I just realized that a Pandora/pyra costs as much as a decent Linux laptop ( no troll)

[groovechicken]

I can honestly say that, if you don't have a computer and you need to do a lot of "work", then you should get a laptop and wait to buy the Pyra later if you decide you want something portable as a supplement to your computer. My Pandora replaced my netbook, but not my laptop. It also has allowed me to play emulators, which is something I have never done much of in the past because running emulators on computers is too much of a pain with the lack of portability and requirement for controllers and cables. Being able to carry a Playstation 1 in my pocket is amazing and has got me back into PS1 games that have been collecting dust since I never have time to dedicate to sitting in front of a TV. Firing up the Pandora on my lunch break, though, is another matter.

I have also been using mine for email and was about to start using it for chat when my LCD cable gave out. Now I am waiting for a replacement LCD cable before I can use it again. So keep in mind that any portable device isn't a good primary device since it tends to be more fragile and more prone to losing or theft. If this is your only device, you are dead in the water if something happens to it.

So, you really should just a laptop for now so that you have something to cover all your bases, then get a Pandora (or Pyra if it takes that long) to cover your more portable needs separately. If you aren't in a financial position to do this, you probably won't be happy with just the Pandora.

 

[rygD]

I mean, $500 gets you a quad core 2-3 GHz laptop, plopping a light Linux distro like Linux mint xfce or mint mate or crunchbang is a amazing deal and will run beautifully. You can dual boot windows 8.1 if you want since it comes with it and most laptops that I see include a touchscreen these days.

You don't need to go with a light distro on a standard laptop that is fairly recent and has average specs.  If it comes with win8.1 I am guessing you are buying new, so most distros should be fine.

I don't own my own computer, its someone else's and I just have the right to use it and I'm not allowed to install Linux on it and its in their room.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_USB

I said "laptop" and you can get a ultrabook for $500 but I'd prefer to to get a regular laptop for better specs on that price but you can find a decent ultrabook for $500. I have been researching this for a future purchase so you can be silent on that topic, I know what I'm talking about

Ultrabooks are high end laptops that are also supposed to be sleek (edit:sleek isn't the word...maybe slim and flashy), right?  I may be missing something here  (maybe you are looking at used stuff that is a few years old), or you may be mistaken on what you will be getting in that price range.

Too bad I'm asexual but OK

Then it's not for u buddy

I fail to see how a lack of sexuality translates into a gaming device not being for me

Sex.  Sex is not for you is what the point was, I think.  The Pyra and Pandora may also not be for you, but other than echoing that comment I don't think one had anything to do with the other.

 

[_wb_]

Size matters. Smaller is more expensive. More power-efficient is more expensive. You need more advanced technology for it, and design is much more complicated. A desktop machine is so full of air and has so much power available that there's not really any challenge there. But if you have to cram everything in a volume that is a few orders of magnitude less, get rid of the active cooling, reduce the power budget by a few orders of magnitude, and leave room for a battery, then it gets quite a bit more complicated.

At similar specs, desktops are always cheaper than laptops, laptops are cheaper than ultrabooks, ultrabooks are cheaper than tablets/smartphones, and they are cheaper than the Pandora or Pyra (this last comparison is mostly because of mass-production vs small production runs, and also because tablets/smartphones got rid of most of the peripherical stuff like USB-ports, SD-slots, keyboard, etc).

 

[rygD]

At similar specs, desktops are always cheaper than laptops, laptops are cheaper than ultrabooks, ultrabooks are cheaper than tablets/smartphones, and they are cheaper than the Pandora or Pyra (this last comparison is mostly because of mass-production vs small production runs, and also because tablets/smartphones got rid of most of the peripherical stuff like USB-ports, SD-slots, keyboard, etc).

I haven't priced them in a few months, but I thought low to midrange laptops were about the same price as smartfones.  Maybe this is just over here, or the flagship models.  I could also be having trouble imagining all of these devices on the market at the same time with similar specs, but as you stated, it comes down to much more than specs with the Pandora/Pyra.  They are really close to having a bespoke palmtop.

 

[_wb_]

At similar specs, desktops are always cheaper than laptops, laptops are cheaper than ultrabooks, ultrabooks are cheaper than tablets/smartphones, and they are cheaper than the Pandora or Pyra (this last comparison is mostly because of mass-production vs small production runs, and also because tablets/smartphones got rid of most of the peripherical stuff like USB-ports, SD-slots, keyboard, etc).

I haven't priced them in a few months, but I thought low to midrange laptops were about the same price as smartfones.  Maybe this is just over here, or the flagship models.  I could also be having trouble imagining all of these devices on the market at the same time with similar specs, but as you stated, it comes down to much more than specs with the Pandora/Pyra.  They are really close to having a bespoke palmtop.

They are not usually on the market at the same time with similar specs. At a given point in time, larger machines are more powerful than smaller ones. That causes the prices to look more similar.

To get similar specs, you have to compare a brand-new flagship smartphone to a cheap old low-end laptop and an ancient second-hand desktop.

 

[rygD]

To get similar specs, you have to compare a brand-new flagship smartphone to a cheap old low-end laptop

When I was last looking this may have been the case.  I was helping two family members who were shopping (unfortunately the laptop purchase was made against my advice, although it wasn't horrible for the price), and I think the laptop still won out, disregarding the processors.  The laptop probably lost in that area.  The more I think about it the more I can see what you are saying.

Back to your original point and the desktops, absolutely.  Oddly, I feel more comfortable with slightly "underpowered" hardware running "obsolete" software or OSs, and other things that are generally avoided by many people.  If I can improve my proficiency with a few things I won't need modern hardware at home for anything other than newer games which I don't have time to play.  Pyra really will be a good fit for me when I am running around.  Gotta love that portability!

 

[ekianjo]

ultrabooks are cheaper than tablets/smartphones

I agree with most of what you said, but there your statement is not really true. There's no clear trend showing that ultrabooks are cheaper than tablets, and you cna find VERY cheap Android tablets on the market for 100 euros or not much more. Tablets have really become commodities, unless you consider the iPad as a standard in terms of pricing. Which isn't the case.  

 

[ExquisiteCorpse]

I mean, $500 gets you a quad core  desktop with far better storage and graphics card than a laptop, plopping a light Linux distro like Linux mint xfce or mint mate or crunchbang is a amazing deal and will run beautifully. You can dual boot windows 8.1 if you want since it and you can get a much bigger screen for the same price as a laptop.

I know it's not pocket size but isn't it way more.... comfortable? Sitting at a desk, in your soft chair on your 15  32 inch dual screens allows for a way better experience.

You don't have to deal with overheating issues, the weight of a 15 inch laptop and actually use a nicer external keyboard and mouse.

 

[_wb_]

ultrabooks are cheaper than tablets/smartphones

I agree with most of what you said, but there your statement is not really true. There's no clear trend showing that ultrabooks are cheaper than tablets, and you cna find VERY cheap Android tablets on the market for 100 euros or not much more. Tablets have really become commodities, unless you consider the iPad as a standard in terms of pricing. Which isn't the case.  

I'm talking about a price comparison at similar specs. Ultrabooks tend to have specs you won't find in any tablet, and certainly not in cheap tablets. You won't find a tablet with an intel i7 cpu, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, not even in the high-end range of tablets. So for my comparison, to compare similarly speced devices, you would need to compare a high-end tablet (in the $800-$1000 price range) with a low-end ultrabook (in the $600-800 price range). Since Ultrabooks only exist since October 2011, there simply are no ultrabooks that have weak enough specs to have similar specs to a cheap tablet.

 

[Arctic]

but you can find a decent ultrabook for $500. I have been researching this for a future purchase so you can be silent on that topic, I know what I'm talking about

Show me what you decent ultrabook at 500$ looks like - I'm missing a good laugh here.


Good for word and browsing, maybe, but if that's all you expect from a 500$ ultrabook...

Its called sales, refurbished units and units that were returned to the manufacturer due to overstock.

And even the lowest end laptops on the market can do more than the Pandora and play more games with better graphics soooo....you are wrong if you are implying the Pandora can more than a even a dual core laptop.


Your anger isn't getting you nowhere.

 

[ekianjo]

And even the lowest end laptops on the market can do more than the Pandora and play more games with better graphics soooo....you are wrong if you are implying the Pandora can more than a even a dual core laptop. Your anger isn't getting you nowhere.

First, I'm not angry, I'm just very curious at the dubious claims you make about 500$ laptops. Most of them are crap, and sales are stuff that does not sell in the first place.

"lowest end laptop on the market" can do more than the Pandora, so what? You are continuing with the same trolling argument again, the Pandora can fit in my pocket, your laptop can't, so there's no comparison possible, man. If you don't understand that, I don't know what else I can tell you. It's like saying your hifi system is better than your ipod, so what's the point of your ipod ?

Portability sells stuff, no matter if it's for you or not.

 

[Arctic]

I mean, $500 gets you a quad core 2-3 GHz laptop, plopping a light Linux distro like Linux mint xfce or mint mate or crunchbang is a amazing deal and will run beautifully. You can dual boot windows 8.1 if you want since it comes with it and most laptops that I see include a touchscreen these days.

You don't need to go with a light distro on a standard laptop that is fairly recent and has average specs.  If it comes with win8.1 I am guessing you are buying new, so most distros should be fine.

I don't own my own computer, its someone else's and I just have the right to use it and I'm not allowed to install Linux on it and its in their room.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_USB

I said "laptop" and you can get a ultrabook for $500 but I'd prefer to to get a regular laptop for better specs on that price but you can find a decent ultrabook for $500. I have been researching this for a future purchase so you can be silent on that topic, I know what I'm talking about

Ultrabooks are high end laptops that are also supposed to be sleek (edit:sleek isn't the word...maybe slim and flashy), right?  I may be missing something here  (maybe you are looking at used stuff that is a few years old), or you may be mistaken on what you will be getting in that price range.

Too bad I'm asexual but OK

Then it's not for u buddy

I fail to see how a lack of sexuality translates into a gaming device not being for me

Sex.  Sex is not for you is what the point was, I think.  The Pyra and Pandora may also not be for you, but other than echoing that comment I don't think one had anything to do with the other.

Searching for sales, refurbished units and overstocked units gets you a ultrabook for $500


And I want a pyra, just not over a laptop

 

[Arctic]

And even the lowest end laptops on the market can do more than the Pandora and play more games with better graphics soooo....you are wrong if you are implying the Pandora can more than a even a dual core laptop. Your anger isn't getting you nowhere.

 
First, I'm not angry, I'm just very curious at the dubious claims you make about 500$ laptops. Most of them are crap, and sales are stuff that does not sell in the first place.


"lowest end laptop on the market" can do more than the Pandora, so what? You are continuing with the same trolling argument again, the Pandora can fit in my pocket, your laptop can't, so there's no comparison possible, man. If you don't understand that, I don't know what else I can tell you. It's like saying your hifi system is better than your ipod, so what's the point of your ipod ?


Portability sells stuff, no matter if it's for you or not.

Your posts are the definition of anger. This isn't 2005, You can get decent $500 laptops especially when you hunt for sales, I know because I'm in the market for one, I'm not expecting it to run ultra AAA games but that's not the point, I actually want a pyra but not over a laptop. That's my point I'm trying to make.

 

[RuneIV]

[...] the Pandora can fit in my pocket, your laptop can't, so there's no comparison possible, man.

Well, they can fit and iPad

 

[_wb_]

Most laptops will beat a Pandora or Pyra in terms of raw computing power and comfort of screen and keyboard.

In terms of game controls and a few other things (e.g. dual SD slots, battery life), the Pandora or Pyra will beat the laptop.

But the point is this: you need a backpack to carry a laptop, and that can be annoying for some people in some cases. Also, there is no way you can use a laptop in a crowded bus or subway, or while standing in a queue.

If portability is not important to you, you better buy a desktop computer. With a sufficiently large backpack it's almost as portable as a laptop, and there are power outlets everywhere, right?

If portability is somewhat important, but not very much, you better buy a laptop.

If comfortable portability is important, you better buy a netbook/ultrabook/tablet, depending on your requirements in terms of performance and input methods.

If extreme portability is what you want, you better buy either a smartphone (if you don't care about physical keys and freedom) or a Pandora/Pyra.

I wouldn't recommend using only one device. I use a desktop and a laptop and a Pandora and a smartphone and (occasionally) a tablet.

Consider this ordered list: desktop, laptop, ultrabook, netbook, tablet, pandora/pyra, smartphone.

For most people, no single device from this list can cover all their computing needs. I think it makes sense to get at least two devices from the list with a gap of at least two devices between them, e.g. desktop+netbook or laptop+pandora.

 

[ekianjo]

Your posts are the definition of anger. This isn't 2005, You can get decent $500 laptops especially when you hunt for sales, I know because I'm in the market for one, I'm not expecting it to run ultra AAA games but that's not the point, I actually want a pyra but not over a laptop. That's my point I'm trying to make.

Your posts are the definition of nonsense. You are comparing a portable device to a not-so small, not so portable device. You want a Pyra but not over a laptop, but who's asking you to make that choice anyway?

 

[PokeParadox]

Locked by request.

This topic may have been opened with genuine intentions, but it's now only going around in circles with the same points that have been raised time and time again.

In summary:

• The Pandora and Pyra cost what they cost.
• Laptops, Tablets, PAndoras and Pyras all have their own use cases and in particular Pandora/Pyra is for you if you can actually see its usefulness from the physical keyboard, gaming controls, form factor and battery life.
• If you can't justify a Pandora/Pyra over a laptop for the price then get the laptop. If it's only the price that's the dissuader then try to get one second hand.

Have a nice day. h34r: