A Few Ideas For Pandora 2.

[hlidegp2x]

I hope we won't have to change too much, probably just to the omap4, but let's make the Pandora1 a success first, then we will have a secure future of consoles outside the sony/ms/nintendo arena

Supposedly I finally get my pre-ordered Pandora 1, I'm truly drooling about a future Pandora 2 with an OMAP4 (dual-core Cortex-A9 running 1Ghz+), but I really hope we will not have to wait for one year after a preorder (would it be necessary such a preorder if Pandora 1 was successful ?)

 

[Pleng]

There should be no reason for OP to request preorders for Pandy II. By that time they should have enough money and experience in reserve to fun development themselves. That is, of course, presuming Pandora I sells in large enough quantities.

 

[mraellis]

Lol. Pandora 2 chat. The first ones barely ready yet.

I would love a Pandora with more power though in a few years. The design itself is fine.

 

[fiori_musicali]

A lockable axis on the back of the pandora that allows you to rotate the screen 180 degrees and turn it into closed position on the down side of the unit, and would automatically put the Pandora into peripheral mode for gamepad use via USB.

 

[Phawx]

I believe the reason they couldn't do this was because of patents. Though I may be wrong.

 

[lulzfish]

There's a patent on tablet PC-style folding, but I don't know about folding onto the back of the device.
That would require a lot of case adjusting too, and putting the hinge on the back rather than top of the case, like a Macbook or Dell Studio or any other stupid-looking modern laptop.

 

[Enverex]

I believe the reason they couldn't do this was because of patents. Though I may be wrong.

The tablet PC style swivel screen is patented as you said and it's why that idea couldn't be implemented on the Pandora.

I'd rather have the better resolution and sensitivity that the resistive screen can provide than multi-touch.
Unless new tech comes out in the next 3 or 4 years that can do both.

Something like this, you mean?

Is that possible on the existing Pandora? The guy's Engrish at the end was confusing, it contradicted itself and then the last part of the sentence just sounded like harbabalabablarg... which isn't very helpful.

 

[Vorporeal]

No, it's a combined software and hardware solution, apparently.

 

[Pleng]

The tablet PC style swivel screen is patented as you said and it's why that idea couldn't be implemented on the Pandora.

But if there's enough demand for it (personally I couldn't care less but thats just my HO), and the Pandy crew have minted themselves up from the first Pandora, there's nothing to stop them just going ahead and paying the licence to implement it in the second Pandy.

 

[Enverex]

The tablet PC style swivel screen is patented as you said and it's why that idea couldn't be implemented on the Pandora.

But if there's enough demand for it (personally I couldn't care less but thats just my HO), and the Pandy crew have minted themselves up from the first Pandora, there's nothing to stop them just going ahead and paying the licence to implement it in the second Pandy.

Depends on the licensing costs and if people are willing to foot that bill (I doubt the team will absorb the cost themselves).

 

[EmuGuy]

There should be no reason for OP to request preorders for Pandy II. By that time they should have enough money and experience in reserve to fun development themselves. That is, of course, presuming Pandora I sells in large enough quantities.

After all the fun (read: trouble) they've had making Pandora 1, I could forgive them for taking a well deserved break. That said, there's always newer, faster products 2 months away. I wish them huge sales, profits, and continued product lines! Maybe a Pandora Nano with no keyboard, a Pandora Shuffle with no screen and a 1-key keyboard that types random characters...sorry, those jokes were probably made long ago. :rolleyes:

 

[ep0ch]

As A LOT of effort has gone into Pandora1 I really can't see the team going through all the hassle of making any changes to the case. So all that Pandora2 would need is OMAP4 and more memory. Ideally a HD display out port would be great as well if it didn't involve changes to the case.

Anyway I'm still looking forward to Pandora1! Version 2 isn't going to emulate Bubble Bobble in MAME any better

 

[Phawx]

BOOM BITCHES! Speakers placed directly over screen. Now we can aim for a borderless large screen Pandora 2...in a few years.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/24/video-emo-labs-invisible-speakers-visibly-demonstrated/

 

[Kyo]

everything will be cheaper, so we could add a gyroscope or whatever

 

[Phawx]

Should also add the LHC

 

[SNESFAN]

Should also add the LHC

LHC?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_hadron_collider FUCK YEA!!!!

 

[Grench]

I hope we won't have to change too much, probably just to the omap4, but let's make the Pandora1 a success first, then we will have a secure future of consoles outside the sony/ms/nintendo arena

Keep up the great work on the Pandora - we are all looking forward to receiving them.

I hope this topic stays on topic - maybe then it will not have to get closed.

Something that occurred to me - the speakers are likely the way they are in order to provide robust sound quality. The screen is the size it is because that was a readily available and relatively inexpensive format.

Moving the speakers down onto the main console would be a mistake IMHO. Also, there just isn't room inside the hinges to put them there. Keep the hinge integrity. I think that the case should stay the same size it is - pocketable.

Bigger is better when it comes to screen real estate though. So... for a Pandora2 (two+ years down the road I think...) If an appropriate mass produced panel is found, I could see making the screen wider. To make up for the smaller speaker space, use smaller speakers but more of them. The idea would be to stack 3 or 4 smaller speakers on top of each other so that the screen is lined with speakers.

As for the webcam idea - please don't do it. It would make it a banned device in many business environments. I know a lot of people see the Pandora as strictly a gaming and entertainment machine - I see it as much more than that.

Ideas for possible Pandora2 options/additions that would be cool and might fit in 2 years as things miniaturize... Yes, this is looking out 2 years and making some assumptions about what becomes cheap on combined SOC chips.

-Keep the Pandora1 dimensions - use the same base case mould.
-GPS with a big antenna in the back of the screen for high accuracy.
-802.11 a/b/g/n
-rumble/vibrate
-keyboard back-lights for every key through ultra-miniature LED features recessed inside the contact points on the motherboard. (2yrs - dream)
-accelerometer/tilt sensor
-IR TXRX - use a high power version similar to the one that was in the old TRG Pro - it made a great universal remote. Should be small enough to fit in the lid over the top of one of the speakers - would point away from the user when the lid is open and not be blocked by fingers.
-dual core CPU - yes what we have is very nice in the Pandora1
-more RAM - yes what we have is very nice in the Pandora1
-SDXC - may even be a good idea for the 2nd wave of Pandora1 if it is only a driver update
-Make it a different shade of black/charcoal to distinguish it.
-wider screen with a higher number of smaller speakers. 2 years from now this may be a transflective, an OLED or a PixelQi daylight viewable. Who knows what will be out there by then. Maybe even 3D using a double-density pixel count and split polarizing filters.

Again - these are thoughts and suggestions for a future device that I could see the Pandora team making in a few years. I think the existing Pandora spec is perfect for yesterday/today/next 2 years.

Lets keep on topic as a hypothetical device for 2+ years from now and maybe this one won't get closed. Yes, it is entertainment value only - for now. With CraigX's participation in it - there is some positive interaction with the team. Hopefully they will find these ideas fun too.

 

[-Tj-]

BOOM BITCHES! Speakers placed directly over screen. Now we can aim for a borderless large screen Pandora 2...in a few years.

That's pretty cool, but I wonder how it will sound on a small-format screen since the sound separation between L and R are a lot less than on a 42" TV. The distance between the speakers on the NDS are pretty good, stereo can be heard quite well on those, same with the PSP. However, both are mounted to the side of the screen. I have a phone that has stereo speakers on the sides of the phone, but they fire to the side, not forward. Stereo sound is pretty good on that as well.

And how it will affect touchscreens? I'd rather just have the speakers relocated than sacrifice touchscreen on something like Pandora, and the tech sounds potentially expensive.

Mounting it in the posts next to the hinge is a better idea, imo. That way you'd have access to the speakers even when the lid is closed. An old Toshiba laptop I had was like this, and since it had a subwoofer as well, it made a great music player even when closed... *sniffle*... I miss that thing...

having the speaker directly next to the microphone is a stupid idea.

Agreed. The potential for feedback is too great. Mic would be better fit at the front of the unit, or somewhere at the top of the screen (mounted a little behind the screen, with hole for sound).

 

[BackAssward]

BOOM BITCHES! Speakers placed directly over screen. Now we can aim for a borderless large screen Pandora 2...in a few years.

http://www.engadget....y-demonstrated/

Yeah, good luck with that idea, patents and licensing and all.

 

[SNESFAN]

I'd like to see a PCI Express Mini Card port so you can add all types of gizmos without having to be a hardware engineer of sorts. Specifically WWAN. It's really small and should be alot cheaper than putting an propritary modem in. Would help a bit in the future proofing aspect as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express_Mini_Card#PCI_Express_Mini_Card