMG]

'ere these backlights for the keyboard, easy to switch off? or will I have to break out the soldering iron.....?

of course they will be switchable, most likely they will be defaulted to off.

 

[Kiga]

Hi,

I like black or charcoal, but I feel like for a device with a design which is as simple as the Pyra, a touch of fantasy would be welcomed. That's why I'd like a transparent case.

I have concerns about the sun effect, black absorb more light so it becomes hottest in the sun light,  but what is the effects of the sun light on components when the case is transparent?

What about a black lid and a transparent bottom?

 

[codifies]

Light is a very real consern with a transparent case, take the over power hungry pi2 you either need liquid paper or smurf poo in the right place to photograph it, the light from a flash will cause a reboot!


You can't hide/protect electronics enough sometimes....

 

[TrashyMG]

Light is a very real consern with a transparent case, take the over power hungry pi2 you either need liquid paper or smurf poo in the right place to photograph it, the light from a flash will cause a reboot!


You can't hide/protect electronics enough sometimes....

First off the "Transparent Case" is just a rendering, it may not be the choice of the case material... secondly, the Flash issue that you most likely heard about from the RPI2 "issues" is kind of a freak thing.. Even if there were Chip Scale Package modules on the Pyra it may not have the same lock up effect as it did with the Raspberry Pi 2 depending where its located in the circuitry. Also most of the time CSP modules are encapsulated in a dark resin blob to prevent such occurrences.

 

[thatgui]

First off the "Transparent Case" is just a rendering, it may not be the choice of the case material...

It won't be, at least not for the standard model (I could imagine some Pyras with transparent/special color cases as prices for things like competitions or for showing off). Ed put money and work into having keyboard backlight and a litup logo in the lid, which would be pretty much useless if a transparent case would be an option.

 

[jp10558]

I prefer black for the color. Kickstarter - I don't care, but if you don't need it don't do it IMO.

 

[WizardStan]

For Kickstarter, I wouldn't entirely discount the exposure it would get. He could create several tiers and sell things like shirts and posters or just "your name in the thank you list" often gets a few extra bucks.

To help mitigate problems of overselling it is possible to set a limit: if he only wants to sell 10'000 in the first run he can set that limit, maybe make the first 1000 at $50 less, the next 4000 at expected price, and the last 5000 at $50 premium or something. Just example numbers, ED can work it out however he wants, point is that he can create a hard limit for sanity reasons. Maybe once those are sold out he can add a "$5 to be added to the list for the next run with the understanding that next run will take a while and you'll still need to pay $X-5" or whatever.

But that can also be a backup plan. He can see how many pre-orders he gets by more traditional methods, just asking and dumping money into a bank account.

My concern with that though is I fully expect news sources to make a big deal about the Pandora's history and warn people away from it, even if it's EvilDragon with a proven track record and a working prototype. A kickstarter might mitigate that negativity.

 

[levi]

I'd have thought going via journalists who are at least bound by libel laws would be better than opening yourself up to the kickstarter commentary community.  Everyone who got stung by Icp2 will already have a KS account for example.

Either way I don't forsee a significant problem, but I would also have thought seeing if enough orders can be garnered without paying kickstarter a percentage first might be a sensible idea.

 

[Grench]

For Kickstarter, I wouldn't entirely discount the exposure it would get. He could create several tiers and sell things like shirts and posters or just "your name in the thank you list" often gets a few extra bucks.


To help mitigate problems of overselling it is possible to set a limit: if he only wants to sell 10'000 in the first run he can set that limit, maybe make the first 1000 at $50 less, the next 4000 at expected price, and the last 5000 at $50 premium or something. Just example numbers, ED can work it out however he wants, point is that he can create a hard limit for sanity reasons. Maybe once those are sold out he can add a "$5 to be added to the list for the next run with the understanding that next run will take a while and you'll still need to pay $X-5" or whatever.


But that can also be a backup plan. He can see how many pre-orders he gets by more traditional methods, just asking and dumping money into a bank account.


My concern with that though is I fully expect news sources to make a big deal about the Pandora's history and warn people away from it, even if it's EvilDragon with a proven track record and a working prototype. A kickstarter might mitigate that negativity.

Actually - I could see turning that on it's head a bit.  Normally Kickstarters have lower priced buckets that fill first - since they're trying to drum up enough audience to get some press.  Frankly, the people on this forum will devour the 'initial units' anyway.

State that the KS units will be produced at 1000 per month (or whatever number) and charge -more- for the earlier batches.  I.e. if the unit is going to cost $700 (number from near thin air) 'First Batch' might be a $950, 2nd month units would go $850, 3rd month $800, 4th month $750, 5th month $700, 6th month or more pre-order gets a discounted rate of $675.  Then simply ramp production up and fulfill them as rapidly as possible - still in order of course.  Time is money.  Harvest time.

 

[WizardStan]

Then simply ramp production up and fulfill them as rapidly as possible - still in order of course.  Time is money.  Harvest time

Damn, that's brilliant!