Hi all, I think it is time to share some update on the GTA04 overall status and where I think it can go.
1. Software appears to be in a quite good shape now, QtMoko as well as SHR. Last Thursday we had a meeting ("Stammtisch") in Munich with approx. 5 or 6 working GTA04 in many different configurations :) And the SHR developer team now has several GTA04A4 boards to do further testing. BTW: this meeting was the best visited ever - 10 participants in total. 2. Bootloader I have revisited the MLO/X-Loader code. Major changes: * check the SDRAM when fetching U-Boot from SD card * serial x-loader (for recovery) is now built from the same sources * optional command line interpreter for ram tests etc. * sources on GIT: http://git.goldelico.com/?p=gta04-xloader.git;a=summary 3. GTA04A4 general availability We finally have finished the backlog of preorders and now (for the first time) have two or three boards in stock. So the promise to be able to deliver from stock finally became true. 4. Group Tour For the Group Tour, all components have arrived and the first 10 boards have been built this week. Unfortunately, again with some soldering problems. We have discussed and tried almost everything and the production company has checked every step twice, but we still have shorts and too many not working boards to continue straight ahead and produce all ordered boards. Although the boards usually can be repaired (by identifying the crucial chips and replacing them on a SMD rework station) this is too much manual work and the worst thing is that it costs a lot of money and time. This week the company will try again another stencil for solder paste printing since short circuits indicate too much solder paste. And failed boards will go to a new 3D X-Ray service center where we may be able to magnify single solder joints. 5. Wishlist, Preorders and future Group Tours One thing is clear: we definitively want to organize and run more Group Tours! As soon as the production issues got under control. Therefore, we have invented a new feature for the Handheld Linux Shop: a Wishlist. >From the experiences of the GTA04 Group tour we found that it is problematic to define a fixed deadline and collect money in advance. And then we do not meet the number of units that were assumed for the original price calculation. This comes mainly from lack of market knowledge (which may change on a daily basis). Now, the Wishlist may become a much better solution. It is not a real preorder, but we kindly ask you to state your interest in buying the GTA04 [1]. And the number of units you are interested in. This does not mean any obligation to buy a device at any time in the future, but it gives us an indication how many of you are really interested. And at which price. For the price, we have added a surprising function: you can state your price wish! This does not mean that you eventually can buy at this price, but it also gives us a better indication where to go. And if you give a higher price, the likelihood increases that you can buy it sooner at that price. You can also change your wishes anytime and delete them [2]. >From time to time we make a statistical evaluation of the Wishlist and can see what a reasonable price is and how many of you would buy units at that price. And compare with component and production cost. Then, we make a call for real pre-orders. If we make new developments - let's say a feature upgraded GTA04 - we will also announce that and then everyone can decide to adjust the price and increase the likelihood that we really can produce it. And, we have plans to use this Wishlist not only for the already developed GTA04 but other, new product ideas. As soon as we have some prototype and feel that it is feasible, we will just publish the product concept on the shop and you can express how much you are interested. This will help to make the hardware supply more continuous and predicable. So if you have new hardware ideas, please discuss them and let us know. Some are already being worked on... The idea is to make this community again a first-class address for new open and independent mobile hardware! Will it work? We will see! Nikolaus [1]: http://www.handheld-linux.com/wiki.php?page=GTA04 [2]: http://www.handheld-linux.com/wiki.php?page=Wishlist _______________________________________________ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community