Negotiations With Chinese Factory

[mali]

The problem with 3G is, that it's very expensive. Usually it adds around 100€.

 

[juniorm33]

The problem with 3G is, that it's very expensive. Usually it adds around 100€.

Hopefully we're talking about few years away.
I reckon we'll see integrated modules soon enough, with wifi, bluetooth, 3g.
Wonder if they'd be cheap enough?

 

[mali]

Ah, yes. In 2-3 years 3G might be much cheaper(hopefully data plans, too).

 

[Awakening]

The problem with 3G is, that it's very expensive. Usually it adds around 100€.

GAAAH!

But yeah, I meant that it might be cheaper when Pandora 2 comes out Or maybe a separate 3G upgrade with like a slot under the battery or something, for those who wants it.

 

[hch]

At least once we have it done we can use the same case for, say, a Pandora2 in the future.

confirmed: Pandora2 will look like the original Pandora

 

[marshal]

I am not sure everybody having 3G internally... data plan will likely still be quite expensive in a lot of country and tt would probably add quite a lot to the price of the device. I am not sure the majority wants to pay for 3G. (I might be wrong though)

Actually I already though of a weird idea for a 3g add-on for the Pandora 2 (I know where are not there yet...)

If you look at the size of some USB 3g key some of them are quite small. Maybe it would be possible to build a 3g add-on based on an existing design. You would need a special casing to match the Pandora and a way to securely attach it to the back of the Pandora. Maybe the antenna itself could be inside the Pandora and connect to the add-on via a special connector.

I just an idea of course... we really shouldn't be thinking about a Pandora 2 yet I guess. Beside I don't know if there would be a demand for such an add-on.

 

[gadgetoid]

Screw Pandora 2!

I, for one, would jump upon a Pandora battery addon that includes a USB hub, at least double battery capacity (perhaps using two existing batteries in parallel with some switching circuitry) and additional shoulder buttons. An internal USB port would also be nice for concealing 3G dongles, but I think I might be pushing the limits of available space with that dream.

 

[x86Daddy]

You need to understand the cases are near perfect, and a lot of other companies would have just gone with them, but we want them closer to perfect because we don't want to waste money on a redesign 6 months later (Nintendo style).

As much as I want my Pandora *right now*, etc... I really do appreciate this. I ran my Sharp Zaurus for over five years. The open OS, decent specs, and expansion ports meant that the device remained useful and relevant continuously... No other PDA of that time period could do the same. Ultimately, I switched away from the Zaurus mainly because mine was getting physically old and the case was cracking, and there was finally something else on the market, in my price range, that represented an improvement and met my needs well enough to switch (OQO). Oddly enough, I still found that the Zaurus was more useful to me than the OQO, due to its PDA optimized Linux distro vs. the OQO's Windows XP or a badly suited Linux install.

Anyway, the Pandora is *exactly* the device that meets my needs and wishes for now and the foreseeable future as my personal carry computer. If a little more upfront delay results in it being longer lasting, with fewer issues, etc... I'm okay with that. I might be frustrated if still waiting in Two Months though...

 

[droneb]

as long as it takes a long life for panda 1 ill be happy.

im sure no one of the p1 pre-orderers would be happy to know a better and nearly same case p2 would be released soon that would kill our
expected life for the machine.

 

[x86Daddy]

That implies that no components, board layout design will need to be changed. When better components/and or cheaper parts could be available. Especially if it's as tight as Craig says, even less likely possible.

Updated components often have the same formfactor as their predecessors, and new models that accomplish the same or more are often smaller. A couple examples I know personally: the Toshiba Libretto 50CT was a 75MHz Pentium micro laptop. The Toshiba Libretto 70CT, which came out later, was the same physically, case-wise, but was a 120MHz Pentium with MMX. The Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 had a 206MHz Intel SA-1110 ARM chip. The Sharp Zaurus SL-5600, same case-wise, had a 400MHz Intel PXA 250 ARM chip, and a better audio subsystem (real speaker vs. peizo, etc). Within a year or two after releases of the Japanese Zaurii, people were finding tiny bluetooth and wifi parts that they could cram into the case and wire to USB pads on the motherboard. Shortly after the EEEPC debuted, hackers were adding tons of new features in similar fashion. Certainly, OpenPandora themselves, with the ability to redesign and manufacture a new motherboard, will be able to do even more than hobbyist hackers can, and still fit their work in the same case.

Now here's an awesome thought: If they truly stick with the same cases, they might even be able to sell v2 motherboard / upgrade kits for less than a Pandora2, pushing some P1 owners past not being able to justify replacing their already-great Pandoras, and making more sales with their perhaps-more-flexible ability to crank out motherboards vs. limited supply of 6000 produced cases.

 

[mali]

as long as it takes a long life for panda 1 ill be happy.

im sure no one of the p1 pre-orderers would be happy to know a better and nearly same case p2 would be released soon that would kill our
expected life for the machine.

They will have to sell a reasonable amount of Pandora Ones first to finance the design of the next iteration, anyway. I'm willing to be a loyal customer even if something "better" comes to market. I'll patiently wait for my 2nd batch Pandora and then I'll patiently wait for Pandora 2. The community-feel is priceless.

 

[droneb]

i like the idea above, ModuPanda.

wanna 2 shoulder buttons? just buy and install the back piece!.
wanna a larger screen? buy a new screen piece!.

wanna V2 boards? just buy the upgrade kit!

really i would love a gadget being like that, it would last nearly forever.

 

[Zor Prime]

Now here's an awesome thought: If they truly stick with the same cases, they might even be able to sell v2 motherboard / upgrade kits for less than a Pandora2, pushing some P1 owners past not being able to justify replacing their already-great Pandoras, and making more sales with their perhaps-more-flexible ability to crank out motherboards vs. limited supply of 6000 produced cases.

Give this man an award.

Also you could have the board the same form factor and usable in the old case and a new case if new additions were felt wanted.

You might not be able to make use of everything the new board could provide in an old case, but at least it is a bone to throw at the original supporters.

It's a win/win, and more money for Craig & Co.

But like x86Daddy is suggesting, if you already have a Pandora and looking to upgrade to Pandora2 functionality in the future are you more willing to spend $300/$350 on a Pandora 2 or $100/$150 on a v2 board? This tends to depend on your income bracket, or flat out how many weeks you're willing to live on ramen noodles in the name of better hardware.

Keep the form factor the same and the problem does not exist.

 

[Awakening]

i like the idea above, ModuPanda.

wanna 2 shoulder buttons? just buy and install the back piece!.
wanna a larger screen? buy a new screen piece!.

wanna V2 boards? just buy the upgrade kit!

really i would love a gadget being like that, it would last nearly forever.

That would give game developers a headache. You want as many people as possible to use the exact same hardware. That way, when it works on what you got it works on what the rest got. That's one of the beauties of a console vs a PC. Parts are also cheaper the more you buy of them so if all Pandora buyers get the exact same configuration then the price will be lower.

 

[Asmo]

You'd probably want a new screen for your new board's higher spec by then too (new tech, higher res...), and your keyboard might need replenishment, and the case is probably a bit worn and...

 

[Paradox]

You'd probably want a new screen for your new board's higher spec by then too (new tech, higher res...), and your keyboard might need replenishment, and the case is probably a bit worn and...

yeah, by then my pandora will be pretty worn out, dirty, scratched, battered and bruised I would probably spring for a new one anyway.

 

[Phawx]

If you watch the new videos, you really can't get a physically bigger screen (it will just go wider). But OLED + Higher Resolution might be nice improvements.

 

[Monk]

If you watch the new videos, you really can't get a physically bigger screen (it will just go wider). But OLED + Higher Resolution might be nice improvements.

You could have a projector that unclips from the main Pandora case, so it sits somewhere nice and stable projecting a 52 inch screen at the nearest wall... or support for fancy 3D glasses! Or a screen that wraps up into a sylinder to store like a stylus, and unwraps when you pull it out to erect, supported by foldout arms on either side...erm...

 

[fusion_power]

We could never have used a European company, it would have been hundreds of thousands of dollars - and almost all of them just contract their work to China.

Sounds like it could be possible that a much more expencive European moulding Company would just produce the cases in the same Factory, the OP Team does in the "direct" way. :lol: "Money for nothing..." ^^

I think a big problem is a lot of mould companies would not expect to have to deliver such a level of perfection as we want.

It's very geeky I suppose, somewhere like Sony might be anal about the shininess of the case, but we are more interested in fractions of mm on the inside.

I really thought such case-quality like the NDSi is "standard" today. I mean (nearly) every China-Handheld has a nice and fitting Case and the big Companies like Nintendo or Sony do High Quality Cases since the beginning (build-Quality, NOT Design-Quality!!!) . Yes, the 1. NDS Design was totaly crap but at least there never was a shrinking Problem...or at least we never heard of sich issues ^^""

I think the Chinese Factory has serious Quality issues and I thought this company was choosen because they can produce this quality the OP Team wanted. I mean, there was sureley inspected reference Material of what the Factory can produce, I've also heared they already worked for Nokia (???) and other Big Companies. But they act like they never did a Case like the Pandora case before - confuses me a little bit.

I hope, For "Pandora 2" there is another Factory choosen. And I hope, Craigix doesn't built his "IControlpad" there. :lol:

 

[mali]

@Fusion
Keep in mind that you get insider info here that you wouldn't get elsewhere Who knows what problems other companies run into.