I have to say that this delay, while of course not thrilling, doesn’t shock me. The reason I pre-ordered the Glowforge is because they’re trying to do something quite innovative, and by definition innovation is risky. If you look at large software projects in general, there’s about a 90% failure rate - they rarely hit their time and budget target. And hardware projects are much harder than software projects. So I take the attitude that I’m supporting something I’d like to see happen, and don’t bet on dates at all - after backing many Kickstarters, even the simplest projects miss dates fairly often, and GlowForge is far from simple.
About the only complaint that I have with Glowforge is the lack of transparency. I know that all startups are irrationally optimistic, and I don’t mind it - more cynical people wouldn’t even try! But while Dan has to be careful about what he says since he’s got investors and very serious competition, I’d hope that he could be a little more open about risks. His previous startup (the cool Turtle game) was more open - it’s probably just harder to be transparent with more people’s jobs and money on the line. But, still, it’d be good for both customers and Glowforge for them to be a little more open about risks and status. And as long as Dan is better/faster than the competition, he’ll be fine!
I think you’re safe on the getting flagged thing here. The only flagging I’m aware of being done has been by the “followers” against comments made by the “questioners”. It pretty much seems to be a tool of ultimate power of the defenders of the faith. This a comment by one having been flagged on multiple occasions and never having flagged the comments of another crowdfunder.
Others have already touched on the possibility that GF may not actually be paying $50 for those certificates but they may also want to reduce the amount of administrative cost for finding out which owners want what and then making sure they actually get their selection when their GF unit ships.
I’m not asking for any further assurance. I got what I needed.
I don’t think comments on this forum clog the delivery of the device, neither did poor planning. It was going to take as long as it was going to take if Dan and his team could estimate it properly or not. I wish he’d not gotten that wrong, he clearly wishes that more than I do, doesn’t change the eventual delivery date even if he’s wrong again.
And you make my point form me. Confezioni’s request didn’t need someone injecting their opinion dismissing him. If I’d known Dan asked us to answer on his behalf I believe I’d have done that instead of trying to make room for Dan to answer himself.
I don’t begrudge anyone having a say so long as points of view aren’t being swarmed into silence. Including those who think I’m a head.
If/when this thread closes, or even prior, I’d love to see progress. Can GF share a list of active challenges being discovered and those recently resolved? Are test units confirming that X is now clear and that Y is no-longer causing Z? I believe I signed up for everything forum, am I missing those (if they exist)?
Last time I saw someone ask, video session, it was difficult due to agreements with the part manufacturers.
The progress is being, (for lack of a better word), “collected”, by some of the members and will be posted in a weekly highlights thread for those who do not want to spend time interacting with the rest of the forum to find them.
These currently appear in the Everything Else category.
You are not missing any major information. I know you want more and believe it or not we have seen slightly more since the schedule reboot. Capability updates? Sure, as they occur. But progress/problem updates. Nope. Haven’t seen any indication those will be part of any future communication.
For what it’s worth, I second the suggestion that we should have the option to choose between:
the materials voucher
a discount (partial refund) of the equivalent cash value
Note that the equivalent money could very well be lower than the materials (given the quantity, vouchers were probably bought at a discounted price instead that the same dollars that they entitle you to spend)
As pointed already, the second choice makes sense for international customers for taxes and shipping.
It could be preferred by some US customers as well.
Sadly, the answer on the Q&A was vague and from Dan’s latest post it really sounds like it’s not going to happen.
Dan seems to have acknowledged the issue, first step to some kind of solution.
I’d even welcome 3) a donation of the materiel to a local maker fair outreach to kids. A single sheet of proof grade materiel could help a handful of kids understand making things is fun.
I’m sure when the time comes GF buyers in the US will be glad to pay 75-80c on the dollar for vouchers that international buyers can’t effectively use. I know I would.
That’s true, I’d temporarily forgotten about that idea. It does offer a little something from their fellow Glowforgers that some folks might be interested in.
And now it’s 50 and raining. Washing off the remnants on the road & driveways but it’s going back into the 20s and it’ll flash freeze whatever’s left on the roads tonight. Gonna be a fun commute in the morning
As far as I can tell, nobody anywhere has a glowforge. How can you be scheduled to complete delivery at any point, if you haven’t /begun/ delivery? Every six months you announce another six month delay - which means that either the first delivery date offered was pie-in-the-sky fiction, and not a projection, or we are being scammed. And every six months you demonstrate that either you have no /actual/ schedule for delivery and are simply setting an arbitrary date to keep people quiet, or you have no actual product. And every six months the second conclusion in each set seems more likely than the first.
It is true nobody has a production Glowforge but there are two preproduction units in the wild and a dozen or so visible Beta units.
The preproduction units don’t do many of the magical features though. So far it is just a nice compact laser cutter with a simple user interface and integral cooling and pre-aligned enclosed optics. 3D engraving with variable focus has been demonstrated and seems close to being released. The camera preview works to place your design on the work piece. The trace function works, but is only accurate in the centre.
So I agree the finished item as advertised does seem a long way off but I don’t think it is a total scam as you can get your money back, but I agree the timescales have always been a big con.
You can send Alisoncircus to @marmak3261’s latest video on the Show and Tell thread Palmer…and they’ve got the alignment issue on flat engraving worked out now acc. to the latest release letter.
@alisoncircus, welcome to the forum. I have a Glowforge. It is a pre-release model that comes from the production line but has a few features still to be implemented. It works very well and I have done quite a few projects with it. Search the forum for with these search terms: user:@marmak3261 pre-release.
Exactly. A video of a working product, a delivery date and a price. Not sure I back it without that date and a near production video either.
From there one delay sure, two …
GF reached out to collect these “first timers” (good description) and their financial commitment. I get there’s more competition for that investor dollar and that is leading to these flashy demos like https://shapertools.com/ creating new expectations.
Those who’ve backed projects in the past didn’t enter this market, the risk was up front. I knew I was gambling 50$ on a widget backing a home video. This new level of marketing is crossing over into the conventional markets.
I don’t know where this ends up, what expectations funders can hold to as these lines keep blurring. Less than conventional, more than the gamble it used to be. Less than what I’m expecting, more than people telling you this is normal.
head.
