Hardware SFANS has changed their backers design into a dock without asking!

[Stercate79]

Awesome, this new design is really cool.

 

[Zap Rowsdower]

A lot of people backed it since it was a dongle and they wanted to use their Switch in areas that a dock would not work as well or not at all. That is no longer an option since the dongle feature was removed rather than made detachable like the image I posted earlier.

Perhaps it's a failure of imagination, but I can't picture a 'dongle' scenario with the Switch CPU running full steam where it wouldn't be improper usage and damaging the hardware. What I figure people want an old cable extension style adapter for eventually leads to them playing with the Switch cooking itself on it's back, or even it's front, or god forbid since they believe it to be designed as a portable left in a case. Docked mode needs to be upright and well ventilated.

 

[driverdis]

Perhaps it's a failure of imagination, but I can't picture a 'dongle' scenario with the Switch CPU running full steam where it wouldn't be improper usage and damaging the hardware. What I figure people want an old cable extension style adapter for eventually leads to them playing with the Switch cooking itself on it's back, or even it's front, or god forbid since they believe it to be designed as a portable left in a case. Docked mode needs to be upright and well ventilated.

I don't think the console would struggle thermally sitting flat. People are already using dongles or USB C extension cables to run the Switch flat with no consequences so far. The console's cooling system is designed pretty well and at least in handheld mode can run near completely suffocated.

 

[Zap Rowsdower]

Well that's wonderful, but we're not talking about handheld mode where speeds are %40 lower than docked mode. If there were no problems playing docked flat, why would they even include those huge intake vents? Why wouldn't they design the included dock to be used horizontally as well? The reason is because heat rises. While I can't believe that nobody has had any immediate consequences yet, (I mean people have had heating problems with the official dock where the Switch can still breathe...) heat is the worst thing for electronics, and that's especially the case for batteries so I can guarantee at the very least a much shorter battery life when not vertically docked.

 

[Futurdreamz]

Well that's wonderful, but we're not talking about handheld mode where speeds are %40 lower than docked mode. If there were no problems playing docked flat, why would they even include those huge intake vents? Why wouldn't they design the included dock to be used horizontally as well? The reason is because heat rises. While I can't believe that nobody has had any immediate consequences yet, (I mean people have had heating problems with the official dock where the Switch can still breathe...) heat is the worst thing for electronics, and that's especially the case for batteries so I can guarantee at the very least a much shorter battery life when not vertically docked.

I think it took 6 months for the first batch of Xbox 360s to crack their CPUs, after which they almost all did so until Microsoft redesigned them multipole times.

Give it time. i expect these donglers will learn the meaning of "thermal microfissures" the hard way soon enough.

 

[tech3475]

Has anyone actually done experiments involving heat measurement?

So far Ive only seen speculation and it would be interesting to see how it actually compares.

 

[linuxares]

Stop giving people on Indiegogo money!
Most of them end up being killed anyway.

 

[Deleted-355425]

I should of just bought that plastic shell you transfer your dock electronics into for £14 off amazon... fuck my life.

 

[linuxares]

I should of just bought that plastic shell you transfer your dock electronics into for £14 off amazon... fuck my life.

Or you know, just buy any of the chinese versions based on the same chipset. If it works for Samsung S8, it will work the Nintendo Switch.

 

[Deleted-355425]

Or you know, just buy any of the chinese versions based on the same chipset. If it works for Samsung S8, it will work the Nintendo Switch.

Yeah I will if I get a refund.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

"WAAAH WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE GETTING IN TO!" What people don't seem to get with crowdfunding is that you're not buying a product. You're funding something. I really don't know the Indiegogo ToS, but design change is something that happens in the real world. Delays, while upsetting, are something that happen as well. You're not buying something from a store, you're giving someone money so that they can make something. Ultimately how they design their product is up to them.

 

[Deleted-355425]

"WAAAH WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE GETTING IN TO!" What people don't seem to get with crowdfunding is that you're not buying a product. You're funding something. I really don't know the Indiegogo ToS, but design change is something that happens in the real world. Delays, while upsetting, are something that happen as well. You're not buying something from a store, you're giving someone money so that they can make something. Ultimately how they design their product is up to them.

You comment about the situation and in the same sentence say you don’t know the terms of service. 2/10 for trying.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

You comment about the situation and in the same sentence say you don’t know the terms of service. 2/10 for trying.

Note how I said it's something that happens in the real world. And looking at it really only says that they campaign owner is legally responsible for delivering perks or promises, so unless they said that it was the final design they're free to change it. And Indiegogo doesn't guarantee the legitimacy or legality of campaigns.

So basically, the campaign owner is well within their right to change their design so long as they didn't claim the design was final. The delay is a piss off, but unless they said the previous design units were 100% going out on the original stated date they're pretty much free to do it. It would be annoying and honestly kind of scummy, but the point is that they're free to do it as long as they didn't claim that the first design was the final design and didn't guarantee the previous ones would go out on the date they'd be ready to ship they're technically in the clear.

 

[BvanBart]

What the ***. The cable was just the only thing that made this whole idea portable. Now with this new "dock" I cannot put the switch down and just look at the TV screen, the Switch will need a place somewhere close as well. Stupid idea... never backing anything again!

 

[sarkwalvein]

View attachment 103761
With this terrible photoshopping, This is what SFANS could have done instead. It would have retained the dongle functionally alongside being a dock.

btw, this is the other side of the dongle, hence the bad editing since they do not have pictures of the side opposite of the connectors. well at least not any with this new dock design.

Can't you still do that just plugging a female to male USB cable on it as it is now?
I mean, isn't it the same shit after all?
I fail to see the problem, perhaps someone can explain it to me?

 

[Deleted-355425]

To be honest I don’t think I trust these clowns to deliver anything that won’t break my switch, I doubt it’s going to be CE marked etc.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

So the dock was fine when you thought it would just be the smartphone adapter but now it's questionable and might break your switch? Talk about childish. You don't fund something without expecting risk.

Can't you still do that just plugging a female to male USB cable on it as it is now?
I mean, isn't it the same shit after all?
I fail to see the problem, perhaps someone can explain it to me?

The problem is that now that the design changed they don't like it even though the functionality looks the same. The backers are just being whiny. They don't get that they're funding something and not buying a product. You're basically investing but instead of a return what you get are the listed perks. What you're funding is a business venture, there's risk to be expected. Looking at the campaign page it doesn't look like they broke any explicitly made promises? So they technically didn't violate any of the rules on Indiegogo. I don't think that the company is doing the right thing here, but judging from Indiegogo's ToS that I looked at as long as they still deliver on the promise of the backers eligible of the perks actually receiving their perks then they're in the clear.

 

[KingVamp]

While I think the change from the "Creepy Cable" to a usb pass-through would have been a good idea, changing it to a dock, especially since it can already include a stand, was a bad idea.

I agree with the backers. Clearly the dock vs dongle, as they have here, isn't functionally the same, otherwise they wouldn't be complaining. Yes it is a risk, but something needs to be done to give the backers some or better protection. It is going get to the point where people don't back anymore, which defeats the whole purpose.

A built in USB seems to be a bad idea, no matter what device.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

While I think the change from the "Creepy Cable" to a usb pass-through would have been a good idea, changing it to a dock, especially since it can already include a stand, was a bad idea.

I agree with the backers. Clearly the dock vs dongle, as they have here, isn't functionally the same, otherwise they wouldn't be complaining. Yes it is a risk, but something needs to be done to give the backers some or better protection. It is going get to the point where people don't back anymore, which defeats the whole purpose.

A built in USB seems to be a bad idea, no matter what device.

It still allows the switch to be connected to the TV without bringing the official dock. So it is the same functionally. You just can't lay the Switch flat anymore.

 

[KingVamp]

It still allows the switch to be connected to the TV without bringing the official dock. So it is the same functionally.

Except that isn't the only functionally that they wanted from this product. Otherwise, they would have just gotten any other dock.