[roberthoward45]

YEA set up a 24 hour web cam so the pressure is on so that Big brother "pandora customers" can always be watching that would be amazing i would watch that for all 4000 units

[puppydee]

So when will ALL the populated boards arrive? do we have a date? a week, two weeks,a month?

So the todo list should read something like.

Things waiting for

Cases
Populated boards.
keymats.
Tv out cables.
All the other parts that where previusly shipped to texas ready to start when the cases arrived.

This post has been edited by puppydee: 01 March 2010 - 12:04 AM

[Tensuke]

You guys need to make a set of cards with just your names on them, and stick them in the Pandoras between the screen and keyboard when you finish them, so we can know who made ours. :)
Of course, that would take up a lot of more important assembly time...And I imagine 4000 cards wouldn't come cheap.

[Alerino]

why not ship cases from China directly to Craig's?

[WizardStan]

Alerino, on 28 February 2010 - 07:14 PM, said:

why not ship cases from China directly to Craig's?

Where else would they be going?

[MooTheKow]

So - bottom line - how much time is this going to add to the wait for US-based customers? Have to be honest - this is disappointing news if it's going to delay things - that and I don't understand how this can suddenly come up when you guys were expecting the Pandora's to be finished/assembled half a year ago.. Did you never ask a price when you thought they were going to be assembled in Texas?

[EvilDragon]

WizardStan, on 01 March 2010 - 12:37 AM, said:

EvilDragon, on 28 February 2010 - 05:42 PM, said:

The company does want an incredible high amount (about 100USD per unit, AFAIR) just for assembling.
That would be a whopping 400.000 USD!

Reality check? Shouldn't this have been something you figured out months ago, when it was first suggested that the factory offered an assembly floor? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad a backup plan came together (seemingly) so quickly, but what if there hadn't been such an option? :o

Problem was: The company didn't want to make a quote as long as they didn't know how much work it was. Then they got the documents from Michael quite a few weeks ago and needed up until now to make the quotes.
Nothing bad, just a lot more hard work for us ;)

[Raman]

EvilDragon, on 01 March 2010 - 12:50 AM, said:

Nothing bad, just a lot more hard work for us ;)

And if you need help, let us know - we'll be there!

[Alerino]

WizardStan, on 28 February 2010 - 10:41 PM, said:

Alerino, on 28 February 2010 - 07:14 PM, said:

why not ship cases from China directly to Craig's?

Where else would they be going?

thought they were heading to MWeston's, my bad

[emil10001]

So, when is all this going to be done? When is the assembly line going to be set up? and when are the units going to be assembled? Is Texas going to finish producing the 4000, and when are they going to ship those out? I'm wondering all this because the last I read cases should be shipping from China at the end of the week, or early next week at the latest (hopefully). I'm hoping that this won't add much time to the project.

In short, is this venture is going to take some extra time? Is this being set up now? Is this going to be done in Craig's garage with a few people, a table and a space heater? So many questions!

Anyways, good luck in the final leg guys! :D

This post has been edited by emil10001: 01 March 2010 - 01:41 AM

[craigix]

emil10001, on 01 March 2010 - 01:41 AM, said:

So, when is all this going to be done? When is the assembly line going to be set up? and when are the units going to be assembled? Is Texas going to finish producing the 4000, and when are they going to ship those out? I'm wondering all this because the last I read cases should be shipping from China at the end of the week, or early next week at the latest (hopefully). I'm hoping that this won't add much time to the project.

In short, is this venture is going to take some extra time? Is this being set up now? Is this going to be done in Craig's garage with a few people, a table and a space heater? So many questions!

Anyways, good luck in the final leg guys! :D

No, I own the old Village hall. So it will be done there. If anything we think this will speed things up.

[Timstertoo]

It's just part of doing business.

I think if you'd get a day by day update on a product made by an established big company you'd be amazed by the similarities.

I can remember a new Mercedes coming out and the name already been deposited by someone else years ago. He waited until the whole prerelease advertising campaign was on it's peak and then he said they couldn't use it. I tried to google it but couldn't easily find it but the way I remember it they transferred him something like 150k just to go into negotiations with them and not force them to stop the advertising campaign etc. No one at Mercedes had bothered to check if the name was available. Apple has problems with Fujitsu at the moment as they already have a tablet with that exact same name.

These yanks probably waited as long as possible, hoping the point of no return had been passed, and they'd have to accept the high quote. Or they just don't feel like it and/or are lacking the time/employees so they just quoted an amount that would make it interesting for them. If, and I wouldn't be surprised, they read this forums they know the pressure is on and that could possibly be exploitable.

I have no clue how long it takes to assemble one unit but I can't imagine it being over an hour, especially not if you setup a line and everyone does something else. Assuming it would take 1 hour of labor per unit I can't see how it would have to cost more then $30-$35 and that's still a very healthy markup if you get cheap labor. And seeing as I can see how 3 an hour a person could be a very attainable number they are just taking the piss and there is more to this matter then we know about. Of course the numbers and technical level of the workers I just sucked out of my thumb will change dramatically with more info. For instance if soldering is involved in every unit you need at least one guy with a steady hand that knows what he's doing and he'll become the bottleneck speedwise.

Personally I like the idea of the guys assembling them themselves. It's a lot less of an abstract notion then yet another company somewhere in the US saying they are going to start, it's going well, they are having problems or whatnot and not sending any finished products.

This post has been edited by Timstertoo: 01 March 2010 - 02:03 AM

[Poem58]

EvilDragon, on 28 February 2010 - 07:50 PM, said:

WizardStan, on 01 March 2010 - 12:37 AM, said:

EvilDragon, on 28 February 2010 - 05:42 PM, said:

The company does want an incredible high amount (about 100USD per unit, AFAIR) just for assembling.
That would be a whopping 400.000 USD!

Reality check? Shouldn't this have been something you figured out months ago, when it was first suggested that the factory offered an assembly floor? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad a backup plan came together (seemingly) so quickly, but what if there hadn't been such an option? :o

Problem was: The company didn't want to make a quote as long as they didn't know how much work it was. Then they got the documents from Michael quite a few weeks ago and needed up until now to make the quotes.
Nothing bad, just a lot more hard work for us ;)

So let me get this straight, you chose a company to populate the boards and made arrangements for them to assemble the Pandora's which originally were to be assembled and shipped by October. Let's say the arrangements weren't made until preparing for December launch. You officially announced all the parts were delivered to the Texas facility and once the cases arrived they were to be assembled and shipped. Now you say you just got a quote for the job. You sent all your materials to the facility for assembly BEFORE you even had an official arrangement for assembly? It was just assumed that all would be affordable? Sorry but that sounds a bit ridiculous. Why would you send all the parts there and assume a contract with no agreement? That would be like sending your car in for service and just assuming you wouldn't be charged an arm or a leg. That was VERY risky. Where are the parts. Do you have them back already? Are there any other assumed arrangements? I'm not trying to be belligerent or anything, I just have never heard of such a thing. I guess it's fine as long as the parts don't get lost or damaged on the way back. But it would be nice to know that they are or at least when they are expected to be back in your possession so we may know they are all safe.

Having the team assemble them is nothing to be upset about, actually I would trust they would be handled with more care as you guys would have a more careful approach seeing as how important the success of the device is. I'm glad if all works out alright. I'm not thrilled about the concept of some sort of customs fee. Especially when there is no idea what it could be. I'm going to have to do some thinking now, and some research. Not that that helped before ( I couldn't find any conclusive info). So if they do assess some huge customs fee what can one do, can you refuse the delivery if the fee is too high? Are you stuck with it? Is it likely even a concern?

I just don't understand how something like this could have happened, but also am glad a backup solution exists. Let's hope parts return doesn't cause a delay due to damage or loss. Which is one of my fears here, as well as the talk last year of customs.

ED I hope you can chime in on the parts situation. Also, I hope someone out there knows for sure about the customs stuff. I really couldn't make out anything from the old thread on it, nor do I want to look it up again just to be as confused as before. Maybe ED or Craig would best know as I'm sure they have sent devices form the UK to the US before.

I take from the tone of talk, no real delays will come of this. Are all 4000 boards populated then? If so are they shipping to you now, or will they come in some sort of waves?

Sorry to ask so many questions, but just about everything I thought I understood has just changed.

Edit: Webcam huh, I can just imagine the site crash as 4000+ people try to watch their Panda's made!

This post has been edited by Poem58: 01 March 2010 - 02:17 AM

[emil10001]

craigix, on 28 February 2010 - 08:54 PM, said:

emil10001, on 01 March 2010 - 01:41 AM, said:

So, when is all this going to be done? When is the assembly line going to be set up? and when are the units going to be assembled? Is Texas going to finish producing the 4000, and when are they going to ship those out? I'm wondering all this because the last I read cases should be shipping from China at the end of the week, or early next week at the latest (hopefully). I'm hoping that this won't add much time to the project.

In short, is this venture is going to take some extra time? Is this being set up now? Is this going to be done in Craig's garage with a few people, a table and a space heater? So many questions!

Anyways, good luck in the final leg guys! :D

No, I own the old Village hall. So it will be done there. If anything we think this will speed things up.

Well, that's a pretty good start. I guess that getting a few people together to assemble these units shouldn't be too hard with the economy as it is. Especially since you don't need to pay much for this type of work. I would also assume that you guys are already on top of getting the boards sent to you. If it was driving distance from me, I'd come help out, but I don't think I could really drive from Boston. So, I'm hoping to see some pictures of this effort.

Like I said before, good luck!

[roberthoward45]

i say all 4000 pandora customers fly to craigix house and help build the pandora then massive party!!!