I’m glad to hear that…the thing that bothers me most is the idea that someone might have been totally counting on this for business and wind up going hungry as a result.
Yeah, the delay is a tough pill to swallow. Even for some of us who hang around here a lot…we still want them like yesterday.
I’m trying to calm down about the fact that someone wants to give me more free product and capability in something I’ve already paid for. I think it’s pretty exciting. I’ve been given more details on the product in the last three days than in almost the whole campaign, and on top of that I’m going to be given at least an additional $130 of product.
I found $20 in a winter coat pocket last week and thought life couldn’t get better. And now this?
Yes! Please QUIETLY go get a refund so I can move up in line. 
(just a little dark humor) Go 
- Rich
Believe me, I feel you.
This is a bit of a thread hijack and sorry for that.
I keep seeing this pop up occasionally and I just have a different take. @dan and the Glowforge team have exactly done this. They had a great idea of an easy to use laser sometimes I even feel visionary when he surprises us with things they’ve thought of. So I’m glad they took a chance on an unproven product. Very sad it’s delayed. But I’m just that sort of I see a tasty piece of cake and I want it right now not after dinner kind of person.
so @dan and crew thank you for all your work bringing this to us and (selfishly) good luck on the final stretch may it be the fastest lap yet.
I was typing this “That’s an excellent perspective that I never considered. I was only looking at it from the perspective of someone…” But then I stopped to think about it again.
While I respect your point of view on this, I disagree. @Dan and his team are making a new piece of equipment from scratch. If @Dan had an idea for the Glowforge but then said, "all of my success hinges on pocketCNC succeeding so I can machine the parts I need. Instead Glowforge is a mixture of existing technology that is going to come together to make a great desktop laser. Sure they are innovating new tech in the software, but at the end of the day its a great price, great sized laser.
At the end of the day though its just 2 different ways to look at the situation. There have been innovators out there that have staked all of their money, their very life on a dream. That doesn’t change my oppinion that that is a crazy thing to do and a risk I wouldn’t take. Specifically for a desktop laser, which is what we’re talking about here.
Honestly even while typing it that’s exactly the hard to put into words that was troubling me. The difference between I’m planning on your uncreated tool to do something vs I’m going to make this best tool.
There are other hobby lasers available right now, today. If someone stakes their business on a tool that is not even commercially available, the burden is on them, not GlowForge.
I get it. A $2400 pre-order is cheaper than a $4k hobby laser. But the $4k hobby laser is available today, and the $1600 price difference can be easily paid for each and every month of ownership. Why tie up $2400 (or more) for even two, three months let alone 12 months? You could then afford a Glowforge at full retail once it is available. 
THAT’S IT! I LOOKED IN THE BACKYARD & NO CHICKENS!!! NO GOATS EITHER!!! Damned GF people must have dragged them off into the woods to feast on their carcasses.
Oh wait. There weren’t any chickens there before either. I don’t own chickens.
Or goats.
Ummm…sorry for the digression, returning you to the regularly scheduled forum posts now…
I’ve been wanting to say the same things, thanks for taking the time to put it into words. Yes, I am disappointed about the delay. I am not a wealthy person by any means and honestly the money could have been spent on better things. If the GF falls through it would be painful, but it wouldn’t put me in financial jeopardy. If it did, it would be no ones fault but my own.
My biggest gamble in this was breaking my own rule of NEVER buying first generation products. I want a working product out of the box and I am more than happy to let others pay to work the kinks out. I truly feel for those who made a business gamble and are now panicked, but it was a calculated gamble. I wanted to believe the last update that we’d have them soon, but I’m not totally shocked or unhappy by the delay now. My biggest fear was that Dan would put deadlines over quality and ship sub-par machines. Dan absolutely should have been more transparent and/or seen what was happening and said it sooner. I think he just got too caught up in trying to meet shipping expectations and wanted to put something out. I am so glad he saw the light before it was too late. I want a great product that will preform as promised, even if I have to wait. It’s possible it may never happen, but I truly believe it will. Now @dan and team, knock my socks off come next summer. I still have faith in you!
Even with a 4k hobby laser, my business launch is stunted -ill blame the Minnesota ice. I can’t operate it as cold as it currently is, and if it wasn’t for a few natural disasters hitting me in succession I’d have more financial security and/or time to have made money with the redsail clone. I’m one of the few people that probably did all I could for business sake and still have a good amount of delay frankly speaking, I needed the glowforge because it will fit through the door, and that is super important.
I haven’t quite made it through all of the replies yet, so sorry if this has already come up. My personal feeling is that nothing has actually crept in just yet. The functionality is there, but they weren’t holding up inkjet printer head prototypes or anything. And they had the removable head in mind from early on. Dan has said that their focus is on delivering the features on their original sales pitch.
Glad to hear you are still excited! As am I! 
Wait ! Can it do that??? My neighbor (seriously) has about a dozen 
next door and 1 is a Rooster (illegally hiding here in the city). That thing goes off at 4am, 8am 1130 am, 2 pm, 5 pm, 8pm,1130pm, in other words ALL the time. I like my neighbors but everyday I hear that thing and think " Go home rooster- you’re drunk!".