Topic: My Visit To Butterfly Labs Today! - page 2. (Read 7966 times)

I wasn't trolling, I was fishing to see what I could catch!

So basically you went there to troll them in real life? Lol.

I tried to be as impartial as possible and do the "Dragnet" "Just the facts, Ma'am!" thing!

Glad to know that I succeeded!

You got the point for sure!

BFL is handling things with delay and obfuscation!

OK, I am going to answer your questions and reply to your comments in as reasonable, rational and concise manner as possible and bear in mind that this post does indeed contain my considered opinions on the debacle that is BFL.

Concise however does not necessarily mean brief so get ready for a long reply!

Why should I not go to BFL?

They have a location, a business licence and a front door!

I find that often so-called "internet-based" companies actually count on customers not coming to their pysical location, especially in times of cirsis and confusion.  When someone does come, it generally shakes them up whether or not they admit to it, so sometimes showing up unexpectedly will yield diffferent information than the company would give out in an email or phone call.  This however was not the case with BFL.

Based on my personal experience in consumer protection, albeit many years back, had a so-called "real world" company engaged in the kind of business tactics currenttly exercised by BFL, it would have been taken to task long ago.

I suspect waht has heppened with BFL is that it has used its startup money as well as the proceeds from "pre-orders" in R&D and obtaining material for the initial production runs.  I also suspect and this suspicion is to a certain extent verified by BFL in its own updates that the stuff they bought and assembled simply didn't work and they are now left with large piles of high grade computer scrap.

The consequence of this is that all the equipment has been re-designed or is in the process of redesign, there is no completed working equipment and therefore nothing to ship and BFL really has no idea when or for that matter, if anything will ever be shipped but they will not tell you that!  The just keep stalling on shipping dates hoping against hope to be able to get it together before the walls come crashing in.  I also suspect that BFL is now relying on what if anyatahing is left from startup, pre-order funds and whatever comes in from new pre-orders to continue to conduct R&D and purchase the bits to assemble a finished product in time to avoid a meltdown.
I think BFL is more of less (Mostly more!) on the idea that pre-order customers are essentially held hostage against the ideas that requesting refunds or initiating chargebacks will bring the house down and customer's money will be lost and that  no one else out there can make working ASIC equipment available in a timely manner.

I have good reason to beleive that there are at least two companies which are very close to marketing fully functioning ASIC devices and much sooner than BFL's predictions of the availability of its own product.  I have been in close contact with those companies but will not name them because I do no want to appear to be shilling for them.  If and when such equipment becomes readily avialable from either of them, I will let you know as soon as I have reliable information.

In short, I am in discussion with my two partners concerning the plans for our orders but we most certainly will not be placing future orders with BFL.

I don't think it's about the date per se.  I think it was about the way they handled the question. I learn as much from that, if not more.

Glad to know that is not the place to invest my 25k lol

I don't. I always wanted a ship.

I'm on a boat, I'm on a boat
Everybody look at me cause I'm sailing on a boat.

Why are you insistent on BFL giving out ship dates?  They have done that many times in the past and missed every date.  What difference would it make if they gave you a new date?  BFL has obvious problems, but I fail to see how insisting on a ship will help anyone.   

Not that I like the outcome but thanks for the impartial review nonetheless.

You sure he wasn't fiddling with the knife due to the extremely large amount of very pissed off people whom they owe money and "working products" to? Cannot say I haven't been having a reoccurring dream about storming the place with my military buddies and coming out with 3 jalapenos only to find them filled with Styrofoam. Grenades get tossed inside and I wake up screaming VENGEANCE IS MINE F!@#%&s!!!! Though in hindsight probably not the best idea, but a man can dream. I would happily pay money to anyone who bitch slaps Josh at the next Bitcoin or tech conference they have the balls to show their faces at.


love,
detro

I have to hold on it because I paid in BTC - now my only chance is to hope to mine back those BTC's, as a USD refund would just be a tremendous loss and a slap in my face.

Anyhow, I don't have the Stockholm syndrome. I know I've been f*cked, and that I should never have bought the units with BTC. Anyhow, at the time it felt right to spend BTC in a machine that generates BTC... Fool of me.

Bru, you and I have figured that out. You have an early pre-order I guess so you're holding on to it, and quite right too. Some of us late-comers didn't know the score and took what BFL said on trust and got burned.

All the OP did was dig up some information that helped him make a decision, and he was good enough to share it with anyone else who's interested in ASICs and is considering BFL. I think if BFL continue to be opaque about their progress they should expect more visits from people like LostDutchman seeking answers.

BTW, I'm not hating on you. Even though I cancelled I do hope you and the other customers who choose to wait it out get your ASICs in time to make some profits; Bitcoin needs multiple viable hardware vendors.

I will not be ordering from BFL.

Man, your effort is appreciated, but did you really need to go there? For what?

We all know they are not shipping anytime soon. Jalapeños ordered the very first days will arrive at the end of this year, at best. Singles and Minis ordered at the very beginning may arrive next year. Mini rigs won't arrive at all, they will not exist.

This the reality, and a visit to their facilities is not going to change it.

Suffice it to say that I will not be going back to BFL for any reason and that from this point on I will be availing myself of the protection of my CCW permit 24/7.

It may well be time to do just that.

Yeah, but you're living in an 80s action flick. They don't do those anymore as well as they did them.

Nah.  Every time I go into any place of business to meet with the executives they always pull out knives, nun-chucks, garrets, guns, etc and fiddle around with them.

Told you guys BFL are a Mafia front, but does anyone listen? Noooo.