It's software this time!

[Swordfish II]

I love the design and layout of the Communicator, but have really been turned off Android lately - you have to either give far too much control to Google, or venture into buggy unsupported root hacks, in order to use the expensive computer the way you want to.

This is why the Pyra excites me - real Linux on a device with native 4G!

Well, that and the great keyboard, abundance of ports, big battery...

I think at this point I will use the Cosmo more. Still in the Pyra because of how much I still love my Pandora. But tbh I have been contemplating canceling for a few years because it's always "right around the corner," and another year passes.

Since preorder I have lived in 4 different places, bought 2 houses and sold 1, and got married and had a kid who is now 14 months old.

Is still "right around the corner"

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I think now it really is right around the corner though.

 

[matzesu]

This " Its right around the Corner" dit cost me the joy of having a GPH Device at Pandora Preedorder Times:
It was 2 Months (tm) away, so why should i need to buy a GPH Wiz or the Caanoo? if i get my Pandora in 2 Months (tm)??

I searchd at the German Ebay yesterday for a Pandora (not to buy, just curious how much they want for it), and found a GPH Caanou for around 2000 € as "Collectors Item", i remember, this thing was around 140 € back in the Day..

 

[ClockworkCoder]

I think at this point I will use the Cosmo more. Still in the Pyra because of how much I still love my Pandora. But tbh I have been contemplating canceling for a few years because it's always "right around the corner," and another year passes.

Since preorder I have lived in 4 different places, bought 2 houses and sold 1, and got married and had a kid who is now 14 months old.

Is still "right around the corner"

Congratulations! If you do get one, it's a story you can pass on to your grandkids

 

[matzesu]

Because somewhone dit ask on a diverent Boards, how long dit whe wait from the Anouncment at FOSDEM to the last few weeks whe are now ??
And how long whas this compared to the Pandora?

Just out of curiousity..

 

[λ the β-Redex Reducer]

The Cosmo Communicator looks really great but I need at least 2 (micro)SD slots so that's unfortunate. Also, the controls are bad for gaming. But it as better CPU, better shape for a phone, NFC, and an OUTSIDE CAMERA(!!!!). I'd almost cancel my Pyra for it but I won't because the Pyra still wins on controls and SD slots (especially the SD slots I really care about).

 

[Grench]

The Cosmo Communicator looks really great but I need at least 2 (micro)SD slots so that's unfortunate. Also, the controls are bad for gaming. But it as better CPU, better shape for a phone, NFC, and an OUTSIDE CAMERA(!!!!). I'd almost cancel my Pyra for it but I won't because the Pyra still wins on controls and SD slots (especially the SD slots I really care about).

I'm using a 400GB microSDXC card in my Cosmo. Gives it adequate storage, but not stellar. The microSDXC 'slot' is a tiny little fiddly tray that carries the microSDXC card -and- the 4G SIM card. Dealing with that tiny tray and balancing the cards -just so- and getting them to stay lined up while sliding back in is a process that is tedious on a work bench. I would never want to have to 'swap cards' on it while flying in coach.

I plan to keep using my Cosmo as a phone and messaging device. Work requires me to have either an Android or Apple phone. On-screen keyboards drive me nuts. If someone texts me something important enough to reply to, I can generally find a flat surface somewhere that I can use the Cosmo to touch type out a proper response.

I plan to use the 1' long microUSB 3.0 to USB C cables that I posted above to back up the data from the Cosmo onto larger data storage on the Pyra. I can already do that now, but I'm simply not traveling these days.

2019 - Flying half way across a continent on the first flight out to attend a meeting from noon to four then having a nice supper in a fine restaurant and flying back on the last flight back to be in bed at a reasonable hour.
2020 - We are all hermits. I only go grocery shopping once every two weeks. I am the poster child for "just wear a damn mask" and "stay the F* at home".
2021 - ???

 

[Djoga'Ro]

2019 - Flying half way across a continent on the first flight out to attend a meeting from noon to four then having a nice supper in a fine restaurant and flying back on the last flight back to be in bed at a reasonable hour.
2020 - We are all hermits. I only go grocery shopping once every two weeks. I am the poster child for "just wear a damn mask" and "stay the F* at home".

That's how the virus gives the planet a healthy break. ^^

 

[levi]

Because somewhone dit ask on a diverent Boards, how long dit whe wait from the Anouncment at FOSDEM to the last few weeks whe are now ??
And how long whas this compared to the Pandora?

Just out of curiousity..

I've had a look for old Pandora stories, there's this: http://web.archive.org/web/20090916....net/2009/09/11/two-of-the-first-105-snapped/

That's about the first 105 boards, which came from CC under the auspices of MWeston and Craig. The trouble with recounting the Pandora story is things went rather quiet after that point, and nobody's sure how many of those tested good or how many got produced after that point until Evildragon stepped in and rebooted everything. But a few days after that post, classic videos like this one were published:

You can see from there they're using an early clear case and with no nubs installed. I'm not sure how something like this compares to a presentation at FOSDEM.

 

[God Ginrai]

I've had a look for old Pandora stories, there's this: http://web.archive.org/web/20090916....net/2009/09/11/two-of-the-first-105-snapped/

That's about the first 105 boards, which came from CC under the auspices of MWeston and Craig. The trouble with recounting the Pandora story is things went rather quiet after that point, and nobody's sure how many of those tested good or how many got produced after that point until Evildragon stepped in and rebooted everything. But a few days after that post, classic videos like this one were published:

You can see from there they're using an early clear case and with no nubs installed. I'm not sure how something like this compares to a presentation at FOSDEM.

ED rebooted the Pandora post-release. That's not the equivalent time period to this pre-release timeline.

The Pandora discussions that the users were aware of started in 2007 and the release was in 2010, so the time users waited was about 3 years before the product was released. The Pyra has had a longer process, taking about 6 years so far. I'm trying to sit back and just let the release happen when it happens, but I don't think we're doing anyone a favor by trying to inflate the Pandora timelines to make the Pyra timeline seem more appropriate.

-God Ginrai

 

[levi]

Yes, I bought my Pandora from ED fairly soon after I was convinced it wasn't some elaborate scam, which was a few years later. I bought mine in Oct 2012, which was the time before everyone who wanted one was able to get one.

At FOSDEM, Ptitseb built Stella on a prototype and had it running I think. That does perhaps make it comparable to that late 2009/early 2010 period where developers were porting emulators to their Pandora prototypes.

 

[Swordfish II]

I think now it really is right around the corner though.

I hope so. I also hope ED can ship to Japan where I am moving now

 

[Swordfish II]

The Cosmo Communicator looks really great but I need at least 2 (micro)SD slots so that's unfortunate. Also, the controls are bad for gaming. But it as better CPU, better shape for a phone, NFC, and an OUTSIDE CAMERA(!!!!). I'd almost cancel my Pyra for it but I won't because the Pyra still wins on controls and SD slots (especially the SD slots I really care about).

This was mostly my thinking. With the decent onboard storage size and a 400gb sd card I haven't had any issues. I also dont really game much so the controls dont matter as much to me.

The keyboard is great, I wrote this whole post with it. The Cosmo updates...are not. The front screen is usable but Planet keeps breaking stuff with their updates. Like right now I can answer a call from the front screen but I cant switch from the headset to speaker or back due to them breaking stuff on an update. I have linux installed but havent really used it much since there is no alt to a mouse and I havent installed keynav yet to emulate a mouse.

I will likely continue to use this as a phone and the Pyra will replace my larger laptop.

 

[levi]

I hope so. I also hope ED can ship to Japan where I am moving now

Just pick a shipping method which will go to Japan and enter your address. I expect someone to cover it, although you probably need to pay a little more for it.

 

[EvilDragon]

ED rebooted the Pandora post-release. That's not the equivalent time period to this pre-release timeline.

The Pandora discussions that the users were aware of started in 2007 and the release was in 2010, so the time users waited was about 3 years before the product was released. The Pyra has had a longer process, taking about 6 years so far. I'm trying to sit back and just let the release happen when it happens, but I don't think we're doing anyone a favor by trying to inflate the Pandora timelines to make the Pyra timeline seem more appropriate.

-God Ginrai

True, but we revealed the Pyra before any design work had started whereas the Pandora was at board revision 3 at that time already, so a lot further developed.

 

[matzesu]

This is quite strange, because, if i look back now, i found the Pandora Waiting Time much longer than now the Pyra Waiting Time, maybe because i was unemployed back then ?? Or because im now having a Pandora..
But im quite patience now that im a proud Pandora Owner and know how long this takes..

 

[levi]

Well there was a lot of, how shall I phrase it, argy-bargy around the pandora delays which set a lot of people on edge. In comparison, the forum does get a little antsy when a news thread stays on top for too long, but it really doesn't compare to the lack of accurate information during the pandora delay.

 

[ClockworkCoder]

But im quite patience now that im a proud Pandora Owner

That probably helps you to be patient. You already have a fully working Pyra prototype of sorts.

I'm not pushing for an update, but something would be nice. Are boxes being sorted yet, and have Pyra flashing/testing processes been established yet?

In any case, hopefully there might be an update or two from @daveshah next week (hint, hint!) if the delivery, fingers crossed, goes smoothly.

 

[daveshah]

Pyra flashing/testing processes

From discussions on IRC, @aTc has done most of this already a while ago, so all it would need is updating and perhaps finishing off. We also need to ensure we have a kernel version where everything actually works together properly for testing purposes.

hopefully there might be an update or two from @daveshah next week (hint, hint!)

No worries there, I have an SD card burnt with my latest kernel and a camera fully charged. The Pyra is currently in Nürnberg but hopefully it makes it onto a flight or truck to the UK over the weekend.

 

[matzesu]

Well, my Pandora isnt a Fully Working Prototyphe, at least not more..
On the Same day where this Screen Backlight Controll Issue sortet itself off, it had this incident where one of the Shoulderbutton Activating things on the Board brocke ;(..

In my best Pandora times, it was my only Device for long journeys or waiting times to keep me bussy if i ditnt drove myself, but as im now have a Kindle E-book Reader in my Pocket, its not that neccesarry, and just sticks in my Pocket..