Does GF pay users to post pro/positive GF comments on this forum?
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Thanx a lot. Now that it is out that everyone who is positive is on the payroll they"ll cut us off! Now how am I going to support my proofgrade habit! Tell me!!! 
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Sweetie, they couldn’t afford me. 
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What a silly suggestion.
The folks who have their 'Forges are positive about them, because the product is awesome.
Those of us who are still waiting aren’t so positive, because, as the sadly late Tom Petty said, “the waiting is the hardest part.”
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You just made my evening! I thank you!
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Not at my consulting rates.
For the record, I was positive both before and after receiving my unit.
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Of course, this is the exact reaction he would expect if it were really true as well, so he’ll never really know, will he? 
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Careful with that declaration, because it is not accurate.
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Nope, I do it because I like the product and the team working on it! Also the people here are pretty awesome, too.
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I’m not sure I understand. Are you saying that people who have their units are not all positive about them, or that the product isn’t awesome?
I’ve been seeing what it can do. I have no animosity toward those who have gotten theirs, but I’m a bit jealous. By all accounts, it seems they are doing many of the things I’ve been looking forward to doing. I think that is a good reason for them to be more positive than I.
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You mean it’s possible to be displeased or unhappy with the situation and still be civil? Say it ain’t so, Joe!
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I’m saying that not all people who have their units are positive about them.
I’m in the group of people who have received their 'Forges. I’m certainly not in the group who thinks the product is awesome.
I don’t think it’s junk. The hardware is of fairly decent quality, and has great potential. The software/firmware - well, I won’t call it crap, but it has a looooong way to go.
It’s just barely usable, at this point.
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And I’d call that a mischaracterization. But, if you feel that way…
I’d say the stuff that’s posted daily in Made on a Glowforge is a glaring example of the software being definitely useable. Does it have a long ways to go? Yes. Is it barely useable? Not in my eyes.
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This forum is full of people having problems using it, along with all sorts of suggestions of workarounds. Just browse “Problems and Support” (though I know at least a few cheerleaders on here have admitted to muting that category):
“You’re unit won’t home? Try this…”
“It continuously throws and error? Reboot the GF, clear your browser cache, reboot your computer, pray to the GF gods, etc.”
Personally, just about every time I use the GUI, I get an unexpected (and unexplained) error of some sort.
Yes, it is usable. But barely, in my opinion.
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I see Community Support as one of the least active sections of the forum. How many tickets a day/posts a day are being originated there vs the number of units being used?
The other day I had an illustrator file that I had worked on for hours (created from scratch). Every time I touched a certain anchor point and tried to move it, the program froze.
My iPhone has updated at least 3x in the last week with new OS updates/patches.
Software, in my opinion, is in perpetual beta. All of it. Everywhere.
Sorry to hear that you’re having troubles! If you want help, you know where to ask for it. If you want software perfection, drop all of your devices off of the highest cliff near you and live off the land.
By the way, are you trying to use:
As an insult? Lol. Interesting choice of words if you aren’t.
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I will agree in part to Scott. I have ran into stupid repetitive errors that have made me want to take a Sledge hammer to it. Software errors that shouldn’t ever happen and even less useful super vague errors.
Yes I can use it but as many times as I have used are equal to tikes have been frustrated to insanity. Heck we get pg but we can’t actually use a full sheet due to working size limits so waste tons of material or design limitations that we may want to run
So yes its good hard ware but the software is infuriating
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Like anything else, it’s somewhere in the middle. I can say personally, I haven’t waited 20 minutes on anything other than for a job to finish printing. Does that mean it doesn’t happen? Nope.
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Full disclosure: I got a free pre-release Glowforge last November. I got a bunch of free Proofgrade. I got a sponsored trip to Makerfaire in San Mateo. I got zero instructions other than use it to the best of my ability and give them feedback about the user experience. I feel that I have been less than helpful to Glowforge in reporting back to the mother ship my experiences. I’ve sent a few emails to support. Most of my documenting has been posted on the forum. I have really enjoyed my pre-release. It pretty well accomplished everything I needed. I had very few errors. When I wanted to do something, it worked almost every time. When I use my present production unit, it has worked almost every time. I have had only a handful of error messages and none of them were deal breakers.
I am very curious @scott.wiederhold as to your own experience with the Glowforge as “barely usable”. I do not do large engravings so I haven’t had issues with those types of errors. I am so used the the Glowforge doing what I want it do do, I can’t imagine folks whose use cases are largely prone to failure. What have you been trying to do that has not been successful?
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His problems definitely aren’t a product of wanting perfection. Any problem is essentially a valid problem. That was a hyperbolic statement with a hint of reality as it pertains to software. Generations old software is matured but not perfect. He knows this. I know this. We all know it.
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