How Much Would It Cost To Make A "homebrew" Pandora?

[cbp]

Just stumbled upon the Pandora project in my way to find the best gadget for me, however Pandora is lacking a bit in this.

Suppose we could buy the parts that make the Pandora and that we could assemble them ourselves, how much would that cost?

I am left handed so I need to switch the buttons around. (different case needed )
Since flip screen is patented, I don't think that anyone would sue us if we, ourselves, make a flip screen for personal use from many parts that we buy online. Use two+ stores, if necessary, to sell the parts.

If we could buy the parts ourselves, we could mod the pandora as we wanted. i.e. have a bottom addon to the case to add extra battery, accelerometer/gyrosensor, bluetooth, GPS, etc.

Also, if we could buy premade motherboards, maybe we could insert the the atom processor and have 1.6GHz instead of only 600MHz.

I know that we would transform this into a UMPC, and the price would be close to one, but it would sure as hell make the big companies roll in their graves.


Freedom of software and hardware modding.

 

[trooper]

Oh no, Not again.

Trooper

 

[gruso]

Buying a complete Pandora and modding it is your option. Perhaps you should be looking at the Beagle Board instead.

Must fly, I have to go and fit a VW Beetle engine into a perfectly good horse.

 

[Sphinxter]

What's a UMPC?

 

[Svartalf]

Oh no, Not again.

Trooper

ROFLMAO!! I know what you mean...

 

[Tensuke]

Ok...
Buying the parts and assembling them yourself, and making the new case, is not easy and really not that cheap. It'd be easier just to ask for a left-handed version, which won't happen anyway unless there is very high demand.
Second, it's got a user-replaceable battery and it already has bluetooth, and the rest can just be achieved with the appropriate usb dongle and drivers.
Third, the Pandora's processor is an ARM OMAP3 soc, while the Atom is x86. They're different architectures, so you would have to rewrite Pandora's software, and get different hardware, so basically it wouldn't be a Pandora anymore, it'd be your own device. And the Pandora is already a UMPC, just not as powerful as an Atom-based one.
It will be plenty fast for what it's made for: playing games and basic pc functions such as music & video playback and web surfing.

 

[gruso]

Oh god I've killed my horse SOMEBODY HELP.

 

[Svartalf]

Just stumbled upon the Pandora project in my way to find the best gadget for me, however Pandora is lacking a bit in this.



Sorry to hear this.

QUOTE

Suppose we could buy the parts that make the Pandora and that we could assemble them ourselves, how much would that cost?

I dearly hope you're not serious. The only reason the Pandora's MSRP is going to be ~$350 is because they're making 3000 of them at a swipe when the MK1 units start into production.

Most engineering eval boards at this level are something on the order of 1-2 thousand to make.

QUOTE

I am left handed so I need to switch the buttons around. (different case needed )
Since flip screen is patented, I don't think that anyone would sue us if we, ourselves, make a flip screen for personal use from many parts that we buy online. Use two+ stores, if necessary, to sell the parts.



Best of luck on that one. You're going to have a hell of a time taking any of the swivel designs which won't match up closely- you're going to need a machine shop, etc. at your disposal at the least to pull that one off well.

QUOTE

If we could buy the parts ourselves, we could mod the pandora as we wanted. i.e. have a bottom addon to the case to add extra battery, accelerometer/gyrosensor, bluetooth, GPS, etc.



Extra battery? The thing will run 10 hours roughly on the single battery that it DOES have planned for it. Bluetooth's ALREADY in the thing. The rest can be easily added as it's a USB Host as well as device. I think you misunderstand what this thing actually has and can do.

QUOTE

Also, if we could buy premade motherboards, maybe we could insert the the atom processor and have 1.6GHz instead of only 600MHz.



Heh... You're quite the clueless one, aren't you?

Atom is a CPU. It requires a set of system chips for it, in addition to it to make a system.

Pandora uses an OMAP3 SOC. An SOC is a System On Chip- meaning it has the CPU and the other chips, like what they call a northbridge and southbridge on the PC, all on a SINGLE part- you only need to add memory and network PHY's to make it work.

At 1.6 GHz, the Atom will be slightly faster than the 600 MHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU- but not by enough to offset the vast power consumption differences.

None of this gets into the fact that you can't just put the Atom onto the Pandora or the OMAP3 onto something like the eeePC.

If you want Atom, get an eeePC or similar. Just don't expect much gaming power out of it.

If you want a gaming handheld, you're not going to find it from the Atom based machines- because while it's low power for an x86, it's not low enough power, and it's not much faster than the stuff that IS.

 

[gaterooze]

"I know that we would transform this into a UMPC, and the price would be close to one"

You're almost there... just follow that thought through...

It started off sort of sensible, but by the end I was thinking, "Surely this is a joke?"

 

[bigtruck]

I'm going to refrain from facepalming, only because there's already been enough of that recently. But this thread is definitely deserving of one, so proceed as though I have posted a facepalm. To answer the question in the title of the thread, too much.

I thought most left-handed people just got used to playing with a right-handed controller anyway. I don't think there are left-handed versions of the PSP, DS, most other portables, or even most controllers for non-portable consoles. If you want to add things such as accelerometer, GPS, etc, that's what USB, Bluetooth (by the way, the Pandora does have internal bluetooth), UART are there for. It won't be as convenient as having them built in, but it beats nothing. There are even external li-ion batteries for laptops and portable dvd players that might be usable with the Pandora.

QUOTE
Also, if we could buy premade motherboards, maybe we could insert the the atom processor and have 1.6GHz instead of only 600MHz.
Please think about that statement, and try to realize why that is a pretty good entry for the "most retarded idea anyone has ever had" award. Try wikipedia, google, whatever you need. That is so incredibly far away from making sense it's not even funny. Computers aren't like lego. You can't just connect whatever piece you want to any other piece. I wish you could, I really, really do. But you can't. Try jamming an AMD processor into a socket 775 some day. Endless fun, that. And that's even with the same architecture.

The Pandora already has "freedom of hardware modding". There's just no one holding your hand. Personally, I'm hoping someone on this board comes up with a casemod that adds tablet/screen rotate functionality.

 

[nubie]

Just stumbled upon the Pandora project in my way to find the best gadget for me, however Pandora is lacking a bit in this.

Suppose we could buy the parts that make the Pandora and that we could assemble them ourselves, how much would that cost?

I am left handed so I need to switch the buttons around. (different case needed )
Since flip screen is patented, I don't think that anyone would sue us if we, ourselves, make a flip screen for personal use from many parts that we buy online. Use two+ stores, if necessary, to sell the parts.

If we could buy the parts ourselves, we could mod the pandora as we wanted. i.e. have a bottom addon to the case to add extra battery, accelerometer/gyrosensor, bluetooth, GPS, etc.

OK, please do all this:

1. Buy Pandora
2. Open Pandora
3. Add or modify parts as necessary
4. Use modified console
5. Steal my list and make Instructable
6. Steal Instructable, put on metacafe, make money.

Also, if we could buy premade motherboards, maybe we could insert the the atom processor and have 1.6GHz instead of only 600MHz.

I know that we would transform this into a UMPC, and the price would be close to one, but it would sure as hell make the big companies roll in their graves.

Yes, buy one of those, and while you are at it, purchase one too, then you will have one.

April fools? on July 15?

Freedom of software and hardware modding.

Yeah, isn't living in a free world great?


I commend your enthusiasm, but you could have just asked if parts would be available.

Other processors will NOT fit, this is a special custom chip package that just came out.

The Atom wouldn't necessarily be an upgrade, it would need more electrical power, produce lots of heat, require a much larger motherboard and additional chips that produce heat, and besides they make Eeepc's already just add joysticks to that.

Cheers, please keep thinking and modding, the world is a better place for free thinkers, just keep your feet on the ground.

 

[MagicPants]

Just stumbled upon the Pandora project in my way to find the best gadget for me, however Pandora is lacking a bit in this.

Suppose we could buy the parts that make the Pandora and that we could assemble them ourselves, how much would that cost?

I am left handed so I need to switch the buttons around. (different case needed )
Since flip screen is patented, I don't think that anyone would sue us if we, ourselves, make a flip screen for personal use from many parts that we buy online. Use two+ stores, if necessary, to sell the parts.

If we could buy the parts ourselves, we could mod the pandora as we wanted. i.e. have a bottom addon to the case to add extra battery, accelerometer/gyrosensor, bluetooth, GPS, etc.

Also, if we could buy premade motherboards, maybe we could insert the the atom processor and have 1.6GHz instead of only 600MHz.

I know that we would transform this into a UMPC, and the price would be close to one, but it would sure as hell make the big companies roll in their graves.

Freedom of software and hardware modding.



Yeah you should be able to do all this at your local RadioShack easily and for way less money than a Pandora, B) just write down the url before you go so you can show it to them.

I'm going to solder a Dreamcast chip onto my Pandora's Motherboard.

 

[waffles]

Ah well, at least he dreams big.
as a left handed guy, i understand why you would want it, but it don't see how its that terribly big of o deal, i would use a USB gamepad.
reminds me of 7800 guy.
ah well, if you do manage to accomplish it, you will win over 9000 internets.

 

[gruso]

Ok, got my horse going again. Seems stable.

 

[Prometheus]

Ok, got my horse going again. Seems stable.

That is the worst pun ever...

 

[nubie]

Ok, got my horse going again. Seems stable.

That is the worst pun ever...

nut quiet

 

[cbp]

Thanks for the flaming guys. I was just putting my ideas on the line.

Practically I was suggesting to have the option of buying an inverted buttons case for those lefties. Believe me, it makes a difference when you play on a gamepad for righties. But enough of that.

I see that you guys cannot even consider modular hardware assembling.

 

[Orkie]

I don't think there are left-handed versions of the PSP, DS, most other portables, or even most controllers for non-portable consoles.

I think the Lynx might be the only one :S.

 

[Chip]

Thanks for the flaming guys. I was just putting my ideas on the line.

Practically I was suggesting to have the option of buying an inverted buttons case for those lefties. Believe me, it makes a difference when you play on a gamepad for righties. But enough of that.

I see that you guys cannot even consider modular hardware composing.

It's not just the case that would need to be changed. The d-pad and button contacts are part of the motherboard. You would need to design and manufacture a whole new board to make it left handed, which is far more trouble than it's worth.

I'm sorry you feel "flamed", but if you had bothered to do a little research on how the Pandora is designed and how much work has gone into it so far, you'd see that none of your ideas are feasible.

 

[Null]

Believe me, it makes a difference when you play on a gamepad for righties.

Yep your game playing skills improve, well mine do anyway. Also oddly enough I can't use a mouse with my left hand even though i'm left handed. :huh: