Not @dan (obviously), but as he summarized in the email… power supply design problems. You will find various posts in the forums about issues it has caused, and @dan has even stated that they had to meet specific requirements which caused the delay. To date, that is the most significant reason for the delay.
Good news: They appear to have the issue going “from the red” to “the yellow” (to use a project management nomenclature).
From what I can tell, most of you are sticking it out. Not me. Originally Q1, then Q2, now Dec 2016. You cried wolf one too many times. I don’t think it’s fair you hold my money for 14 months - maybe longer?..
I just requested a refund. Hopefully I’ll be able to find a product that will work for our needs and we’ll make our money back much faster with something than we ever would with nothing.
Best of luck to you guys, but it’s time for us to move on.
Really disappointed and bummed that my summer plans will have to change, but I’m not canceling my order… Some slips are inevitable.
I’m more worried that I have a pretty good imagination and given more time I’ll likely project more awesomeness on to my virtual Glowforge - which may diverge from reality quite a bit after a while. I just hope it all comes together gently in the end.
Good luck @dan et al!
Honestly, that they’re being made in the USA instead of overseas is what makes the delay palatable for me.
This really saddened me to see this. As a design engineer I completely understand the challenges that can arise in the development of a new product. I wish there was a second round of beta units, I have the skill set to trouble shoot and modify my unit if I need to, I am not worried about getting a mass market unit. So why not have a “Tinker” program, for people that have the skills and the willingness to play and explore units that aren’t the final production units.
That was a very well written email. I really feel good that you went ahead and pushed the deadline so far back. I was really expecting there to be a whole lot more beta testing as someone who has absolutely no experience in creating very successful commercial products lol and truthfully I was concerned pre-this email. I would so much rather be pleasantly surprised than disappointed. The “Mr. Beam II” doesn’t even interest me a 100th as the Glowforge does. Yes, I could go buy a cheap Chinese laser and eventually be able to produce a good commercial product, but what the Glowforge offers me is the ability to open up that creative outlet to my wife and child. No other Laser on the market of the Glowforge’s expected quality is going to be as affordable or as user friendly. I purchased knowing I would wait, and after spending as much time as I have in the forums the value is most certainly here for me to wait
That’s entirely a decision that Glowforge is willing to accept, and one you’ve always had.
But here, I FTFY.
@dan what happens with us who are overseas and will move countries in the meantime? When I ordered my Glowforge, I expected I’d still live in Greece by the time it got here (even if it was shipped significantly later than initially planned), but from what I read here, I’m most likely to move to Serbia weeks before my Glowforge arrives. If I remember correctly, shipping to Serbia was also more expensive than shipping to Greece…
I echo many others by saying thanks for the detailed response and the extras!
My two cents on what to expect: the power supply was ‘only’ 4.5 months delayed, and the team was able to work on other aspects during the wait. As such, my gut tells me that this new 6 month later estimate has a whole bunch of new slack built in. This will handily reinstate the team’s ability to end up in the ‘under-promise and over-deliver’ camp; If things go really well from now on, they may find themselves with a highly polished piece of hardware ready to ship well before EOY, and I know they would be ecstatic to start shipping earlier!
This is utterly exasperating. I have an updated business plan and designs ready to go, and now I’m missing out on holiday sales, at the very least. I am not a corporate cheerleader. I expected better. My husband is an electronics engineer for power plant turbines and we had an interesting conversation speculating about the nitty gritty details of this delay. Speculations aside, my confidence in your company is greatly diminished.
Fooey. I literally had to read the new ship date twice. I’ve already got emails from Trotec and ULS asking me to get back on board with them. The other serious consideration for me is that I started up a new business with this purchase and without having the unit in use in 2016, this will screw up my taxes now. I need a few days to think. (sad face emoji thingy)
Dan,
I run a business with real employees and stuff, so unfortunately this involves more than just myself. Hence the “us”
FTFY or whatever that means.
You said what I was thinking–this sounds like it will set them up with some extra time that they can use or, preferably, not, and then ship “early.”
It would have until you jinxed it .
I absolutely agree.
You should apply to the beta testers group, as there is only ONE beta testers group. If you are accepted, you are accepted. There is no indication of a second set of beta testers being created after the initial group has wrapped up, because the design will have been set.
Lets see, you are having Power Supplies and other components developed and tested for UL certification? Yes, that can delay things a bit. But I think further testing by your team is most crucial (that sounds funny)!
So, good decision, no doubt!
I don’t have any plans to use the GF right away for anything crucial.
Hopefully delivery is by December, but I’m thinking a bit earlier for pre-orders, possibly/maybe/crossing only fingers on one hand/staying positive.
Thanks for the transparency!
I understand your frustration, but if you follow the forums here you can get a good idea on where everything stands.
This is a crowd funding campaign and every one of them comes with risk. However you won’t find many that offer refunds up until shipping your unit or offer more freebies as an apology when things fall behind.
I think it is awesome that they are offering these extras with an apology. To demand more is a bit much.
I can wait a little longer. I encourage everyone to not only read but also to engage in the forum. It is the best way to keep track of everything going on and also a great place to get inspired and share your work!
total bummer
We really appreciate the transparency. Couldn’t have been an easy message to send to so many hopeful laser owners…
Our business has been working toward creating some serious new investments to broaden our services, and the Glowforge was one of the central keys to expansion. That being said I suppose it will allow us more time to craft our new vision. As a decade-old business that is always evolving, a shift of the sort we are considering is a big leap of faith. So was putting the money we didn’t have into something that will now be almost a year after our initial investment. Big bummer there. But understandable.
We’d rather have a machine our business can rely on completely as we expand and evolve than something that would cause potential issues after our existing clients begin clamoring for time on the 'forge…and then have disappointment if the power supply went belly up.
Better to build realistic expectations with our client base than to overpromise…
Thanks again for the update. This year’s business plan will just have to wait and be updated for a year down the road. A significant hit to our plans, but we’ve already learned not to put all our eggs in one basket, so we’ll adapt. And have future confidence in a better-made machine.