A lot of problems, please help!

[notyu1459]

UPDATE 1: Heh, Sorry for the AVGN style rant, guys. I was in a really bad mood but seeing how much you are reaching out to me with your helpful posts has put me in a better mood. Maybe I will have my dream handheld after all! I've

                  better organized my problems too to make my post easier to comprehend.

                  Also, nice censorship work on the part of the mods. I'm glad you could just change the title of my post without things getting messy. I'd check the rules to see how else I could improve my conduct, but the link to the forum rules  

                  doesn't work Ah well.

Ok, so getting my Pandora after all these years was a bittersweet experience. First of all, because I preordered the 1ghz model, I paid MORE for it than someone who didn't preorder it. Sure, I got it signed by EvilDragon, but is that really worth the $100 price difference? I didn't even get that nice wooden box and letter some of the other preorderers got.

thatgui

>I can imagine that dealing with the preorder situation has been a no fun rollercoaster ride, but is this style of posting really necessary ?
>With you beeing no newby to this boards and also beeing that "into" the whole state of the project that you got into craigs 1 Ghz preorder campaign, I am wondering why you expected a polished system in the first place.

A: I wasn't expecting the world's most perfect handheld, but I'm still pissed that the only way I was rewarded for preordering a 1ghz is a signature and having to pay $100 more for it. I don't have the greatest amount of money, and while I'm not going to die without those $100, it would really help me invest in my own projects and interests. For $100 more, I expected a little bit more, like the wooden box and letter this guy got:
 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/HnSo9-rx9GM?feature=oembed

10. Even after rubbing the paint of the stylus vigorously, it still feels rough on the screen, and I think it even leaves some marks!

EDIT: After filling the stylus down a bit more, it feels a little bit better, but I still worry for my screen.

11. {SOLVED} I also hate how it forgets some of my preferences every time I restart the machine. Just because the machine restarts doesn't mean I want the lid close settings to be returned to default!

EDIT: Fixed as of update.

12. {SOLVED} The right trigger also clicks way more loudly than the left trigger; I hope that doesn't lead to another problem...

EDIT: Thanks for reassuring me that it won't

PLEASE for goodness sake, help me make my Pandora the functioning machine I paid for!

 

[CocoCreekFisherman]

Well I can say as far as headphones go Apple compatible ones do not work properly due to the pin structure. I use a pair of Kilpsch buds and the sound is amazing!! 

Have you attempted to recalibrate the nubs in the XFCE menu? Sometimes this helps. Have you tried recalibrating the touch screen? 

I know not all emulators shut off the same way. Usually all emulators have a documentation section in the menu section and will tell you the button mapping. Try checking that out too. Many emulators give one the luxury to map buttons and save.

You might be over clocking your Mupen N64 games. I don't know what others think but 1100mhz for Mupen N64 is too high for me anyways.

I have read that the earlier 1ghz screens required more friction to use than the earlier models but I think this has been fixed.

Many people use their screen in the 180 degree postion 100% of the time and prefer it that way. Personally I like my hinge tighter and mine are tightened so I can view in 90 degrees if so preferred.

Personally, and I know others strongly disagree, I only use XFCE GUI. I refuse to use any other GUI and I tried all 3. You might want to try the OPENBOX GUI instead. It is the newest addition. Others here really prefer it for their GUI of choice.

I found many of my buttons actually got better with use, especially the shoulder and nubs. You have to admit the d-pad is phenomenal !!!

I own 2 1ghz models and absolutely love them. They are not perfect but that makes them sort of unique to me.  I previously had a first batch model and I feel there are marked improvements. Again that is my opinion .

Remember you have excellent support here so don't worry. 

Give it more time. Hang in there!! It's like taming a wild horse or a relationship . You have to break it in.

 

[Franko]

I also recently received a 1GHz Pandora...but I've been extremely happy with it.  Maybe you can ask specific questions, noting what you've tried and others can help?  Initial frustration is expected I think - to varying degrees.  It's a tiny, Linux computer - there is very little personal experience for you (as the consumer) to draw upon.  Take a deep breath... emulators are tricky thing and the settings aren't universal.  It takes some learning and testing to see what works for you...or anyone.  I'm not even an expert....just lower the expectations a bit and enjoy learning and tweaking the device to your whims.  

 

[DaMummy]

for emulators, rtfm

for touchscreen, check that the tabs right above the screen are inside the sockets

for trigger buttons, theyre mapped to shift+ctrl and youll be happy with that decision once you learn to use those, and mouse buttons can be configured to either be abxy or trigger buttons with some configuration

do an OS upgrade before starting any configuration

 

[kirkanoss]

it will take some time getting used too and getting everything set up the way you want. the sound from your pandora should sound great, one thing tho make sure they are pushed in all the way my old set the plug would rub on the top and bottom so wouldn't make in all the way in.

also for problems with aps/emu's first if not enoff info on the repo page i would take a look at the thread made for it a lot of info from what keys do what(not all emu's have same default key)or what files needed and so on or there will be a file on the pandora itself with most that info.

as for the nubs right after your in xfce move the nubs around nice and slow and smooth to calibrate them only takes a sec and they should work a lot better. n64 is still very hard to emu right and think one of the plugins is not open  but  a lot of work has and was getting done to it. pcsx is better then a real ps1 tho, god it looks so dam good also snes gb gbc gba nes sms dosbox qemu mame4all + many more also work great. as for the keys for the gui swear you could change them but can't seem to find how (my brains not the best) but you can change how your nubs work a little under settings desktop. most aps will close using q or the fn+q for esc, and in most emu's (well the ones i use most) have space to bring up the menu again that info should be in 1of 3 places if not all 3 repo. page,release thread, text under documentation on your pandora. not sure why your lid settings keep going back to default would try and reset them under the option tho. well thinks thats all other them hello and welcome to the pandora world and give it some time to get it set up working how you like.

ps don't forget a lot of aps/emu are a work in progress (n64,psp,nds and more) and are made by people for free and in there spare time so if you do find something not working right wait don't throw that panda out the window just ask away and iam sure you will get some help

 

[Franko]

Good post, kirkanos...and no reports from the grammar police on this end.    

Notyu1459 - After re-reading your post, I'll try to add some additional advice.  I never tried the "default" web browser that's included with the Pandora.  I immediately went to "The Repo" and installed the latest Firefox.pnd (I think it's version 20.0 now).  It works good (IMO).  Also, I'd try to be a bit more delicate or at least intuitive towards the Pandora - especially the screen.  Pushing/digging at the screen (with the stylus) will indeed scratch it over time as far as I know.  I can tap the tip to the screen and get decent responsiveness - I trust that you've calibrated it?  The nubs also need a bit of "resetting" at times...anyway, please feel free to ask specific questions - giving us all as much detail as you can - and we'll try to help.

 

[kirkanoss]

yea don't mind my grammar  or spelling. i am dyslexic and can't spell for shit. can take me a hour to write a few lines some times thats if i don't just give up halfway during the post

 

[fritata]

hmmm. This gives me less of a reason to upgrade.

 

[TrashyMG]

Something is wrong if Mario 64 is slow.. I can play it fine at 600mhz on my CC pandora at 800x480 and the same goes for my Rebirth also at 600mhz and my 1Ghz unit at 1100Mhz.

As for headphones, are you using an Apple compatible headset? if so Apple decided to swap a ground with a MIC connection from the standard. If you hold down the button for the headset does it clear up the sound? if so that's your problem. 
 

hmmm. This gives me less of a reason to upgrade.

This is an odd case and isn't typical, no reason to propel the FUD.

 

[Franko]

hmmm. This gives me less of a reason to upgrade.

How so?  This product has exceeded my personal expectations.  There will undoubtedly be times when you have questions or feel frustrated, but that's partly why there is a Forum here.  Ask and ye shall receive...good information and advice at least.  Living life full of apprehensiveness and self-doubt is no way to go forward - I knew that I had to have this device at this time.  It's as advanced (SOC wise) as this product can get - until there is a P2, which is questionable.  So, upgrade already.    


I didn't give up with my PSP 6+years ago.  I did a lot of research and figured out how to "hack" my device to install homebrew software.  Coincidentally it was in a creation of a "pandora battery"...LOL.  Rather ironic, but my point is that sometimes you have to try harder than maybe you're used to with other products.  This is NOT a Windoze machine.  It probably isn't for everyone, but you can get what you want out of it - if you try hard enough to learn and problem-solve and ask questions...and don't get discouraged...okay, I'm blathering again.

Edit1:  I swear that I should change my name from Franko to Tony Robbins....   :lol:

 

[gotwake424]

Just a quick tid-bit. Your audio is working fine if your speakers are running, the headphone jack acts a hardware switch. When a headphone cord is plugged in it is switching from the internal speakers to headphones. Like others have said, don't use apple earbuds. 

 

[thatgui]

>Notyu1459
>Ok, so getting my Pandora after all these years was a bittersweet experience. First of all, because I preordered the 1ghz model, I paid MORE for it than someone who didn't preorder it. Sure, I got it signed by EvilDragon, but is that really worth the $100 price difference? I didn't even get that nice wooden box and letter some of the other preorderers got.

I can imagine that dealing with the preorder situation has been a no fun rollercoaster ride, but is this style of posting really necessary ?
With you beeing no newby to this boards and also beeing that "into" the whole state of the project that you got into craigs 1 Ghz preorder campaign, I am wondering why you expected a polished system in the first place.

But back to your problems:

>Notyu1459
>Some programs, like the default web browser, don't work at all, others just crash. How to close an app is not always obvious because sometimes the Pandora button doesn't work. I end up tapping every single button and trying every single button combination on this goddamn machine and and more often than not, it doesn't work, so I have to reset the system. Also, the thing refuses to switch from XFCE to MiniMenu. But why would you want to use MiniMenu anyway when you can't toggle Wifi, bluetooth, or USB-host in there!?


What applications are crashing ?
What Version of the OS do you have (you can see it on the first screen after turning the Pandora on)? The problems with changing from xfce to minimenu should be solved with the latest os update (afaik).
"Networking" with Minimenu is a little easier now with this

Edit: Maybe yoshis emulator guide can be of help, if it is about figuring out how to control emulators

 
>Notyu1459
>Another thing that sucks is sound. Why the hell does it work just fine through the speakers but get all screwed up through headphones or anything that plugs into it? You only hear things through one ear and all the volume wheel does is toggle between ears or set it at an equilibrium where its quiet in both ears, except for some of the instruments? I tried this in multiple programs, and it always gave me the same problems. It really sucks when your playing Revenge of Shinobi and its all quiet except for the occasional loud BLAT.

As others suggest try other headphones

>Notyu1459
>Speaking of emulators, they suck. Okay, maybe not ALL of them, but some of them run way worse than they should. For example, every single N64 game runs slowly, even Super Mario 64, the one game that should not have any problems whatsoever! It ran smoothly on a 600mhz Pandora running at 500mhz, and you're telling me that it can't run the same damn game at 1100mhz on a 1ghz Pandora!?

Which one (other then mupen64) gave you problems ?

>Notyu1459
>But even if they ran smoothly they wouldn't be playable, on account of the nubs! Sometimes when I move them, they hardly register!


Have you tried the "nub dance" at bootup ? Try pushing the nubs in all directions while the system boots up.

>Notyu1459
>I hate that there's no obvious way to change the what buttons control the GUI. Why the heck would I want to use the right nub to left and right click? I want to use the shoulder buttons for that, use the nub to scroll around web pages, and use A and B for whatever the hell the shoulder buttons do (I think it's forward and back, but it hardly ever works), while using Y and X to go to the top or the bottom of the page. Why do I have to use the face buttons to scroll up and down pages? The controls are so touchy! It's more practical to take the stylus out and drag the scroll bar around that way!

If you feel that the way the Pandora is controlled should be improved, maybe this thread is a start for you

Edit: Just remembered Gruso very helpfull post => HowTo


>Notyu1459
>But the touch screen... there's nothing really wrong with it other than the fact that when I touch it with a stylus, the top half of the case gives way under the pressure and bends backward on the hinge, making it a real pain in the ass to use! I try bending the screen back more, but it keeps snapping back into place! Also, even after rubbing the paint of the stylus vigorously, it still feels rough on the screen, and I think it even leaves some marks! That is ABSOLUTELY unacceptable.
 


Never had that problem, have you tried putting on lesser force while using it ?

>Notyu1459
>I also hate how it forgets some of my preferences every time I restart the machine. Just because the machine restarts doesn't mean I want the lid close settings to be returned to default!


That seems odd, you are the first one I have seen reporting this - just to be sure, did this occur after a "normal" restart or after a reset ?

>Notyu1459
>I think there may be more problems but I can't think of them right now. The right trigger also clicks way more loudly than the left trigger; I hope that doesn't lead to another problem...


This happens sometimes, as the triggers are not the best part of the case, it is a minor issue that should not lead to "another problem". It is indeed annoying, but I does not bother me that much.
If you are a thinkerer, you can try solving it by yourself, or you could ask Ed to help you outr with this, if you are too annoyed by it.

PS.: Sorry for the wiered posting style, but qouting was driving me nuts again

 

[Franko]

^^^ Good post, thatgui.  Sensible, practical advice.  unusual way of posting, but I was following it.  I just want the original poster to try.  Give it some time and effort.  That's all I'm asking.  It's not a magic box people, it can't grant you three wishes.  It's a great Linux computer, miniaturized for our enjoyment.  Enjoy THAT.

 

[CocoCreekFisherman]

Something is wrong if Mario 64 is slow.. I can play it fine at 600mhz on my CC pandora at 800x480 and the same goes for my Rebirth also at 600mhz and my 1Ghz unit at 1100Mhz.


As for headphones, are you using an Apple compatible headset? if so Apple decided to swap a ground with a MIC connection from the standard. If you hold down the button for the headset does it clear up the sound? if so that's your problem. 

hmmm. This gives me less of a reason to upgrade.

This is an odd case and isn't typical, no reason to propel the FUD.

@TrashyMG .. isn't there such a thing as too much Mhz for a game?

 

[TrashyMG]

@TrashyMG .. isn't there such a thing as too much Mhz for a game?

There can be stability issues with overclocking and programs compiled with NEON SIMD support, The 1Ghz units are rated for 1100mhz and shouldn't have a problem. Also I have never had such issues with mupen64 even when driving my 1Ghz unit past 1200mhz.

 

[mcobit]

Where did you get your mupen emulator from?

 

[_wb_]

Some programs, like the default web browser, don't work at all, others just crash. How to close an app is not always obvious because sometimes the Pandora button doesn't work. I end up tapping every single button and trying every single button combination on this goddamn machine and and more often than not, it doesn't work, so I have to reset the system. Also, the thing refuses to switch from XFCE to MiniMenu. But why would you want to use MiniMenu anyway when you can't toggle Wifi, bluetooth, or USB-host in there!?

About web browsers: see http://www.pandoralive.info/?p=143

I recommend Arora.

How to close something: this is indeed not always obvious. Usually ESC will work (Fn+Q), but some programs use weird shortcuts to quit.

It is strange that you cannot switch to MiniMenu. That should not happen. I recommend OpenBox though.

Another thing that sucks is sound. Why the hell does it work just fine through the speakers but get all screwed up through headphones or anything that plugs into it? You only hear things through one ear and all the volume wheel does is toggle between ears or set it at an equilibrium where its quiet in both ears, except for some of the instruments? I tried this in multiple programs, and it always gave me the same problems. It really sucks when your playing Revenge of Shinobi and its all quiet except for the occasional loud BLAT.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phone_connector_%28audio%29

If I'm not mistaken (and according to my own experiences), you have to use headphones with a TRS connector, not TRRS. A TRRS connector can screw up the stereo.

Speaking of emulators, they suck. Okay, maybe not ALL of them, but some of them run way worse than they should. For example, every single N64 game runs slowly, even Super Mario 64, the one game that should not have any problems whatsoever! It ran smoothly on a 600mhz Pandora running at 500mhz, and you're telling me that it can't run the same damn game at 1100mhz on a 1ghz Pandora!?

SM64 works fine on my ReBirth unit with the default configuration settings.

But even if they ran smoothly they wouldn't be playable, on account of the nubs! Sometimes when I move them, they hardly register!

Sometimes the nub auto-calibration sucks a bit; when that happens to me I just make a few circles and it's back to normal.

I hate that there's no obvious way to change the what buttons control the GUI. Why the heck would I want to use the right nub to left and right click? I want to use the shoulder buttons for that, use the nub to scroll around web pages, and use A and B for whatever the hell the shoulder buttons do (I think it's forward and back, but it hardly ever works), while using Y and X to go to the top or the bottom of the page. Why do I have to use the face buttons to scroll up and down pages? The controls are so touchy! It's more practical to take the stylus out and drag the scroll bar around that way!

You can change the buttons if you want to, but imo the default layout is nice. Left shoulder is mapped to SHIFT and right shoulder is mapped to CTRL, which is useful. X and Y are mapped to PageDown and PageUp, so when browsing web pages I use those to scroll around (or just dpad up/down if I want to scroll slower). The right nub to left/right/double/middle click is not ideal, but I want to have my shift/ctrl/pgup/pgdn/home/end buttons so that only leaves the right nub. You can always use a real mouse, that's always going to work better than a nub mouse.

But the touch screen... there's nothing really wrong with it other than the fact that when I touch it with a stylus, the top half of the case gives way under the pressure and bends backward on the hinge, making it a real pain in the ass to use! I try bending the screen back more, but it keeps snapping back into place! Also, even after rubbing the paint of the stylus vigorously, it still feels rough on the screen, and I think it even leaves some marks! That is ABSOLUTELY unacceptable.

Yes, the hinge is not strong enough for that. I always put the lid in the fully opened (180 degrees) position anyway, it's by far the most convenient way to use any handheld imo.

You may want to consider using a screen protector if you're worried about getting marks/scratches on your screen.

I also hate how it forgets some of my preferences every time I restart the machine. Just because the machine restarts doesn't mean I want the lid close settings to be returned to default!

Strange, those settings should survive a restart iirc.

 

[Neelix]

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phone_connector_(audio)

If I'm not mistaken (and according to my own experiences), you have to use headphones with a TRS connector, not TRRS. A TRRS connector can screw up the stereo.

That's not quite correct. Of course standard TRS headphones are going to work ok, but the socket is designed to accept a headset with a TRRS connector, but it has to follow the standard layout for the TRRS that Apple deemed beneath them. Thus a TRRS headset designed to work with apple stuff won't work, but generic headsets that follow the standard layout will.
- Neelix

 

[_wb_]

OK I see. I just read some of that wikipedia article, and I guess the relevant part is this:

Due to possibility of three rings in the plug versus four rings in the socket and to differing pin assignment on the rings, many physically compatible connections are not electrically compatible. For example, plugging TRS headphones into a TRS headset socket (or the reverse), plugging TRS headphones or headsets into a TRRS socket, or plugging TRRS headphones or headsets from one manufacturer into a TRRS socket from another may not function. Most commonly mono audio will work, but stereo audio or mic may or may not work, depending on wiring. [...]

3.5 mm TRRS (stereo-plus-mic) sockets are particularly common on recent smartphones, and have been used e.g. by Nokia since 2006; this is often compatible with standard 3.5 mm stereo headphones. 2 different forms are frequently found, both of which place left audio on the tip and right audio on the first ring (mirroring the configuration found on stereo connectors). Where they differ is in the placement of the microphone and return contacts. The first, which places the return signal on the second ring and the microphone on the sleeve, is used by Apple's iPhone line, HTC devices, latest Samsung, Nokia and Sony phones, among others. The second, which reverses these contacts, is used by older Nokia mobiles, Samsung smartphones and some Sony Ericsson phones.[13] One such pin assignment, with ground on the sleeve, is standardized in OMTP[14] and has been accepted as a national Chinese standard YDT 1885-2009.

So I guess the socket works with TRS where T (tip) is the right channel, R (ring) is the left channel, and S (sleeve) is ground. It also works with TRRS where T=left, R=right, R=mic, S=ground (the standard TRRS), but not with T=left, R=right, R=ground, S=mic (the Apple way).

 

[Asmo]

I've never been unable to quit any application - if you specify which particular pnd you can't find the exit/quit function in, the solution will be swift. In PCSX for example, you hit SPACE mid-game to get out to the menus, Fn+Q in most others.