Will there be a heads up about the launch?

[MattHawkinsUK]

I really hope I am able to buy one in the first batch but I accept it is going to be a mad rush.

People need to remember that this is just capitalism/supply/demand. Not a bunch of toddlers playing pass-the-parcel at a birthday party where every kid "wins".

We are just consumers. No point inventing a complicated system to be "fair". Life isn't fair. Capitalism isn't about being fair, it is about matching a consumer with a supplier. No one has a right to buy a PI or a cheap tablet. The foundation should just sell the units and then order some more.

After all it is just an electrical device. Not food, water or medicine. No one is going to die as a result of missing out.


I've coped this long without one, and while I'll be doing my best to get in the first batch (and will be disappointed if I don't), I hope I'll have the good grace to accept what comes.


Completely agree.

[fsuk]

MattHawkinsUK said:


I really hope I am able to buy one in the first batch but I accept it is going to be a mad rush.

People need to remember that this is just capitalism/supply/demand. Not a bunch of toddlers playing pass-the-parcel at a birthday party where every kid "wins".

We are just consumers. No point inventing a complicated system to be "fair". Life isn't fair. Capitalism isn't about being fair, it is about matching a consumer with a supplier. No one has a right to buy a PI or a cheap tablet. The foundation should just sell the units and then order some more.

After all it is just an electrical device. Not food, water or medicine. No one is going to die as a result of missing out.


I've coped this long without one, and while I'll be doing my best to get in the first batch (and will be disappointed if I don't), I hope I'll have the good grace to accept what comes.


Completely agree.


Would you mind not waiting a day before buying one so that those of us who are obsessed don't miss out and go into a spiral of depression? (jk)

[KnightInd2000]

hedgehog said:


I think that anybody who purchased a sticker should be sent a "store is open" e-mail 12 hours before the general mailing list gets their e-mail.

This would "reward" anybody who supported the sticker charity effort.


I too think that sticker purchasers should get priority treatment (but perhaps this is only because I bought stickers too!)

Which reminds me, where are my bloody stickers anyway?  (said with such a cheeky grin that Liz instantly forgives me!)

[spamel]

It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the RasPis to sell out, I believe some people may be massively distorting the time it will take to sell them all. Ten thousand is quite a few, but I cannot see them all going in an hour. They may be gone in 24 hours, but in one? I doubt it. Time will tell though, and as I say it will be interesting.

[mawa85]

Let's say they have 100k+ potential buyers (70k+ at mailing list already) at order-start (maybe more when it gets more public) and there will be some guys who order more than one with using multiple adresses etc. (For fun or reselling). The first batch will contain 10k units, so it won't last long. 1h if the server keeps up seems realistic to me. So there will be a lot of  frustration

A lottery with 24-48h registration time would be the best option I think

(~10% chance to get one)

[paulmorriss]

Anyone who's bought a sticker, and registered with the shop, probably won't have to enter their address again, so that's going to save you a few crucial seconds when it comes to buying one.

[adrian.oconnor]

I don't think it'll take much more than an hour to sell the first 10,000.

I do think they should take pre-orders. A lottery would be way too complicated, and I disagree with 'special favours for sticker buyers' or anything like that -- again, to complicated. I just think that plain simple pre-orders would work best. I totally get what it says in the FAQ, and I understand why they feel that way, but you know, I'd be willing to put my money down now and wait until my order is ready (even my pre-order didn't make the first batch) -- I'd actually feel good knowing that I'm helping fund the start of this amazing little project. It'd also help them guage the genuine early demand for RaspberyPi that is out there, and that could help them plan production (without fearing for their mortgages).

[lotus49]

Everyone should keep in mind two important factors relevant to all this.

Firstly, we are not the target audience.  I'm sure the Foundation members are delighted about the buzz surrounding the Pi but the primary aim of the foundation is to promote IT in schools, particularly in the UK.  Whether a few impatient pointy heads have to wait a few extra weeks is not relevant to the Foundation's key goals.

Secondly, faffing around with lotteries, turning functionality on and off etc takes time that the small number of Foundation members could be using to do something much more useful than ensuring equity amongst the pointy-headed.

I expect that, quite rightly, they will send out an email, make a blog posting and open the shop for Pi sales at about the same time.  If we get one great, if not we wait - tough.

[parsl]

I'm sure one of the first buyers will upload a torrent of the Raspberry Pi and I can get a pirated copy within a few hours.

[abishur]

You're all being very respectful and polite (and I appreciate that! ) but I'm closing this thread.  The r-pi team has been over these various options and have come to a firm decision.  I know that there's a *ton* of people all dying to get a shot at the r-pi (myself included!) but we're just going to have to be patient and deal with the method the r-pi team has chosen to release their product.  If we don't get the first batch there will be a second and a third and a fourth quickly following. 

[jamesh]

I know it's closed, but one last point...

There is no difference between taking pre orders and taking orders. You get the mad rush when you open for either!

So no preorders!