ANN: GTA04 Group Tour subscription timeframe extended until end of March

[Dr. H. Nikolaus Schaller]

Looking at the subscription rate of approx. 25% and comparing with the end of the planned subscription timeframe coming very close, it is becomes very clear that it would need a wonder to quadruple the subscription (although everyone just has to convince 3 friends) within one week.

Therefore, we finally decided to extend the subscription timeframe until

	31 March 2012

This has several reasons:

1. we learned that some of you need more time to see that the GTA04 is really working (kernel, hardware stable, useable as real phone etc). It isn't missing much but the "GTA04 from stock" has just started shipping, i.e. there is no feedback yet.

2. some of you need a completely new case. Making real cases from the very promising ideas to work with Shapeways do wooden milling or deep drawing etc. is possible but needs more development time. And we need to finalize a CaseKit with the missing components.

3. GTA04 is still not well known as we learn during FOSDEM. Articles like the one on linuxfordevices.com [1] are just the first start.

So extending the timeframe means that everyone who has already ordered can get
a) a refund
b) upgrade to a "GTA04 from stock"
c) or just do nothing and wait

This is a little simpler to organise than cancelling the whole tour and starting a new one. But the effect is the same.

All those who had planned to order by end of January but did see no chance that the group tour really starts get a second chance.

We will try to prepare production as good as possible (e.g. making non-binding reservations for components) so that we don't have to wait too long because some resistor suddenly has 20 weeks delivery time.

Don't worry that this cancellation and restart has happened, but let's work (discuss, inform, promote, write code, ...) that we don't have to extend it again... Let's really make a new future out of the heritage from Openmoko*.

Best wishes from FOSDEM,
Nikolaus

[1] http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Golden-Delicious-Openmoko-GTA04/
* OpenPhoenux = Open Phone for Linux with an allusion to "Phoenix"