Hi all,
Sorry to spend so long on this but please give the relevant sections a read and let me know thoughts etc. Feedback from everyone is important at this stage as I try to close things out whilst satisfying as many people as I can. I'll give it at least a week to get opinions and make sure this is going in the correct direction.
BATCH 4 METEORITE GRAY/ULTRA VIOLET:I've had chance to check them out and unfortunately it isn't good news. In short, the colors are just off. See the pictures:
XRF up top. This is what was expected from the Pantone. The Meteorite Gray 280 & 220, despite being ordered with the same Pantone, came out different.
Anodizing color isn't perfectly matching in direct light.
The Ultra Violet 280 & 220, despite being ordered with the same Pantone, came out different.
I'll keep it simple and can expand later if requested - if you're due Meteorite Gray or Ultra Violet, please read the options below. Originally the options below were going to be just for Batch 3, but it'll also include Batch 4 now.
The color matching between the top & bottom halves of UV boards is better than Blue Gray, but still not perfect. I'll post some pictures on Wednesday.
MOVING FORWARD FOR THOSE THAT HAVEN'T RECEIVED A KEYBOARD YET:To me there are three categories of people:
- Want 280 regardless of anodizing, no interest in 380 LE whatsoever
- Want 280 regardless of anodizing, interested in a 380 LE (or another Noxary board such as Valhalla)
- Do not want 280, would like full transfer to 380 LE
How each category could be handled:
Category 1: I'll get boards shipped out ASAP, and won't charge for shipping. I'd be fine with partially refunding ~$100 due to the anodizing issue.
Category 2: As above, will ship ASAP, and won't charge for shipping. Will listen to what sort of options people want with LE (such as brass base etc). It can't get too complex, but certainly able to accomdate some milder requests. Able to accomodate a slightly larger discount on this compared to the partial refund.
Category 3: Complete transfer to 380 LE. As mentioned in Cat 2, can accomodate some milder requests. Will make sure options chosen (such as plate/PCB quantity) line up as best as possible, no "value" should be lost. At least free shipping on the 380 LE, but not sure what else should be put on the table.
Pictures of the 380 prototype for those interested:
More
Please let me know what you think of these options. I'll finalize once there has been some discussion (in a minimum of a week), have a form sent out to everyone so they can choose how they want to move forward, and try and get everyone as happy as possible given the circumstances.
Regarding those asking about the shipping form, if you've done it, that's fine. You haven't commited to anything by filling it in