As I read through the forum posts, all I can think of is that TE is one strange, strange company. On one hand, they release the OP-1, which was so cool at the time it garnered a place in the Museum of Modern Art for the design and clever use of technology. They started to offer other products as well, still steeped in clever design. However as time went on, grumblings about their lack of customer service and general ignoring of customer questions and requests became commonplace here and on other forums.
Backorders became commonplace. Their flagship product would appear and disappear from big retailer stock for months or longer. Consistent complaints about QA were starting to get louder and louder. Some people would get great customer service when they reached out to TE, others were totally ignored. Vague statements from TE and videos that did not answer questions made it all even more confusing and confounding.
The OP-Z was a case study in vaporware for literally years. Finally it made it to market, but again has been dogged by QA issues according to some. Announcing that the OP-1 was “not dead” in a big promotional email, they started selling the OP-1 again - this time at almost twice the original price, and shipping them in what looks to be old, beaten up packaging (and quite possibly old stock rather than new production runs, “new screen” statements running contrary to that statement). A lot of people are asking the question as to whether the “new” run of OP-1s being sold are really just old stock that has been either refurbished (b-stock) or found in the corner of a warehouse somewhere.
In an interesting turn, it was said by company personnel online that they build things for themselves - what they want to make/build - as opposed to what customers want. This statement has to be the most confusing of all, given that usually ignoring what your customers want is a recipe for failure in most businesses.
I’m speculating here - but I sincerely wonder if the genius minds that actually developed and created the OP-1 are no longer even working for TE. Pocket Operators and “modular” pieces aside, where is the innovation that led to the OP-1? And why do so many people have problems when it comes to dealing with TE, while others say they had excellent service? Inconsistent customer service is rampant, it seems.
All in all, I have to wonder about this company and the overall trust I can put in their products and service. If I were a potential customer now, I would be VERY concerned about plunking down $1,299 for a “new” OP-1, or trusting the quality/build of any of their current products. While TE fanboys can defend them all they want, the scores of stories and testimonials running through the threads of this forum really do serve to question these things. I love the OP-1, and it did create a huge buzz and obviously created this forum. But I can’t help but think that the team that originally created it has moved on, and left a company who squandered a golden opportunity to do amazing things. Now it seems its products are just derivative and not really anywhere near the innovation of the OP-1. Products are stalled. Customer Service is spotty. QA is poor, and possibly non-existent. Software updates have been slow to say the least. What seemed like a darling of the industry has really been stained by the above issues in the years since the OP-1 original release.
I wish I knew the real story - because this company does not make sense to me at all, and I will not be spending the significantly overpriced money for their products when questions like these still abound.
