Center Click Vs More Travel

[sold]

If a rocker button was used instead of the standard shoulder button, I think the l2/r2 solder pads would have to be used so that both directions on the rocker would actually work. I'm not sure though, I suck at electronics If there aren't any l3/r3 pads, wouldn't that mean a redesign of the board? I dont think that would be feasible.

I think the center click would be pretty durable, as long as the creators don't cheap out on a crappy thumbstick like GPH did. And as someone else mentioned, the function could be turned off for those who dont want/need it.

Sort off topic: I always thought that the best design for a control layout for a handheld would be like a good gamepad (eg. playstation controller but with 2 extra buttons on the right (xyzabc)).

EDIT: I agree the pointy nubs on the rocker would probably suck.

 

[DawnOfTheRent]

Well, if the board was designed to have stick click, and the analogue sticks don't use that, then you do have solder pads for L3 and R3, they'd be right next to each analogue stick.

 

[Kyo]

If a rocker button was used instead of the standard shoulder button, I think the l2/r2 solder pads would have to be used so that both directions on the rocker would actually work. I'm not sure though, I suck at electronics If there aren't any l3/r3 pads, wouldn't that mean a redesign of the board? I dont think that would be feasible.

I think the center click would be pretty durable, as long as the creators don't cheap out on a crappy thumbstick like GPH did. And as someone else mentioned, the function could be turned off for those who dont want/need it.

Sort off topic: I always thought that the best design for a control layout for a handheld would be like a good gamepad (eg. playstation controller but with 2 extra buttons on the right (xyzabc)).

EDIT: I agree the pointy nubs on the rocker would probably suck.

it's not that easy, as the rocker uses a potentiometer instead of a tact switch

 

[Joppu]

If no center click we need R2 and L2!

 

[sindbad]

I think there are plenty of buttons around. Input is not what this handheld lacks.
There seems to be a consensus towards a 2mm radius and no click anyway.

 

[Karel Jansens]

I found a laptop that seems "cool" however it does not seem to have the expandability that The Pandora will have http://www.3kcomputers.com/razorbook400.html $300
But back to the topic. Make it good for it's travel radius.



"Yes, it fits in the palm of your hand!" and then it says in the specs: 8.25 x 5.5 inch. What kind of freakishly deformed hands are they assuming we have? B)

Also: "FULL-FLASH desktop interface"? Pepper tried something like that with Java, you should hop over to the Pepper forums and read the cursing towards Pepper.

And finally, the processor is only 400 Mhz and they don't specify what kind of WiFi is on board (for all we know it could be b only). No battery stats are included, which makes cynical me think that 10 hours is probably not on the menu.

But it looks nice...

 

[Ayla]

I've got a question...
How many PSX games use L3/R3 ?
I know only Metal Gear Solid ...

 

[sold]

it's not that easy, as the rocker uses a potentiometer instead of a tact switch

Please correct me if i'm wrong ('cause I suck at electronics), but I thought a potentiometer could act the same as a tact switch, meaning it could be set to just on or off instead of varying the strength of a signal.

 

[nexferret]

it's not that easy, as the rocker uses a potentiometer instead of a tact switch

Please correct me if i'm wrong ('cause I suck at electronics), but I thought a potentiometer could act the same as a tact switch, meaning it could be set to just on or off instead of varying the strength of a signal.


Whilst that's certainly true, you would likely need some electronics to make the signal a more definite 1 or a 0, for instance an op-amp or a transistor. And I don't think there's likely to be much room for some components.

 

[shmuck]

Whilst that's certainly true, you would likely need some electronics to make the signal a more definite 1 or a 0, for instance an op-amp or a transistor. And I don't think there's likely to be much room for some components.

You could do that in software, couldn't you? You wouldn't want to do it with electronics anyway - you'd be losing the pressure sensitivity. It isn't useful for PS games, but it might still be handy for something.

Think the answer is to just choose a different switch though.

 

[sold]

it's not that easy, as the rocker uses a potentiometer instead of a tact switch

Please correct me if i'm wrong ('cause I suck at electronics), but I thought a potentiometer could act the same as a tact switch, meaning it could be set to just on or off instead of varying the strength of a signal.


Whilst that's certainly true, you would likely need some electronics to make the signal a more definite 1 or a 0, for instance an op-amp or a transistor. And I don't think there's likely to be much room for some components.


Thanks for clarifying that. I guess it's a bad idea then Oh well.

 

[Null]

I've got a question...
How many PSX games use L3/R3 ?
I know only Metal Gear Solid ...

Ape Escape

L3 = crawl
R3 = curl up

R/C stunt copter might as well, i'm not 100% sure because I couldn't find a control list for it + there's probably more out there that I don't remember.

 

[JerryG20]

Uh, so what is this "Nub with 2mm of travel, no center click"? It can't be the PSP nub, can it (if Craig & Co told people they're going with the PSP nub during the beginning, people would have gone crazy and demanded they use something else)? Are we so eager and the situation so intense that we have to resort to "settling"? Or is it not the PSP nub?

 

[sindbad]

From what is known so far, it's like the psp nub as in it doesn't have a center click. Both the 1mm+click and the 2mm nubs are assumed to be top quality.

 

[Prophet]

Realistically we aren't giving up that much.

In most cases we'll find work-arounds using some other buttons. One or two PSX games might not be as much fun as a result, but in the grand scheme of things Pandora will still be remarkable.

Let's look at how we might "fix" a game that used all those "missing" buttons...

Ape Escape (normal controls)
L3/R3 = crawl/curl
R1/R2 = jump
L1/L2 = center/look
Action buttons = change gadgets
Dpad - rotate camera

OK then... so we don't have 2 of those shoulders or click buttons. But since both R1/R2 did jump, we only need R1 on Pandora. L1/L2 handled the camera - there are several ways to handle this. We could simply map them both to keyboard buttons located comfortably near our thumbs. Another option might be to map the action buttons to number (1,2,3,4 etc.) keyboard buttons to select gadgets. That frees up all four action buttons - and those could cover center/look, as well as crawl/curl.

And we could keep going with ideas...

So long as the emulator allows the user to map controls per-game, there will be some way to competently play every PSX game. OK, it will not be the same as the real thing - but it will be a helluva lot better than PSP, and a lot smaller than a real PSX. And what other handheld will EVER have dual analogs, dpad + buttons, keyboard and touch screen?

 

[Patrick R Ludvigsen]

Haha, using keyboard buttons is easier than it sounds. You get used to using things in slightly weird locations (ever play counter-strike and use voice commands?)

 

[God Ginrai]

I can't even vote in this poll. People have mentioned "drawing the line" somewhere. We did that with bluetooth. Although then it was added back, that was because of a lucky break. That doesn't mean that we should lose the travel distance OR center-click of the analog nubs.

I want a good handheld. But the joy of having a handheld is the portability of it. Ruining the controls forces people to resort to USB controllers, effectively grounding the system. It's like breaking the leg of a race horse.

What happened to the "Amiga of Handhelds" we were supposed to be getting?

Craigix, ED, MWeston: If you guys seriously choose one of these two choices, is there any possibility that I could pay as much as $30-40 extra to have you guys make a custom Pandora for me that replaces the nubs with two of the discontinued ones, seeing as how you should have a couple lying around from testing?

-God Ginrai

 

[Prophet]

Craigix, ED, MWeston: If you guys seriously choose one of these two choices, is there any possibility that I could pay as much as $30-40 extra to have you guys make a custom Pandora for me that replaces the nubs with two of the discontinued ones, seeing as how you should have a couple lying around from testing?-God Ginrai

Heh, put me down for one of these as well. (But I doubt it'd cost $30 - $40 more?!)

But you never know, the "new" analogs might actually end up better somehow. Let's see what the dev team come up with. I have faith. This topic just gives them some breathing space and options for compromises if needed,

 

[cheap-plastic]

Craigix, ED, MWeston: If you guys seriously choose one of these two choices, is there any possibility that I could pay as much as $30-40 extra to have you guys make a custom Pandora for me that replaces the nubs with two of the discontinued ones, seeing as how you should have a couple lying around from testing?

-God Ginrai

What would that be good for? Will you then ask every developer to make a special version for you so you can use the center click?

 

[Prophet]

What would that be good for? Will you then ask every developer to make a special version for you so you can use the center click?

You and your damned logic. h34r: