Topic: WANT TO BUY BUT NERVOUS ABOUT ALARMS - HELP !!!

Interested in getting this as an alarm clock which was what this was developed ffor originally but with all the people saying there are problems if the network goes down it makes me nervous.

I dont think the clocks should be widgets, they clock widgets should be build in the chumby or we should be able to load them on the usb stick so that if the network is disconnected our alarms would not be in jeopardy.

How could you sell an "alarm clock" device that may or may not work ??? We as consumers have to depend on our alarm clock to wake us up to get to our jobs. Get that functionality off the internet and onto the actual device. There should also be battery backup in case of power failure JUST like a REAL alarm clock. For people that are supposed to be innovative how can you make a device that cant work in the real world and do what an alarm clock is supposed to do.

Also we need to sleep at night so the screen should totally disable if you want it all dark and if you touch the screen it should wake up and show the time.

Cmon people it cant be that hard we all own alarm clocks.

There were tons of input from users as Ihave read the threads since last November but it seems like people who have bought this are complaining about the same thingsthey were asking you to fix 4 months ago.

2 (edited by joltdude 2008-02-28 05:15:11)

Re: WANT TO BUY BUT NERVOUS ABOUT ALARMS - HELP !!!

How many times are you gonna post this same rhetoric on the forums..
THe alarm issue is being worked on.. but it has to be reproduced, preferably by an engineer who can debug the chumby in this condition....

If it bothers you that much GET AN ALARM CLOCK..
But in the meantime, Ill enjoy waking up to my Chumby... and know that its being worked on.
wink

I look forward to seeing you NOT REPLY and crawling back into your corner.. knowing you  dont actually own a chumby, cuz if you did, youd still like it even with a few bugs...

Hell theres that Philips picture frame alarm clock.. Oh wait.. it cant do half the things of chumby.. Oh well... Oh whats the day of the week.. Forgot.. some Philips clocks have a known issue guessing the right day of the week to display .... Oh they offer a firmware upgrade via USB.. How interesting...

Re: WANT TO BUY BUT NERVOUS ABOUT ALARMS - HELP !!!

On one hand, I wouldn't recommend buying the Chumby as an alarm clock based on the current state of the software.  On the other hand, the software team has slowly been improving the functionality and usability of the alarm clock.  When I first got my Chumby, the alarm clock feature was nothing more than a proof of concept.  Now in four months appears to have most of the functionality, but lacks robustness.

While, I am sure that they will improve the robustness, I am more concerned that the software team is engineering it from the ground up to be bullet proof.  From what I'm seeing from the development stand point, some of these recommendations appear to be hacked in together, which makes it more difficult for them to achieve a reliable product.

And joltdude, quit trying to start a flame war.  I bet Chumby Inc appreciates knowing why people aren't buying one, so they can focus on the software that will improve their chances of selling them.  Most companies have to spend money on that research, here they have the potential customers letting them know.

4 (edited by joltdude 2008-02-28 08:25:22)

Re: WANT TO BUY BUT NERVOUS ABOUT ALARMS - HELP !!!

Its nice we (the userbase and Chumby Inc im presuming) to know hes not buying one and why , but we dont have to see him rant about it in every forum... and try to sound like an alarmist to all the users and potential users...

One posting, one thread would have sufficed.. its rather whiney and annoying having to repeat the same answers because it wasnt comprehended in one thread...

Re: WANT TO BUY BUT NERVOUS ABOUT ALARMS - HELP !!!

Oooo, "sound like an alarmist" ... Jolt, my hat is off to the pun master.

Generally, and I know that quoting Tom Cruise is bad form, but Bob ... "if it were easy, everyone would do it" ...  I guess I'm also chuckling that the guy who hasn't spent a dime supporting Chumby thinks they'll listen to him ranting.  I'm with Jolt on this one; cross-posting on a site known for its responsiveness is simply puerile.