Using the #coldcard Q has been absolutely irritating.
The most critical failure so far is the inability of my laptop camera to scan the QR code on the Q screen (in Sparrow). I suspect screen brightness is the issue and there's no obvious way to control it while the QR code is on the screen.
There are many excuses one could throw at me if not for the fact that the SeedSigner works perfectly with the ability to control screen brightness.
The Q is cool as a concept, but actually using the thing has me thinking it'll likely end up being forgotten in a drawer. Who tested this thing? I'd be curious to know if they used common hardware and environments likely to be found in the lives of real users.
I have other issues too, but this is a pretty big one since this basic functionality is one of the main reasons I bought the thing. I've come to expect it since using the SeedSigner.
For the record, the QR scanner on the Q has been phenomenal and is better than using the SeedSigner camera. But... The SeedSigner at least works.
My use overall gives me the impression that the Q is a beta product that should be clearly labeled as such. The software has bugs that shouldn't have made it past QA (for example, one of the trick PINs fails to do the expected procedure when the incorrect PIN attempt threshold is met).
Other settings are poorly explained and have led to bizarre outcomes that I had to figure out with no help from the poorly organized documentation.
Other minor UX issues exist, such as the New Password (etc) options being at the bottom of the list of passwords and notes in the Secure Notes & Passwords feature (again, who actually used this and thought it made sense?). This is tedious once you build up a list and have to scroll to the bottom of the list (or press up from the start of the list) to add a new note/password. The options should always be at the top of the list and not buried at the bottom.
In summary, don't buy it yet if you're not expecting to basically be a tester for a company at your own expense. If you are okay with waiting around for it to become complete at some point (hopefully) then it is pretty neat and you'll probably like it. The claims of best in class security are questionable since something as basic as an incorrect PIN option fails. What else hasn't been thoroughly tested?
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