Buy it, or not? Why/Why not?

[Mizur]

Hi everybody,


I have a laptop quite heavy, and I can not afford to carry it everywhere.


It's been a while since I seek a kind of small new computer, I could easily carry, and that would allow me to go on the internet very fluid, open and edit all kinds of documents, and why not manage multimedia.


That's why I look at OpenPandora.


The worry is that:


1 - It's still a bit expensive. Actually, you will say, not much, but for a student is not easy to find money. Am I able to do what I quoted above? I also really need to have a good flow.


2 - I do not have wifi at home, just an ethernet cable. I don't want to spend 50 euros for a router ... Could there be another solution for the internet OpenPandora?


3 - I still have some doubts about the actual technical capabilities of the device. It is clearly put forward that can play a lot of games on, but I'm not interested at all.


4 - I'm French, I could quickly get used to the QWERTY keyboard, but is it really handy?


5 - If I order now, it should be available by February, shouldn't it? (Http://openpandora.org/index.php?option=com_ckforms&view=ckforms&id=1&Itemid=34&lang=en)


As you can see, I really want to have a fluid device, fast, and handy!


Thank you in advance !

 

[Binky]

I'm pretty sure a USB ethernet adapter would work. You might be able to do it over bluetooth with a cheap BT dongle plugged into your computer.


The German Pandoras have double the amount of RAM, this will improve multitasking


The gaming controlls make nice arrow keys, mouse control, scroll controls, etc if you don't want to use them for games


There is quite a large backlog of orders, you might not get it until after febuary, as the German factory can only manage about 1000 PCBs a month


Someone who has actually used one can help more than I can. ^_^

 

[Mizur]

Thank you very much for your answer! Besides, I did not even know the existence of these adapters ethernet / usb, you save my life.


I wait a few more opinions on the performance of the Pandora, from someone who uses it often, and I will be sure of my choice

 

[gotwake424]

I'm a student and I use mine all the time in class for taking notes. Like you I have a 15" laptop that I don't usually like to lug everywhere and the OP is the perfect solution. I usually use a wireless keyboard with abiword for taking notes.


Also I believe you should be able to internet share with your laptop using bluetooth or Wifi or can do the usb to ethernet


Well worth the money!

 

[moz]

Heres an old video made by one of the creators of the Pandora EvilDragon that demonstrates the multitasking.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/LZKGlg9Ur9k?feature=oembed

 

[Caine]

1 - It's still a bit expensive.

Yes it is. It is not a bad deal compared to non-subsidized smart-phones but for a student it can be a bit pricey.

2 - I do not have wifi at home, just an ethernet cable. I don't want to spend 50 euros for a router ... Could there be another solution for the internet OpenPandora?

I've been using a USB-ethernet adapter myself. Works perfectly. I am not sure if they are all supported, so check the USB compatibility page first.

3 - I still have some doubts about the actual technical capabilities of the device. It is clearly put forward that can play a lot of games on, but I'm not interested at all.


4 - I'm French, I could quickly get used to the QWERTY keyboard, but is it really handy?

It can be a bit slow for heavy office work. Newer orders will receive double the amount of RAM (the old amount is no longer available), which will improve matters a bit. Also, the screen is fairly low-res (800x480) and you can only attach an external display through S-video (no VGA/DVI) using a cable which has not been produced yet.


Writing code is possible, but the special characters are a bit annoying to use. Typing regular prose is quite doable. For taking notes it is great, but for serious productivity work I prefer a laptop.

5 - If I order now, it should be available by February, shouldn't it? (Http://openpandora.o...emid=34&lang=en)

I think that is a bit optimistic, but it is too early to say for sure. Given the history of the project it is safer to anticipate a delay, though the news regarding production in Germany (change of factory) is looking positive.


Before I forget, welcome to the community!

 

[slaeshjag]

If you really want to, you can connect a keyboard using a USB hub, this will also allow you to use your native kayboard layout.

 

[Mizur]

Thanks for all


For a moment I thought about using a soft keyboard for easy storage in a pocket or bag.


So I'll still think for a moment all that!

 

[bismuthdrummer]

A few caveats aside those already mentioned, then a heartwarming reassurance:


Expect some quirks. A simple example: the USB works with all high-speed USB stuff like ethernet adapters and hard drives, but mice and keyboards will most likely require a USB hub plugged into the Pandora to work. Other example quirks have been listed by others above. They are truly insignificant though, if you're even half of a self-starter you'll find your way around quite easily.


Media is fine overall, but HD movies (480p or higher) aren't in certain codecs may not be watchable. This might change with software/OS enhancements, but it very well may not. Some developers may have some good input on this, but If it's an issue then transcoding and sizing down certainly is an option (Pandora only displays 800x480 anyhow). Sound from the audio jack, on the other hand, has been testified by many to be truly gorgeous. The screen is nice, touch is responsive.


Beware that you may not have to plug it in very much during the day -- or at all! The battery life is truly insane (and I love it).


Unlike some others I think the keyboard is one of the major highlights of the device... after all, what separates the Open Pandora from other handhelds are the controls, and I constantly find myself pressing the keys like a child addicted to candy (Dots come to mind for some reason). The nubs look somewhat cheap but they are world class in feel for me: gentle play, healthy spring, natural placement. The D-pad is pretty much the undisputed king of all D-pads.


I mentioned devs earlier on, and you probably notice the feedback and support you get from the community... I think this is one of the best aspects of the Open Pandora. Perhaps it is because of the niche it fills that the community is small and caring, and perhaps this will change if the Pandora ever grows bigger, but as of right now you have an awesome community of device-lovers and supporters here to help with anything at all really. Even the main distributors, Craig and ED, frequent the forum to answer questions and help out.

 

[EvilDragon]

About the price:


We'll be selling some units with flaws (i.e. WiFi not working) or refurbished ones (using the PCBs from the customers who upgrade to the one with more RAM) for a cheaper price as well (I'm aiming for 200 - 250 EUR here), so this might be of interest to you.

 

[theshining]

Good grief, you spend a few festive days away from the web and you miss all the interesting stuff thats happened, and double the ram!, a question though ED will the pandora pcb's returned to you by "upgraders" be roconditioned before being sold on?, and will we be able to get hold of enough bits to make a functioning Pandora from them?.


Anyway thanks for the great work, and a very Happy New Year to you all.

 

[Linux-SWAT]

For office work, Libre Office works fine.

 

[WizardStan]

Media is fine overall, but HD movies (480p or higher) aren't watchable.

HD movies are perfectly watchable, even as high as 1080p. The issue is not the resolution or quality, it's the codec. XVid encoded videos are no problem for the Pandora. Unfortunately, in today's world of really super ultra high quality, HD XVid videos are huge. h264 encoded videos are often half the size (or smaller) for the same relative quality but require a heck of a lot more processing power which the Pandora currently can't provide.


That being said, I've run several 480p h264 videos through it (at 800Mhz) with very little difficulty. There's a few videos I've tried with intense action scenes, lots of motion, which causes it to skip some frames, but it catches up eventually.

 

[bismuthdrummer]

^ The input I was looking for.

 

[b_o_b]

As you can see, I really want to have a fluid device, fast, and handy!


Thank you in advance !

https://www.youtube.com/embed/orbd4w0vIeM?feature=oembed
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/7-2GB-MINI-NETBOOK-LAPTOP-NOTEBOOK-ANDROID-2-2-PC-COMPUTER-WIFI-PINK-/160682941126?pt=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item2569731ac6

 

[GunPei2X]

Out of my netbook, iPhone and Pandora, the Pandora is easily my favorite widget. However if you have no interest in games I'd probably suggest going for a small Netbook - I got a Samsung N210 for under $200 and it's just as good as my (oldish) desktop in many ways.


EDIT: The cheaper units that ED mentioned with Wi Fi not working would be perfect for you, at that kind of price I'd probably change my recommendation in your circumstance.