Cherrypal As A Cheaper "desktop Openpandora" Replacement

[streak]

Today i found something nice that coud be called cheaper "OpenPandora Desktop" replacement [ not clone of course ]

What ya think about it?

Information:
The upgraded CherryPal C120 desktop is the most energy efficient personal computer in the world, doesn't heat up, no noise, about double the size of a smart phone. What's inside? Not much actually, but more than enough. Highlights: Freescale 5121 processor, 512MB RAM, 16GB Flash storage, 2 USB, VGA The Freescale power architecture triple-core 5121e processor provides a pleasant Internet browsing and multimedia user experience. Many free open-source based applications are pre-installed locally, as well as access to the Green Maraschiono Cloud (optional):

Screens:

Some videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsTzyW9FSpQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CIpgCc4HJY

Webpage:
http://www.cherrypal.com/openstore/product_info.php?products_id=1&osCsid=68cb5637b0b07f8c12085642cadc2b59

and the price: 249$

 

[mali]

Theres a bunch of stuff like that about to be released. Some should even be below $200

 

[Polossatik]

I find it quite silly that they try to "sell" those things as "o so green" while they are simple rebrands of chinese standard stuff.

Nothing "green" about that.

that 99usd "africa" laptop stuff is for example a rebrand from a standard design from SkyTone.

you find it for example as the Letux 400 ( @99 EUR incl. German VAT) with a old Linux 2.4.20 kernel stack intead of the (also old) windows CE of the "Africa".

Details: http://www.handheld-linux.com/wiki.php?page=Letux%20400

 

[craigix]

The Pandora cube will have the keyboard, controls, 2 SD slots (etc.) and battery though. It will be a similar price but you get a more complete system. (And the obvious support + Pandora software etc.)

I guess we will see if these cubes take off.

 

[second exodous]

I'm kinda leaning towards waiting to get a ARM box when I see one that has HDMI and does 1080p. I don't know anyone with a 1080p TV, everyone I know has 720p, but for my 24" monitor is 1080p and that is the perfect resolution for this size, and I'll be replacing my 90% of my desktop usage so that's important to me.

To my knowledge there isn't a ARM board that dose 1080p, I think there is a Samsung processor that does 1080p but no one makes a Beagle Board type setup with it yet. Oh well, my Pandora will be my replacement until I find an ARM board to hook up to my 1080p monitor, I'll just use my desktop for games from now on.

EDIT: This unit isn't very well thought out, no mic jack and you need a powered hub for USB that needs power? What were they thinking?

This is really just a 'first gen' device, but at this point I think it should be better with all the ARM dev boards that the general public can buy. You would be better off in the long run just getting a BB or a Gumstix platform and making a case for it.

 

[streak]

Craig, These P-Cubes are currently designed [ hardware + cover ], or its just a speculation from your side?

 

[Firefox]

Hmmm, the Cherrypal's PowerPC-based... I do miss my PowerPC coding.

So many gizmos, so little (free) time...

 

[Nova]

The Pandora cube will have the keyboard, controls, 2 SD slots (etc.) and battery though. It will be a similar price but you get a more complete system. (And the obvious support + Pandora software etc.)

I guess we will see if these cubes take off.

Pandora Cube? Why not the Pandora Box?

 

[Polossatik]

I'm kinda leaning towards waiting to get a ARM box when I see one that has HDMI and does 1080p. I don't know anyone with a 1080p TV, everyone I know has 720p, but for my 24" monitor is 1080p and that is the perfect resolution for this size, and I'll be replacing my 90% of my desktop usage so that's important to me.

To my knowledge there isn't a ARM board that dose 1080p, I think there is a Samsung processor that does 1080p but no one makes a Beagle Board type setup with it yet.

You have the IGEPv2 BOARD with some video's about it running running Ubuntu 9.04 on an 1280x720p LCD, it basically a little faster BeagleBoard with more ram/nand and some other stuff (OMAP3530@720 Mhz with 512MB RAM, 512MB ONENAND-FLASH, ETHERNET, WIFI, BLUETOOTH 2.0, USB HOST, USB OTG, MICRO-SD, DVI and STEREO AUDIO OUTPUT).

145 euro + shipping. nice.

A bit more tempting I must say then putting the pandora in a box (especially the DVI and more ram), but I doubt this can actually decode 720p x264 video (I never really got quite what people have with 1080p in "smaller" screen sizes like 42")
But the day I can get a little ARM box who actually manages to properly (= some "cpu" room left) decode 720p video files that I'm sold...
Edit: I mean by this not using some kind of closed encoders like the ones provided by Ingenient Technologies

 

[Ravnos]

That IGEP looks nice. If it had dual ethernet I'd be all over it. I still might look into it for a couple of projects.

 

[Exophase]

The Pandora cube will have the keyboard, controls, 2 SD slots (etc.) and battery though. It will be a similar price but you get a more complete system. (And the obvious support + Pandora software etc.)

I guess we will see if these cubes take off.

What was the price point again? Enough lower to be compelling to anyone to buy over a normal Pandora?

 

[Squidge]

Yey, another Linux-based web and media device, as if we don't have enough already. It seems like one company creates a basic design and 10 others copy it with small modifications.

The second video was nice, however I wasn't really looking at the device

 

[Polossatik]

Yey, another Linux-based web and media device, as if we don't have enough already. It seems like one company creates a basic design and 10 others copy it with small modifications.

The second video was nice, however I wasn't really looking at the device

Main problem is that none actually are good enough to be nice "tv box" that can handle some decent playback of non SD files.

Ha, and while she has great ..euh... presentation skills B) , she can't sing

Edit:it looks for 720p you need a PowerVR SGX 535 or up. Wonder if anyone is making some board with the Samsung S5PV210

 

[second exodous]

I would buy one of these if they would release one that did 1080p. I know its just a limitation of the chips themselves, so in a year or so when one comes out with 1080p I'll get one. Right now its just a new market, I'm sure it will get better as time goes on.

I do like that these exist though, nice to have low power devices like this, a lot of people don't need nuclear reactors to brows the web and send e-mail.

 

[Nova]

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