Hackable Electronic Badge - expect a supply shortage!
Ken Gracey
Posts: 7,392
Hello,
I really don't like it when sales people act like something is a really hot commodity and that you better act fast or it'll be gone. Last week, my Subaru hit 200K miles and I realized I better start thinking about a replacement, so I went back to the Subaru dealer (I have literally consumed three of these vehicles, pushing them all over 250K miles). In response to my request "this time I'd like a six cylinder" the salesman said "oh, you and everybody else - we'll only get one of those and it'll sell in a minute!". Mehhh.
The Hackable Electronic Badges are going to be in very short supply. Although we're coming off the production line with 1,200 units, 300 are going to the Open Hardware Summit this weekend in Philadelphia. The rest are trickling into our inventory as we receive Lithium Ion batteries (the new shipping regulations on these have caused their own delays).
The big supply issue is the 0.96" OLED. Our suppliers have gone from having some stock to 20-week lead times. They all point to Apple Watch, e-cigarettes and baby monitors as using the world supply. We've got two internal buyers on this issue right now. When we started the design these displays were not in short supply like they are today.
Bottom line: if you want to get a Hackable Electronic Badge, you best place your order the minute they're on the web site. Hopefully you receive this as more of an insider's tip for forum members than the nonsense used by the Subaru salesman.
Thanks,
Ken Gracey
I really don't like it when sales people act like something is a really hot commodity and that you better act fast or it'll be gone. Last week, my Subaru hit 200K miles and I realized I better start thinking about a replacement, so I went back to the Subaru dealer (I have literally consumed three of these vehicles, pushing them all over 250K miles). In response to my request "this time I'd like a six cylinder" the salesman said "oh, you and everybody else - we'll only get one of those and it'll sell in a minute!". Mehhh.
The Hackable Electronic Badges are going to be in very short supply. Although we're coming off the production line with 1,200 units, 300 are going to the Open Hardware Summit this weekend in Philadelphia. The rest are trickling into our inventory as we receive Lithium Ion batteries (the new shipping regulations on these have caused their own delays).
The big supply issue is the 0.96" OLED. Our suppliers have gone from having some stock to 20-week lead times. They all point to Apple Watch, e-cigarettes and baby monitors as using the world supply. We've got two internal buyers on this issue right now. When we started the design these displays were not in short supply like they are today.
Bottom line: if you want to get a Hackable Electronic Badge, you best place your order the minute they're on the web site. Hopefully you receive this as more of an insider's tip for forum members than the nonsense used by the Subaru salesman.
Thanks,
Ken Gracey
Comments
Can you guess an ETA?
but you can view them on the new product page:
https://www.parallax.com/product/20000
https://www.parallax.com/product/20100
Nice! I haven't tried hooking any external hardware to mine. There's enough to learn and play with on board that I've been kept busy. I'm currently working on a two-player game (using IR, and if time permits, the accelerometer) that I will hopefully make available at OHS.
If you can give a quick rundown of the hardware you're working to support (sometime before Friday), I'll try to dig up the same bits and bring them with me.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/291544586691?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
to a old Emerson car DVD player, (I'm just using the slave unit with 1/8" video and 1/8" audio in)
Are you coming to OSH? That would be great.
Sent email to your gmail account.
If only the Subaru salesman needed some Hackable Electronic Badges... maybe you two could come to some sort of agreement! Good luck with getting a new car and I hope you all sell a boat load of badges!
The badge looks great and is such a great value - So much for so little money! Heading to look at all the code now!
Ken Gracey
I just checked, and USPS Priority is not listed. My Shipping was $13.17 UPS. That has to be updated.
EDIT: The reason why it only goes UPS ground is because of the Li-Ion battery that ships with the badge. USPS can not do Priority because it flies.
You're right - it would be a good way to move them. (1) Our manufacturing yields are much higher with QFP chips, and (2) marketing, as these are big enough to be the star of the show on the badge since they're easily visible and don't disappear into other little black squares where the markings are not visible.
Ken Gracey
Thanks Ken! I will keep my eyes open for a package from the West...
I wonder if Parallax could also provide an option to sell the badges without the batteries. This would be slightly cheaper and would not have the shipping restrictions. It would mean that the buyer would have to source their own battery, but that might be an acceptable compromise.