Brand New Blog Update!

[plopperz]

Where can I find a text based web browser?

http://links.sourceforge.net/

But, really, I would hate to have a good GUI knowing that I could've had better games instead.
I can tell an advanced GUI is just going to piss me off. I want to be able to quickly navigate menus and get to my game in a matter of seconds.
I guess it's too late for that argument though.

Oh well, it's still going to be a kickass handheld either way.

 

[AireTamStorm]

Lol. This is funny. If andora1: gets released without X it will be rendered useless in my opinion.

If the Pandora gets released and never gets a terminal, it will be rendered useless in my opinion.
Just like emus, ports, firefox, pidgin, Scim, etc...

Ton of expectations riding on top of this tiny handheld.

 

[CronoTriggerfan]

Ton of expectations riding on top of this tiny handheld.

Almost too many, I'm worried that no matter how awesome it is, I'll be jaded by the time I had to wait for it and all the hype.

Kinda like Duke Nukem Forever...

 

[Parkydr]

X server is not fluff, it opens a lot of porting opportunities. If you want a terminal, there's xterm or a simple GUI there's matchbox or a complicated one KDE/Gnome.

 

[Game_over]

I think by now it has a terminal.

Their (Craigix, MWeston, DJ) should focus on the GUI. And honestly, the aesthetics is the easy part, they should (and are) focus on the functionality of the GUI.

 

[AireTamStorm]

I know the thing has a terminal. Just giving examples. :lol:

Do we think that they are porting an existing GUI, or are they writing one from scratch? XFCE would be kind of nice.

 

[Jaxartes]

Cool blog update! However, the change in direction for the GUI is disappointing, as it will more than likely cause yet another unnecessary delay. Don't get me wrong, I'd love such a full-featured desktop environment on Pandora, but that's something I expected for someone in the community to make after the release.

So long as there's not another delay this is sweet, but if there is, I'd question the need for such a GUI at launch.

You know, I kind of doubt this will cause a delay. For one thing, it sounds like this decision is based on a discussion we had a while back, which wasn't "GUI vs getting it on time" but "spending the available time on the GUI vs spending the available time on applications eg emulators". For another, I kind of expect a lot of the remaining time until Pandora becomes available is going to be spent in finishing the hardware, testing the hardware, getting the hardware manufactured, shipping the hardware, and testing that the final hardware is up to snuff. Software development can hopefully go on in parallel to that.

 

[TaG]

Cool blog update! However, the change in direction for the GUI is disappointing, as it will more than likely cause yet another unnecessary delay. Don't get me wrong, I'd love such a full-featured desktop environment on Pandora, but that's something I expected for someone in the community to make after the release.

So long as there's not another delay this is sweet, but if there is, I'd question the need for such a GUI at launch.
You know, I kind of doubt this will cause a delay. For one thing, it sounds like this decision is based on a discussion we had a while back, which wasn't "GUI vs getting it on time" but "spending the available time on the GUI vs spending the available time on applications eg emulators". For another, I kind of expect a lot of the remaining time until Pandora becomes available is going to be spent in finishing the hardware, testing the hardware, getting the hardware manufactured, shipping the hardware, and testing that the final hardware is up to snuff. Software development can hopefully go on in parallel to that.I can't see that this is causing any delay - there still isn't a Pandora with case yet. It's also sounding like the keyboard design isn't finalised, which in turn suggests that the software handling the keyboard will still require some work, and so on. Whether there is 'another delay' also depends when you think it will be ready, or if you perceive that the developers have suggested a timeframe. Either way, it will be ready when it's ready and the more time it takes the better the software should be at launch.

Also the discussion wasn't GUI v emulators, it was menu/audio/video/other stuff v emulators. Many people expressed their opinion on the various things not specifically the GUI and were not asking for 'fluff'.

 

[CronoTriggerfan]

I'm still not understanding how any discussion could've been GUI vs. emulators; won't the community be the ones making emulators and software, anyways? The quicker it gets out, the more Pandoras are in the hands of people who develop software, the more apps we have. At least, that's how I look at it.

 

[TaG]

I'm still not understanding how any discussion could've been GUI vs. emulators; won't the community be the ones making emulators and software, anyways? The quicker it gets out, the more Pandoras are in the hands of people who develop software, the more apps we have. At least, that's how I look at it.

Well as it was the devs that started the discussion....

It was basically who should get dev units / direction of development effort. How did you miss 11 pages of fun?

 

[atomicthumbs]

Now here's the kind of Blast Processing I've been waiting for!

 

[_VWV_]

If the Pandora gets released and never gets a terminal, it will be rendered useless in my opinion.
Just like emus, ports, firefox, pidgin, Scim, etc...

Ton of expectations riding on top of this tiny handheld.

If andora1: gets released with X and never gets a terminal (can it actually be done that way?) I'll think of committing a suicide Because I won't be able to use Links (PlopperZ )! I even won't be able to commit a suicide in the Linux way (sudo 'rm -rf /').
P.S. I used ' because I'm afraid of voodoo effect (my system does have terminal )
I hope there won't be any more delays. And I hope will get a stable system by September which will be ready both for new emus to be ported and for UMPC stuff.

 

[Sphinxter]

Fluff?? Nothing to do with it?? X server is fluff, isn't it? I'm gona throw my X away and use bash then. Where can I find a text based web browser?
Lol. This is funny. If andora1: gets released without X it will be rendered useless in my opinion.

X was never the only option. DirectFB

 

[_VWV_]

Fluff?? Nothing to do with it?? X server is fluff, isn't it? I'm gona throw my X away and use bash then. Where can I find a text based web browser?
Lol. This is funny. If andora1: gets released without X it will be rendered useless in my opinion.

X was never the only option. DirectFB

If I get it right programs that need X to run will have to be rewritten to work with directfb. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it?

 

[conso]

I'm damn sure there will be virtual terminals outside the xserver, also xterm should be ported in no-time .
Having a proper configured xserver inside the firmware is great. A good working xserver will set the basis for a lot of apps to be ported and therefor limit the problems that would come with different games optimised for different xservers, since there will be a standard.
Hope the gui will get session-management or even better some kind of suspend-to-disc. Think of while working on the pandora with several windows opend, start a game that quits xserver, stop game, work on with the windows you used. Sexy!

 

[gaterooze]

Don't worry guys, we will have a bunch of stuff to play with re: emulators at launch no matter what - at minimum FBA, Genesis, SNES, SCUMMVM, Quake2, PSX. Likely even more, but that's plenty by itself. Much more sensible to get the framework and GUI up to scratch now. There will be a flood of emulators and apps very soon after release, without any doubt.

 

[Squidge]

If I get it right programs that need X to run will have to be rewritten to work with directfb. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it?

If the GUI gets written as discussed elsewhere, then you will write an application once, and it will run both with and without X (it will run in a Windows if X is running, and directly on the frame buffer if not). The application (and author) need not know anything about X.

 

[icurafu]

Fluff?? Nothing to do with it?? X server is fluff, isn't it? I'm gona throw my X away and use bash then. Where can I find a text based web browser?
Lol. This is funny. If andora1: gets released without X it will be rendered useless in my opinion.

X was never the only option. DirectFB

If I get it right programs that need X to run will have to be rewritten to work with directfb. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it?


Remember the GP2X. It's the same thing. These things are done in nthe background depending on the compiler.

 

[chad78]

But, really, I would hate to have a good GUI knowing that I could've had better games instead.
So the "fluff lovers" are the ones who want stuff other than games? That's hilarious! "You want to do actual WORK on your Pandora?! Why would you want fluff like a text editor, web browser, media player, e-book reader, audio editor, graphics enhancer, spreadsheet, etc.? Give me something important like yet another Sudoku clone, darn it!" I'm rolling over here.

 

[second exodous]

I also find it weird that everything but games is fluff. I'm just guessing here, but I'm thinking I'll do just as much 'fluff' as playing games. If it browses the web, does chat, and does simple text editing I might have my computer off for days at a time unless there is something I need a larger screen for.

Oh, and as far as the GUI goes I'm sure it will be simple enough to port something a little more shiny too. Look at all the devices that are meant for just windows that people port Linux to. The pandora runs Linux, so I think a lot of stuff will be ported to it.