There is really nothing substantive or factual I can add to all the other threads about the delay. However, I hope I can provide some comfort to those who are concerned that the whole thing is a scam, or a con, or a conspiracy designed to extract our money.
I am a real person (really I am) and and I am writing this while I sit on the bus on my way to work. I have been beta testing for Glowforge since last March. Along the way I have interacted with many folks at Glowforge who responded to my many questions, problems, and (frequent) joy. As made public by @dan I have had several different beta units. In my house. This is just to say that Glowforge laser cutters exist. The people exist (and are wonderful). They are real. I have physically touched multiple Glowforge machines. I have been inside the Glowforge offices and gotten a tour from @rita I have used several machine. I have broken them. They have been fixed or replaced with better ones. I have watched the software evolve. It has gotten better. I believe it will get better still. I have made many things on these machines, and I have had the pleasure to share some of these things with all of you. Those things are real, and you will (eventually) be able to make even more amazing things yourselves.
I have occasionally even gotten a little (gasp) bored of making things on a laser cutter. But then I get an idea or have a problem, and the Glowforge helps me fulfill the idea or fix the problem, and then the joy comes back.
You have every right to be upset and disappointed with the schedule and delays. I am too. At the end of the day we must each decide what to do about our own circumstance. I will be waiting it out. Yes I bought and paid for a Glowforge (basic). Yes I did this BEFORE I knew I would be beta testing one (hell it was well before they even announced the beta program). Yes I put it on a credit card. Yes it was a lot of money. Yes my wife was skeptical. Yes I want a machine to call my own.
Do what you need to do, I am not trying to change your mind or say that my circumstances are anything like yours. Butā¦ know that these things exist in the wild, and I believe the wait will be worth it.
Thatās really good to read. Are you allowed to discuss your experience in any detail or would that violate the NDA? Iām really curious about the issues or bugs that came up in your testing and how they got resolved. That sort of thing fascinates me even when I donāt have skin in the game.
I love this response. As a software developer I am envious of your position of getting to see things change and evolve. That for me is actually the most fun in my job.
Anyone picture people on the bus giving @jkopel plenty of space as he mouths out āI am a real person. Really, I amā typing out this comment?
It was awesome to see his first projects, and then assume he had over-Forged his poor units when things would go quiet for a while. Hopefully any ill-advised mention of āscamā doesnāt give him any crises bordering on existential.
I look forward to the enlarged goodie-bag that will come with my forge.
Sadly my bus route is a busy one, and the poor lady shoved in next to me was forced to endure my muttering while crouched over my phone. That post is possibly the most words I have ever typed on my phone. Hope to not do it again any time soon.
That is what glowforge needs to do to instill confidenceā¦start to be more transparent. No visibility, no confidence, more delays. Is 7 more months sufficient? Probably not given the track record. Its just another seems not too far, but far enough to hopefully give them time to finish whatever it is that is still left.
Having watched the Tested video before I learned of this latest delay, I was already confident that this thing is real. Iām happy the product I will receive has been re-engineered to be as good as it can be. For the price I paid, Iām getting a bargain!
Thanks for taking the time to write about your experiences and reassure the rest of us that there are machines (and real people behind them). It means a lot that you, and the other beta and preorder users, will stick around through this setback. You guys probably have the best of idea of what youāre in for, and youāre still here.
And thanks for spending your bus ride working on this
They have been fixed or replaced with better ones. I have watched the software evolve. It has gotten better. I believe it will get better still. I have made many things on these machines, and I have had the pleasure to share some of these things with all of you. Those things are real, and you will (eventually) be able to make even more amazing things yourselves.
)