My ideas for changes to the way apps work.

[Tam Toucan]

7-zip is a FOSS application that can already do all that, as well as replace WinZip and WinRAR. It's basically a must-have for Windows users. The rest of that thread also explains alternatives to modifying an existing PND, which means there's no need for anyone except Pandora developers to know how to make SquashFS images.

I tried that, but it wouldn't open my PND files when I double clicked them. When I did get my PND file in there, it wouldn't let me make any changes.


D.

If you right-click there should be a 7-Zip entry. Select "Open Archive". That will let you browse it.

 

[ZXDunny]

I tried that, but it wouldn't open my PND files when I double clicked them. When I did get my PND file in there, it wouldn't let me make any changes.

If you right-click there should be a 7-Zip entry. Select "Open Archive". That will let you browse it.

*sigh*


D.

 

[skeezix]

Alright, I've added a half dozen little functions to mmenu and sucked down an tiny little update icon as a 'badge'; if anyone has a nice little icon drawn up, let me know


I need to sort out a nice way to connect to the net with mmeun, but right now you can..


- hit select and 'scan for updated apps' and it'll chug for a minute with pndstore


-> after this, apps with known updates will show their normal icon, with a small badge icon in the bottom corner .. need to think of a nice way this implies update


now you can do one or both of..


1) hit select -> update applications


-> chugs with pndstore to do updates to applications


2) hit app menu -> 'update this application'


-> chugs to update just this one.


Challenges I need to pollish, but you facn see this is one hour of hacking


- better way to connect to net while in mmenu; evildragon .. how do you do it?


- do we add any 'auto scan' type options (which might get in the way of speedy users..)


- is this simple enough, or too complex?


-> should we pop up a dialog asking, once a week or two or something, "do we scan for updated applications now?"


- how do we hit to user that lots of apps are available somewhere; could have a menu option to 'look for applications/updates' which runs pndstore (in hf6)


... do I proceed with this? worth adding?


(Tempel, I'm just faking pndstore using a littler fake script, until you finish your mods.)


jeff

 

[Esn]

I don't think a lot of you people want this machine to become popular and widespread because then you loose your self anointed importance!!!!

And I think you just like having enemies in life because it's easier than listening to the actual words that people are saying.

On second thought, this comment applies to Craig as well.


Craig's idea of where the devs stand seems to bear no resemblance to where the devs actually stand. All I've seen from him is a refusal to admit that their positions substantially overlap, and inventing strawman positions to argue against.





Also, there's some sort of vibe coming from Craig to the effect that Pandora users who post in the forums are not "Real Pandora users". (see: "Real Americans"), as well as the idea of a "silent majority", etc. (the nice thing about claiming to speak for a "silent majority" is that nobody can contradict you)

 

[bradleyb01]

@hackmanplayer


I think your starting to see now yes? at least I hope so.


--bunch of stuff that is good


this is the community spirit

@milkshake, I have read this thread end to end and this post is probably the best summation of what is possible here.


Craig: Come up with a complete and descriptive list of what your GOALS are (i.e. user-friendliness, but with more detail and specificity of the end product that you envision (the what, not the how), basically a requirements doc; make a new persistent thread or something.


Devs: explain in concise, simple terms how the repo spec, PNDstore etc, fits Craig's above listed requirements. (The how to Craig's what). Work towards steering your projects to address Craig's specifics. (I have played with all of these and think that you are getting pretty darn close to a user-friendly solution).


Rinse, repeat, COMMUNICATE REGULARLY and polish until the product is complete by answering all of Craig's requirements.


Craig, I respect your business ethic and desire to create an excellent product, I am impressed with how you have stuck with this through some amazingly bad luck and absolutely love the product that you have made; but seriously, DON'T do this to yourself! It is time to be a Project Manager, not a PM, GM, marketing guy and dev all at once, you will only burn yourself out and infuriate those who are trying to support you. Your time would be much better spent to take a few hours outlining an idea for others to flesh out rather than it would to make something from scratch. I know it's hard to not do the fun stuff like coding your vision to reality, but sometimes it is not practical or necessary to "do it yourself". I know, I've had to do it in my job, many, many times (I'm an IT Director for a 100+ store retail chain, whose responsibility grew from 2 servers, 15 workstations and some dumb terminals to thousands of devices, a data center, a WAN and much more in 12 years). I took projects on with too much responsibility for detail that I should have delegated and my hands too deep into the code and quickly learned how that is NOT appropriate for a leadership position, (like yours) because while I was having fun in the details, things in the big picture got missed (much like what people are trying to tell you with getting the rest of Batch 1 out the door) and I literally had to work 14 to 16 hour days 7 days a week for months to catch up t where i could go back to a more comfortable 50-60 hour or so work week and then had to train one or two people to maintain what I built, which took MORE time away from overseeing the technology profile for our company, negotiating with vendors, etc..


Learn from my mistakes and use the devs who are willing to help you accomplish your goals, maybe not in the functional way that you want, but produce an end result that the customer will love.


Seriously, I have a hard time understanding how you are not jumping at the chance to have people produce the quality of work that they have because it is a labor of love and are doing so at no cost to you, that does not make much business sense. You have a golden opportunity to not only make a great little console, but a solid community of devs and power users to help maintain, evangelize and promote your product.


I WISH we had customers like this, really, it would be analogous of people who love our stores so much, they would volunteer their time to stock shelves, clean the floors and pay for ads in the paper!


Stuff like this does not happen every day. Take a breath and realize that what you have here is a possibility to make something special into something really extraordinary.


-BDB out


edit: grammar and spelling.

 

[EvilDragon]

Alright, I've added a half dozen little functions to mmenu and sucked down an tiny little update icon as a 'badge'; if anyone has a nice little icon drawn up, let me know

Wow, that was fast!


Should snuck out a first HF6 Alpha soon, eh?

- better way to connect to net while in mmenu; evildragon .. how do you do it?

Right now I have to use XFCE


Well, we are using NetworkManager, so we'd need to get NetworkManager to work from MiniMenu as well.


You could try what NetworkManager-cli (the commandline version, it should also be installed on the Panda) could do.


Otherwise you could try nm-applet, which is the applet we use in XFCE... no idea if you could run that as standalone as well though.


The CLI-Version might be your best guess to include into minimenu

 

[Esslan]

Great post BDB!


Craig, please listen to this man.

 

[Tam Toucan]

I tried that, but it wouldn't open my PND files when I double clicked them. When I did get my PND file in there, it wouldn't let me make any changes.

If you right-click there should be a 7-Zip entry. Select "Open Archive". That will let you browse it.

*sigh*


D.

I was helping you with the first part of your problem, you can't easily open PNDs. That's why I said "That will let you browse it." I did not say it would fix the second part "it wouldn't let me make any changes".

 

[ZXDunny]

I tried that, but it wouldn't open my PND files when I double clicked them. When I did get my PND file in there, it wouldn't let me make any changes.

If you right-click there should be a 7-Zip entry. Select "Open Archive". That will let you browse it.

*sigh*


D.

I was helping you with the first part of your problem, you can't easily open PNDs. That's why I said "That will let you browse it." I did not say it would fix the second part "it wouldn't let me make any changes".

I tried that, but it wouldn't open my PND files when I double clicked them. When I did get my PND file in there, it wouldn't let me make any changes.

*sigh*


D.

 

[Tam Toucan]

I tried that, but it wouldn't open my PND files when I double clicked them. When I did get my PND file in there, it wouldn't let me make any changes.

If you right-click there should be a 7-Zip entry. Select "Open Archive". That will let you browse it.

*sigh*


D.

I was helping you with the first part of your problem, you can't easily open PNDs. That's why I said "That will let you browse it." I did not say it would fix the second part "it wouldn't let me make any changes".

I tried that, but it wouldn't open my PND files when I double clicked them. When I did get my PND file in there, it wouldn't let me make any changes.

*sigh*


D.

I had assumed since you were complaining you had a problem e.g. run the program and then select open, which would be annoying. Having right click would have been easier, but it appears you were just complaining that it didn't work straight away how you wanted it. Apologies for trying to help.

 

[Scntrblob]

Haha, some people really need to get forced to wear a "I might be sarcastic" user title


At least, where is the promised PandoraEmulator for Windows? Appple has a IPhone simulator, too, we have not! That's NOT userfriendly!!!! Why didn't we just stick to X86? It's a widely accepted standart for computers. Take your dev hats off, guys, and see it from the customer point of view! We want to play Crysis! Where are the PCI-slots? Everyone's used to that! We will never leave our niche if keep following that path!

 

[ZXDunny]

Apologies for trying to help.

No apologies necessary, as there was no help needed! It would appear that you are having trouble with reading people's (specifically, my) posts. Your thoughtfulness is touching, your comprehension skills less so. I suppose asking you to go back and read what I wrote is asking too much? Or are you going to embarrass yourself a third time?


D.

 

[freamon]

Some context, from gp32x.


You may be thinking: oh well, maybe he's only 14 and thinks it's all hilarious. Shocking news from his profile: he's 37 fucking years old.

 

[ZXDunny]

Some context, from gp32x.


You may be thinking: oh well, maybe he's only 14 and thinks it's all hilarious. Shocking news from his profile: he's 37 fucking years old.

Oh my. And what exactly have I said to you that triggered this unwarranted attack? Why should I not report you for abuse? I await your answer. If it isn't sufficient, I shall report you.


D.

 

[freamon]

In the PND criticism thread you said I should re-read your posts as I wasn't understanding you. Which I did: I carefully reread your words. Considering what your write, forcing someone to do this counts as a form of abuse.


My main problem is that yesterday I saw you waste WizardStan's time, and today TamToucan's time. The next time someone genuinely asks them for help, there's a danger they may not bother.

 

[ZXDunny]

In the PND criticism thread you said I should re-read your posts as I wasn't understanding you. Which I did: I carefully reread your words. Considering what your write, forcing someone to do this counts as a form of abuse.


My main problem is that yesterday I saw you waste WizardStan's time, and today TamToucan's time. The next time someone genuinely asks them for help, there's a danger they may not bother.

Well, they both have my apologies. I assumed I had been quite clear in my posts that I do actually know what I am doing with PND files and was playing devil's advocate. Before either of the gentlemen in question replied to me, I had posted right in those very threads in clear black and white that I had already achieved my goals. The only people wasting time was themselves - yet according to you, I am to be held responsible for them not having read my posts correctly. How rude of you. I shall report you, indeed.


D.

 

[freamon]

Since I evidently misunderstood your posts, and WizardStan did, and Tam Toucan did, maybe your posts aren't as clear as you seem to think? If someone doesn't understand something, the thing to do is rephrase it, help them out, not passive-aggressively assert that that they should re-read it.


If you know what you're doing, why spend time posing as someone who doesn't? There are enough people here who genuinely need help. Let them ask their own questions. There's no need for you to be playing 'devil's advocate'.


Feel free to report me. I don't know what you've done at GP32x, but it must have been enough to earn your member title. In the meantime, I have to go to work.

 

[double7]

BTW how do all these people that have no clue about emulation and pcs know how to rip their cartridges?

Very good question. I don't know how far craig would like to go with his easy to use concept. There are a lot of legal games to get into some emulators via the internet, it may be possible to maintain a way for automatic installation of those. But it will be a two-edged sword. If the system is that easy that every customs officer could install anything it could be difficult to import the pandora into countries which block copyright violations at the border line.

Whatever it is worth [maybe a peso?] you have a friend in South Florida.

As long as you pay him for that, he'll like it. If not, i don't think he cares.

The only question I have is if he is going about this 'alone' as everyone says, how do you know that??

And if he don't, who is with him? Will they work for free, or does he have to pay them? Do i pay with my preorder for the development of a second solution while the first working one is available for free?

I now see I'm never going to get my ideas for ease of use being the most important thing on the Pandora across. There is too much resistance to it, I predict this won't go anywhere good.

Great, more aces up in your sleeve? You are topping yourself. Did i understand that thread corretly - do you have a discontinuation of the PND system in mind? Do you want to replace PND with something better of yours?

@craig unless there are other things you are not telling us,

I can't see any good reason why craig is forcing this "easy to use" way that much now. If he accomplish his mission and have the superior user front end - what will it be good for? If he is aiming for the iUsergroup, his target is really big. Let's imagine all iDroids want a pandora then, will he be able to deliver? With the actual production per day output he will produce angry waiting customers because casual users are not waiting two month in patience. The next logical step would be an major improvement of the production, which will require a lot of money. I'm in doubt that the prempas will sell that much that a production site extension can be afforded. But what if that money is available? The team never took an investor because they wanted to do their own thing. The fragments would fit together, money for mass production forces as simple as possible usability.

Certain developers will never understand that this is a business, and a machine which has to please its users.

Ever thought about the fact that developers USE the pandora for development? If you don't please devs, you are excluding them, are you willing to do ALL development for the pandora by yourself?

There are a number of people who will forever perceive my attempts to improve things as an attack on them. This will never change as they cannot take their developer hat off and see things from the customer point of view.

You can't judge this before you see the final application including the frontend.


I like to see your final app too, but not now, not with your limited resources.

The Pandora isn't what I wanted it to be right now, and it does not function in the simple way I had hoped, and rather than improving that situation it just fragments more and more.

Actually it is you who does breaking and produces fragments. Looking at the broken pieces you decide to build something new.

I'm torn on if I should spend 3 months rewriting the whole interface only for people to attack the way it works for not being 'tech' enough. To be told how it's lame because it does not use some obscure dead method of compression or database, and how they won't support it and will just fragment it again. I know that would happen no matter how perfect it was from the users point of view.

This IP board is very simple and i am missing at least two features. I can use a useless calendar, but can't quote PM directly. And i can't scan for unread new postings. Can you improve that quickly please?

 

[ZXDunny]

Since I evidently misunderstood your posts, and WizardStan did, and Tam Toucan did, maybe your posts aren't as clear as you seem to think? If someone doesn't understand something, the thing to do is rephrase it, help them out, not passive-aggressively assert that that they should re-read it.

This is just getting weird now. You're accusing me of being passive-aggressive because I'm politely requesting that people actually read what I've written before they reply? How the hell do I "help out" in that situation? In all, my first two posts to this thread I thought were informative and quite clear in their intent. Then Tam Toucan came along, totally failed to read what I had written and gave out advice that wasn't needed. He then objected when I pointed out what I'd written, and again failed to see what I'd written, despite me making the point again. Then you waded in with an unwarranted attack, and an inappropriate screengrab of my GP2X user info pane. So basically, you saw two people disagreeing from a distance, and felt that you should wander over and smack one of them in the mouth (figuratively speaking) in order to end the debate. Nice skillz there.

If you know what you're doing, why spend time posing as someone who doesn't? There are enough people here who genuinely need help. Let them ask their own questions. There's no need for you to be playing 'devil's advocate'.

I felt it highlighted a genuine failing of the current PND toolset. Please explain to me which of my posts was not justified.

Feel free to report me. I don't know what you've done at GP32x, but it must have been enough to earn your member title. In the meantime, I have to go to work.

My member title was set by me, not anyone else at GP32X. As I've not been spoken to by any mods (either here or at GP32X) I can safely say that I've not done anything of note at GP32X that would earn me any particular sanctions or reputation. You seem to be the aggressive one randomly attacking people here, not me.


D.

 

[WizardStan]

Since I evidently misunderstood your posts, and WizardStan did, and Tam Toucan did, maybe your posts aren't as clear as you seem to think?

While I appreciate your concern, I was only joking about wasted time. What I did was something that should have been done a long time ago and is a step towards making PND creation and manipulation on Windows better. While Dunny certainly could have better explained himself (usually when playing devil's advocate you say you are playing devils advocate so people don't confuse what your saying with your own honest beliefs) I don't feel any malice for what he did. No need to get offensive, but thanks for your thoughts.