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S2 robots are now at Parallax. . .proof is provided! — Parallax Forums

S2 robots are now at Parallax. . .proof is provided!

Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
edited 2010-12-06 17:03 in Robotics
Hello,

Approximately 270 S2 robots are about to be received into our inventory, pending a final spot-check of a sample by our Propeller engineer Daniel Harris. There's no shortage of detailed test procedures, factory audits, or spot tests by Parallax Hong Kong engineers, but it's always good to take a final look before we share this robot with the world.

Although we have 340 on backorder by customers, a large number go to institutions who we will supply in January, so after we process the immediate backorders we have about 134 units left in our inventory. That's right - about 134 units for the Christmas holiday (not very many). These will be gone by Friday, so if you want one of them I suggest you place an order today.

I wish we had more units in stock this month, but it doesn't make much sense to buy airline tickets for S2s.

About 4,700 more S2s arrive at Parallax on December 29th.

Sincerely,

Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.

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Comments

  • Roy ElthamRoy Eltham Posts: 3,000
    edited 2010-11-30 13:06
    I guess this means I'll get my (pre-ordered) S2 in time for Christmas! :)
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    edited 2010-11-30 13:26
    Merry Christmas! That red will look good under the tree. Whoo-hoo! Good news.
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2010-11-30 13:43
    Ken Gracey (Parallax) wrote: »
    Approximately 270 S2 robots are about to be received into our inventory

    Looks like there should be 280 S2s there, seven tie x five high x two pallets x four S2s per box = 280 S2s.

    If you need to you can toss the extra ten in with my order if it will help keep your internal numbers straight. :D

    Rich H
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2010-11-30 13:51
    Rich is correct - 280 S2s or so. You should see the mistakes in my spreadsheets surrounding the planning of this product. If I didn't omit the various R&D expenditures the price would have been twice as high!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2010-11-30 14:56
    Great news, Ken. Congrats on having a bunch of grown men who preordered out here getting excited about receiving their S2s in time for Christmas, like a bunch of kids. Intentional timing or not, you've put the fun back into the season!
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2010-11-30 15:21
    erco wrote: »
    Great news, Ken. Congrats on having a bunch of grown men who preordered out here getting excited about receiving their S2s in time for Christmas, like a bunch of kids. Intentional timing or not, you've put the fun back into the season!

    Well, everybody needs something to do when the relatives show up, right?
  • Tony B.Tony B. Posts: 356
    edited 2010-11-30 15:30
    Ken Gracey (Parallax) wrote: »
    Well, everybody needs something to do when the relatives show up, right?

    Isn't that the truth. My wife's side of the family is coming to our house this year that means almost 40 people. You have convinced me Ken I'm going to order an S2 if my wife will let me :)

    Tony
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2010-11-30 16:10
    Sounds like most or all of the S2s are spoken for. Maybe BUMP can do some December drawing giveaways to keep that fever pitch high!

    Other JIT4 Christmas robots:

    PLEO shipped so late in 2007 that most people received them from Amazon on Christmas eve.

    Furby was the hot toy for Christmas 1998, rare and very hard to find. Radio stations were throwing them out of helicopters on parachutes over crowded malls. Seemed to bring out the best in desperate, frenzied holiday shoppers... NOT!
  • bdickensbdickens Posts: 110
    edited 2010-12-01 05:29
    it comes with relative chasing code ? Something to drive my mother away ? And I used to use my Iguana for that as a child. .....
  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2010-12-01 06:18
    Ken,
    It was a good decision to fly some over. (Just wondering what the price per S2 was for the flight ? Maybe I don't want to know...). This gets them into the hands of the earlier adopters (us geeks/nerds/propeller heads) and hopefully we can get some good code/demos published by the end of Dec.

    I'm can't wait...I'm like a little kid on Christmas morning...You simply MUST have pictures of the S2 under a Christmas Tree. The color is spot-on for the season. I predict BIG things for the S2, it's a really nice robot.

    Bean
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    edited 2010-12-01 10:19
    Okay, I have calmed down now...

    Even though I've read this thread and posted to it.

    This thread is titled -
    S2 robots are now at Parallax. . .proof is provided!

    but just moments ago, this is what I "saw"...

    $2 robots are now at Parallax. . .proof is provided!

    I couldn't wait to read the thread, then I realized... oops!
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2010-12-01 11:10
    Bean wrote: »
    Ken,
    It was a good decision to fly some over. (Just wondering what the price per S2 was for the flight ? Maybe I don't want to know...). This gets them into the hands of the earlier adopters (us geeks/nerds/propeller heads) and hopefully we can get some good code/demos published by the end of Dec.

    I'm can't wait...I'm like a little kid on Christmas morning...You simply MUST have pictures of the S2 under a Christmas Tree. The color is spot-on for the season. I predict BIG things for the S2, it's a really nice robot.

    Bean

    Hey Bean! The unit cost for air travel is about $8/S2 on a 747 when 280 S2s travel on two pallets. We probably should have shipped more over by air, but I truly feel that it's wasteful and not practical in some ways. Part of my concern is the actual cost, but more the total impracticality or inability to justify such a maneuver.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2010-12-01 11:26
    @Whit: Dunno about $2, but I just got some nice $3 robots from China off Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150519591453
    They're solar-powered Grassshoppers, like Hexbugs & Bristlebots. Wow, they work well. I offered the seller $9 for 3 of them and he took it. Great stocking stuffers!

    Edit: Here are some for $1.99 shipped. I ordered more. http://cgi.ebay.com/Solar-Energy-Grasshopper-funning-gadget-office-school-/120654852446?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c1796f15e

    @Ken: Isn't your $8 airshipping cost is about what you would have paid for the cable and USB adapter? Things have a way of evening out.

    I imported a dozen bicycles from China last year, they came over on a giant cargo container ship; I had to go through customs and an importer to get them. What surprised me was that simply getting them UNLOADED from the ship in Long Beach cost more than the total cost of import duties & fees plus all delivery costs from China, overland plus sea shipping.

    I should have been a longshoreman.
  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2010-12-01 12:05
    @Ken, wow that is alot less than I would have guessed. I was thinking closer to $20 each.

    Bean
  • BaneBane Posts: 41
    edited 2010-12-01 17:53
    Just got my tracking number for my S2!
  • Roy ElthamRoy Eltham Posts: 3,000
    edited 2010-12-01 23:19
    Bane wrote: »
    Just got my tracking number for my S2!

    Ditto
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2010-12-01 23:27
    Nuttin' here, but I'm watching & waiting!
  • HumanoidoHumanoido Posts: 5,770
    edited 2010-12-02 04:42
    erco wrote: »
    Furby was the hot toy for Christmas 1998, rare and very hard to find. Radio stations were throwing them out of helicopters on parachutes over crowded malls.
    Wish some S2's and Furbies would parachute down over here! :) Incidentally, that little Furby was loaded to the max with innards guts that were a gold mine to any robotics enthusiast. We de-skinned the little fella and tapped into it's CPU and motor functions for added capabilities and reprogramming. The surgery process was the most exciting. But you had to differentiate between the baby and the adult. Furby, Tribble, S3, I don't know, can you discern the difference? :)
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2010-12-03 16:08
    I'm a happy camper now for at LEAST 3 reasons. Too bad I won't have any play time for a week, too busy with Christmas preparations. Thanks to Ken and everybody for getting these out to the clan so fast!

    Edit: Those wacky Parallaxians included a free USB adapter & cable. Another Festivus MIRACLE!
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  • Bob Lawrence (VE1RLL)Bob Lawrence (VE1RLL) Posts: 1,720
    edited 2010-12-03 16:26
    Re:S2 robots are now at Parallax. . .proof is provided!

    They look a little boxy to me. :)
  • hover1hover1 Posts: 1,929
    edited 2010-12-03 16:36
    erco wrote: »
    I'm a happy camper now for at LEAST 3 reasons. Too bad I won't have any play time for a week, too busy with Christmas preparations. Thanks to Ken and everybody for getting these out to the clan so fast!

    Now there's a Gerber moment!!

    Jim
  • HumanoidoHumanoido Posts: 5,770
    edited 2010-12-04 09:49
    Erco last seen, very happy with 3 babies and a large washing machine at the left of photo, obviously for all those (DD) diapers! At least the middle baby won't need that!
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    edited 2010-12-06 17:03
    @ erco

    Great pic of the twins and the S2. Give them all a Sharpie and see who can scribble the best...
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    What a difference six years makes! I'm a bleach blonde and the twins are bigger, but I'm still loving my latest Scribbler by Parallax!

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  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    The twins look older. You don't.

    -Phil
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    I think all three got better looking.

    Fantastic pictures. Thanks for sharing.

    I just got approval for a S3 to celebrate the autumnal equinox.



    I told my wife I wanted a S3 and told her I didn't really need one. I said maybe I could us some event as an excuse to purchase one. I was thinking Halloween or Thanksgiving but she came up with the equinox.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    A Kodak moment if there was ever one. :)
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    Thanks for the nice words, gang! Let's see if I can still hold them both in 5-6 years for the same pic when the S4 comes out.
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    For the S5 - they will be holding you...

    Great photos erco - now get playing!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    My innocent girls are finally "warming up" to Dad's warped and dangerous ways. Yesterday Amy saw a plush Iron Man figure I'm using in a project. She said, "Dad, you you should build a flamethrower inside that."

    That's my girl! I'm sure she was inspired by this bachelor party gift I recently made.



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