No time for a break after GamesCom

[Silent-Hunter]

I like the XBOX 360's controller best. I've never had issues with PS controllers, so I doubt it's a lack of nutrients or I'd have had it worse with those.

 

[Grench]

The 1280x720 screen in the Galaxy Note II is rather impressive as well. Super AMOLED S Stripe.

Yes, but it's a bit too large IIRC.

5.5" isn't that big of a stretch.  Unobtanium though I'll bet.

 

[khalismur]

The design looks reasonable ... I also like that the lower buttons go around the edge. Not sure if one will still press both buttons when trying to hit the upper ones, but it looks a lot more like what I would have expected.

Could turn out to be a vulnerable spot though, looks like the entire corners are basically a hole now, filled with the buttons. Still worth a try though.

It looks better from the outside. And It does not need to go that far around the lower edge, I just used the Pandora trigger as base but to get more stability, the Pyra lower trigger may be a little bit smaller there, whatever works better without weakening the case. Same for the distance in between the triggers, may be larger than here to have more case material in between and separate them more:

Hey Fusion_Power, nice designs.

 

[fusion_power]

Goldeneye supported movement with yellowbuttons and free-look with joystick. You can actually run faster this way if you strafe slightly to the side by holding 2 directions on the yellowbuttons.

Goldeneye also supported the usage of 2 N64 controllers for one Player! One for each hand to use both analog sticks. I knew one guy who really could play good with that setting.

I like the dreamcast controller a lot too, great for people with big hands. Got a hori mini n64 controller on the way in the mail

Yupp, I have big hands and I found the Dreamcast controller pretty comfortable. It's funny how bulky the DC controller looks at first sight but the desin works much better than it actualy looks.

Hey Fusion_Power, nice designs.

Thanks! ^^

 

[rygD]

Goldeneye supported movement with yellowbuttons and free-look with joystick. You can actually run faster this way if you strafe slightly to the side by holding 2 directions on the yellowbuttons.

Goldeneye also supported the usage of 2 N64 controllers for one Player!  One for each hand to use both analog sticks. I knew one guy who really could play good with that setting.

This is one of my preferred methods of playing Perfect Dark.

I like the dreamcast controller a lot too, great for people with big hands. Got a hori mini n64 controller on the way in the mail

Yupp, I have big hands and I found the Dreamcast controller pretty comfortable. It's funny how bulky the DC controller looks at first sight but the desin works much better than it actualy looks.

I was surprised by this.  I would say my hands are average, or maybe slightly thin, and I feel the size and layout of the DC controller are pretty good.  I wish they had put the cable somewhere else, though.

 

[TeDaDeS]

I was surprised by this.  I would say my hands are average, or maybe slightly thin, and I feel the size and layout of the DC controller are pretty good.  I wish they had put the cable somewhere else, though.

I always like the dreamcast controller. It's a bit bulky and the cable pulled the controller down a bit, but that also compensated the VMU/rumble on the top (those pulled the controller down also).

Also very excited the Pyra will be doing dreamcast games.

 

[Kev2442]

The new 3DS shows its shoulders, I guess it could help...

 

[Null]

^ http://boards.openpandora.org/topic/16917-new-3dsxl-models-incoming/?p=353828

 

[TeDaDeS]

Seeing the back of the new 3DS: does the Pyra have an opening for a wrist strap? Those can be handy.
If I remember correctly it was 'Linux-SWAT' that showed me his Wii-wrist strap attached to his Pandora.
Cheap and easy solution to not have a broken Pyra if you accidentally drop it.

 

[levi]

IIRC it's been stated the Pyra will have a wrist strap loop. FWIW I've never used one on my Pandora, but I use one on my phone. Since it's mounted on the corner of my phone, I can use it to lever it the first couple of cm out of my pocket. Never actually used a wrist strap on anything but a camera actually, where naturally your eyesight and therefore awareness of any theives about is naturally curtailed slightly.


On the topic of the DC controller, my only complaint is that the finger grips are mounted pointing inwards towards the bottom, meaning you had to maintain a very loose grip on the thing or bend your wrists unnaturally. Eventually I found a decent Madcatz controller for it that went out instead of in at the bottom, and I found that much better to use.

 

[rygD]

 I always like the dreamcast controller.

It looked and felt big and awkward until I first used it a decade and a half ago.  Not sure why, since I loved using the N64 controller, and it actually is awkward at times.

It's a bit bulky and the cable pulled the controller down a bit, but that also compensated the VMU/rumble on the top

I think they could have had it come out where the cable clip is behind those slots.  Obviously they thought it through enough to make a spot for it, so why not just move where the cable comes out?

Also very excited the Pyra will be doing dreamcast games.

Yes, that will be awesome!

On the topic of the DC controller, my only complaint is that the finger grips are mounted pointing inwards towards the bottom, meaning you had to maintain a very loose grip on the thing or bend your wrists unnaturally.

I put my index fingers on the top edge, on those finger tip sized areas in front of the VMU slots (if I slide my fingertips back a little I can get the outer 2 phalanges up there next to the front VMU, which may be where it actually rests when I am playing).  I put the middle joint of my middle fingers on the trigger buttons, and the rest of my fingers go into that recess in the back.  That is comfortable for me.  I just tried grabbing it at the very bottom and I can see what you mean.  The way I hold it my palms don't go all the way to the bottom.

 

[Jan-Nik]

but some people swear they see it (as long as they aren't being tested on their claims).

I would love to be tested on my claims. I've owned a Galaxy S and am currently using the Galaxy S4. While it's very hard to notice with the S4 I can tell you that it was VERY visible with the S.

 

[Granitehead]

but some people swear they see it (as long as they aren't being tested on their claims).

 I would love to be tested on my claims. I've owned a Galaxy S and am currently using the Galaxy S4. While it's very hard to notice with the S4 I can tell you that it was VERY visible with the S.

I was just joking, wasn't supposed to exclude that possibility.
If you say it's very hard to notice on a current gen screen then I'm going to assume it's not that bad, that sounds about like the screen of my Nexus 4: I can see individual pixels when I try, but it's really pretty hard.

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

If the cpu can be swapped out with a new daughterboard, then I guess it just means that ed can provide a faster cpu as an upgrade in the future, without having to invest in a total redesign of the pyra itself.

 

[Granitehead]

If the cpu can be swapped out with a new daughterboard, then I guess it just means that ed can provide a faster cpu as an upgrade in the future, without having to invest in a total redesign of the pyra itself.

Some things which I can pretty much guarantee will be wanted in five years:*USB 3.0 only

*Those new faster SDs

*I'm not sure how future proof that HDMI connector is

*probably a higher resolution screen

At least the former three would require a new mainboard, I think the physical layer of the connection with the internal screen is standardized and I think it's a pretty new standard, so it could maybe be possible to use another screen without a mainboard redesign, but another screen would instead require a case redesign.

If, and only if, a /lot/ of thought was put in this, then a next generation SoC board could maybe be used with the old case and mainboard (with reduced capabilities regarding I/O, mainly), but there would sure as hell be quite a lot of demand for a new case and mainboard.

Unless of course something like the Pyra is not needed anymore at all in five years, but I doubt that.

So future daughter boards for the Pyra are only likely to be made without a major revision of the rest of the hardware within a couple of years from now, not more than 3 after release of the Pyra, I would expect. Later on the rest of the hardware will just be too old.

 

[DrHAX]

If the cpu can be swapped out with a new daughterboard, then I guess it just means that ed can provide a faster cpu as an upgrade in the future, without having to invest in a total redesign of the pyra itself.

Some things which I can pretty much guarantee will be wanted in five years:
*USB 3.0 only


*Those new faster SDs


*I'm not sure how future proof that HDMI connector is


*probably a higher resolution screen


At least the former three would require a new mainboard, I think the physical layer of the connection with the internal screen is standardized and I think it's a pretty new standard, so it could maybe be possible to use another screen without a mainboard redesign, but another screen would instead require a case redesign.


If, and only if, a /lot/ of thought was put in this, then a next generation SoC board could maybe be used with the old case and mainboard (with reduced capabilities regarding I/O, mainly), but there would sure as hell be quite a lot of demand for a new case and mainboard.


Unless of course something like the Pyra is not needed anymore at all in five years, but I doubt that.


So future daughter boards for the Pyra are only likely to be made without a major revision of the rest of the hardware within a couple of years from now, not more than 3 after release of the Pyra, I would expect. Later on the rest of the hardware will just be too old.

Then again the Pandora is showing its age now. And we eagerly await the Pyra, but for a "casual" Or rather mundane boring, plain, user like myself (I use my pandora for music and typing up stories! Finished my first novel on the pandora just recently! worked over 80 pages of the story on it!) Those elements don't mean as much to me. Its more of the software side of the coin. The pandora "lacks" in hardware and i've gotten into arguments over it with people who are "In the know" of "high tech" who say its pointless when they have a system like their quad core phones with android that is open source. I own two android tablets (gifts) and they're rather useless to me because of the software can't meet any of my needs. yes they have better hardware then the pandora but with the interface and such they're bloody awful for my needs. The only advantage they have is playing youtube, and even that is a slim one. Even if the hardware ages the software will pick up the slack and prove to be amazing.


Hell they just got Minecraft working on a pandora and it runs okay! Hell I can't get minecraft to run nicely on my gaming desktop so I'm impressed. I wouldn't worry about the hardware because our software is so isolated its wonderful, and the community can team together and kick ass on multiple things. Once the Pyra is out the sky is the limit.

 

[Askarus]

Once the Pyra is out the sky is the limit.

D'oh!

Was hoping to have some fun in space.

 

[Granitehead]

Then again the Pandora is showing its age now. And we eagerly await the Pyra, but for a "casual" Or rather mundane boring, plain, user like myself (I use my pandora for music and typing up stories! Finished my first novel on the pandora just recently! worked over 80 pages of the story on it!) Those elements don't mean as much to me. Its more of the software side of the coin. The pandora "lacks" in hardware and i've gotten into arguments over it with people who are "In the know" of "high tech" who say its pointless when they have a system like their quad core phones with android that is open source. I own two android tablets (gifts) and they're rather useless to me because of the software can't meet any of my needs. yes they have better hardware then the pandora but with the interface and such they're bloody awful for my needs. The only advantage they have is playing youtube, and even that is a slim one. Even if the hardware ages the software will pick up the slack and prove to be amazing.

Hell they just got Minecraft working on a pandora and it runs okay! Hell I can't get minecraft to run nicely on my gaming desktop so I'm impressed. I wouldn't worry about the hardware because our software is so isolated its wonderful, and the community can team together and kick ass on multiple things. Once the Pyra is out the sky is the limit.

Actually you misunderstood me or are at least not answering my post.
Sure you can still enjoy your old hardware in ten years. But it won't pay anymore to make a new SoC module for it, if most of the benefits of the new SoC are cut by the case and mainboard, i.e. you maybe get a computing power boost which you may or may not need, but you don't get the better i/o capabilities of the new SoC. The only way something like this is going to happen is if that SoC is forward compatible to some new mainboard/case which does route it's new i/o capabilities to the outside, or whatever else you might want in 5 years. But I'm just repeating myself.

 

[_wb_]

In my opinion, the modular CPU thing will most likely not have much of an impact at all for end-users -- although I would of course love it if it would become an unexpected trend that SoC vendors would start making their future devboards also available in the form of a Pyra CPU module.

Most likely, it just means that ED can design the successor to the Pyra in a cheaper/faster/easier way, by doing it in two steps. First a Pyra with an upgraded cpu board (which can be sold already), then a mainboard that fully utilizes the new possibilities of the new SoC (faster USB, faster SD, maybe one or two cameras, etc).

 

[_jr_]

3. The software


notaz got the 3D driver to work together with fbturbo (which is a real fast, NEON-accelerated (read below) framebuffer driver for X).


The official TI driver uses DRM - which is okay for normal desktop usage, but with that, we can't use the framebuffer directly (which is where Pandoras SDL version gets the speed increase from).


So we definitely want to get an X driver working that offers framebuffer usage - and that's why we chose to use fbturbo.


As mentioned, the 3D driver is working already, but is still hardcoded to ask for DRM. This is something we'll try to fix, otherwise, all 3D games would need a patch.


Another (small) downside is that the 3D driver only works in fulsscreen mode.


No big thing, as even apps like Blender can also run in fullscreen mode and games are usually played in fullscreen mode anyways.


Still, we'll try to fix that as well.


If you really desperately need 3D with windows, you could theoretically switch to TIs DRM driver, as it works there.

Isn't that a non trivial divergence from mainline/TI supported kernel/driver infrastructure? Having only fullscreen 3d is not a 'small' downside (all sorts of desktop applications from office to multimedia are already using/starting to use 3D) and requiring all 3D using software to be adapted or even recompiled for Pyra would be a major downside.


How much slower is a more standard setup? And why? Having the kernel DRM infrastructure named as a performance problem sounds rather funny.


If there is no other option, it can't be helped, but then we better start a donation fund right now to hire notaz for a couple of years.