• Registered: 2013-02-20
  • Posts: 1

Topic: Why not charge money for the service?

I assume this idea must have already been considered by now, but why not just charge a fee to use the service?
I have had my chumby for years.  I like seeing thing flash on my chumby that catch my eye and interest.  It would be worth something to me to have this ability again. $2-3 a month, paid in advance for 6-12 months per device.

If you saw the disappointment on my wife's face this afternoon when her chumby was showing the clock it would break your heart. Consider what we can do to get this back up before people start disconnecting their chumby. It's not my first choice in clocks.

If you want a better clock consider including weather, a news scroll etc.

  • From: Somewhere on or near Earth
  • Registered: 2009-12-16
  • Posts: 774

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

msharp42,

I love how your answer to everything is to use Zurk's offline firmware. I have used it and keep a USB stick with it "ready to go" taped to the back of my Infocast8 in case Duane's efforts fail. It is not the answer to everything however. It also hasn't been updated in almost a year. Zurk's software is useful but ultimately is a dead end. Once the transition to the Blue Octy servers is complete widgets can be added back as allowed and new ones can even be created. There is talk about HTML5 in the future. It may not be perfect, but it is a way forward.

Tar, feathers, congress. Some assembly required.

BoloMKXXVIII's Website

  • From: Meridian, MS
  • Registered: 2012-04-30
  • Posts: 867

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

Yeah, msharp42 is a ton of negativity. Zurk made a good way to keep chumbys going but in the long run it *may not* be the best way. I will stick with Duane and the rest who seem to have a very balanced approach. Duane has proven to me that he is a class act. Even with all the negativity he has kept his cool and accomplished what he set out to do. Anyone who does not stay with this is going to miss a great ride. Blue Octy is not a money maker at least not now so it does not matter who wants to leave and sell out. If anyone wants to bale they can let people know what models they want to sell and you will have a buyer. See The Market. Ebay is doing a brisk business with chumbys. I really thought the price would come down some but not yet.

Owner of 3 Sony Dash, 2 Info 8.
  • Registered: 2013-02-20
  • Posts: 1

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

+1 on paying a monthly or annual fee.  What would it take?

  • Registered: 2013-02-20
  • Posts: 2

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

Yeah, I'd pay a nominal amount.  Or, maybe charge for the widgets a la Android or iTunes?

  • Flame
  • Flame
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2008-11-09
  • Posts: 5

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

I'd pay a monthly fee...  My wife misses the cat from the clock program that was usually on the screen.  I was surprised that it was a "free" service that went, but again I would be willing to pay a monthly fee for the service to continue...

  • Registered: 2013-02-20
  • Posts: 2

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

Hi. I'd totally chip in some $$

  • bobsz
  • Blue Buddy
  • Offline
  • From: Long Beach NY
  • Registered: 2011-01-01
  • Posts: 546

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

@msharpe42- my apologies, I never realized you authored 40 widgets- maybe not as many as Duane, but still impressive. Maybe you could post *your* widgets available someplace for download? Anyone starting with zurkware now probably won't be able to get their own channels/profiles, so yours could be a big help. I'm kind of stuck myself because the usbs I had my zurkware profiles on got messed up. That's when I realized what a benefit the cloud was, at least as a backup.

To th OP- sorry your thoughts got a little hijacked in this thread. You certainly speak for most of us eager to help with support for Blue Octy, financial or otherwise. Many may be disappointed with the single widget clock, but it's sure better than a brick. It's a new start.

  • Registered: 2007-10-29
  • Posts: 8

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

Here's another vote for a monthly fee.  I pay it for the internet station I stream regularly.  I'd be happy to do the same for the sake of having my beloved Chumby back!

  • Registered: 2013-02-21
  • Posts: 1

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

I already payed for the expensive chumby which never worked at home.
Every gadget worked with wifi in my sleeping room except chumby. CHINESE CHUNK !

It's now on my office desk and i'll put it to the electronic chunk.

It should be a WARNING !
Never by product's from unknown company's where support or internet services are required.

Bye bye chunky chumby.

Shame on you !  Your customers love you.

  • From: Somewhere on or near Earth
  • Registered: 2009-12-16
  • Posts: 774

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

bear101 wrote:

I already payed for the expensive chumby which never worked at home.
Every gadget worked with wifi in my sleeping room except chumby. CHINESE CHUNK !

It's now on my office desk and i'll put it to the electronic chunk.

It should be a WARNING !
Never by product's from unknown company's where support or internet services are required.

Bye bye chunky chumby.

Shame on you !  Your customers love you.


There is a Market thread here: http://forum.chumby.com/viewforum.php?id=31
if you want to sell your Chumby.

Tar, feathers, congress. Some assembly required.

BoloMKXXVIII's Website

  • Registered: 2013-02-21
  • Posts: 6

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

I would also be willing to pay for the service.  My daughter and I both love our Chumby devices.  It was a sad day at our home yesterday.  I hope you all can find a way to bring them back to life!  Good Luck!

  • Registered: 2013-02-21
  • Posts: 3

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

Though I'm a new forum member I've had Chumby powered devices for several years.

I like the idea of paying a yearly fee for my account, I'm paying $25/year to Schedules Direct (a non-profit corporation) for TV show schedules to use on my Linux based DVR.

Couldn't a non-profit be set up to do the same thing for Chumby?

Maybe Schedule Direct corporation would take on the Chumby service or at least give guidance, after all they figured out how to continue the service when the original died.

Long live Chumby!! Or some like functioning product.

  • Registered: 2013-02-21
  • Posts: 5

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

+1 for a reasonable fee
+1 for the porting away from flash

I also recommend a common home for every device, including a way
to bring Sony Dash'es back to a cool platform.

BTW: The same happened to a device called "Webby", formerly sold
by Vodafone, Germany - it's currently running in the underground

  • Registered: 2013-02-21
  • Posts: 1

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

I would also pay a nominal fee for my old faithful Chumby to come back to life in some semblance of it's old useful self.

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
  • Offline
  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 8,197

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

I can't do anything about the Sony dash - that's a completely locked down platform.

One of the ideas floating around is that we could set up the backend to support other orphaned devices as well - it's basically a system for delivered moderated, configured files to specific devices.  It doesn't really care very much that they're Flash movies.

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2013-02-21
  • Posts: 2

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

I would pay, too. I miss my favorite widgets.

Glad to have a clock and alarms and so many music/news streams.

  • From: Wilmington, DE
  • Registered: 2008-08-04
  • Posts: 1

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

I would be more than willing to pay a subscription fee to keep my Chumby and the service "alive". I have other services that are of modest content delivery but are sufficiently valuable that I am happy to pay the subscription fee.  Count me in!

John

  • Registered: 2009-12-20
  • Posts: 9

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

Likewise - totally supportive of a subscription service!

  • Registered: 2011-09-10
  • Posts: 36

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

I would pay, too. I miss my weather and many other widgets.

By the way, they're still selling Chumby 3.5 and 8" devices in my country (Finland) and advertise that you get access to over 1500 free applets!

http://www.verkkokauppa.com/fi/product/ … i-internet

Kentsu

  • From: PHOENIX, ARIZONA
  • Registered: 2013-02-21
  • Posts: 1

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

I would gladly pay to keep my chumby alive!!

  • Registered: 2011-01-05
  • Posts: 1

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

I would pay too for the resurrection of my chumby widgets.
I think its a gadget worth reviving.

BaluRheine from Germany

23 Reply by scottier1 (edited by scottier1 2013-02-22 06:48:27)

  • Registered: 2011-09-26
  • Posts: 18

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

I noticed on another thread some people mentioned their Chumby still was of use to them.  Unfortunately for me, without widgets, mine is not.  I  don't need yet another clock in my bedroom.  I am a major +1 for charging for service.  Without my widgets for weather and miscellaneous trivia, my poor Chumby8 is a worthless door stop.  If you charged, say, $25 for 6 month widget service or $40 full year, I would fork it over in a heartbeat

I just read there are some 40,000 Chumbys [Chumbies just doesn't look right!] out there.  If 20% would pay $40 for a year's service of widgets, that's $320K a year - not a bad annual income, eh?

I'm a executive coach.  If I can be of any assistance, feel free to reach out.

Thanks for saving the ship!

24 Reply by mgwynn (edited by mgwynn 2013-02-22 06:57:17)

  • From: Raleigh, NC suburbia
  • Registered: 2013-02-22
  • Posts: 15

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

i've got two chumbys and an insignia info-something

i would pay $40 usd yearly, if all 3 would work again!

that would be... uhh... err... umm... somewhere between $10 and $15 bucks each, per year

let's do this thing!

25 Reply by philhu (edited by philhu 2013-02-22 08:28:38)

  • Registered: 2011-03-21
  • Posts: 223

Re: Why not charge money for the service?

Think if we could get 40000 chumby owners people to pay $5/year for each unit they have!

$200,000/12=16,666/month.  Enough to pay Duane and pay for the service!!!!