Less Then A Week Until Preorders And No Finished Pandora

[EvilDragon]

I think the most irritating thing of the last months is: It was announced, that a fully assembled prototype was on the way to you for the GC in Leipzig, but then it didn't make it in time and no one of us knows, where it is. Has it actually been produced? Was it lost by the parcel service? Did it have serious issues, so you tried to hide it from the public? What happened?

That thing was also irritating for me at first

The following happened:
I wanted to have a prototype to show at the GC (well, only a case, as I already had a board).
craig and Michael tried to get one. The case wouldn't be the final one, it was missing some minor things like stylus slot, etc. Last thing I heard from them BEFORE is that the company can't finish it in time for the GC (that was a few days before the GC, was too busy preparing everything to even have the time to talk to them). So I assumed it was already in production and was lying around in US, just couldn't be delivered in time. That's what I told everybody.
When I came back, I had been told that they even cancelled it BEFORE production had started (as this case only would have been for GC presentation and it would cost a LOT of money).

Well, that's the internet... we're not meeting in one space each day to talk about everything, we communicate via MSN. So things like that CAN happen.

 

[emil10001]

I just wanted to say that I'm pretty content with what has been shown so far. I will be pre-ordering no matter what.

 

[joa]

You're On! andora2: h34r:

 

[dbzeag]

Well, that's the internet... we're not meeting in one space each day to talk about everything, we communicate via MSN. So things like that CAN happen.



And why is that stuff not finding its way to the Blog section?

 

[Twiitcher]

Personally, I've received easily 200 dollars of entertainment, watching, waiting, and reading the forums. Even with it's poor joystick, I feel that I got my money's worth of entertainment from my gp2x.

I'm totally on board with pre-ordering my Pandora, and being the evil sort of guy I am, I hope the power and functionality of the Pandora put it in a very strong supply and demand and they price the second batch more in line with the actual value of the hardware (i.e. the current price is a STEAL imo).

I don't develop, code, or contribute much to the community (sorry, just being honest), I just enjoy the product...... the least I could do is support the guys that are making the effort and putting in the time to bring to the table something all of us wanted back when gp2x was the only game in town. The risk the're taking is huge and I feel obligated in some way to support the effort by showing my confidence and pre-ordering without reservation.

Sorry if I sound a bit moralistic, but it's the way I roll, the community has never let me down, and I would be an arse to think they would now.

Twiitcher
just an old dos horse

 

[nubie]

I don't know if posting in the blog would start more panic than not posting to be frank.

If the real cause of the panic is the heightened emotions of the readers, then won't anything set off the panic?

I would like to see updates more regularly as well, but we need a good PR guy in my opinion, his job can be listening to everybody and all they have to do is tell him what to say, then he worries about it.

It is hard to do stuff, it is even harder to do everything and two jobs, I think they just may not have the time.

(Now, not to start a big fuss, but aren't big companies already readying OMAP Hardware? Or a similarly sized product? I really don't want to see something steal the thunder from Pandora even before we can get our hands on one. Not that it will have the keyboard and gaming controls, or the open base.)

 

[cosurgi]

And why is that stuff not finding its way to the Blog section?

Because Evildragom is busy and sleeps just 5h a 24/7 (look at his previous post).

Guys, give them some breath.

 

[ashdjones]

I would like to see updates more regularly as well, but we need a good PR guy in my opinion, his job can be listening to everybody and all they have to do is tell him what to say, then he worries about it.

Well i'm still up for doing it. My official credentials are... none.

However, in my everyday life I spend loads of time talking between various groups of people. I'm a very good listener, diplomatic, sensitive to people's problems and very very patient.

The only thing I ask is that people don't abuse me for being the guy in the middle. I get that a lot!

 

[fusion_power]

If you tell me WHAT videos you want to have, I'll create them.
But I can't show any videos of stuff that hasn't been coded yet

That's the problem. All the Videos only show what the Pandora can run for Software and I think we all know that the Pandora can emulate pretty much everything. So I think people waiting for a Video that shows the finished Pandora itself, with working controlls, with someone playing with the Pandora D-Pad, the Analogs, the Buttons, or writing something onto the Pandora Keyboard. This and I believe only THIS is the Video, the people are waiting for.
But as you described, there will not be such a Video, at least not before the Launch of the Pandora. We have to live with a unfinished Prototype Case without controls.

...and I also would like to know, how the Pandora Software Situation (GUI, OS etc...) would be, if the Device would had launched like planed (June or July or so). It looks like the Software Development also takes much more time than expected (but started pretty much in time if I remember correctly), so the Hardware Delays of the Project are actualy a good thing to finalize the Software. Otherwise we may had a July Launch of the Pandora with nothing than a Kernel onto the Software side. :lol:

 

[b._.o._.b]

Squidge is already a pretty good PR guy, maybe he needs to be payed as one

It all boils down to facts. There has been created too much noise and too little facts. Not only the team, we are all part of creating that noise as well. At first that was interesting and got everybody curious.
Now people are prepared to give money to a team that hasn't showed something similar in the past, it is new for them and during the project they made mistakes, interpreted something wrong or just had bad luck.
That is no problem, delays are no problem, even delaying the pre-ordering date will be no problem. Paypal / no paypal, really no problem. Price of the Pandora needs to be 10 E higher, no problem.
This is all no problem when it is communicated and the reason of it has been given.

Can we ask something like that from an apparently busy team? Yes I believe we can, we also invest in this project (money) and want to know what we can expect. Without us, this wouldn't happen as well. Especially because this is an "open" project, we need to be informed as good as can be.
Maybe a newsletter every 2 weeks, with a production update?

 

[Pleng]

Ok so sorry to throw the bomb in here but I have to ask... will it incorporate multi-tasking? I'm pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong) that the current gmenu2x doesn't

Not useful if you only want to play, though, so the standard GUI will be gmenu with semitasking

It's a hell lot of work we have been facing during the last months


OK and thanks for the info. I don't doubt that it's a lot of work you've been facing and the information is appreciated. So I'm guessing its going to be a case of pressing the 'pandora' button and being presented with a list of apps which are running, enabling one to select the one to switch to, and all aps running full screen?

If you tell me WHAT videos you want to have, I'll create them.

Ohhhhh don't say that! You're leaving yourself open for a flood of 'gimme tis gimme that' requests!

 

[anexanhume]

Technically, with the FDM and all of the parts, I believe someone has the means to assemble a full prototype. However, assembling keys and controls by hand would be a laborious task. These guys are busy, so their choice is a full prototype, or get things done in time for pre-order. Realistically, which matters more? I'm sure they will assemble one sometime well before the actual release.

 

[dbzeag]

And why is that stuff not finding its way to the Blog section?

Because Evildragom is busy and sleeps just 5h a 24/7 (look at his previous post).

Guys, give them some breath.

I guess my reasoning is that he wouldn't even have to spend time reading the forums and just post that type of info in the Blog, close the browser, and move on.

 

[JerryG20]

We need more media of the controls. We haven't even seen what the actual keys themselves look like! HD Video or high quality pictures of the keyboard keys, the actual D-Pad, L/R buttons, etc. would be nice (rather than just rendered pictures; does anybody even know what the actual L/R buttons since the render that showed them was very old and the buttons looked crude?). If you guys have the buttons and stuff, how long would it have taken to snapped a couple pictures and threw them up here (should have done it when you guys first got the keys/buttons, but look at how late we are in the game and we still haven't seen such simple things)? Lots of small things like these would help increase "information" and "detail" about what we're going to be paying $300+ for in a few days.

And why is that stuff not finding its way to the Blog section?

Because Evildragom is busy and sleeps just 5h a 24/7 (look at his previous post).

Guys, give them some breath.

I guess my reasoning is that he wouldn't even have to spend time reading the forums and just post that type of info in the Blog, close the browser, and move on.

Same with Craig who I have noticed seems to read/browse the forums regularly now (times when he doesn't post anything; I see him get on a couple times a day and just browse threads, sometimes not posting at all

 

[Tom`]

I'm not really worried that there will be serious problems, but it does seem as if it would be safer to do a few prototypes in case there's some as-yet-unforeseen problem (headphone jack falling in, etc.).

I trust the team to judge whether the expense would be worth it, though - if they're confident that the build quality would be good, it would be a waste of quite a bit of money to have units custom-made now.

 

[Chip]

If you tell me WHAT videos you want to have, I'll create them.
But I can't show any videos of stuff that hasn't been coded yet
So I think people waiting for a Video that shows the finished Pandora itself, with working controlls, with someone playing with the Pandora D-Pad, the Analogs, the Buttons, or writing something onto the Pandora Keyboard. This and I believe only THIS is the Video, the people are waiting for.
That video isn't going to happen. There will not be a final case or membranes for the controls until the first of the final units arrive.

 

[zxxgp]

There will not be a final case or membranes for the controls until the first of the final units arrive.

Don't they need to be tested before you start ordering them and sending them out to people???

 

[rokdcasbah]

Post what you are doing rather than reading about us asking what you are doing then extinguishing panic fires like you just did.

I haven't noticed anyone panicking

Seriously, most of us are tired of the emo melodrama that's going on right now. If any of you don't want to preorder, then don't preorder, but don't subject the rest of us to the whining and the lame demands. No one owes you guys anything until you're customers.

(dbzeag, don't mean you specifically, but I did find that quote a little hard to swallow.)

 

[renejr902]

im worried too. its never easy a big project like that.

 

[moxie]

Seriously, most of us are tired of the emo melodrama that's going on right now. If any of you don't want to preorder, then don't preorder...

Amen

If you don't want to preorder, don't do it. If you absolutely need to have some certain set of contitions fulfilled before you feel safe about preordering, and those conditions aren't met, then just don't preorder. You haven't given anybody any money, so nobody owes you anything yet.

If you preorder anyway, Craig & co promises you a kickass handheld to be delivered by the end of november, if nothing unforeseen comes up. Then, and only then, do someone owe you anything, and that anything isn't videos, or bloggposts, or soothing words for your overactive anxieties. That "anything" is the aforementioned handheld. Everything else is bonus, gratis, extra content given away for free. You have no claim for any of it, but you are free to partake of what there is.

If you preorder, and the pandora doesn't show up by the given time, and there has been no adequate explanation, then and only then do you have anything to complain about. Until then, please shut the **** up with the entitlement crap, ok? No pretty please, cause we're way past that. It got old months ago.

Who let the kindergarten of spoiled brats in here? Seriously, if you're to sensitive to take the excitement, get off the rollercoaster already! I'm sure there are some kiddie rides for you down at the mall.

Sheez.