The detachable laser module has me very concerned. When was this feature introduced? I would expect that would have been a selling point if it was within the original scope of the project. Is this just simply feature creep… or are you parlaying the bet of us initial buyers to try to create a even larger product that will have more market appeal?
Can you answer some basic questions?
Do you have all the material on hand at this point to manufacture the pre October 25, 2015 units?
At this point I would believe you are experiencing EOL (end of life issues) as the market for electronics is very fast pace. Are you?
What issues are you trending with the units that were in the “defect queue” awaiting troubleshooting?
Can you provide a PRD (product requirements document) so that we are sure there is no further feature creep or market expansion?
Have you passed safety and regulatory requirements (i.e. UL and FCC requirements)?
Taking away any personal emotion … I am trying to ask a few questions.
Can you tell us when the assembly line will actually begin and at what rate.
What about the start production date for units other than the basic, ie. Pro, basic w/filter, etc.
If I invested at about the $10 million mark, where am I in line … when selected for promotion in the military I had a promotion # and could anticipate my actual promotion date based on my number.
How many beta users have there been … and now, how many pre-production units do you actually plan to put into use? The announcement of pre-production late Monday sure amped up everyones enthusiasm - but only served to showcase planned super features versus a competant, reliable product you asked us to wait for last April.
Please stop apologizing so much and give us factual information. … how many have cancelled, how many pro versus basics are needed to fill backorders, what are your retail plans for the future, about the printhead - cost/functionality/availability date and so on, where is the user interface in terms of development and when can we see it, how about the user manual - is it available for download, what is the status and avalability of the proofgrade material. … you see, if all of these sub pieces are in-place now then you are to be believed that you could have begun production and delivery THIS MONTH, albeit in smaller numbers than the massive 10,000 unit you alluded to back in April.
The money invested thus far by me is inconsequential - the passing of time and my enthusiasm cannot be recouped. I (We) need to know precisely where we stand in line.
i think this is what ALOT OF US would like to see MORE transparency in the Glowforge company we want to see pictures of the facory floor we want to see videos of things that you are doing we want to see things being done we what to see out money being in a good place and good standing we what to see details of your everyday we want to see what exactly we are supposedly getting
I have 0 knowledge on laser cutters. But is it EOL in sight yet for the features seen alredy in a pre-production GF? Like all those cameras and “foolproof” interface used for newcomers? If it is, then I shall be concerned ON TOP of the rest of comments…
This is not only disappointing - it shows incredible lack of foresight or planning capabilities of the company. We all work for a living - many of us in product development. We can understand product delays - however, we cannot understand a product delay announcement 2 weeks prior to delivery that pushes this 6 months out.
Clearly we deserve to know the exact reasons for the delay - and how this was a ‘surprise’ 2 weeks prior to delivery. At such a late date it could only be discovery that a component used in assembly was defective.
I’d like to understand as well who is currently getting glow forges. That needs to be transparent. I wouldn’t want to suspect that less profitable crowdfunded units were being pushed back in favor of more profitable post crowdfunded units.
Many of us are business owners. We have made commitments based on trust in delivery. Some of us put those commitments out 3 months from when we thought we’d have the unit. Now it’s 6 months out.
This is not the first Project i have backed that has been delayed… it will not be the last.
However, those projects i have backed that have prioritised the release date have generally been inferior and sub-standard at release.
Is it disappointing to not have my Glowforge yet? Sure.
Is it something that makes me lose faith in Glowforge/Dan? No.
I believe this is a winner of a Product and will be worth the wait…and i would MUCH rather wait than receive an inferior or sub-standard machine.
If i stopped feeling like this then i would take the refund that is offered.
Having said that i have said since the beginning that i believe more transparency and communication would help Glowforge but i am a Marketing Consultant and am thus very used to clients/businesses not thinking it is as important as i do. C’est La Vie
Do what you got to do @Dan, i am so looking forward to having that machine (one day… lol)
To ship products internationally, you need certification.
To get that certification, organizations (like FCC) need to test the final “no more revisions” version of the product.
To get the “final no more revisions” version of the product, Glowforge needs more time to improve production yields.
Because they are based in the US and building it in the US, they don’t need to seek out those global certifications for US-based pre-releases. It’s not just because you’re on another continent - it’s ANYONE outside the USA. Even Canada and Mexico.
Do you have sufficient proof of concept tests to be sure the hardware is capable of doing all the stated features yet? That is an important milestone because you can’t finalise the design until you can be sure it will perform. Until the design is finalised you can’t get regulator approvals or start volume manufacture.
What is the earliest date you can achieve CE approval?