A fresh new start, Part 1 (2011-07-12)


EvilDragon

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As you might have read on the boards, Batch 2 will NOT be produced by CircuitCo anymore.


I am currently contacting companies in Germany to get some quotations.


More about that in the next blog entry.


First, I'll try to explain the reasons for that move and summarize everything that happened during


the last few months.


January / February: Production resumes


As you might remember, CircuitCo promised us to finish the full 4000 PCB population until the end of last year, so that we had fully working PCBs and only the new nubs would have to be soldered onto them after that.


That would have been a cool thing, as it would've meant that Batch 1 would've been finished in January / February.


Well, as most of you might know, this hasn't happened.


Then a new guy had been employed by CC. His job was to do quality management and to oversee the Pandora production.


We got weekly status updates at first, which was great!


He analyzed the bottlenecks, all issues, etc.


While the production speed he told us was slower than we had hoped, at least we now knew what was going on, what issues there were to be solved and we got realistic sounding quantity numbers.


This worked well for the next few months. They regularly sent new boards and while quite a few had some issues, we could continue shipping and send back the non-working boards for repairs.


By selling some units as Premium Pandoras, we could cope with the monthly costs we had as well as with any refunds or money needed for RMAs.


May / June: WiFi issues occur


Then, as you might also know, a LOT of boards of a complete batch had WiFi issues.


Production then came to a halt, we sent these boards back to have them fixed and I created four new testing rigs including a new testing SD Card (with notaz' help) which tests almost anything the Pandora can do.


They can also run individual tests, so they can work on a PCB with broken WiFi for example and only run the WiFi test.


June / July: Communication gets worse again


That's when communication and our faith in CC started to break down again.


While at first we got a few quick replies regarding the testing SD Card, we didn't get a status update for weeks, even though we were asking for that once a day.


Two weeks after they got the new testing setup, they started to work on WiFi... 1,5 weeks later they had a problem with one of the tests. I had a bug in the script that prevented one test from working.


But it took CC 1,5 weeks to realize that. It sure felt like they haven't done anything within that time...


What's going on right now with CC?


We are missing about 1000 PCBs from batch 1, and it seems the only ones they have left are boards with issues they need to fix.


Most of these boards had aged bare PCBs. When PCBs are lying around for a year without being populated, they start oxidating - which had happened here. This leads to all kind of issues, as parts don't


solder properly anymore. Well, if they HAD populated the PCBs last year like the promised us they would, this wouldn't have happened...


(Note to fearful Pandora owners: The oxidation no problem if your board is already populated, it won't stop working suddenly. Once the parts are on the board, they have proper contact and won't fail)


Anyways, they agreed to pay for the new parts needed to fix those PCBs with issues.


They also mentioned they will fix 125+ boards per week, we'll see if that will work out. But they told us they will finish Batch 1.


Our conclusion?


Well, we personally aren't pleased with how CC handled the situation. We were given false promises, they didn't keep any deadlines, the number of boards with issues that need to be fixed before


we can ship them is way too high and communication was really lacking.


This caused our reputation to shrink as well, as we couldn't keep any deadlines either and it seemed we were telling lies and delaying things.


This is what we experienced, maybe we were just unlucky and other companies have no such issues with CC?


Maybe the Pandora was too complicated to build after all?


Who knows?


Some guy on the BeagleBoard mailing list also wrote he's been waiting three weeks for a reply from CC, so it at least seems we're not the only ones.


On thing that is without excuse for us is the lack of communication, the missing status updates as well as the non-kept promises and deadlines.


Issues can ALWAYS occur, but we'd love to know about them, so we can fix them together asap.


As you probably know, the iControlPad is also produced by us. We chose a company in Germany. They didn't miss a single deadline and each time there was an issue or a question, they contacted us right away.


This was a very pleasant experience.


This does mean that Batch 2 will NOT be produced by CircuitCo. We are now looking into various companies within Europe and should have some quotations within a few weeks.


If you know of any company who can do PoP (Package on Package population) and is reliable (some of you might be involved with some electronics company as well), feel free to contact me.


The more quotations we get, the better :)


This is a HUGE task we're doing here. I've personally taken the task to work on that. It will cost me a lot of time, energy and sleep - but I'm sure, with your help and support, I can do that!


Next blog post (with some more updates Batch 2 production) coming later today.
 
Thanks for the update ED.


Hope you managed to recharge your batteries, but sorry you've had to come back to deal with this.
 
Thanks for the update ED.


Hope you managed to recharge your batteries, but sorry you've had to come back to deal with this.

Yep, I've got some bit more energy now, which will most likely be needed.


But we can do it :)
 
As always ED, another great post. Sadly it isn't the best of news for those of us still waiting in batch 1, 2, and beyond! Although it is good to see you guys giving the BIG middle finger to CC :lol:


The amazing thing about all of this(banks, cases, boards, ect.), is that after 2 years of BS from everyone from every country, is that there is still a demand for this project. Can you imagine what number production could be up to if not for so many poor business partners? You guys could easily be over 10,000 units by now.


I find it totaly amazing that even with CC showing their true colors, this project is still moving forward. This really is a one of a kind product, as I think if there was anything out there even remotely close, OPT would have had to throw in the towel 12 months ago. As I believe most would have moved on and found something else.


Many actually have, but I'm sure that would have happened even if supply was meeting demand, so that's not a real big deal, but for me, I haven't seen anything that has even required me to take a second look. The Pandora is still TOP DOG in my eyes.


To wrap up, I would like to say to CC........Your company really needs to step up, and do what's right. There is no reason to not communicate properly with someone who is paying you to do a job. After all, that is your job right? Sadly CC is another glowing reason why the US job market is going everywhere else besides AMERICA!


If you won't stand for something, you'll fall for anything! This is really what the US has come to at this point. It is so very hard to find anyone who stands for anything anymore. :(


Chris
 
Now i feel bad for having posted a request for updates a few hours ago. Thanks a lot for the update ED its good that you're keeping us informed. Are there any expectations for when you'll be able to send back the RMA'd Pandoras? (specificly the ones with the Wi-fi faults).
 
Now i feel bad for having posted a request for updates a few hours ago. Thanks a lot for the update ED its good that you're keeping us informed. Are there any expectations for when you'll be able to send back the RMA'd Pandoras? (specificly the ones with the Wi-fi faults).

Well, CC mentioned last week they will start to ship more boards this week... if that's true, it shouldn't be too long.


As for the RMA'ed Pandoras that have been sent to me and that I can fix: I'll work on them probably tomorrow.
 
Keep on with the good job you are doing here, i never lost faith in what you are doing. I hope you will produce many more pandoras in the future, so maybe i can have another one, when production is up and running at a stable rate.
 
Tnx for the update :)


Still looking forward to the pandora.


Its the only pocket sized laptop out there, so its the only option for me :)
 
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Thank You for the status update as always :)


I am sure changing company now will require a lot of work. Hopefully everything will be for the best.


It looks like the iControlPad is doing pretty good. I actually received mine today it's a pretty nice piece of kit. I guess it can only help to have a second product where production seem to be doing okay. I am sure there is quite a bit of potential for it. I don't know how involved you are in it compared to Craig, but it sure can't be bad the Pandora project overall.


A bit off topic but is it okay if I send my Pandora to repair to you even though I bought it from Craig (I am in Switzerland). It's another one of the old screen cable that has gone mad. I sent you an email but I know you're busing. Not sure about the shipping address too. (hidden somewhere on gp2x.de?) Thx.
 
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Thank You for the status update as always :)


I am sure changing company now will require a lot of work. Hopefully everything will be for the best.


It looks like the iControlPad is doing pretty good. I actually received mine today it's a pretty nice piece of kit. I guess it can only help to have a second product where production seem to be doing okay. I am sure there is quite a bit of potential for it. I don't know how involved you are in it compared to Craig, but it sure can't be bad the Pandora project overall.

Well, after we decided to not let CC produce the iCP, I looked for a company in Germany, so I basically did the same thing I have to do with the Pandora now.


iCP is a way simpler board though.


Craig is currently pushing the iCP (can't do much else while waiting for the next Pandora PCBs to be shipped to him) while I'm dealing with the RMAs and the Pandora production.


The iCP production works without any issues right now, so I concentrate mostly on the Pandora side right now.

A bit off topic but is it okay if I send my Pandora to repair to you even though I bought it from Craig (I am in Switzerland). It's another one of the old screen cable that has gone mad. I sent you an email but I know you're busing. Not sure about the shipping address too. (hidden somewhere on gp2x.de?) Thx.

Sure.


OpenPandora GmbH


Schäffbräustr. 11


85049 Ingolstadt


Germany
 
ED thanks for the detailed info, more of the same kind of crap OP have had to put up with over the years.


but ............


based on "We are missing about 1000 PCBs from batch 1" the assumption is OP have 3000 pcb's to make 3000 Pandora's, and with Craig having approx 75% of the boards he should have be able to produce around 2250 Pandora's.


Being approx 1700 in Craig’s queue and having waited for over 2 years & 2 months can someone explain why I (and others) have still to receive our Pandoras.


Please don't get me wrong, I have stuck with it because I believe in what you are trying to achieve. I know you have been seriously dicked around by almost every supplier and had some seriously bad luck over the years. I'm not ranting or accusing anybody of deceit or theft but I am struggling to understand how the numbers stack up and when I might finally receive my Pandora.


Here's hoping for good news.
 
Thanks for the update ED. Even if it's same news as ever, confirming ongoing delay, it sounds like the world could see a Pandora Made in Germany. Maybe the ICP production company would like to buy the additional production lane of Circut Co?


And for the audience: 1000 boards remaining, 125 per week production, is 25 per day on a 5 day week, needs 40 days to complete, is 8 weeks, so our magically two months are back again.^^
 
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Thanks again ED for the update. I hope you find a competent new company. I study at a technical German university with lots of sponsors and contacts to different companies in that field. But its the end of the semester and the exams are the only thing which are handled there right now (still 3 to go for me). If this would have come up a month or so earlier I could have asked in the chip design lab. But if you haven't found one until October (which I don't hope), I can ask if they know a good company. I am also one of the late Batch 1 orders, but I still hope to get my Pandora this year (I originally wanted it in the end of 2009 for my community service).
 
Wow. I haven't been on the forums for a while, and I was curious as to how the project was doing. It's awful to see you're still getting screwed over by CC, so good on you for finally telling them enough is enough! I really hope you find a reliable company for Batch 2. The Pandora really deserves a wider audience. I received mine a few months ago (using it right now infact, and I love it), and it honestly angers me a little that a company like CC can be so dishonest to the point of badly damaging your own company's reputation, which in turn threatens the entire project. Obviously CC feels it doesn't need your business, so hopefully you'll find a company that respects your product even if it isn't something on the scale of an iDevice.


Good luck to you guys. You deserve all the best!
 
It seems like the combination of the Chinese case company and CircuitCo together has truly hurt the image of the Pandora and of OpenPandora as a company. Back in 2008 and 2009 many people were truly enthusiastic about the device. Nowadays it mostly gets a few lukewarm comments. Together, these companies have condemned the Pandora 1 to a very, very small niche market.


Good choice to move away from CC, they did a shoddy job and you guys have to suffer for it.
 
Here is a thing that irks me about the entire issue:


1. Why are you not suing CC for breaking contract?


2. If the contract does only contain "will ship X units", why did not you add a "X units is not delivered by Y date" as a term, based on the factories promise, when you first wrote the contract??


Otherwise it seems good that the project has some progress, I hope you finally manage to ship the entire batch sooner or later, so you could design Pandora 2.0 <3
 
Hmm. 1000 boards with problems out of 4000. That's a LOT. Which also implies that all 4000 boards have been populated.


Or did you mean there are 1000 boards missing to actually populate?


Also, I don't want to be a spine in the foot, but...

On thing that is without excuse for us is the lack of communication, the missing status updates as well as the non-kept promises and deadlines. Issues can ALWAYS occur, but we'd love to know about them
...sounds vaguely familiar. I'm thinking about the few long periods without any progress updates. :huh:


(don't mind this last part, I'm just a bit less patient than usual today. <_< But I would seriously like to know more about those 1000 missing boards.)


Thanks for the update though!!
 
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I think a European based company will be better than whoever was considered in Taiwan a few months ago (having a case company flashback).
 
ED thanks for the detailed info, more of the same kind of crap OP have had to put up with over the years.


but ............


based on "We are missing about 1000 PCBs from batch 1" the assumption is OP have 3000 pcb's to make 3000 Pandora's, and with Craig having approx 75% of the boards he should have be able to produce around 2250 Pandora's.


Being approx 1700 in Craig’s queue and having waited for over 2 years & 2 months can someone explain why I (and others) have still to receive our Pandoras.


Please don't get me wrong, I have stuck with it because I believe in what you are trying to achieve. I know you have been seriously dicked around by almost every supplier and had some seriously bad luck over the years. I'm not ranting or accusing anybody of deceit or theft but I am struggling to understand how the numbers stack up and when I might finally receive my Pandora.


Here's hoping for good news.

Yes, I agree with you. I understand the production problems that have occurred but it sure seems like somehow I got skipped in the queue as well. I originally ordered on 10/1/2008 and was told by Jacquelyn at openpandorasales that my "approximate queue position is 1300 - 1400". Something just doesn't add up here.


Raven
 
Now I’m really pissed (before I was lurker here). Last update from Open Pandora Sales I have got 2 months ago and they want to force me to upgrade to the premium to get Pandora faster or get money back (even less than I had to “invest”). No words after that. Now I see that I need to wait even longer, IMO even longer than ppl from Batch2 because CC will have rest of their work deep in the hole (“Whatever” and “I don’t care” rules for small companies in US).
 
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