New website request

[_wb_]

Really good but I hope that in the future a official Open Pandora Video with more enphasis on Homebrew and ported games is created, personally I think that it is one of the biggest "features" of Pandora.

+1 on this. Especially after the compo there should be more than enough material.


And of course if you're going to make a complete introduction video, you should also show some non-games and things where you can actually use the keyboard. Maybe you can show Pandora System Info too, it could be a nice visual way to introduce some of the specs like cpu speed, battery life, dual SD cards, wifi. And please show PNDManager browsing through the repo, installing something and launching it! Or what about showing some source code editing and compilation on the Pandora itself?

 

[gadgetoid]

I think it would be nicer to have the pandora a little more closed, i.e. more of front view like on the old homepage.

Possibly fractionally more closed would be good, but we're trying to make sure the controls are all visible and shown in all their glory.


Edit: Might be nice to have some buttons/tabs that switch between a number of embedded videos showing off various things. Or just a link to a more in-depth video gallery.


Getting a good feed of Pandora software in action is tricky, though. I'd likely have tried if I had a video-out cable, but I don't think the quality is good enough?

 

[craigix]

I might make the final edit of the video go on for as long as I can, 10 minutes or so, I find it quite mesmerising to watch it.


The reason you don't see much desktop stuff is because a) it's elsewhere on the website and b ) I don't think it will sell many units, it's hinted at in the video, but I think in this age of smart phones people just expect/assume it can do those things anyway.


We really need to push the 'iPod for games with real controls' aspect if we want new sales.

 

[Linux-SWAT]

I don't think it will sell many units

You're wrong.

 

[elwing]

I might make the final edit of the video go on for as long as I can, 10 minutes or so, I find it quite mesmerising to watch it.


The reason you don't see much desktop stuff is because a) it's elsewhere on the website and B) I don't think it will sell many units, it's hinted at in the video, but I think in this age of smart phones people just expect/assume it can do those things anyway.


We really need to push the 'iPod for games with real controls' aspect if we want new sales.

sorry, but while it's the most important, if you focus only on that, you'll never convince people to pay that much...

 

[ShleeDragon]

The first four seconds seem to be the wrong footage


Consider opening with the boot splash, loading into the full desktop os (quickly)... jump into the games. show off the mini menu a few minutes in..


Show off some homebrew too!!


* Firefox full web brower <- really really early in the video!


* PND manager


* ScummVM (ResidualVM too).


* Kami Retro <- advertise paid homebrew


* SuperGeometryDust

 

[bismuthdrummer]

You can show less desktop than the games, sure, but I think some shots of chatting on Pidgin, browsing on Firefox, playing videos (yes this may be expected but it's worse to omit any videos playing at all, people will wonder if it can), accessing a remote terminal with PuTTY or the like, will draw precisely the crowd that will enjoy this device. Show Openbox and Minimenu. Show Slackware and Arch. Show apps and software not normally seen on handhelds, this is easy with the Open Pandora!!


Selling purely on retro-gaming misses half the crowd... and the sound quality is a bonus, not a selling point. Certainly not at the pricepoint we're asking.

 

[mono]

you should also show some non-games

nearly everyone who asked what kind of "nintendo DS" I got (around 20 people) was positively shocked that there is a full desktop and that I can control it by game controls. In my impression, that is what makes the pandora unique. I admit that I mostly use the pandora as desktop/mail/browsing/music/watching TV/circuit-viewer for soldering and so on. gaming just a few times a week.


As its the perfect device for me, it would be nice to see a second video in addition with that contend for non-gamer in an equally highlighted way.


hum, adding a choice what video I would like to see would disturb the puristic design : (

 

[craigix]

I don't think it will sell many units

You're wrong.

It's people like you who have fucked up Eds sales by telling him that.


Why don't you just let me do what I've been doing successfully for 15 years?


90% of people buy the Pandora to use it like an iPod for games with a small amount of desktop use and love the real controls, I know this because I've sold thousands. The people using it only for dev/desktop are a tiny but vocal minority. They are vocal and seem like a bigger group because this forum has a high number of developers, but if you want to know what people are really looking for just check the view counts on things like the PSX threads / emulator videos.


People who want a small desktop alternative will buy something else, like a small laptop as it's a superior product for them. It's just not a viable market to chase.


However there is *nothing* like the Pandora in existence for games. That's why that angle is FAR more valuable.


I do want a slight price restructure which I'm hoping I can have completed today.

 

[_wb_]

The Pandora is very good for playing (retro) games, so it's nice to have that in the video. There are other handheld devices that can do that too though. I would certainly add more stuff that really makes the Pandora unique, and actually uses features that other devices don't have, like:


- Keyboard: edit documents on the go etc.


- GNU/Linux OS: easy to code, compile and run your own homebrew software on the device itself!


- Wifi + keyboard -> ssh or mosh for remote access, IRC, email, etc.


- Portable photo/movie viewer and organizer (thanks to dual SD slot and two USB ports so you can easily access stuff from any digital camera or external hard disk and organize it into folders etc)


- Precise touch screen: MyPaint, GIMP etc.


- High-quality music player with excellent battery life (ok, it's the size of a Walkman, but still, there are not that many music players that can store that much music and don't annoy you with iTunes DRM etc)


- ...

 

[rohezal]

Please stop the flamewar. It does not help. Maybe do a second video / site which looks like the first one but with desktop stuff.

 

[_wb_]

I don't think it will sell many units

You're wrong.

It's people like you who have fucked up Eds sales by telling him that.


Why don't you just let me do what I've been doing for 15 years?


Let's see how the sales go now I'm promoting them.

The problem with attracting people only with the games, is that a significant fraction of the buyers will be people who will not use 50% of the features of the Pandora and who are not interested in learning anything about GNU/Linux or tinkering with software in general. There are other devices better suited for these people. You may be able to sell well, but you will get more unhappy customers, which means more returns, more bad reviews, and more problems in the long run. If such people start flooding the forum, we will not be able to help all of them out, unless you're planning on hiring people to give software support to your customers.


It's not just about getting more sales. It's about selling it to people who will appreciate it, so you get happy customers who write good reviews, who will contribute to the community, and who will basically do the software support for you, for free.


Car analogy: you're selling a station wagon by making it look like a flashy sports car. Sure, you may get more sales that way, but you'll get customers who don't need a large trunk and a large back seat to fit many passengers, and they will complain when driving the car turns out not to be as fun as it seemed and the top speed is a bit disappointing.

 

[ShleeDragon]

If you want to make a 10 minute video...... you're not exactly pressed for time. you can fit this all in.


* boot to desktop (5 seconds max)


* 2 minute (clusterfuck jumpshot of a bunch of random stuff) to hook people


* Quick yet serious desktop - Firefox, shell, video playback.


* Long series of retro - PSX/MAME/Genesis/SNES/ScummVM/amega/c64/ZX/atari


* Quick homebrew & minimenu preview


* More long series of retro - GBA/mastersystem/DS/blah blah blah


* some more desktop and more homebrew


* even more retro.


You are obviously decent at making videos.... plus it's EDs day job. Figure it out!

 

[PokeParadox]

I don't think it will sell many units

You're wrong.

It's people like you who have fucked up Eds sales by telling him that.


Why don't you just let me do what I've been doing successfully for 15 years?


90% of people buy the Pandora to use it like an iPod for games with a small amount of desktop use and love the real controls, I know this because I've sold thousands. The people using it only for dev/desktop are a tiny but vocal minority. They are vocal and seem like a bigger group because this forum has a high number of developers, but if you want to know what people are really looking for just check the view counts on things like the PSX threads / emulator videos.


People who want a small desktop alternative will buy something else, like a small laptop as it's a superior product for them. It's just not a viable market to chase.


However there is *nothing* like the Pandora in existence for games. That's why that angle is FAR more valuable.


I do want a slight price restructure which I'm hoping I can have completed today.

Craig, I also believe showing off some non-game stuff would be benneficial. I don't agree with a post just saying "You're wrong" is helpful, but you should definitely show a little of things like web-browsing and messaging - maybe a second video would work or several videos and randomly play one of them on page load.

 

[bismuthdrummer]

People who want a small desktop alternative will buy something else, like a small laptop as it's a superior product for them. It's just not a viable market to chase.

This is a fair argument, but, please really consider showing a little more productivity (like 1 cornerstone app for every 5 games, say), it's not going to scare away the gamer base.


EDIT: It does look great so far.

 

[ShleeDragon]

"no jailbreak bullshit" niceeee


You know people will continue to watch it once you've got them hooked in the first 20 seconds.


The video with sliding text works well too... for that two minutes of jumpcut hook at the beginning


The Pandora.


The ultimate gaming and emulation mini computer.


---


Genuine 10 hour


Battery life


----


4 Years of


Development


----


Full keyboard


& gaming controls


(yes really. No faking)


-----


Play all of your Favorite


retro games


----


Full Linux desktop


No limitations!


----


use


Android


with real controls


----


There is nothing on earth like it.

 

[Linux-SWAT]

It's people like you who have fucked up Eds sales by telling him that.

Yeah, i have total control over him.


It's me who forced him to push the 1GHz before having depleted the 3530 chips.

Why don't you just let me do what I've been doing successfully for 15 years?

You mean fucking up like no one ?

 

[MarioPandio]

Nice video so far Craigix!


I think you should perhaps splice in elements from ED's 'Quick Overview' video

https://www.youtube.com/embed/hHPxE9om3Hc?feature=oembed (Android (CM7) shows speed and actual controls in use.)

I realise some of ED's videos are handheld and shaky and obviously you do just quick cuts from them and dub over the sound but showing the actual controls in use for Android, is surely better than just alluding to it with GTA and Max Payne, plus all these vids of ED's are just there for the splicing, already nicely filmed!


New website is looking great. Many thanks to all involved for the hard work


You should have a page that links to all of ED's videos, starting with the full Overview one, Android and then all the newer Emulation videos and productivity ones aswell, as the new site seems to lack any further video content for now.

 

[EvilDragon]

Well, 90% of the reactions on the GamesCom were:


'Oh, that's nice. But the price is way too high. My cheaper smartphone can do the same', and once we showed them the full desktop and running Linux and behaving like a MiniPC, most of them said 'Oh, it's not just for playing games, it's a complete PC... that's neat.'... and after showing them that AbiWord, FireFox, etc., most of them found that the price is fine.


I also doubt only the emlators will sell a lot of Pandoras, that's why I want to remake the old page into a portal showing and linking desktop stuff as well as Slackware, etc.


It will give indepth information for the Linux fans.


I don't need Linux-SWAT to tell me that desktop stuff is also needed. It IS what makes the difference between a cheap gaming device and a full Mini PC.


Just see the reactions we had during the last months when a newssite posted about the Pandora, only mentioning the gaming part of It... 'too expensive' were most of the comments.


With that huge Eurogamer feature, my sales didn't increase.


But we'll see. We'll see if Craig can increase the sales, I'll keep working promoting the Linux side of it and will also be at the FOSDEM again

 

[jhw]

I'll have to agree on the desktop views given already. Considering the alternatives, only going for emulation/games the price is definitely way too high. But taking all the other features into account, which come with desktop usage, to me the Pandora is some type of allround device. And that's what's making it so special.