*sigh* it's sad to even need to post this but here's a summary of the group buy timeline.
TL;DR: We've now shifted from a confident Q3 2020 delivery to a last minute confident Q4 to now realistically no sooner than Q2 2021.
The new strategy seems to be to trickle-feed minor updates with only 'next step' visibility.
I'll keep to quoting official responses from here without additional commentary and let you evaluate for yourself.
HEAVY METAL KEYBOARDSTimeline
I assume a sufficient amount orders will be reached after one month. Order should be placed in the following month. Production should take at least two months, four months at max. Then the shipping starts and it will take at least one more month until the last package will be shipped.
Expected shipping Q3 2020
there will be extras available for sure. with this high quantity I have to order quite a few more as backup. those will be made available after GB has shipped, some time after september.
UPDATE:
- group buy orders slightly over 1100
- expected shipping late Q3 / September
Regarding communication:
I will only post here on Geekhack when either a definitive shipping date is set or when a delay should happen. Anything else will be on the discord.
Yes, no news. This was asked a few times on discord recently as well. Still, late Q3/September is my estimate for shipping, nothing has changed in that regard.
Basically when you don't see me post an update, then that's good. If I were to update anything now then it will either be about delay or shipping start.
is this still scheduled to ship this month?
Next week I should be able to be more specific about the timeline ahead.
Shorter: update next week.
Even when I have the major case parts delivered, stuff like c-parts (for example screws and standoffs), packaging and the fulfillment itself can take quite some more time. At the moment it's still not possible for me to exactly tell a shipping date. For now let's just say Q4 - that way I'm sure I can deliver in time. Since I have some more pre production units now, I'll send some of them out for further preview to streamers
I really wish he would start proving more frequent updates. Order was finalized, Boards entered production and seems they (some of them?) finished and are with runner but he didnt share a single update. All we got is this delay message after 3 and half months. I would request runner to be more transparent.
Sure, it's unfortunate that I had to announce a delay but keep in mind that the overall GB schedule was quite ambitious to begin with, afaik most GBs usually take longer. Could have been easier for me now if I had just set a later shipping time to begin with. Though I think it is overall better for the GB this way because if I really had given me more time, maybe I would have progressed slower which would have lead to a delay as well.
Currently the obstacle which holds off the progress of this group buy is getting a suitable space for all the parts, qc, packing and shipping.
So far this is an issue that I had not imagined would turn out to be that problematic and I still don't have a solution for this. Currently I have two options in sight and hopefully I will get a positive answer in about two weeks from now. I'm very optimistic that at least one of the options will work out.
exactly, had told this a few times on the discord already but it keeps drowning in the noise which is caused by a handfull of people. PCBs are in production. the "some parts" is just plates at surface treatment which will go to builders/streamers.
the alarming and negative picture that some try to paint of this group buy is really unsettling to me. I had explained in the update section what has been taking time so far and had furthermore mentioned the simple reasons that block the further progress. the pcbs require less space, no further handling and don't need to be checked before being passed on for surface treatment, that's why they are already in production. in hindsight the very optimistic Q3 timeframe wasn't a good idea, still we are within an absolutely usual timeframe compared to other group buys.
Cases and plates are now in production as well. They are estimated to arrive in KW5 of 2021. That is the first week of February 2021. This also means that Q4 can't be met any more.
Some time before the cases arrive, the last batch of preview units will be sent out to streamers.
I had been too open with personal information so far, like space search for example. From here on out I will no longer offer any more personal insight. Updates will be strictly HMKB case only, no personal context. The next updates will come when the PCBs and later cases and plates arrive, nothing else.
Allegations:
1. lying about case production
2. changing deadlines
3. no transparency/communication
Answers:
1. Untrue. The first update in which I announced that the cases are in production was in the last update. In an earlier update, I announced that PCB production had started. You maybe confuse something with production of pre production units or earlier prototypes.
2. Untrue. I have never ever set any deadline. I have only given estimates.
3. IMO, I had shared quite detailed what caused the delay. I had also detailed why I chose to limit further insights going forward.
Next up is powder coating. I hope I will be able to transport the first batch of case parts to the company that does the powder coating next week. First all of one color, after that the next color batch. In two weeks from now I should be able to tell when I will have the last batch back from powder coating. So next update is expected March 4.
The first batch of the case parts is delivered to powder coating. This batch (color = batch) is expected to be ready for pick up in KW11, about two weeks from now. The following batches will not wait until the previous batch is ready, they will all be transported to powder coating over the course of the next two weeks. The last batch should be finished in KW14. I will post pictures when I get the first batch, so the next update is expected in KW11.
The year is 2035. The HMKB finished shipping 14 years ago, but some people are still complaining about the 9 month delay thar occurred.
Seriously dude. What Plastik is doing right now in terms of updates and being productive if exactly what we’ve been asking for when things were lingering and we were given no information.
Things were weird last year, but since January everything has beem progressing smoothly and we finally have the updates we’ve been asking for. The only thing that could make this better is if everything that’s happening right now happened 6 months ago. He’s already been called out by pretty much everyone for his procrastination, he has since learned from his mistakes and it’s clear that he is now working hard to make sur the boards get shipped to us as soon as possible.
Sure he hasn’t dealt with critique as graciously as he could have, but that’s understandable when you know how vile some of the messages towards him have been.
At this point, continuing to complain when everything is progressing at a good pace and we are given good amounts of information is childish, counterproductive, gratuitous, and achieves nothing besides showing everyone your feelings of entitlement.
What more do you want? Daily vlogs?
Mistakes have been made, promises have been broken, and it’s okay to be frustrated about that. However, that was a while ago, and no such thing has happened in the last few weeks, quite the opposite. No amount of complaints will change the past. Why keep piling on now of all times, when things are finally looking up? Is it that hard to just be happy about the recent progress and about the shipping date approaching? How long are you going to hold that grudge?
Get over it. **** happened, the mess is being cleaned up. I’m giving you and everyone else permission to evict Plastik, he’s been living rent free in a lot of people’s head for long enough.
