Regarding the recent mention of Omnis needing to be serviced
Joe
Posts: 189
From the international thread...
"Hi Admino, the Omni is a complex device that will need servicing at some point in the first year if used frequently. Our QA process prevents faulty devices to ship, but does not guarantee that all Omnis will keep functioning for 12 months"
Can someone elaborate on this? What kind of service is required? Will it be required beyond the first year? What would it cost?
I work in QA, and I speak QA. If you can't, via accelerated aging techniques, guarantee the device will function to it's warranty, then I'm...concerned.
In addition, that thread mentions that you didn't get the funding you expected. In addition, against what Jan had previously stated, initial units will be going to the Chinese before kickstarters to help (paraphrased) fund the business. Is the company in financial jeopardy?
Finally, there are numerous comments in those forums about being able to manufacture to fill the preorders and kickstarters numbers. What concrete data is that based on? From what you've publicly told us, you've gotten one shipment, you're visually inspecting every unit, and you haven't even started to ramp production (again...I work close to manufacturing and understand that lingo as well).
I know the common response is 'hey, if you don't like it, ask for a refund'. The Glowforge customers are pretty much rioting over there and getting that thrown in their face. I'm just trying to understand...from the communication so far, things aren't making sense. I see a lot of reassurances ('we're very sorry, etc. etc.) but not a lot of concrete data to make a judgement call on if a company I've invested in is really going to be able to deliver.
I'm hoping for a response that gives me enough data that says to keep my investment here, and to keep developing for this experience.
"Hi Admino, the Omni is a complex device that will need servicing at some point in the first year if used frequently. Our QA process prevents faulty devices to ship, but does not guarantee that all Omnis will keep functioning for 12 months"
Can someone elaborate on this? What kind of service is required? Will it be required beyond the first year? What would it cost?
I work in QA, and I speak QA. If you can't, via accelerated aging techniques, guarantee the device will function to it's warranty, then I'm...concerned.
In addition, that thread mentions that you didn't get the funding you expected. In addition, against what Jan had previously stated, initial units will be going to the Chinese before kickstarters to help (paraphrased) fund the business. Is the company in financial jeopardy?
Finally, there are numerous comments in those forums about being able to manufacture to fill the preorders and kickstarters numbers. What concrete data is that based on? From what you've publicly told us, you've gotten one shipment, you're visually inspecting every unit, and you haven't even started to ramp production (again...I work close to manufacturing and understand that lingo as well).
I know the common response is 'hey, if you don't like it, ask for a refund'. The Glowforge customers are pretty much rioting over there and getting that thrown in their face. I'm just trying to understand...from the communication so far, things aren't making sense. I see a lot of reassurances ('we're very sorry, etc. etc.) but not a lot of concrete data to make a judgement call on if a company I've invested in is really going to be able to deliver.
I'm hoping for a response that gives me enough data that says to keep my investment here, and to keep developing for this experience.
0
Comments
If the wireless pods lost tracking, or if the tracking magnets in the ring/harness went funky, then the tracking could become incredibly sporadic and inaccurate. There's also the possibility of an unusual movement that breaks that cat5 cable leading from the ring down to the base. The velcro on the harness could wear out. The tread on the shoes could wear out (it does slide more easily, but constant use does slowly wear down those slider pads on the soles) There are about 5 total locking clamps to hold the various pieces together which could all possibly fail. (I actually had to strap one of them down since it tended to pop free when I leaned my weight in certain directions) There's also the chance that any of the actual electrical components could go bad.
Even though there aren't any MOVING parts, the omni still supports your weight, and during its use you'll be constantly shifting your weight and putting pressure at different angles, which can accumulate wear over time.
Never underestimate the power of an end user to break something an Engineer thinks is infallible.
Cheez\/\/iz
Omni Backer #40!
Rift Backer #2,770 (That was a good one!)
Middle Tennessee
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The key part here is ‘if used frequently’. The Omni should function throughout the warranty period with normal use. The Omni has been heavily stress tested at public events and in a handful of arcades and has become very robust as result. But there is still an element of uncertainty – no recent revision has been tested with heavy usage over 12 months, naturally. Servicing in the U.S. is manageable for us, so it’s a less risky proposition. Servicing units internationally would be very costly. The company is not in financial jeopardy, but we had to take the decision to not ship internationally to protect our financial standing in the long run.