Round 5 and Round 6 kits for sale!

[krutmob]

I paid $598 yesterday for round 7.

Why would you do that when we don't even know if Round 7 will be produced?

[Gray Jian]

I paid $598 yesterday for round 7.

Why would you do that when we don't even know if Round 7 will be produced?

If I can't get the keycaps in 2018, that's no problem. I'm sure someday I will get them, maybe in 2019 or 2020, just like round 5 and round 6, they took long time too. The more important is I am poisoned by 7bit again. I ordered round 7 and pay for them, then I won't look at the page again and again, day after day. I'm free now.

[Griffy]

Oh my GAWD I got a package today of some blue and grey caps! It came even before my keyboard and cable came, how can this be happening its amazing. I have to check the content later on tho but this is very cool. I wasn't even supposed to get the space cadet, first I booked the Honeywell, then the Dasher and this one last and here it lies.

[zslane]

If Round 7 gets cancelled, prioritizing refunds won't merely be a "solution" it will become an ethical (if not legal) necessity. However, we're not there yet, and using alarmist language and advocating for mass refunds isn't what I would call being part of the solution. It certainly isn't helping to optimize a path where both Round 6 and Round 7 happen.

I have done none of these things...

Perhaps it is just semantics, but in the category of "alarmist language" I include equating 7bit GBs to a Ponzi scheme and talking about refunding all Round 7 monies before it has been officially cancelled (by 7bit). The "reality" you describe is a bit of a mess right now, yes, but it hardly warrants the white hot spotlight of such intense criticism, especially when working towards a best-case scenario requires that we talk folks off the ledge, not push them over it.

[gnarlsagan]

To chime in, I see no issue with waiting for further developments. I've waited this long already, and 7bit definitely seems personnally committed to a favorable outcome. The numbers given so far seem doable. Let's stay the course.

[caligo]

If Round 7 gets cancelled, prioritizing refunds won't merely be a "solution" it will become an ethical (if not legal) necessity. However, we're not there yet, and using alarmist language and advocating for mass refunds isn't what I would call being part of the solution. It certainly isn't helping to optimize a path where both Round 6 and Round 7 happen.

I have done none of these things...

Perhaps it is just semantics, but in the category of "alarmist language" I include equating 7bit GBs to a Ponzi scheme and talking about refunding all Round 7 monies before it has been officially cancelled (by 7bit). The "reality" you describe is a bit of a mess right now, yes, but it hardly warrants the white hot spotlight of such intense criticism, especially when working towards a best-case scenario requires that we talk folks off the ledge, not push them over it.

Not once have I argued for cancelling R7. I've spoken of what happens in case SP axes it, and I've argued why it does not strike me as feasible to move on with it in its current form (a GB deeply in debt from the start). These seem like valid things to talk about, given the current state of things. But I guess we could simply agree to disagree on what constitutes rocking the boat and leave it at that. And speaking of hyperbole, expressions such as 'poisoning the well' don't really fit in the calm and nuanced category either (at least not in my book).

But fair enough, toning things down is probably a good idea. I guess the way things unfolded from my personal vantage point hasn't really contributed to keeping a level head: first being given the silent treatment by 7bit, then raising concerns about the setup once I got a response that had me quite worried abut the state of things, but being reassured that there wasn't going to be a problem – only to have the whole thing seemingly come crashing down moments after. Oh well. I'll just take a step back from this for a while, I think that's for the best.

[chuckdee]

To chime in, I see no issue with waiting for further developments. I've waited this long already, and 7bit definitely seems personnally committed to a favorable outcome. The numbers given so far seem doable. Let's stay the course.

Agreed, and while not placing the blame at SP's feet, it seems strange to communicate with a client in this way, i.e. not giving 7bit a heads up before placing such potentially inflammatory language in your status update. By communicating intent to him first, they could have let him have more control over the communications, and handled a lot of the understandable emotions in a better way with preemptive communication to those that are a part of the buy.

[zslane]

I wonder if SP is aware of just how intensely the community obsessively scrutinizes every word of their production schedule web page...

There's also the time difference between WA and Germany to contemplate. SP could have sent word to 7bit shortly before updating their web page, but if it was sent to him while he was asleep, the two events could appear to have occurred out of (preferred) order.

[Gray Jian]

‘Round 7 gets cancelled’ this topic repeated again, again and again, but I'm puzzled, does SP have the right to cancel round 7? No, SP is just manufactory, just supplier, they only procude the keycaps for us, yes, they can decide wether produce round 7 in 2018 or not, but they can't decide cancel round 7. Who has the power for that? Only us, everyone here, every member of this GB. If we rush out like scaredy-cats, round 7 was dead, nor of us will receive these keycaps, but if we have a choice of insisting on, trust 7bit and this GB, round 7 is alive, we will get the keycaps, just like the member of round 4, round 5 and round 6. So I choose trust 7bit, stay patient.

[hansichen]

They can do what they want. If they say we don't like 7bit and we don't wanna have more business connections to him, then it is their decision not to take an order for round 7. If they say that they don't wanna do group buys in future, then it is their decision to.
We can't force anything as SP has the right to choose whatever they want to do. The one and only possibility would be a boycott of SP but in "best" case you would maybe have -10% orders which still ends up at more than 1000 kits of dasher on massdrop

[Gray Jian]

Did they say we don't like 7bit and we don't wanna have more business connections to him?
Did they say we don't want to take an order for round 7?
Did they say that we don't wanna do group buys in future?
If one answer is YES, that means game over. But as we know, the answers are NO, NO, NO!
Why we worried about that? Why we rushed out like scaredy-cats? Just cool down. 7Bit is a famous author, he has a long-term cooperation with SP. If something destroy the relationship, that must be the people who want to rush out. Their action disrupt the production plan of SP. That's not other people, that's us. We make the round 7 died. I don't want to be a murderer, I'm sure so do other people. Just cool down, stay patient, we all will get our keycaps, just like round 4, round 5 and round 6.

[justcallmecrash]

Not to break the chain here, but I have a quick question: Would buying the R5 leftovers help get R6 over the hump? I have a gray-and-white alphas set that I'd like to see produced (as well as some other R6 leftovers) and if buying up some R5 keys helps, I'll do that.
Thanks.

[Ail]

Yes, depending on how 7-bit chooses to proceed all future purchases will continue to fund the completion of round 6 phase 2.

[zslane]

The complication for us collectors is that we don't know what portion of each payment that we've received is for Round 6. Only 7bit knows that. And only the buyers themselves know whether they will want their Round 6 order refunded along with their Round 7 order. We are potentially faced with issuing lots of partial refunds, and it will take quite some time to figure all that out. We probably won't know how much we have to put towards Round 6 phase 2 for weeks, maybe months.

In any case, phase 2 won't get a production window any earlier than Q1 2018, and that assumes 7bit can pay the outstanding bill more or less immediately. Every day that goes by, the available date for that production slot gets further and further out as other projects continue to flow in from other sources (and not just MassDrop, by the way).

[meanderingthalweg]

HONEYG/FUNR3A/BLUE function keys row 2
HONEYG/FUNR3B/BLUE function keys row 2
These kit names and descriptions seem contradictory... Are the caps Row 3 or Row 2?

Let's get these leftovers purchased and move on with solving this issue!! And post pics to the Round 6 Cappening thread!

[7bit]

Hi all!

I've decided to hold on to all the money and pay for Round 6 production first. Then, people can have refunds.

About Round 7: I still have to wait for an answer from SP if they are just full of work an therefore have a long waiting time for production or just hate me so much that they never ever want to produce any of those beautiful key caps again.


But I'm quite sure, they will really soon again take orders for more key caps.

[7bit]

The complication for us collectors is that we don't know what portion of each payment that we've received is for Round 6. Only 7bit knows that. And only the buyers themselves know whether they will want their Round 6 order refunded along with their Round 7 order. We are potentially faced with issuing lots of partial refunds, and it will take quite some time to figure all that out. We probably won't know how much we have to put towards Round 6 phase 2 for weeks, maybe months.

In any case, phase 2 won't get a production window any earlier than Q1 2018, and that assumes 7bit can pay the outstanding bill more or less immediately. Every day that goes by, the available date for that production slot gets further and further out as other projects continue to flow in from other sources (and not just MassDrop, by the way).

I don't know this either, I have to look at these orders to see what is Round 7 and what Round 6. Mostly it is both. You all can still clear those orders and order in stock stuff instead.

However, if we hold on for a little longer (less than a month), it should be doable that phase 2 can be fully paid for.

[phinix]

Cool. Less than a month is great.

I bet SP can squeeze in phase 2 this year and finish this off.

[arianvp]

are SPH and GREY the same color? I have CADET and GREY in my order, and I Was wondering if GREY is part of phase2 or phase1. If it is part of phase2, can the phase1 part be shipped separately?

Order #1088 by the way

[Menuhin]

I've grown more and more curious about this factory Signature Plastics.

It is kind of slow to mold the last step of 4 caps aided manually in about 30 seconds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOpj2Zgk710

But let's assume there are just 2 of these machines and 2 workers working on them every time these machines are working, plus a normal 8-hours work day, and a 5-workdays weekly schedule. It takes about 7 minutes to complete 108 keys, and for an order of 1000 sets, it takes about 7000 minutes, i.e. about 15 workdays, 3 workweeks. Let's say that is a month.
Let's say the first injection takes about as long, then let's say it takes 1 month for that.

If they have just 2 workers working on 2 machines, they're definitely able to complete an order of Massdrop magnitude (e.g. 1000 sets) within 2 months. But they can then take only about 6 orders per year.
Given what I've seen on the Internet, the most popular Groupbuy targets (GH, DT, TaoBao) are GMK and SP SA. I think 6 slots per year will be easily booked out. Things change when they have 4 workers on 4 machines but these are all speculations.

[Menuhin]

are SPH and GREY the same color? I have CADET and GREY in my order, and I Was wondering if GREY is part of phase2 or phase1...

AFAIK, GREY is part of phase2.
Round 6 "GREY" is WFK on GPA, Round 6 "SPH" is WV on GD, and Round 7 "GREY" is (a different) WFK on GDC.

They all belong to the "grey" category of SP color codes.

[t8c]

Paid the rest of my R6 orders! Let's do this and show how much Round 6 is still alive and kicking!

[Wodan]

Paid the rest of my R6 orders! Let's do this and show how much Round 6 is still alive and kicking!

It's f'ing time for the original hype train:



Round 6 hit hard but still rolling!!! You CANNOT stop the hype train!

[chuckdee]

I've grown more and more curious about this factory Signature Plastics.

It is kind of slow to mold the last step of 4 caps aided manually in about 30 seconds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOpj2Zgk710

But let's assume there are just 2 of these machines and 2 workers working on them every time these machines are working, plus a normal 8-hours work day, and a 5-workdays weekly schedule. It takes about 7 minutes to complete 108 keys, and for an order of 1000 sets, it takes about 7000 minutes, i.e. about 15 workdays, 3 workweeks. Let's say that is a month.
Let's say the first injection takes about as long, then let's say it takes 1 month for that.

If they have just 2 workers working on 2 machines, they're definitely able to complete an order of Massdrop magnitude (e.g. 1000 sets) within 2 months. But they can then take only about 6 orders per year.
Given what I've seen on the Internet, the most popular Groupbuy targets (GH, DT, TaoBao) are GMK and SP SA. I think 6 slots per year will be easily booked out. Things change when they have 4 workers on 4 machines but these are all speculations.

Community buys are not their only, nor their primary, source of revenue. So any speculation is based upon incomplete information, and is thus bound to be incorrect.

[spuit]

Order received. Looks great!

[developstopfix]

I hate the be the annoying new person that starts asking questions 400+ pages into the thread, but I have no idea how any of this stuff works. I was ready to order a bunch of the Round 6 leftovers listed on the wiki (white alphas and gray mods) but from what I read over the last page or so, the whites are actually part of some Phase 2 and havent actually been produced yet? Or am I reading that wrong?

Also, before I go and put in an order, how likely is it that I'll ever get a hold of the few keys that I'm missing that aren't listed in the leftovers? I need function keys F1-12 in gray and 1.25u modifiers in gray but those don't seem to be available. Do I basically just post a WTB and hope someone comes along with them eventually?

[mathonix]

I also hate to be that guy, but I haven't been paying close attention. Should I have received items from this order already:

HONEYB/SIXTYBASE/VIOLETT |SIXTY base violett kit | 49.00| 1| 13| 49.00
HONEYB/ALPHA/CREAM |ALPHA cream kit | 59.00| 1| 49| 59.00
HONEYB/MODBASE100/VIOLETT|Modifier base violett | 9.00| 1| 6| 9.00
HONEYB/CURSOR/R34/VIOLETT|Cursor kit (row 3/UP:4) | 6.00| 1| 4| 6.00
HONEYB/KBDRUNNER/CREAM |keyboard runner (r 1) | 2.00| 1| 1| 2.00
HONEYB/SHIFT225/VIOLETT |SHIFT (row 4, 2.25u) | 5.00| 1| 1| 5.00
HONEYB/SPACE625/CREAM |Space (6.25u; cream) | 7.00| 1| 1| 7.00
HONEYB/R1U100/CREAM |blank key (cream) | 1.00| 1| 1| 1.00
HONEYB/R2U100/CREAM |blank key (cream) | 1.00| 1| 1| 1.00

[zslane]

Community buys are not their only, nor their primary, source of revenue. So any speculation is based upon incomplete information, and is thus bound to be incorrect.

That's right. Community group buys, including custom sets they sell directly through their PMK website, account for about 50% of their business.

[vinnycordeiro]

That's right. Community group buys, including custom sets they sell directly through their PMK website, account for about 50% of their business.

That much? I was under the impression that group buys accounted for a way lower number.

[zslane]

At one time it was way lower, yes, but over time what they call their "retail" business has grown to about 50% of their annual revenue.