Connector Layout Opinions

[Javacat]

If you are going for two sd slots, which i think is kinda senseless, it would also allow for a design that would make everyone happy: have one sd slot at the back and one at the front.

This may indeed be the best solution, that way you have more choice for fitting SDIO cards.

I concur!

 

[Guyfawkes]

cables apart from headphones at the back, sd slots at the front. reason for this is has been mentioned, its easier when developing to have cables coming out the back as it takes up less desk space also when playing games in bed i rest the handheld on me so having cables coming out the front isnt nice and also means they out of the way at the back of the console.

regarding the volume, slider looks nicer than a dial. also i would say there is some kind of 'hold' feature on the music player to ignore button presses so it shouldnt matter if a slide or dial is used.

 

[Peter R]

A slider or dial will use a potentiometer as a voltage divider to change the volume of the speakers. This is done entirely in hardware, and is analogue. The downside is that a hold feature, in the software, will have no effect on holding the volume if the dial/slider is moved.

 

[emphyrio]

All cabling at the back. (including headphones)

An extra consideration in favour of this is the possibility of a cradle. I would want no hassle in connecting to such a device, so no cables in between and powered from the cradle and possible to use the keyboard/touchscreen/sd cards when in the cradle.

 

[Javi]

Maybe a scroll wheel that is software controlled (like the one in a scroll mouse but less loose) is better than a potentiometer device for the volume control, in this way you can add a hold switch for pocket use and maybe a mute button pressing the wheel.

Who knows, maybe it can be mapped for other uses like the mouse scroll for some apps where the volume control isn't priority (maybe with a key combination to switch these), it's a little tricky but seems faeasible and does the work well.

 

[whiskthecat]

Everyone agreed upon the volume being hard wired. That way when devs release incomplete apps they dont blow your speakers.

 

[Vimacs]

Maybe a scroll wheel that is software controlled (like the one in a scroll mouse but less loose) is better than a potentiometer device for the volume control, in this way you can add a hold switch for pocket use and maybe a mute button pressing the wheel.

Who knows, maybe it can be mapped for other uses like the mouse scroll for some apps where the volume control isn't priority (maybe with a key combination to switch these), it's a little tricky but seems faeasible and does the work well.

yeah cause software volume worked so great on gp2x!
No, pleas make it hardware, if you want a hold function one could just have a little plastic thingee that goes over the poti, like the one to lock gameboy carts.

 

[Squidge]

As long as the volume slider is indented slightly, like it is on the NDS, then it shouldn't be a problem. Volume dials would look cheap imo.

 

[Vimacs]

so? the whole unit looks cheap and a poti gives way better control.

 

[atomicthumbs]

SDIO, did you say?

This peripheral alone would be more useful at the front than at the back.

 

[Tobriand]

Tbh it matters not a jot to me whether the volume control is a dial or a slider, as long as it's not so easy to move that simply putting it in my pocket is going to change the volume (well, much). I voted for slider because it's the status quo, and the poll wouldn't let me leave it blank.

But it would be MUCH nicer to have DC input on the back, and USB on the back also makes more sense, though you've already got the USB A connector there, which is really the important one for e.g. a bluetooth dongle.

Headphones: Anywhere but the sides. Front prefered, but back is ok.
AV: Probably slightly nicer at the back for cleanness of cables when plugging it into a TV and still using the normal controls.
SDs: Anywhere, but it'll look tidier if both SD slots are on the same side.

Out of interest, what was the rationale in putting the microUSB and the A/V jacks at the front in the current design? It's always possible you've thought this through more than we have, so hearing why they're where they are might be useful!

 

[DaveC]

I like a volume wheel better than a slider. Those sliders are kind of shit from what I have used on DS and GBA SP. Much too fidgety. You move them 1 mm and they go from barely audible to blasting. You really have to make micro adjustments to get the volume you want. Makes sense when you think of it. Much more range on a circumference of a circle than a 10 mm line segment. I always tend to overshoot the desired volume on a slider, you go too much, then too little, too much, back and forth until you get what you want. They are just a case of sacrificing function for a little cooler look. As far as them moving around while in a pocket etc sliders are worse in this case too for the reason above, you just touch them and they change the volume by 50%. Wheels are not as bad and they are more robust, not as prone to failure.

It seems people vote without thinking much about it. Why the hell would you want something as touchy as a slider? You actually like fidgeting around with the stupid thing? makes no sense.

Sliders may have a slight edge in the "k00l" factor but they suck balls for functionality. Make it work better. Wheel please.

 

[Peter R]

I like a volume wheel better than a slider. Those sliders are kind of shit from what I have used on DS and GBA SP. Much too fidgety. You move them 1 mm and they go from barely audible to blasting. You really have to make micro adjustments to get the volume you want. Makes sense when you think of it. Much more range on a circumference of a circle than a 10 mm line segment. I always tend to overshoot the desired volume on a slider, you go too much, then too little, too much, back and forth until you get what you want. They are just a case of sacrificing function for a little cooler look. As far as them moving around while in a pocket etc sliders are worse in this case too for the reason above, you just touch them and they change the volume by 50%. Wheels are not as bad and they are more robust, not as prone to failure.

Sliders may have a slight edge in the "k00l" factor but they suck balls for functionality. Make it work better. Wheel please.

Those sliders must almost certainly of acted using a logarithmic scale. Are you requesting a linear scale wheel/slider?

 

[DaveC]

Those sliders must almost certainly of acted using a logarithmic scale. Are you requesting a linear scale wheel/slider?

Sliders have to be log because a slider just doesn't have the range. The resistive strip is much shorter in a slider. To go from no sound to full sound in such a short distance requires that. This means too that dust and dirt (and wear) will adversely effect the slider much worse than the wheel. I would want a linear wheel, no slider.

The typical slider gives 6 mm of range (look at DS lite). A typical wheel has a resistive strip of 6 mm diameter. 3.1415 x 6 = about 19 mm of range - around 2 as the strip is not a complete circle gives around 17mm. MUCH better.

 

[teggun]

It makes sense to have certain connectors on the back, unless it's not possible due to design factors it would be silly to leave them on the front and impractical.

 

[zaffercharles]

I voted slider because I thought it would be less likely to change vol in a pocket, but if there's no benefit then I'd like to change my mind . I usually pinch the whole slider thing to gain better control when changing volume on my sisters DS, the wheel would be much better for fine tuning but it's not impossible on slider either so it's not a massive issue either way to me.

The SD and DC ought to be switched around imo, a much better idea if it can be done

 

[quote]

I voted slider because I thought it would be less likely to change vol in a pocket...

same here

and, like teggun, I also think things would be much less awkward if usb, power etc were at the back of the unit

 

[whiskthecat]

I've never used a slider before, only a wheel. I think Craig and Co. can decide on this one. I'm sure there are sliders that are better than some wheels, and wheels that are better than some sliders all depends on build quality.

 

[Vimacs]

Why should we have the volume control at the side at all? Just put it on the inner side so its protected when the unit is closed.

 

[dontspam]

Those sliders must almost certainly of acted using a logarithmic scale. Are you requesting a linear scale wheel/slider?

Sliders have to be log because a slider just doesn't have the range.

The human ear works in a logarithmic fashion. That is why most applications (software and hardware) use a logarithmic scale of volume. If using a linear wheel/slider, the volume increase won't sound 'even'. Little difference in volume will be heard in the first half of the scale, and then it will shoot up at the end.

I've voted to have the DC socket at the back, because I think it would be messy and obstructive at the front. I also voted for a volume wheel rather than a slider, because as DaveC said, dust and other grit becomes a problem with sliders, and I've had a couple of items in the past which have become near unusable because of this.

I also don't believe a slider suffers any less from accidental pocket-movement than a wheel. In fact, I'm almost certain it would be the other way round, as a small knock could send a 'slider' from one end of the scale to the other, where a wheel would only turn 1/4 of the way round at most, which could be as low as a 10% volume change, depending on how sensitive it is made.