Zemmix Neo project in Korea. (OCM based Zemmix with CNCed case)

Champion (275)

06-05-2013, 06:35

@Capitan_Goto
We thought 100 pcs of Zemmix Neo couldn't be sold out for a week.
But!!! It just sold out just in a 8 min 30 secs. Lots of old gamers are
still somewhere in the world. I think.. (That's why retro games are
very very very expensive now and it will be more expensive later.)

Por _ThEcRoW

Master (145)

06-05-2013, 16:10

Then, what is holding the mass production?. Certainly in this forum are plenty of people who will buy it, but instead, you don't sell. What's the point?

Por syn

Prophet (2133)

06-05-2013, 17:14

Not everyone can do "a mass production run" at will... stuff like money, risks, logistics come to mind for example....

Also not everyone MUST massproduce everything the make. If someone just wants to make 100 pieces and no more, you have to respect that decision imho.

Por mygodess

Champion (275)

06-05-2013, 17:39

@_ThEcRoW
I have no idea why you said like this. I could do mass production if I have big money, but I don't have it.
That's why I decided to make it with some other forum members . (100 people could pay first and could
get the item 1 month later)

I wish I could make lots of Zemmix Neo. But I cannot make it because it needs big money and lots of
supporters who could pay. I don't think the people in here could wait until Zemmix Neo comes.
Do you really think you can believe me after paying big money le $300 or $400 and just can wait for
more than a month?

I could sell some of Zemmix Neo after I can make some extra.
It will take a little bit more than a month I think. Is this enough for you then?

@syn
I am just a poor guy. I'm just an engineer who could help to make some of part of Zemmix Neo.
I cannot make decision to make 100 pieces Maybe sometime later if I win the lottery then
I could make 1000 pieces but I cannot for now

Por SkyeWelse

Champion (471)

06-05-2013, 18:04

mygodess,

Thank you for clarifying this a bit more for us. I can definitely understand what you mean when you say that this type of production/business model may require at least a month of development time to turnaround additional units as well as require money on hand for the expenses of producing these units.

I'm sure that a lot of users here would be fine with paying the cost of the Zemmix Neo upfront as long as they get some kind of proof of purchase that they would definitely receive their products. But if there is issue with this, perhaps setup a type of deposit system where a buyer needs to pay a percentage of the cost as a deposit first, and after the item is made the remainder is paid in by the buyer including shipping costs and if the buyer can't pay or won't pay once the item is ready, then they lose their initial deposit and it is sold to another buyer.

-Thomas

Por Capitan_Goto

Master (168)

06-05-2013, 18:01

I think that SkyeWelse is right. It´s good way to start....and to mygodess...thank you for your time and effort!

Por mygodess

Champion (275)

06-05-2013, 18:21

@SkyeWelse
Maybe there could be some way like that. I don't have any deposit system though.
In addition, almost all the deposit will be used to make Zemmix Neo itself. That means
the deposit could be very big .. almost same as the price of Zemmix Neo.
(When I finished Zemmix Neo project, our project team lose $3000 already. $1000 was mine.
I'm not a seller. Just an engineer. Cause I just don't want to make big money. But I don't want
to lose more money for make some.) That's why I cannot say to you guys to put some deposit.
If there is some problem like some of the main chip is not working then I cannot say to you
guys pay more.

Well well. Probably there is some ways to make both of us happy. But I have no idea for now.
Sorry about my English is not that good.. Just hope you can understand what I meant

Por Capitan_Goto

Master (168)

06-05-2013, 19:13

@mygodess..Don´t worry about your English. I think everybody here is getting what you mean. Well..time to have a serious talk.First...which is the total and real price of each Zemmix Neo unit?. It´s very impresive that the team that make the units has lost money...their own money. Don´t think this is right. You put the work and the time to make a new and beautiful machine, no need to lost your money!!. One idea is coming to me... if people could know the list of parts and components needed to build one Z.N unit and they could buy all this components...maybe they could send them to you to mount the unit. Something like the great GR8BIT project, but in the reverse way! You buy your components, send them to Korea, our very gentle engineer mount the unit, and finally a time after you get the Zemmix Neo in your post office.

This can head us to other point. The search for the cheapest component. Imagine that the same component is much cheaper in USA than EU or in another point of the globe. Then, all the interested people could make a party and buy these components, even cheaper..

Well it´s just an idea...maybe the logistics of this is very complicate and make it impossible, but, well just thinking in loud voice. Anyway, one thing is true. All of us have to me very grateful to you mygodess to bring us and share this project, that was a very close, local and hard to get system, and try to get accesible to all people around the world interestd on it. This is just the begining!

Por Maggoo

Paragon (1218)

06-05-2013, 20:17

@myGodness

This Zemminx Neo looks very cool, it would be a pity to limit this to only 100 items if more people are willing to buy one, I would be one of them :-)

How did you get the first 100 manufactured to start with? Did you assemble everything yourself or did you use a 3rd party company? That casing looks professionally designed and assembled!

Perhaps some sourcing companies in China could help manufacturing it at reasonable price... I know some guys who are getting cell phones manufactured based on their specs by sourcing companies in China, I think they told me at the end of the day each phone they get did not cost more than $10 to produce. I'm not saying it would cost $10 to manufacture a MSX but it may be a path to get some electronic produced for cheap if the volume is sufficient.

Now all the legal and import issues could be more complicated to resolve :-)

Por mygodess

Champion (275)

07-05-2013, 03:26

@Maggoo, Capitan_Goto
To manufacture, we used smt factory (3rd party company) some of small parts and ourselves
for other big parts. The case itself is designed by "Yo-O" one of professional designer in our
team who worked and studied in Europe. We bought some of expensive parts like CPLD, RAM
from China but 30% of them was not working. That's the biggest reason that we lost some
money. I know china production cost cheap but we spent a little bit of money to SMT and
we did others by ourselves without getting any money. (Maybe Cheaper than china )

We found the cheapest parts in China web site named Taobao. Maybe one of cheapest way
to buy parts. However 30% of failure of CPLD is not right I think. The CPLD in Zemmix Neo
is QPFP 240 with 0.5mm pitch lead. It could be very hard to solder by hand just for hobby.
(The other parts are just OK though.) I think we need to make it here with our engineer
include myself (.... Not for money. It is very complicating part to make.)

We did make the first Zemmix Neo just for fun and celebrate 30th birthday as I said before.
And promised it will be just 100 pcs in the world. We are planning to make a little bit cheaper
one with Aluminium case (NOT CNCed). This could be a little bit cheaper then Zemmix Neo.
However, we are planning to buy at least 30% of extra parts just make it sure we don't lose
some money like making Zemmix Neo. I'll show you cheaper version soon.

Anyways the legal and import issue is still exist though.