The Herbalizer

[vtac]

The early adopter concerns are easily understandable. I'm having a hard time thinking of any highly anticipated product launch going perfectly, and I can think of a handful that went very poorly. Sometimes it seems like companies leave beta testing to the consumer, putting release dates ahead of quality. It's a dumb approach in my opinion, and I've been consistently impressed by the way the Herbalizer folks have been doing things.

I only go back as far as March when I first tried a pre-production unit which worked beautifully. Based on what I saw I figured they'd be shooting for an April release date, and yet here we are almost 7 months later and they're still perfecting the subtle details and tweaking performance. After the positive feedback from the fc test drive 2 weeks ago I figured that things were pretty much finalized, but they're still working their asses off to get things as close to perfection as they can.

This is a product I'm truly excited for. For the first time we have honest to god rocket scientists who are super-passionate about building the best vape they can, with a multi-million dollar budget to do it. It makes me happy to know that part of that budget is supporting these people so that they can actually do proper beta testing. So yes this is a relatively expensive vape, but that money seems to be more than justified all things considered. Another thing they're taking seriously is customer service.

I asked them for some more info on this and they were very receptive. The green text is theirs. Details are still being figured out, but the bottom line is they will make sure their customers feel supported, especially early adopters. Please excuse the copy/paste formatting issues.

Limited Release – Maximum Support

Wow – with over 50,000 views, and a growing list of reservists giddy with anticipation, we wanted to say thanks to all you intrepid early adopters for taking a leap of faith in our revolutionary vaporization technology.

We are getting ever so close to rolling the Limited Release Herbalizer off the production line—and into your hands—and want to reward your belief in us with Priority level support. Enjoy the perks of like priority customer support, special limited edition software and packaging, and hand serialized 1st edition Herbalizers. We’ll have you “vaping like a boss” in no time.

And, rest easy. The Limited Release Herbalizer comes with our standard 2-year limited product warranty – which protects against manufacturer defects for two years, and 5-year product quality guarantee. Should you experience problems with your Herbalizer (up to five years after purchase), you’ll receive a 50%discount on your next, on-line purchase.

Our first two batches of Herbies have all been spoken for, but we’ll continue to produce the Limited Release version for a short while more. We want to ensure that those of you who have hung in there with us along this journey are duly rewarded in a timely fashion. Please be sure to reserve yours now.

Thanks everyone – we are grateful for your ongoing support.

Josh, Sheila & Bob

 

[letter never sent]

Nice, thanks for the update Vtac. I added my name to the reserve list back on August 5th, which I'm guessing puts me somewhere within those "first two batches." Any idea when they might start sending emails to those who put their name down? If they're still ironing out the details, I guess it could be a while. It's becoming more and more likely that I'll be immediately pulling the trigger once the email does come through...


I wonder if that five year quality guarantee discount will apply to an updated version of the herbalizer, assuming they will have released at least one new version within that time frame.

 

[Enchantre]

I'm on the Reserved list, too.

I'm not sure if I should laugh, or cry. Yay, go Herbie! and... oh my, I also have an EVO coming...

 

[Vapodudule]

no do not tempt me! close my ears and wallet fellows! mermaid coming.

 

[mvapes]

I so excited for this thing. My legs quiver in anticipation.

 

[grokit]

I can't justify this yet but am a great admirer, and may eventually evolve to it or a future version as my usage patterns will inevitably change. And herbie's color inspired my choice for a white evo!

 

[Josh's Dad]

The Herbalizer's Circuitry, Halogen system and all of it's concomitant Patents will be hard to "emulate".
It would require the complete dissection of such unit, and then careful study with special attention to avoiding landing too close to Patent laws. It will be a good long time before this design will have actual competition based on similar design.

As for patents, I haven't seen their submission (do you have a link?), but it's hard for me to imagine their "how" being so general as to seriously impede competition. But of course, that's all up to interpretation and the court system. Besides, I seriously doubt the Chinese copiers care at all about US patents.

Vitolo’s primary point is that if another vaporizer company wants to emulate the Herbalizer it would require careful study with special attention to avoid landing too close to Patent laws. Concluding that it will be a long time before this design will have actual competition.

JDS32 disagrees with the argument that it's hard for him to imagine their "how" in the Herbalizer patent submission, being so general, as to seriously impede competition.
JDS32 also makes the valid point that the Chinese copiers don’t care at all about US patents.

The following will help you decide whether to side with Vitolo or JDS32. Ha, the red or the blue pill.

Firstly, there are multiple patents on the Herbalizer, including Utility and Design patents – this means that there are not only patents on the advanced heating system, but also its discreet “clamshell” design. The patent applications for the Herbalizer have been very expensive and filed by a top tier legal firm. If any company violates the patents they will be taken to court and find themselves on the losing end of a very expensive defense. You can view the patent and judge for yourself how easy or difficult it would be to copy ideas from the Herbalizer without getting caught. The value of a patent to the inventor is that before a competitor even starts to go down the road to copy, they can look at the patent and see in advance the trouble they are getting themselves into.

Having said that, Josh believes that branding is the most valuable invention protection for a consumer product. Using Apple as an example, people buy apple products because of the reputation. For this sole reason, you can count on Apple doing everything possible to build a great reputation.

In addition to US patents, Josh has filed several international patents to include China. Although China copies U.S. patented products everyday, a Chinese patent in addition to a US patent gives them two opportunities to stop the export and import – at either dock.

JDS32 also pointed out that Apple can make an iPhone for USD$188. True, but keep in mind that Apple owns an entire district of their own factories in China and builds millions and millions of products in a fully automated plant – and for a product that is entirely electronics. An iPhone consists of computer components and a lot of programming, the Herbalizer consists of computer components, a complex oven system that’s computer controlled to include temperature controlled airflow with response times that can be measured in milliseconds. In theory you could extend the iPhone to an integrated iPhone/Herbalizier by creating an iPhone application by migrating the Herbalizer software and then connect to the Herbalizer as an iPhone component where the iPhone software would continuously respond to Herbalizer sensors to change the behavior of the halogen lamps in real time. So what would that do to the cost of the $188 iPhone? With regard to cost, for such a dedicated iPhone/Herbalizer you could reduce cost with a smaller display, eliminate the camera’s, antenna, keypad, etc., but you would have to add the cost of a customized oven and assembly to include components such as fans, bulbs, and a whole lot of tightly fitted parts where the overall cost would increase significantly over $188, even for Apple. Returning back to reality, the above discussion is just to make a manufacturing cost comparison to let you draw your own conclusions about the cost (its high).

If the above interests you in real time hardware processing, this is where Josh has years of experience and a previous passion. The following is a reference to Josh’s patent in the commercial world, keyword search “Reconfigurable Computing”, which literally means processors that reconfigure themselves in hardware; dynamically and intelligently on their own (ability to make substantial changes to the data path in addition to the control flow).

https://www.google.com/patents/US7669035
Patent Publication Number: US7669035 B2
Publication Date: Feb 23, 2010
Filing Date: Jan 21, 2005
Original Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
(Draper Labs is the research arm of MIT in Cambridge, MA)

The Herbalizer is a technology achievement, the result of a tremendous amount of electrical, mechanical, materials, and biochemical engineering to also include human factors, and ergonomics. So if you’re a competitor and want to invent a unique vaporizer as good as the Herbalizer, you can’t copy it, you’re going to start with a multi disciplined staff of engineers, a huge budget, and lots and lots of money for patent attorneys.


Convinced yet? So who’s it going to be, Vitolo or JDS32?

 

[Is it tho?]

I'd love to get hold of one these, put my name down on the early adopters list when it first opened, then realised that it wasn't open to international customers
Josh's dad couldn't you have a word with josh about us international customers especially the ones on the early adopters list

 

[Dreamerr]

Josh's dad, firstly I love that you are sticking up for your son. Secondly much respect for being what seems to me very transparent and detailed. I don't think we have seen someone come in and give us links to patents and stuff. I also have not seen this explained in full detail except for some members in our community that worked in business. Much love and respect to you sir.

 

[mvapes]

Josh's dad

Sorry that some of us come off on the defensive side. See, we vaporysts have been promised allot. Every year we see a new heavy hitter that promises to be revolutionary. Sometimes they even are, plenty have been top contenders and remain so. Personally I think you guy's did something great here, you did a whole lot of sciency stuff and using some very expensive tools to put together something that's going to change the game for us users, patient or pothead - doesn't matter.

I hope to be lucky enough at launch to afford one, this thing looks amazing - you know why I'm buying it?

Cause I've watched what it's done for vito. There's a few of us here that stick together, if it's working for one of my friends then it's gotta be what you say it is!

Thanks Herbie nerds!

 

[smokum]

....................., then realised that it wasn't open to international customers
Josh's dad couldn't you have a word with josh about us international customers especially the ones on the early adopters list

Hope that's not the case for 'ANYONE' when the time comes, and REALLY hope at this point that it IS available to Canada, where the only issue to others is because of their electrical requirements

 

[poonman]

IF it's NOT available to Canada ,
They've lost a huge Market Share . jmo

 

[smokum]

IF it's NOT available to Canada ,
They've lost a huge Market Share . jmo

Hell, I'll make the USA trip if I have to

 

[poonman]

Swing by , and pick me up ....hehe

 

[Darb]

Hope that's not the case for 'ANYONE' when the time comes, and REALLY hope at this point that it IS available to Canada, where the only issue to others is because of their electrical requirements

I was told that it is available to Canada. Can't remember where I heard this though.

Edit: Found it!
Only available for shipment within the US & Canada at first at 110V. We need to add a country field to the reservation form to specify US or Canada. An internal resistor change makes the unit run at 240V, however due to the limited availability that option won't be available for about a year. Also, we are overdue on responses to online inquiries.. we're doing everything we can between the hours of sleep.

 

[Snappo]

Hello good people... my question may seem trivial, but for those who have actually used the Herbalizer, do you recall if there were non-slip pads or the like on the bottom of the unit? My thought on this is that due to the beautiful spherical shape, and attractive gloss finish, non-slip might be helpful for an added feeling of stability on any surface. I am really excited about the Herbalizer, and will definitely be getting one! I also hope that this superb company will develop a breakthrough portable. If anyone has the chops to do it, these professionals can! Thanks!

 

[Vitolo]

Yes there were soft non slip pads on the bottom of the unit.

 

[Ralph]

I have another question for those that have used this: Did you find it to be efficient? I have a log vaporizer as well as an arizer solo for point of reference. I find the logs to be very efficient and the solo not so much.

 

[Dreamerr]

If you don't think the solo is efficient that none of the vapes are or you are maybe having some user error. I can tell you this is very efficient but so is the solo.

 

[Ralph]

I always judge efficiency to a one hitter or dug out and the solo I don't find to be nearly as efficient. So I was wondering if the verbalizer would be considered efficient as far as vaporizers go. I just got my solo so I am still learning to use it and find myself using more weed than I normally would to get baked.

 

[letter never sent]

It seemed pretty efficient to me, but I'd have to use it for a while on my own to really figure out how it compares to my Solo.

The Solo is very efficient IMO, could it be that log vapes are just heads and shoulders above every other vape in terms of efficiency? I've never used one, but I do know that the Solo is much more efficient than my DBV.

 

[Dreamerr]

Billy do you still combust? If so you aren't going to be able to judge IMO. I know you use a log as you said but I don't know the difference between that and my others as I have never tried one but will now just because I can't believe it would be that much different. It is not the kind of vape for me a log but I will make it my next trial just so I can compare. If you do still combust I would say that is the issue if not I have zero guesses.

 

[Ralph]

I only combust if I have to or I'm at someone else's house who may not have a vaporizer. I use the solo with a straight pvhes from planet vape. It was recommended by a forum member to try their shorty version of the one I own because it's capacity is 30% less. It could be that I'm not finishing the weed completely. It's rusty brown in color when I feel it's done or taste I should say. Once it starts tasting like popcorn I stop vapeing and reload if I'm not as high as I would like.

 

[Dreamerr]

I think we also told you in the solo thread to use a dome screen which has the same or better effect then the shorty. PM any solo person for help or in thread as you are not getting what you can out of it. It is off topic here and I don't want a spanking today.

So back to the herbalizer as far as I can tell it was extremely effecient with very little herb but as some like to say YMMV.

 

[Ralph]

YMMV? Enlighten me on that one please.