dbozan99

If you do this, I think you might have the opposite of the Osbourne Effect happen. Most people who have shown interest in the X16 will see that you've released a computer and buy this one instead of waiting for the X16. Then, when the X16 does arrive, many will likely have a hard time justifying the cost of a (probably significantly) more expensive computer that has a few more features than what they already own. You seem to see the X8 as a way to give people an introduction into the "World of X16" but I see this as a way to financially shoot yourself in the foot. You need to stop thinking about this as a computer, and start thinking about this as an Educational Toy.

I hope you don't take the results of this poll too seriously, as there are missing options and many missing voters. What I mean, for example, is that the best answer IMO to the second question "Should we still make a Phase-2 product?" was "No, skip and go straight to Phase-3" but that's not how I really feel. I would have voted for something like "No, and skip the phase-3 as well." The results of the third question "For the X16 Phase-1, do you prefer a kit or a somewhat more expensive pre-assembled board?" are currently heavily favoring the DIY kit since the tech nerds are here voting. I don't think that the majority of the "thousands" of potentially interested buyers will want a kit. Consider the general public's view of this/these product(s). What are the questions someone without much tech experience might ask when deciding if they want to buy one. Questions like: "Why does the X8 have a faster CPU than the X16? That must mean it's better, right?" "What's the difference between the big one and the small one? Do I need those extra features the big one provides?" "If I buy an X8 now and like it, will all of my software work on an X16 if I decide to upgrade?" "It's so small! Is this just an emulator, like the NES/SNES Classic?" Of course, these are just some of the questions someone might ask, but you really need to be looking at this from their perspective. The more questions that a prospective buyer has, the more likely they are to be confused about which one to buy. The more confused they are, the more likely they are to just say "forget it" and not buy one at all.

Yes, it would absolutely have a negative effect. Not only if you release an X8, but I think that creating phase-2 and/or phase-3 versions of the X16 would further dilute what an "X16" is to the layperson. Earlier, ZeroByte wrote "I never had any interest in phase 3. A Raspberry Pi running an emulator would give the same experience." and I think that he is not alone in thinking that. To further expand on that, I don't really see much point in the phase-2 version either; to me it just seems like a cut-down version without purpose. Having multiple SKUs with differing feature sets will fracture the user base. This is already going to be a somewhat niche product, why fracture that into two, three, or even four segments? I think that only offering 3 different variations of the phase-1, the only phase, is the correct move: as a kit with or without a case, or fully pre-assembled in a case. From my perspective, the X16 is all about learning; I think the future of the X16 will be determined based on the quality of the documentation it comes with. You want everyone who uses one, young and old, to be able to say "look at those chips, I know what every one does and how it all works together!". I think going with the vintage IBM style of documentation would be appropriate; Include three-ring binder(s) and plenty of thorough, easy-to-understand paperwork, detailing every aspect of using, diagnosing, and developing for the system. I believe having a physical copy of the documentation is vital. Having the docs solely on the internet or a phone app would be distracting. It also fits with the "Old Style, but Modern Perspective" theme. Consider the potential users of this system. I think that the demographic is tech geeks and children. At this point you can probably stop thinking about the geeks since everyone who's seen your videos has probably already made up their mind about whether or not they will purchase one when they're ready. That only really leaves children. How will they feel when they open the box? The first time they turn it on? The first time that they look at the documentation? The first time that they need to troubleshoot? First impressions are really important, especially with children. This is why I think that having good docs will go a very long way. Of course it is possible to overdo it though; lots of paperwork can be intimidating.