Current statistics and some predictions

[elvissteinjr]

I can kinda understand ED with the color stuff. He wants to let us choose from real samples instead of fancy renderings so really get what we see there in the end.
It also leads to having the actual buyers decide on the colors instead of just the community. We've seen a few people joining us recently because of their pre-order. They should be part of it instead of just the guys who were there at some past unofficial poll's creation time.
Not to mention how some votes may have gone to selectable, but actually impossible options, but that's something highly debatable.

In any case (pun intended), it would be nice to have the samples soon, no doubt. Finalized colors will help those who need to know how their device looks before pre-ordering.

I'm fine with anything as long as it's not pink, btw.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

As long as the device works fine, why in hell does the color matter?

 

[Kwenie]

As long as the device works fine, why in hell does the color matter?

Nah, even you have limits. Think about one in barbie pink or ducky duck yellow
Colour matters, but some folks are just a bit more picky than others

 

[Silent-Hunter]

Well the yellow wouldn't bother me. Pink might, but guess what? If the only color it came in was pink, I'd still buy it. It's the device's capabilities that matter to me.

Actually, if it was the same yellow as a rubber ducky, I would like that color.

 

[Eddward]

Color probably won't stop me from buying one, but I'll admit I'd prefer a darker neutral. Maybe with hotrod flames going up the back of the screen.

The sliver/gray of the pandora is fine. It'll be nice to not have the paint rubbing off.

 

[Sircrisp]

Hi ED, great sum-up. Thanks

What's about the new touchscreen? I somehow missed that one. Is this a better one (what are the advantages of it)? And will the units of the first batch have the new screen (even in the unlikely case 1000 can't be produced)

I too am curious about this new touchscreen as I haven't seen any info about other screens being considered.

 

[Djoga'Ro]

I just don't see the latest poll as that usefull. One could ask, if people felt well enough represented by the choices in the poll before or if those who'd prefer black/dark grey would rather choose black or dark grey.
And after that ED would know enough or make a better informed one.

I think he already said, there'll be more than one option. I'm quite certain either black or dark grey will be among them.

Now, that I've got a minute. IIRC:
- The colour poll before the current one yielded three articulate favourites DARK RED, DARK GREY and BLACK
- ED said there will be more than one option

For now I go with those.
I don't deem it sensible to have both dark grey and black, assuming we need for production-related reasons to keep the number of colours low - plus those two are really close together. I know they are not the same, but duh. Either way you'd get colour-neutral and damn far away from white. And I think, who wants either DG or B can make due with the other if must be and give some room to the other camps option-wise.
Thus, a poll with only dark grey and black to decide the preferred dark neutral one would be a sensible poll.

Going with DG/B is one option to further be fine-tuned and multiple options will be given (purchase), what's there to learn with the latest poll.

Another sensible poll would be asking if the poll before the current one, was acceptible enough regarding its options. If so and DG/B was decided, we might be set already: DG or B, DR, CLEAR.

If too many people were not satisfied with the latest polls, well then more polling would be due, but in this case the current one is no help either.

EDIT: Just recognized, There's also clear in the poll. To me that doesn't change a thing. It's still just the ones that - according to my clairvoyant prediction - will get offered anyway, while splitting one outcome into two different votes (DG/B).

 

[TrashyMG]

I too am curious about this new touchscreen as I haven't seen any info about other screens being considered.

It should be the same LCD, but it's the touchscreen layer that is applied to the LCD that's being changed.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I too am curious about this new touchscreen as I haven't seen any info about other screens being considered.

I think he meant new touch panel, I think the actual screens are being kept, as he mentioned that "But we also received downpayments for the 621 ordered Pyras and already paid for the LCDs and batteries a long time ago."

EDIT: TrashyMG said it first!

 

[TheOldOne]

I actually bought a hot pink GBA because it was the only one I could find at the time. I then bought the backlight kit and black replacement case for GBA with backlight kit.

 

[Sircrisp]

It should be the same LCD, but it's the touchscreen layer that is applied to the LCD that's being changed.

Has ED, spoken about this anywhere? I'm mainly wondering about the disadvantages of the touch layer currently being used (probably accuracy/sensitivity issues), but judging by the rate of preorder's it seems like they should get replaced before the first batch is shipped out (I hope).

 

[Yoyobuae]

Has ED, spoken about this anywhere? I'm mainly wondering about the disadvantages of the touch layer currently being used (probably accuracy/sensitivity issues), but judging by the rate of preorder's it seems like they should get replaced before the first batch is shipped out (I hope).

From previous news posts:

LCD / Touchscreen:

Well, since it can't all be rainbows all the time, here is my currently biggest concern.
The LCD is great, but I'm not happy with the touchscreen yet.

It is VERY grainy, sadly, it decreases the picture quality quite a bit.
So that's something we need to fix.

The bad thing is: 1000 LCDs exist with that touchscreen already applied to, so they need to be reworked.
This is going to cost us a bit (probably between 5000 and 10.000 USD), but it seems we can't prevent that...

How did that happen? Well, when we tested the touchscreen, the OS we were using had a black background. And you don't see the grain before black, only with bright colors.
So when we approved it, we thought it was good... but now, when running the normal OS, I can see it isn't.

Well, I'm trying to find out who the manufacturer of Pandoras touchscreen is (the last ones were also custom made for us), as that one really really rocks.

I guess even if you try to do your best, some fallbacks happen... and here it seems we didn't test it good enough (though I have to admit I've never seen so much grain in ANY touchscreen I've ever seen, so I didn't expect that and we mostly tested the function of it).

Besides cost (and more work for me), it shouldn't do any delays, as replacing the touchscreens can be done within a week and the leadtime for the PCBs is a lot longer.

So, I'm mostly content with the Pyra right now, except for the touchscreen (which really frustrates me right now!), but we'll get that right as well!

3. Meeting with BOE

My BOE contact visited me this week to check the touchscreen issue (heavy color grains) with me.
Thank god it looks like it's a very simple issue.
The touchscreen is currently applied with some double adhesive tape. Because of that, there's a bit of air between the glass of the touchscreen and the LCD.
That air refracts the light which leads to diifused light entering the touchscreen layer.
Matted touchscreens are always a bit grainy, but the added refraction makes it worse (as colors are being refracted to different directions).

Another way to apply the touchscreen is using bonding. That way, a touchscreen is firmly applied to the LCD (without any air inbetween) which should solve that problem.

 

[sm0kew0n]

Regarding case colour, is it cheaper to produce cases without dyes i.e clear, or with? I like the clear case a lot.

 

[EvilDragon]

Regarding case colour, is it cheaper to produce cases without dyes i.e clear, or with? I like the clear case a lot.

No real difference.

BTW: I already updated it on the shop site: Black will definitely be available as color. I never planned to NOT have black, just wanted additional colors as well (but we won't choose one before we can see them in real life!)

 

[Yoyobuae]

Regarding case colour, is it cheaper to produce cases without dyes i.e clear, or with? I like the clear case a lot.

I think the costs of producing cases come from the costs of running the production machines and the man power to setup/run the production. The costs of the raw materials is probably minimal by comparison.

Producing 2 colors always costs more than producing 1 color, due to having to stop the production process, cleanup everything (ie. leave no stray color/plastic behind) and then setup everything again. All that costs hours of potential production time.

 

[Faust]

Personally I would love a charcoal or black paint plus heat reactive colored paint, on a part of the back part of the screen, like on this mug:


@EvilDragon Would it be expensive to get this kind of stuff?

 

[sm0kew0n]

So a clear case is a potential option? We've seen how that looks and some people like it.

 

[EvilDragon]

So a clear case is a potential option? We've seen how that looks and some people like it.

Yep, it is certainly possible if enough are interested in it.

 

[sulu]

@colour:
I don't really care, but there are two things people should keep in mind:
1. The case will accumulate tiny scratches over time. Transparent cases look fine as long as they are new, but the more scratches there are, the more opaque they will become. And this won't look "cool". That's at least what my cousin's Game Boy taught me some 15 years ago.
2. More importantly, dark cases will be very prone to heating due to sun rays. So you'll have to make sure not to leave the device in the sun, just because of a poor colour choice. I made such a poor choice in 2008, when I bought a black netbook, which is now sitting in my office. There's only one reasonable place on my desktop where I can put it, but there it will sit in blazing sunlight for almost an hour if I forget to close the sunblind before going to lunch.

For these two reasons I'd prefer some bright, opaque case.
btw: What about a Harlekin Pyra?
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:VW_Polo_III_Harlekin.JPG


@touchscreen:
I'm pretty picky about the display. So I asked ED recently:
https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/display-graining-solved.77391/

 

[castlefox]

Please add the milestones to your live statistics graph, along with the dates you plan to make decisions.
I am very reluctant to preorder anything after the Pandora fiasco, but I might be persuaded if it was close to a milestone and close to a decision time to help push it to the next level.
I'd actually prefer to be in the second batch as you will learn things in the first batch that will get fixed in the second.

I think I would probably be a lot more comfortable in 2nd or 3rd batch also. Avoiding some of learning pains of 1st gen devices seems smart.

Would be very interested in a clear "color" if it is available, I think it looks rather cool in the videos I have seen so far.