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Thread: Glowforge release

  1. #1441
    then why not? Compensation, glory, and the satisfaction of helping naive GF backers awaits
    Compensation, not really, I have little if any interest in Money these days

    Glory, that's a double edged sword my friend, part of the reason I closed my own support forums is being "Spooky the laser guy" filled my email up with literally thousands of emails a week from users who asked a question, didn't like the truthful answer then proceeded to argue over a subject they openly admitted they knew nothing about. It started to impact the time I had with my own family so I simply stopped doing it.

    Maybe take a look, when you get a chance.
    I have the two Physics specialists they have onboard are pretty much unknown in the field of Particle Physics (Lasers) so while they both appear to be highly qualified chaps neither has any real world experience of Laser systems in any commercial venue.

    Now if they had taken a recent opportunity and hired on Vasily Basov (former CLC Laser Scientist) or Shaol Ezikiel (adjunct professor of Laser Physics at Tel Aviv University) I'd be impressed. What they do have is people with a long history of making companies then selling them or people with marketing experience and PR skills.

    Their staff profile overall reads like a company set up to sell stuff rather than understand or support the stuff they are selling for as long as it takes to make the company a viable sell on option.

    I was having a similar discussion earlier with a chap on facebook, I said to him the same as I'd say here, Glowforges biggest problem is going to be support, cheap lasers sell because pretty much anybody can buy them, that also means the advertising can be directed at pretty much anybody from soccer moms to business hopefulls who don't like their day job. The problem with that is these are the very people who will listen to the advert, buy the machine,then make a huge mess of trying to run it / keep it running. This is what leads to the support calls, the same problem reduces as the cost of the machine increases as people handing over $10,000 will do more research than somebody handing over $2,000...it continues upwards from there, at $50,000 folks really want to know what your gizmo will do for them, at $500,000 they want an introduction to your entire living family (as well as your cat).

    Back down at the $2,000 price point you have some folks who shouldn't have anything more complex than plastic scissors or a toaster but these are the folks who are expected to take delivery of a complex piece of fragile equipment that if miss-used can blind them or burn their house down. That's when support comes into play..thus far I have no evidence that GF have that support network required to service and deal with the number of customers they have let alone the forward planning for problems.

    This is where I'm right with Scotty, my thoughts are once these things are in the field en-masse, they will sell on to somebody else before the problems come back to bite them
    You did what !

  2. #1442
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Henry3424 View Post
    On the firmware promise, Dan's statements stopped having any credibility a long time ago. Which statement should one believe - the one a couple years ago where he promised to release the firmware when shipping started or the one now where he says that they are working on it?
    I can well believe they are "still working" on the firmware.
    Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
    "Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
    We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
    The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
    The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
    You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.

  3. #1443
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt McCoy View Post
    Jerome can't seem to find where GF has stated that a 1/4" tolerance is acceptable. I'm still interested, if you know where to find that.
    Have they acknowledged that a 1/4" offset is a bug and that they're working on it?
    Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
    "Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
    We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
    The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
    The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
    You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.

  4. #1444
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    I can't find the exact post but there are many posts that say 1/4 is acceptable. I have seen pics where there are targets and the center ones is pretty close but the outer ones are way off

  5. #1445
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Sheldrake View Post
    ...I closed my own support forums is being "Spooky the laser guy" filled my email up with literally thousands of emails a week from users...
    Not the same as consulting with industry professionals and offering a "pretty easy calculation fix". Probably won't require thousands of emails a week.

    ...Now if they had taken a recent opportunity and hired on Vasily Basov (former CLC Laser Scientist) or Shaol Ezikiel (adjunct professor of Laser Physics at Tel Aviv University)
    I'm not familiar with those gentlemen, but I'm sure they're brilliant. My question would be to what capacity they were involved in the development of Epilog, Trotec, Universal, Weike, Rabbit, and the many other dozens of popular lasers. Also, is it actually "Shaoul Ezekiel"? I couldn't find any info under your spelling, but it could just be me. If so, it looks like Professor Ezekiel sadly hasn't been with us for a couple years and may not of been much help to GF. My apologies if I have that wrong.

    Their staff profile overall reads like a company set up to sell stuff rather than understand or support the stuff they...
    They were able to make a laser engraver/cutter with which folks can operate to make some pretty cool projects and continue to offer improvements as well. Support requests are generally met, solved, addressed, put in the hopper, and closed.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lee DeRaud View Post
    I can well believe they are "still working" on the firmware.
    I believe they have said as much. Still in Beta.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lee DeRaud View Post
    Have they acknowledged that a 1/4" offset is a bug and that they're working on it?
    Yes.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jerome Stanek View Post
    I can't find the exact post but there are many posts that say 1/4 is acceptable. I have seen pics where there are targets and the center ones is pretty close but the outer ones are way off
    Yes, as you have said. With so many posts, hopefully you'll be able to find that.

  6. #1446
    it looks like Professor Ezekiel sadly hasn't been with us for a couple years and may not of been much help to GF.
    Correct (my spelling was indeed off) Prof Ezikiel has been passed a while but there are others in the same skill range. Sam Goldwasser etc is one who springs to mind.Tweakie is another.

    Quite a few specialists have been involved with the companies you mentioned and others similar (Including me) and some are still working with the same companies but there are a number of freelancers that would have been confidence inspiring to see onboard with GF (not me really as I have no real interest in going back to working in a lab)

    Not the same as consulting with industry professionals and offering a "pretty easy calculation fix"
    Again true, it isn't quite the same but the context is similar, like many others I have no interest in getting involved with a company I have almost no faith in and risking contracts I have already with other contractual obligations just for the sake of being well known or for money.

    The parallax corrections GF could find easily enough on Google...that's why I'm surprised they haven't or the hardware is sub standard so couldn't make use of such calculations anyways.

    I'll make it a bit easier though.

    In optical physics if you know the radius of a lens, the distance from a surface and the apparent visual angle to an edge you can calculate the actual position of the edge allowing for the optical aberrations with a fairly simple set of maths.

    However this is rather deflective speculation, GF released a sub standard machine that does not do what was originally advertised and there is no getting away from that.

    If GF go on to be the worlds biggest laser manufacturer, I don't gain or lose
    If GF go on to go totally broke in the next hour, I don't gain or lose

    Either option happens? personally?, to be honest, really don't care....like the words of the song in the Disney illuminations I was watching Christmas day in Paris "A dream is a wish that your heart makes"....GF will likely end up treading on some folks dreams
    You did what !

  7. #1447
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt McCoy View Post
    I believe they have said as much. Still in Beta.
    So, "production" units are being shipped with beta firmware.

    You do realize how stupid that sounds, right?
    Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
    "Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
    We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
    The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
    The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
    You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.

  8. #1448
    Quote Originally Posted by Lee DeRaud View Post
    So, "production" units are being shipped with beta firmware.

    You do realize how stupid that sounds, right?
    Feel free to send them a note telling them so.

  9. #1449
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    I read their forum but since I didn't buy one I can not post When I know a solution to some of their problems. I think that they would be better off letting others post but keep it positive.

  10. #1450
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    Matt, Just wondering how much stock do you have in GlowForge or what are they paying you to represent them on this Forum?
    I think Sawmill Creek is the most respected woodworking and now laser forum on the Internet so a positive presence on here would be of great value to them.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  11. #1451
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill George View Post
    Matt, Just wondering how much stock do you have in GlowForge or what are they paying you to represent them on this Forum?
    I think Sawmill Creek is the most respected woodworking and now laser forum on the Internet so a positive presence on here would be of great value to them.
    Hi Bill: You've made these accusations a few times, but sadly won't accept my answers that I do not have any association with GF. Perhaps, you just keep forgetting that you've already played that losing hand several times. It's OK, it goes well with your other unfounded conspiracy theories you have made about GF, without ever providing a credible source to back up your opinion --
    even once. I try to be pretty even-keeled, and make an effort to be accurate in my statements. So, once again, I'll pass along my boiler-plate refrain to you. If something I have said is wrong, please feel free to set me straight with fact. It's my goal to be correct as opposed to right. Opinion, such as, "I think GF is a piece of crap" will unlikely get a reply from me. However, "I think GF is a piece of crap, because it shuts off during a full moon" might elicit a response.

    When you continue to push untrue opinions as fact, without evidence, you might be diminishing your reputation and that of SMC as a respected source of accurate information. It's a shame, because I really respect your knowledge, experience, and life-long curiosity you have shared here.

  12. Quote Originally Posted by Jerome Stanek View Post
    I read their forum but since I didn't buy one I can not post When I know a solution to some of their problems. I think that they would be better off letting others post but keep it positive.
    I feel the same way, but can understand why GF doesn't allow posts for folks that haven't bought. The forum would soon be inundated with critics and that might cost them some pre-orders or future sales. Even so, there are still private sections of the forum that only users or really active members can see.What seems a little more odd to me is that they hide all of their documentation, including the manual, maintenance info, troubleshooting guides and just about anything else that might be of interest to a potential buyer who is trying to research their product to see if it fits their needs.

  13. #1453
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Henry3424 View Post
    I feel the same way, but can understand why GF doesn't allow posts for folks that haven't bought. The forum would soon be inundated with critics and that might cost them some pre-orders or future sales. Even so, there are still private sections of the forum that only users or really active members can see.What seems a little more odd to me is that they hide all of their documentation, including the manual, maintenance info, troubleshooting guides and just about anything else that might be of interest to a potential buyer who is trying to research their product to see if it fits their needs.
    With customers who cancel their forum access is removed instantly, the words "Closed Ideology" spring to mind
    You did what !

  14. #1454
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Sheldrake View Post
    With customers who cancel their forum access is removed instantly, the words "Closed Ideology" spring to mind
    Come on Dave, you know that CrowdSourcing is amazing......when they want your money. Not so much when you're not giving it to them

    Everything is roses right now. It's below 20 degrees F in a huge part of the country. I said it once before, they'll get as much shipped as possible when it's cold because the machines will run. Wait until this summer when it's 90 degrees across the country and 75% of their customers can't use their machines. It wasn't a problem this summer because people started getting them at the tail end of the heat, and you'd see issues popping up about it, but right now, those issues are almost non-existent because of the weather situation. Just wait. There is a huge mess coming, about June 2018.
    Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
    Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
    Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers

    Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.

  15. #1455
    Spot on Scotty, soon as ambients start hitting the low 80's it's all going to go rather wrong pretty quickly.
    You did what !

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