Hardware Suggestions...

[x68000]

@chad

You continually lord it over people telling them that the Pandora is a UMPC first and foremost, and a gaming system second!

How can you possibly say that (again and again), considering that the main design objective of this system is to be a superior emulation/homebrew gaming device.

If you had owned either a GP32 or a GP2x, then maybe you would have an understanding as to why this was developed in the first place. Slick 16-bit and 32-bit emulation is the main reason why it is here and anything else is a secondary, albeit welcome addition.

 

[CandidStan]

LEAVE THE PANDORA ALONE!!!!!

 

[Esn]

If it was just a game system, the WiFi was pointless, as was the touchscreen - and the bluetooth - and the USB ports - and the keyboard.....

All of those things could be used for gaming/emulation purposes. The GP32 already had two of those (USB, optional keyboard), the GP2X had three (USB, optional keyboard, touchscreen).

 

[bigtruck]

With so much fighting between those who want the Pandora as a UMPC and those who want it as a game system, I have to ask: does it really matter? Though I was aware of the Pandora for a long time, I only recently started actively following its development, so correct me if I'm wrong, but the basic history seems to me to be this: It was originally supposed to be a game system. Some features were added that would make it useful as a UMPC. From what I've read, it should be extremely capable for both of those tasks. Why does it matter whether it's "UMPC first" or "game system first"? It can do both. UMPC vs game capability is not a zero-sum game. Just because things were added that make it a good UMPC doesn't mean it won't be a good game system.

I swear, this is like a fanatical religious argument. "My god said we should all be nice to each other, and he said it 2000 years ago." "Well *my* god said that we should love our neighbor as ourself, and he said it 2300 years ago. Your god is false! Die unbeliever!"

 

[Prophet]

EDIT: @Prophet - Perhaps the Pandora wasn't designed to be the 'umpc' of my dreams, but it certainly is!

I plan to use it as such too. But I take some offense when people start asking for the game controls to be rearranged or removed to turn the Pandora into another typical tablet or MID etc.

 

[Chip]

I'm curious what this patented flip form looks like, because I've never seen anything other than the swivel, but the the FAQ reads:
"This is actually a patented idea. Pandora could not have a hinge which either flipped all the way back or rotated without substantially increasing the cost (licensing fees) or risking a patent infringement lawsuit."

It's here, along with the reason why trying to come up with something new isn't worth the effort.



QUOTE
Why is everyone opposed to discussion around here?!? This forum sounds more like ClosedPandora.org


Mostly because we've already gone over all of this about a thousand times already.

Imagine you're Tolstoy and you just spent four years writing War and Peace. You've put together one of the largest and most complex literary works ever created, one that would redefine what could be done with historical fiction. You've agonized over the dozens of main characters and hundreds of secondary characters for half a decade, creating your life's legacy. And when you mention to your neighbor that you've just finished an enormous four volume novel, his response is "Dude, does it have any elephants in it? 'Cause everybody loves elephants. You should totally go back and re-write it with elephants" (Only he'd say it in Russian, obviously).

You're jumping in to a (nearly completed) project that has been in progress for over a year. Anything you can think to suggest has already been suggested half a dozen times, argued over half a dozen times, and shot down half a dozen times. Pandora may not be perfect, but trust me, it's as good as it's going to get.

EDIT: Stupid, stupid grammar

 

[PSyMastR]

LEAVE THE PANDORA ALONE!!!!!

Hahahahahaha.

 

[Prophet]

@chad,

You know what, you're very loud and very tiresome, and have been the source of much strife on these boards. Honestly I'm hoping some other device comes out soon that makes you and some of the other tablet/umpc mainstreamers very happy, and you forget the Pandora completely.

This scene is old, and the Pandora was created BY and FOR this scene, first and foremost. If I had time I could go on further, but I don't, and it would ultimately be a waste of my time and typing.

Tobriand, forgive me.

 

[PSyMastR]

Well said Prophet, well said.

Yeah. for all the people thinking that this is not a gaming device at all, the gaming part is only minor, they must realize that since the gp32, this scene has been all about emus and homebrew games.

Gp32... emus and homebrew
Gp2x... more powerful emus and homebrew + a bit of extras
Pandora... more powerful emus and homebrew + new features and lots of extras

 

[chad78]

@chad

You continually lord it over people telling them that the Pandora is a UMPC first and foremost, and a gaming system second!
I don't lord anything over anyone - Prophet is the one Lording things over people "These influx of UMPC people..."

Did you read the OpenPandora.org site? Does it not say what I copy and pasted? Where do you see "game system with computer stuff thrown in"?

And, you're right - it doesn't matter if it's a game system first or a UMPC first. Prophet is the one saying the "UMPC people" need to shove off. Screw that. There's no reason that neither side - the gamers or the UMPCers should have to be subservant to the other. The game-only people are the ones with the religious like devotion to the purity of there way-of-life. Demanding "respect" for the "origins" of the Pandora - like it's some kind of relic or something. It's a freaking piece of consumer electronics. It's no more holy or deserving of a history lesson than a universal remote or a calculator watch. And no, Pandora faithful, that wasn't a slam against the Pandora. I didn't say it was the same thing as a watch or remote - just no more deserving of a grand and glorious tale of triumph over evil.

If I suggest a change to Nintendo - do you think they will ask me to study the roots of the "Game & Watch" beginnings before I dare to speak again? No. They will either take it, or leave it. Most likely leave it. Just like Pandora is likely to leave it at this point.

And, btw, before anyone says "Nintendo/Sony/MS would never listen to you!" Not me specifically - but most companies do accept, and some even encourage, user feedback and suggestions. Apple being an exception to that rule.

 

[gaterooze]

There is a reason why everything is where it is, they didn't just randomly chuck everything on there wherever it would go. Organizing it like you suggested would be quite awful to use as a gaming device (which it primarily is).
So, you think the DS Lite is an awful gaming device?? The gaming keys would be in the same place as a DS Lite, but a thumbboard in place of the screen.

The DS does not have two analogue sticks to also fit in, now does it? Shoving those in the bottom corners of the device would make them very difficult to use indeed.

QUOTE
If you could calm your arrogance to help my ignorance, we might be able to convince each other of something. You know good and well that I know what an analog stick is. I just asked what are those two round things?

No, sir, you did not. You came on here with grandiose design changes professing to know better than the developers, yet didn't even take the care to determine what was currently in the device beforehand. I would call that arrogance.

The very first paragraph on the pandora homepage says: "Dual Analogue and Digital gaming controls"

QUOTE
Why is everyone opposed to discussion around here?!? This forum sounds more like ClosedPandora.org


Because we've had this *exact same discussion* literally dozens of times over the past year. A few months ago the design was finalized so such discussions became moot. You have to understand, this forum didn't start the date you joined -- the reaction here is not so much against you personally, as against the countless threads we've already lived through before (which got rather heated and stretched on for weeks).

 

[Prophet]

So basically you've done no research whatsoever on Pandora before posting these long redesigns and criticisms? And move the analogs (thanks for realizing what they are) to the sides you say? Well, you see, they were 'ignorantly' put there for gaming purposes, but perhaps we should put them off to the sides, or maybe even remove them completely? In fact, let's get rid of those bothersome dpad and buttons too - who needs those afterall? What sort of "tablet device" is this?! <_<
Yes, remove things... that's what I said, isn't it?? You aren't very good at reading, or you're a Republican. Which one is it??

I simply took your absurdity to its logical extreme.

And nasty little bugger aren't you? Good riddance to you, and be sure to let the door smack your bum on the way out.

 

[Snu]

cant we all just get along?
i keep thinking of the main pandora website where it says 'ultra portability without sacrificing capability'.
pandora is simply whatever you want it to be! stop arguing if its first a game system, or first a pda, that will be defined by the software you put on it and how you use it, not by the hardware itself! even the 'open' in openpandora refers to this.

and to the original poster, the devs have stated that there will be no more major revisions to the hardware (ya know, the faq should really reflect that, im thinking...). i like the idea of the raised keys, but the possibility of using pandora in a tablet mode has been discussed to death, and unfortunately shot down from every angle (this is the reason why some people here are rather uptight about this topic...).