Nokia N900

[goonaman]

For people wondering about the Pandora being out of date or similar hardware coming out have a look at what Nokia are releasing with the n900 :
www.engadget.com/2009/08/27/nokia-n900-running-maemo-5-officially-500-in-october/#continued

It's the only real competitor but it's going to be much more expensive (500 euros)
There's also a new Sharp Zaurus with OMAP running Ubuntu

Can't really complain when an open-source handheld from a small team is released about the same time as global companies come out with similar hardware so it kind of shows that they've done a great job in making the Pandora

 

[Enverex]

This has already been posted...

Anyway, this is good for us. Why? Because it's the same platform. Software for these other OMAP machines will easily port (assuming open source) to the Pandora, assuming it requires any porting at all and doesn't "just work".

 

[Verb]

For people wondering about the Pandora being out of date or similar hardware coming out have a look at what Nokia are releasing with the n900 :
www.engadget.com/2009/08/27/nokia-n900-running-maemo-5-officially-500-in-october/#continued

It's the only real competitor but it's going to be much more expensive (500 euros)
There's also a new Sharp Zaurus with OMAP running Ubuntu

Can't really complain when an open-source handheld from a small team is released about the same time as global companies come out with similar hardware so it kind of shows that they've done a great job in making the Pandora

I don't see the N900 as competitor really. Despite Nokia pretending it's an "internet tablet" it's really a smartphone. I lacks the hardware gaming buttons that the Pandora has and is significantly smaller. I am working on how to justify owning both

 

[bzar]

I am working on how to justify owning both

Same here

 

[DRED]

I think it looks like a great product, I know some of you are justifying the pandora based on the gaming controls, well all there needs to be is something like this released for the ipod, gaming controls.

http://toucharcade.com/2008/08/25/iphone-gaming-control-pads-in-the-works/

I think it sucks having to hold both a pandora and then a cell phone, something like this will do both, have a camera (looked decent with that carl zeis lens), and with optional gaming control pad attachment your good to go. No need to carry around a cell phone, a pandora, and a digital camera. Lets also face it, the nice OLED screen. There should have been an option to get an OLED screen for the pandora, they do made the exact same size OLED screen as the pandora LCD, just take a look at the OQO computer. I would have easily pad $100 or more for the upgrade, and I'm sure most of us here would have.

 

[piercer]

"I think it sucks having to hold both a pandora and then a cell phone"

Well, as the Pandora is and always will be vapourware you won't ever have that problem.

 

[gruso]

I think it looks like a great product, I know some of you are justifying the pandora based on the gaming controls, well all there needs to be is something like this released for the ipod, gaming controls.

http://toucharcade.c...s-in-the-works/

Craigix is also one of the devs behind the iControlpad. Whether an iPhone + iControlpad is a substitute for a Pandora is a matter of opinion I guess, but I think most people would say nah.

Re: OLED, that's not really viable. As explained in your thread from a couple of weeks back. Even if they could get some at the right size and resolution, and people wanted to pay for it, MWeston would probably have to change the hardware design to make it work: http://www.gp32x.de...post__p__710176

 

[Verb]

... there needs to be is something like this released for the ipod, gaming controls.

http://toucharcade.com/2008/08/25/iphone-gaming-control-pads-in-the-works/

I think it sucks having to hold both a pandora and then a cell phone, something like this will do both, have a camera (looked decent with that carl zeis lens), and with optional gaming control pad attachment your good to go. No need to carry around a cell phone, a pandora, and a digital camera. Lets also face it, the nice OLED screen. There should have been an option to get an OLED screen for the pandora, they do made the exact same size OLED screen as the pandora LCD, just take a look at the OQO computer. I would have easily pad $100 or more for the upgrade, and I'm sure most of us here would have.

I'm not sure these sorts of game controls help. When attached, they make the phone too large to carry and unattached they are as large as carrying a separate device. Besides the iPhone lacks the physical keyboard of the N900. With a three row physical keyboard it would be a cinch to map the keys to play any game that does not require an analog stick.

Hmmmm...what should one do?

 

[Hotcooler]

Actually that thing looks really sweet. OS looks really great and I'd pretty much like to have a phone built in (spoiled by Iphone..) and um.. Pandora... I dunno.. I dunno if I will play on it.. I really dunno.. Probably I will. But god I like how that OS looks... So for now my plan is wait for N900 review, Get my pandora, play with it, If I will game on it that all os ok. If not, and battery life of N900 is good - sell panda go for n900 =)

Anyway. I'm impressed with nokia.

On the other thought... is quite pricey..

 

[Exophase]

I think it looks like a great product, I know some of you are justifying the pandora based on the gaming controls, well all there needs to be is something like this released for the ipod, gaming controls.

http://toucharcade.c...s-in-the-works/

I think it sucks having to hold both a pandora and then a cell phone, something like this will do both, have a camera (looked decent with that carl zeis lens), and with optional gaming control pad attachment your good to go. No need to carry around a cell phone, a pandora, and a digital camera. Lets also face it, the nice OLED screen. There should have been an option to get an OLED screen for the pandora, they do made the exact same size OLED screen as the pandora LCD, just take a look at the OQO computer. I would have easily pad $100 or more for the upgrade, and I'm sure most of us here would have.

Multiple iPhone gaming add-ons have been announced, so far zero have been released. The market appeal for such a thing on iPhone is huge, while on the N900 it'd be practically nonexistent. So don't get your hopes up about anyone ever making one. Plus, that'd probably give it at least the same width/height as the Pandora, if not more.

Personally, I think there's a large number of people who don't want a phone combined with everything. Because they're not constantly using a phone. having to carry one around isn't a big deal when most phones are very small. On the flipside, smartphones end up being smaller than devices like Pandora for this reason, and compromise both screen space and controls because of it. Nokia has always made phones and the N770/N800/N810 were supposed to be for people who don't want a phone with everything. Now they've trashed that concept and the result is that you have to pay twice as much for an N900 than you could have, just to get a phone you won't want.

 

[goonaman]

I definitely want pandora and the n900. I have the nokia n810 which was great but just not quite powerful enough. Also not having mobile 3G access meant it just never really got carried around and used. This is probably the most 'open' smartphone in a way with linux because you can get lots of good free software for it and you're not stuck with the clunkyness of windows mobile/series 60, the closed limited structure of the iphone or nothing really showing up yet for the palm pre. The Pandora is pretty impressive for a 'homebrew' product when you compare it against the other OMAP devices coming out

 

[darkblu]

Personally, I think there's a large number of people who don't want a phone combined with everything. Because they're not constantly using a phone. having to carry one around isn't a big deal when most phones are very small. On the flipside, smartphones end up being smaller than devices like Pandora for this reason, and compromise both screen space and controls because of it. Nokia has always made phones and the N770/N800/N810 were supposed to be for people who don't want a phone with everything. Now they've trashed that concept and the result is that you have to pay twice as much for an N900 than you could have, just to get a phone you won't want.

the above are pretty much my sentiments about n900. i don't need g3 built-in connectivity in every single gadget i have. i already have a phone, nokia & co, and you won't sell me yet another one, even if that was bundled with a cherry pie.

 

[Exophase]

I wonder where all the USB or SDIO dongles to turn something into a 3G phone are. This would solve a lot of these issues, and I assume wouldn't cost the $300+ price premium you seem to be paying for these devices to be phones..

Would probably work best where the host device has bluetooth, for headsets. Of course most of these devices wouldn't work that well held up to your face, but I'm not sure all of these phones do either.

 

[douglasamcintosh]

When I saw this pop up on the Inter my first thought was 'A Pandora with a built in phone!' and the considered for almost a whole 15 seconds jacking in my Pandora order and getting one of these. Then calmed down and thought well it is just another two months till my Pandora comes to me

Looks nice though. Hopefully Vodafone UK will get it for a price that is not going to bankrupt me when my contract is due for renewal in October. It is either the N900 or an HTC Magic (or whatever Vodafone are calling it) especially as ScummVM now will run Discworld!

Anyway after some thought I saw it was not really a direct competitor for the Pandora, especially with the fairly high price.

 

[Verb]

the above are pretty much my sentiments about n900. i don't need g3 built-in connectivity in every single gadget i have. i already have a phone, nokia & co, and you won't sell me yet another one, even if that was bundled with a cherry pie.

I don't really understand the argument against convergence. We all want a credit card sized gadget that combines a laptop, mobile phone, current generation game console and iPod without any of the trade-offs. So far, nobody has figured out how to make a device smaller than it's effective screen size (except on a TV show called Time-Trax...) nor combines all these features, but this is goal. Otherwise we are stuck with too many single-purpose devices.

I only have two pockets in my pants that I don't routinely sit on. One pocket is assigned to my keys and the other to my mobile phone. If I am walking out the door I would have to make a choice between Pandora or my mobile phone. 100% of the time my mobile phone will win. That's one point for convergence (at least for the male population that does not routinely carry a man-bag).

Take another scenario: I am on a business trip...how many gadgets am I going to bring with me? Already by bringing a mobile phone, an Archos 605, an external extra battery for the Archos (horrible battery life), a work laptop and laptop accessories like a power cable and mouse the airport screeners make me dump out my whole bag half the time. Another point for convergence.

For me, this is not a discussion about Pandora 1. It's a done deal and I am not planning on cancelling my order. What about Pandora 2? How does one make a successor device relevant? While a PandoraPhone could be an interesting place to go for the Pandora2, an even more interesting place to go would be the MID/UMPC/SmartBook angle where you are packing too much screen, processing power and storage in for a mobile phone to match. While commercially unsuccessful, the OQO and the Samsung Q1 are well differentiated from smartphones.

 

[Exophase]

You can't put a phone with your keys? I have my keys and my phone in the same pocket every day.

You say everyone wants a do-everything device, but I don't, so enh... Especially not a credit card sized gaming handheld, no thanks.

The Pandora can of course replace the Archos. But if you're going on a trip I don't think these things are going to dominate space, especially when you're bringing a laptop..

Still, it seems to me that first party or third party can turn most devices into a phone with an add-on. So no one has to pay twice as much. Actually, I don't think a phone would be that popular if it didn't have subsidization to soak the high price, and I don't think a Pandora phone is going to get such a thing.

 

[darkblu]

I don't really understand the argument against convergence. We all want a credit card sized gadget that combines a laptop, mobile phone, current generation game console and iPod without any of the trade-offs. So far, nobody has figured out how to make a device smaller than it's effective screen size (except on a TV show called Time-Trax...) nor combines all these features, but this is goal. Otherwise we are stuck with too many single-purpose devices.

i'm not arguing against convergence per se, i'm arguing against companies bundling pieces of tech, the markets for which are driven by different trends/buyer preferences.

by adding a g3 module to their n900, nokia are effectively saying 'here's your new cell phone.' as why else would i be paying for the g3 module in the n900 if it doesn't supersede my cell? - i don't collect cell phones or, for that matter, sim cards. as it is, i'm totally happy with my phone. i've gone through extensive research to find this phone model that meets my requirements. i.e. i've picked it for certain 'phone' qualities (one of them being, surprise-surprise, bt PAN). i sincerely doubt the n900 would exhibit all those. for that matter, i wouldn't expect my handheld to be a superset of my phone. i carry different handhelds with me every day (often more than one), my cell phone, though, stays constant.

same with imacs or any other monitor-included desktops. i pick my monitors very carefully. and i use them for long - i usually upgrade my computers several times for the lifespan of a single monitor. so i won't buy a monitor-included desktop, no matter how well it meets my needs.

 

[Pleng]

i'm not arguing against convergence per se, i'm arguing against companies bundling pieces of tech, the markets for which are driven by different trends/buyer preferences.

...so you're saying that companies should instead bundle random pieces of tech with no proven established market, instead?...

 

[darkblu]

...so you're saying that companies should instead bundle random pieces of tech with no proven established market, instead?...

if that's what you read from my post. *shrug*

 

[WizardStan]

I wonder where all the USB or SDIO dongles to turn something into a 3G phone are. This would solve a lot of these issues, and I assume wouldn't cost the $300+ price premium you seem to be paying for these devices to be phones..

Would probably work best where the host device has bluetooth, for headsets. Of course most of these devices wouldn't work that well held up to your face, but I'm not sure all of these phones do either.

I posted links to a few in another thread. I'm too lazy to look them up again.
From what I've seen (assuming I've understood them correctly), they mostly function as GPRS modems (no doubt 3G will be along eventually), but can also be used to dial out. They don't actually transmit audio data on the USB, instead they have their own built in Bluetooth chip that pairs with a bluetooth headset. The host computer sends the dial command, but the USB gadget handles the audio directly.