Status GTA04 GroupTour

[Davide Scaini]

Just my point of view:
I think the price is the problem.

To be less brief I'll explain MY situation: I'm a student, I'm very
interested in GTA04 because I think it's a tool that can help me in
learning how to write code for embedded stuff in an open environment
but I don't have a pay or some "regular" income. Therefore for me
GTA04 is a dream :D

I read all the previous mails, I have a GTA02 (it was the gift for my
bachelor...), so I know why the price is around 450€ ... but for me is
really too much.
just my small and personal 2 cents
d

On Thu, Dec 29, 2011 at 11:50 AM, Dr. H. Nikolaus Schaller
<hns at goldelico.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
> that status of the GTA04 mass market group tour
>
> http://www.handheld-linux.com/wiki.php?page=GTA04%20Group%20Tour
>
> is that we have:
>
> * passed half time yesterday
> * first early bird batch is sold out
> * but still only 16% preorders (56 units)
> * we have approx. 6 weeks left to fill the remaining
>   gap of 84 %
>
> So I would say that we are still far away from becoming
> successful.
>
> If I read that over 2 Million new Android units have been
> activated over the Christmas holidays [1] and 4 Million
> iOS devices just on Christmas day [2], I can't believe
> that we do not find 350 potential buyers in 60 days...
>
> Well, we don't have a real mass market device and I think
> we should not even pretend to have one, in this phase.
> Because we are then compared to the 100 EUR Huawei
> Android/UMTS units where one has to suspect that the
> workers in China are being ripped off...
>
> What do you think should we do to make this group
> tour a success?
>
> * extend the subscription timeframe until we reach
>  100%?
> * ask for/collect donations to extend the early bird rebates?
>   Some sort of sponsorship by community members for
>   community members who can't afford a new GTA04
>   immediately?
> * have more resellers or buying groups to order batches
>   of 10 units?
> * talk more about the benefits and special features one
>   can only find in a GTA04 and nowhere else?
> * subsidize GTA04 boards by combining them with a
>   UMTS contract?
> * offer to pay only part of the price by end of the subscription
>   time frame so that we can already buy the expensive
>   and difficult to source components, but postpone
>   production individually until the remaining payments
>   arrive? (i.e. pay 200 EUR until 10th Feb and the remainder
>   until May)
>
> More ideas are welcome! But please keep in mind
> that we can't develop something completely new until
> February and components cost what they cost...
>
> The simpler the idea the better!
>
> And, there may be ideas which are too big for a single
> community member, but may become feasible if we all
> work together, contributing many small pieces.
>
> Curious about your ideas,
> Nikolaus
>
> [1]: http://www.giga.de/macnews/newsticker/ios-gegen-android-42-millionen-ios-26-millionen-android-aktivierungen-am-weihnachtstag-256890
> [2]: http://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/27/holiday-gifts-drive-new-ios-device-activations-sharply-higher/
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