• Registered: 2007-09-26
  • Posts: 17

Topic: Insider First day - experience and suggestions.

I got the Insider invite on the 18th and I placed my order for the Chumby (Black) literally about 6 min after the email arrived in my mailbox. The timestamp between the invite and the Store Receipt is 8 min off.
Chumby delivered to my door on the 24th.

The packaging is really awesome and totally shows that you guys care about the product and the consumers, Bravo.

I've got some glitches with the power or the power button that I'll follow up with on support. But it did come to life the 5th or 6th time I plugged it in and fiddling with the power button, had me worried there for a while. Short press, long press? Press and hold? I'm not sure but after a few false starts, I'm not going to turn it off until I hear back from support.

Demo movie is great, I assume that those are your actual voices?

Registration is also classy, that click the pattern method sure beats a 32 character activation code, though once that is pressed and entered the website and chumby ask you to verify the device ID, but at that point the ID is no longer on the screen and you have to hit the chumby back to see it again.. the ID should really be carried over onto that page.

Channel setup is nice, I don't mind setting it up via the website but I think that you need to be able to do some customization from the Chumby itself to fine tune your lineup. Most significant in this is the time between widgets, that really needs to be controllable on the Chumby with more then just 'Stick'.

'Squeeze' your Chumby: I was really hoping for something a little different then what it is.. to actually be able to squeeze it, on the sides, front to back right ;now it's really just 'hit it on the top', like an alarm clock.

So I remember reading on the forums that there is a 9volt battery backup so you can move it across the room with out it loosing itself. And sure enough, if I open the velcro on the bottom there is a 9volt connector - So I guess that's where it goes, but there is not mention putting in a backup battery in any of the documentation, the demo video, or the Chumby Tips category. If that's supposed to be used then it needs to be mentioned somewhere.

Other then that, I've just gotten started and I'm pretty excited about the possibilities.


Chris

  • From: FL
  • Registered: 2007-08-04
  • Posts: 19

Re: Insider First day - experience and suggestions.

Congratulations! You're gonna love your chumby. Also, have no fear. Chumby tech support is awesome!

Have fun with your new chumby. I'm glad to see the insiders are getting them already1

Jonathan

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."- August 2005 edition of Have a Good Day

Dolphinjon's Website

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

Re: Insider First day - experience and suggestions.

Thanks for your comments.

chriscook wrote:

Demo movie is great, I assume that those are your actual voices?

Yes, most of us.

Registration is also classy, that click the pattern method sure beats a 32 character activation code, though once that is pressed and entered the website and chumby ask you to verify the device ID, but at that point the ID is no longer on the screen and you have to hit the chumby back to see it again.. the ID should really be carried over onto that page.

I'll file a bug for that.

Channel setup is nice, I don't mind setting it up via the website but I think that you need to be able to do some customization from the Chumby itself to fine tune your lineup. Most significant in this is the time between widgets, that really needs to be controllable on the Chumby with more then just 'Stick'.

That's on our list of things to do.

'Squeeze' your Chumby: I was really hoping for something a little different then what it is.. to actually be able to squeeze it, on the sides, front to back right ;now it's really just 'hit it on the top', like an alarm clock.

The prototype chumbys had an analog bend sensor sewn into the fabric that worked somewhat as you described.  We dropped it from the production units because it was expensive, came from a single source, and was easily (and often) damaged because people didn't get any sort of tactile or audio feedback and squeezed it beyonds its limits.  Practically speaking, it was used pretty much as a switch anyway, so we decided to go with a more robust replacement that actually gave you a "click" feedback.

So I remember reading on the forums that there is a 9volt battery backup so you can move it across the room with out it loosing itself. And sure enough, if I open the velcro on the bottom there is a 9volt connector - So I guess that's where it goes, but there is not mention putting in a backup battery in any of the documentation, the demo video, or the Chumby Tips category. If that's supposed to be used then it needs to be mentioned somewhere.

The battery is deprecated in the production unit, which is why it isn't mentioned anywhere.  The battery in the prototype units worked in an entirely different manner.

One issue that we've had to deal with as a result of our general corporate transparency is that many of the features of the prototype chumby units are being conflated with the feature set of the production model.

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2006-08-29
  • Posts: 204

Re: Insider First day - experience and suggestions.

So what is the battery for? And now how do you move it? Do you just have to shut it off/on?

5 Reply by sonex293 (edited by sonex293 2007-11-08 18:18:57)

  • From: NC
  • Registered: 2007-01-25
  • Posts: 9

Re: Insider First day - experience and suggestions.

I just got my Chumby......Am I supposed to put in a 9V battery or not?

--
Michael

  • From: Cincinnati, OH
  • Registered: 2007-10-09
  • Posts: 78

Re: Insider First day - experience and suggestions.

I have a battery in mine and it does work.  I didn't wait to see how long, but I read here that it would last about an hour or so  (I'm sure the wifi & LCD are a considerable drain on it).  Didn't know that it got drained over time, though sad

Chumby birthdate: 10/11/07
  • Registered: 2007-11-12
  • Posts: 9

Re: Insider First day - experience and suggestions.

I put a battery in mine mainly because it tilts the chumby farther back so the screen is angled so I can see it on my desk. I suppose I could have stuck a couple of charms inside the pouch for the same effect. I suggest that even if you decide to remove the battery connector that you leave the pouch for charm storage and so people can angle their chumbies as they see fit.