Release Keymat On Devboard!

[mali]

So now I'm confused. Why did Craig say on Christmas Eve that they wouldn't be arriving until after Christmas day?!

There is a difference of 6 hours between Craig's and Michael's timezone. Craig posted around 3:00 am on 24. That was still 23. in Michael's timezone and enough time to deliver the mat till 24. afternoon.

 

[RajTakhar]

MWeston did make a start on the Prototype and he posted a picture

find it here

http://openpandora.ca/proto.html

Looks amazing ... the image is hidden Santas hat at .. http://openpandora.ca

his comments on initial build ....

It fits, but it had to be made thicker to prevent brittle areas in the cups holding the carbon pads. Therefore, it isn't very usable as it takes a lot of force to press buttons. As far as form is concerned, it fits beautifully. As far as more complete prototypes (CNC'd) go, I won't have anything until the New Year. I had to drive over to the FedEx depot to pick this one up myself before they closed up for the holidays or I wouldn't even have had this one!

This really isn't an amazing update, so I hid it on my page and I don't know if anyone will even find it!

SO IT NOW LOOKS LIKE NEW YEAR FOR FIRST ASSEMBLED PROTOTYPE!!!

======

gp32_console + :gp2x and hopefully a andora1:

http://gp2xwizandpandora.blogspot.com/

 

[Phawx]

Wow. That makes me feel better, though I wish it worked. Any chance of seeing it *fully* completed? Also, maybe a video showing the button presses, regardless of how hard it is to press. Maybe Quake 2 with those analog sticks?

 

[MarkoeZ]

well it's improvement anyway thanks for the update!!

 

[kin]

Cool! Nice update.

I'm also concerned about the hardness of the buttons. Too hard and we end up with a thumb-fu board

 

[mali]

It's also the first time we see how the screen-ribbon is fed through

 

[mechanizeddeath]

Still incredible! I was so excited I pressed on my laptop screen as soon as I saw the shiny buttons.

And I know the keyboard is supposed to be black, but now I kind of like the idea of white keys, even if that would mean they would get a little grubby after a while.

 

[Yigguth]

meh.

 

[j.pickens]

his comments on initial build ....

It fits, but it had to be made thicker to prevent brittle areas in the cups holding the carbon pads. Therefore, it isn't very usable as it takes a lot of force to press buttons. As far as form is concerned, it fits beautifully.

I am guessing that the "it" in the sentence is the FDM prototype shell. If I am correct, that means there is a difference in the prototype shell to accommodate the weaker material in prototype vs. final plastic.

So...does this mean that the keymat is OK, or does it require slight redesign before commitment to final production?

I can't wait to see the upper shell with the LCD installed, and the new curvier top.

Edit: Reading it again, I'm not so sure about my guessing. The cups holding the carbon pads are molded in the key backs themselves, no?

 

[renegadechic]

It's also the first time we see how the screen-ribbon is fed through

and also, though probably unnecessary, complete confirmation that the gaming controls will be extra buttons on top of the rubber pad.

 

[mali]

I am guessing that the "it" in the sentence is the FDM prototype shell.

MWeston means, that the mat is thicker, not the case. ED confirmed it on the German board.

 

[Asmo]

Is this an older FDM case? The hinge edges seem the same, whereas the recent rendered redesign has more rounded edges to match the lid?

 

[jdh2550]

Is it just me or would anyone really love just to have the panda in a case like that (with a screen of course!) and take a pen and write the keys on the white keys?

How cool would that be! B)

(yeah, no need to tell me why it can't be done - I'm just day dreaming)

 

[DaveC]

Is this an older FDM case? The hinge edges seem the same, whereas the recent rendered redesign has more rounded edges to match the lid?

Yes, it is an older prototype before the curves.

 

[Username]

Is the final case going to have that texture to it?

 

[Phawx]

I think the texture is the Fused Deposition Modeling

 

[MDave]

The D-Pad looks like its in a pretty tight fitting, like barely any room for it to 'tilt' for a button press. Hope there's a bigger gap for the final case and d-pad!

 

[JerryG20]

That isn't the same FDM case that the team had a long time ago...right? I recall them saying that they paid something like $500 for this prototype case, but it looks a lot like the one in this video back from May:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WOMFrOCti4...re=channel_page

Of course, MWeston hasn't completely assembled the prototype yet (at least not according to the picture), but once it is assembled are the only real differences between the prototype in the above video and the one MWeston now has the following:

-Updated PCB
-Different Nubs
-Unlabeled/painted keymat

I'm just a little surprised/concerned/(impatient??) that it's almost 2009, it's been 7 months since the above video, and I feel like we haven't made too much progress toward a completed Pandora unit as we (according to the picture) don't even have a fully assembled prototype (I know there was the financial crisis and everything, and that the banks have been a trouble to deal with, but the team have stated that the bank problem didn't stop things on the production of the Pandora and that the Pandora manufacturing wasn't funded by the money help up by the banks). I figure since the picture has been taken MWeston has fully assembled it, but even then we still don't have a fully working prototype as he said the keymat doesn't really work well.

When it was first announced that the Pandora would be delayed for sure into December or 2009, people started thinking February would be the month and were surprised/concerned/(impatient??) and freaking out. But of course all the extremely pro-Pandora people rushed in and quieted them down, saying that February is a S T R E T C H and that they shouldn't panic and that it'll probably be released in December or maybe January, etc.

Well, here we are at nearly 2009 and we are lacking a fully functioning prototype unit for a device that people expected to ship within a month from now. Plausible?? Honestly, I know this'll sound stupid/illogical or something, but maybe people need to start having a more pessimistic attitude about this project and projected dates because an optimistic attitude has proven to fail and fail again when it comes to meeting projected dates and timelines.

Appreciate the updates though, mfk and MWeston. Can't wait for this great handheld to finally be released. It's going to be ace!

 

[Bosbeetle]

I am curious about the keymat being to 'thick' because of brittle parts. How is this going to be solved?


Will the pandora end up with either keys you have to press really hard or with a very fragile mat. Or will there be a good inbetween?

 

[Chip]

I am curious about the keymat being to 'thick' because of brittle parts. How is this going to be solved?

Will the pandora end up with either keys you have to press really hard or with a very fragile mat. Or will there be a good inbetween?


The key openings in the case will be made larger to compensate. This is why we make prototypes before going into full production