eDGe inventories almost completed dried up

Originally Posted by borisb

On LinkedIn, I've found at least five developers/testers that have left enTourage since January. That certainly won't speed up the release of Froyo...

Oy, that doesn't bode well at all!

I'm going to purchase some books later this week while I can.

There are lots of places other than enTourage to buy books, and I believe if enTourage closed shop, books would still authorize with Adobe (I hope - if the ebooks you buy from a store have to authorize against that store's servers, then we've got a problem - not just enTourage, but ebooks from any store).

However, one thing that would stop working is the Registration Wizard on the eDGes, which means we could continue to use the eDGe we now own, but if we buy or sell them, the new owner won't be able to register them, making the eReader non-functional for DRM-protected ebooks. The LCD reader apps would still work, of course. This would cut the current resale value of eDGes in half, if not by more... (and if there's no Froyo, then they'll have next to no resale value)

I know there are other options out the (but so far I've only bought tech books from other places). i do like some of the selection here and it's just plain easier at this point.

Still, I had really high hopes for the Edge. Even people at work acknowledge there's nothing quite like it out there.

If I worked for Entourage (which I do not) and I saw this kind of stuff on the Forum, which is certainly a public reflection of the device, I would provide information to quell the sentiments being expressed. (I'm trying to think of what this kind of information would do to the interest of a potential customer....silly me) That is, of course, if what is being said here does not reflect the true state of affairs. On the other hand, if what is being assumed here is in fact true, then I would keep quiet. Draw your own conclusions.

We can all be comforted in the knowledge that we have a great device that does very cool things. But somehow I doubt that service will be available in the future should there be a problem.

Clearly these forums do not matter in enTourage's world view... One post every 4-6 weeks is not what I consider an active regard for the forums.

By contrast, other forums I've visit in recent months have company representatives answering close to every post.

The sad thing is that in the past, EnTourage did show active regard. The change is most troubling.

Somehow I doubt that we are getting Froyo...I have a feeling we have been strung along. I hope not, but I do have that feeling.

When they said they lost a key third party partner, I assumed it had to do with software, but perhaps it was in fact an investor and/or large buyer (a university/college, or some other organization) and/or distributor. If their cash has run out and the sales just aren't anywhere near where they should be, then it would be game over (a situation I actually experienced at one start-up I was involved in - life was great, but the money ran out quite suddenly and everyone was let go).

And I can't help but realize now that enTourage never posted a press release about how resoundingly successful a placement of eDGes was in a whole classroom or semester at a college or university, even though they did publish that they were doing a pilot program at least at CUNY (I'm assuming there were others, too).

Originally Posted by guyjack

Somehow I doubt that we are getting Froyo...I have a feeling we have been strung along. I hope not, but I do have that feeling.

I am quite sure that you are (unfortunately) correct. So, we have to be happy with the devices we have. They do function. They just dont have a future.

Originally Posted by guyjack

Somehow I doubt that we are getting Froyo...I have a feeling we have been strung along. I hope not, but I do have that feeling.

doubting is putting it lightly... they are all but out the door... soon the website may shut down
I hope they post a way to hack them (the edges) before the house of cards completely burns... and I've worked at a non-profit and it's just as borisb says, one minuet everything is great, the next.. BOOM, your done.

Originally Posted by alefor

I am quite sure that you are (unfortunately) correct. So, we have to be happy with the devices we have. They do function. They just dont have a future.

At the moment, mine doesn't function (I can't read any of my purchased ebooks), so I'm doubly screwed. My eDGe doesn't even have a present, let alone a future.

And the first rule of crisis management in public relations is damage control. No one seems to be minding the forum to do damage control, which should be a given for a decently managed company.

I don't see why they care about customers anymore... I mean, they're gone! what's the worst backlash they could get?

Originally Posted by NiaTrue

At the moment, mine doesn't function (I can't read any of my purchased ebooks), so I'm doubly screwed. My eDGe doesn't even have a present, let alone a future.

I just got mine back from California on Friday. It was at the actual facility for only just over two days (the rest of the time was shipping - I shipped 3/7 and it was waiting for me in front of my door on 3/18). It took me a few times to get the Tech people to respond in the first place, but it was because the original tech support person misspelled my email address (and never gave me a ticket number - which made it difficult for the other techs to find.) Or is no one even answering the phone?

Leslie, I'm glad you got it back so soon. Anyways, I hope NiaTrue can get some timely help, too.