"Maximum Quantity of 2..."

[ecolezen]

Hi, just want to ask about the NanoPI NEO LTS product.

I am looking at the model/form factor because its small physical size, low power and low cost to develop some ideas (apps)...

I like to have a better idea about the message: "This product has a maximum quantity of 2"...
Displayed on the product webpage:
https://www.friendlyarm.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=69&product_id=132

What this message means?
As a user, I will only be able to get 2 boards, and nothing else?

Or,
if I place an order today, the limit will be 2, then if I place another order few days later, then there is anoter 2 possible units, and so on... without any real unit limits, but with order limits...???

Please help to clarify the message....
Thanks in advance,
Valter

[ecolezen]

Just want to place an update on a question that I believe may be of interest to others that are interested on the NanoPI NEO LTS...

After a full week past of this post, I decide to send an e-mail (last Friday) to ask for some input from Friendlyarm...
Today I received the answer...

Below is the full text of the answer:

"Hi, we can see your delivery address. If you buy Neo only frequently, we will cut the order."

So, my interpretation is that:
1) The Limit of 2 Units is per buyer/user, not for instance of order.
2) Buyer name, data and address will be used to detect repeating orders.
3) The NanoPI NEO LTS, at the present date, is only available as a kind of "2 units sampling", and cannot be acquired in any quantity after the user place the first order.
4) There is no information if the rule/policy is temporary or not...


My conclusion (personal):
If possible, I want to invest the time and effort in development that can be useful in real life applications, and also that can growth in utility into the future... that is why the "LTS" factor is such a interesting feature of a SBC product...

Right now, I am in serious doubt about the value of putting time into any activity related to the NEO board, as interesting as the board is, if I do, I am running the risk of wasting my time and destroying resources/possibilities...

I have an old NEO (H3) 512MB Model, non-LTS, the product looks really nice and I became interested in the 256MB LTS Model, but was NOT aware that there is only "2 units sampling" for sale, which, for the vast majority of the users, will be the "preventing" factor to use/create the board...

I hope that FriendlyElec find another way to look at this specific board, one way that can work for the manufacturer, the seller and user... the electronic part of the product seems good enough...


Here is a humble idea (prototype for a suggestion), but I am SURE IT, somehow, works...

Code: Select all

Layer 1) Manufacturer
 ----------------------
| Friendly Arm Devices |
| Friendly Electronics |
 ----------------------

Layer 2) Re-Seller/Service Provider
 ----------------------
| Friendly Reseller    |
| Friendly Services    |
| 4400 Friends NET***  |
 ----------------------

Layer 3) Users
 ------------------------
| A Friend Creator       |
| A Friend Supporter     |
 ------------------------

THE WHOLE (all layers working together) = FRIENDLY LTS PLATFORM!


I am yet to start testing my old 512MB NEO in serious way, but have some reasons to believe that the board has enough quality to justify serious developments effort from users, provided that the "2 limit sampling" rule/policy can be resolved...
What I am saying is that, as manufactuer, FriendlyElec seems good enough and their products seems reasonable...
Sales, Distribuition and Service is a big and difficult factor for any manufacturer, and it is no different for FriendlyElec... perhaps there are different ways to explore the issue...
Perhaps the traditional model are already doing ALL it can do... if that is the case, then we must explore new ways...


***About the 4400 FRIENDS NET
It seems that, there are, at least, 4400 cities around the world with 100000 people, so, that number of citizens should justify a small "shop" servicing/selling SBC related material for the local end user...
This "small shop" is in REALITY a small and humble MAKERSPACE. It can be a single individual programmer, with a single notebook PC and a 1Mbps Internet connection, that should be enough.
The key for this kind of maker spaces is not to be beatiful and full of luxurious forniture in a fancy building on expensive real state... the real key is to be USEFUL for the end user, to provide some MEANINGFUL service to the local population... without asking the user to pay $50/$100 every month as membership fees...
The beautiful/cool building model is a tentative of using the old, traditional model, together with the new concept that a Maker Space represents... I strong believe that Maker Spaces will succeed and grow if they explore a new model or par of what they stand for: new model/new ideas...

Things need to be simple!
Things need to be small!
This is the way to build a long lasting solution...

I am absolutely convinced that a model like this (somehow in this direction) can work well...

FriendlyElec, it seems, already have the Layer 1 working...
The Layer 3, users, are in deep need of new ideas/solutions...
I am convinced that, at least ONE individual maker/creator can be found in each of the all 4400 cities larger than 100K, that are motivated to try/cooperate/collaborate...

Regards all,
Valter Fukuoka

PS. The idea of 4400 cities with more than 100000 citizens having, at least one small Maker Space happens to me sometime ago when I was watching a presentation about Platform Cooperativism... later, I will make a small doc elaborating more on the idea...