Openpandora Blog Update

[Etinin]

Pfft, all normal keyboards nowadays work with rubber membranes.
Mechanical keyboards are arguably better but much more expensive (and bigger). It wouldn't be really feasible to make the Pandora's keyboard a mini-Model M.

 

[CronoTriggerfan]

From what I understand the buttons will be plastic and go on top of a thin rubber membrane. I don't think the actual keys are rubber. It may not be clicky, but they should be hard.

Yeah, I know that. :lol: I meant squishy as in their lack of tactile feedback, not the feeling of the buttons themselves. Sorry if that caused any confusion.

 

[ish420]

ckickity clack? That sh!t sounds wack. How you like that?
I like that the buttons will have that "controller" feel. I don't like clicks or clacks. I'm already thinking as to how I'm going to replace the plastic buttons with clear ones and add inner LEDs to make a back lit keypad.
I like the buttons on the PSP(clear with a black plastic lining with printed function on the back of the button itself) This way the letters will never rub off. I don't know if that came out right. But if you have a PSP, you'll know what I mean.

 

[jakewastaken]

ckickity clack? That sh!t sounds wack. How you like that?
I like that the buttons will have that "controller" feel. I don't like clicks or clacks. I'm already thinking as to how I'm going to replace the plastic buttons with clear ones and add inner LEDs to make a back lit keypad.
I like the buttons on the PSP(clear with a black plastic lining with printed function on the back of the button itself) This way the letters will never rub off. I don't know if that came out right. But if you have a PSP, you'll know what I mean.

I plan on skipping all that hassle and just using the screen to see the keyboard. You only really need to look for odd functions, the rest of the layout will become second nature, like texting. Or, at least that's been my experience.

 

[lobski]

The problem with the rubber membrane is that, you won't be able to type as fast, since it requires more force for a key hit to register than a tact.

 

[ish420]

ckickity clack? That sh!t sounds wack. How you like that?
I like that the buttons will have that "controller" feel. I don't like clicks or clacks. I'm already thinking as to how I'm going to replace the plastic buttons with clear ones and add inner LEDs to make a back lit keypad.
I like the buttons on the PSP(clear with a black plastic lining with printed function on the back of the button itself) This way the letters will never rub off. I don't know if that came out right. But if you have a PSP, you'll know what I mean.

I plan on skipping all that hassle and just using the screen to see the keyboard. You only really need to look for odd functions, the rest of the layout will become second nature, like texting. Or, at least that's been my experience.

I was just thinking of a cool looking mod.

 

[WhereMyArm]

I think it's been awhile since most people here picked up a controller/keyboard... I don't have any problems with lack of feedback from the keyboard I'm using right now.

 

[mali]

After all it is a thumb keyboard. They have chosen the right and one and only sensible solution.

 

[yosh64]

hey

Well all the keyboards of mine I've ever seen the inside of have all had a rubber thingy for each key, it's a pain when they all fall out and you have to put them back for every key, hehe. Basically all that is inside a keyboard is a little thin plastic circuit or whatever, with rubber pads/buttons for each key, at least this is so for all the keyboards I've seen, hehe.

edit: I was just thinking that maybe you can compare the rubber thingy of the pandora keyboard to that of a decent calculator, I think they have the same sorta thing, that is a single rubber thingy, and I think it works fine. Hmm, at least when the calculator has hard plastic sorta buttons that is, otherwise I dunno.

Also, when they mention the other GUI I think they refer to that Scale GUI or whatever, which looks quite impressive, I really like gmenu also .

cyas

 

[Pleng]

The problem with the rubber membrane is that, you won't be able to type as fast, since it requires more force for a key hit to register than a tact.

That might be a problem on a bigger keyboard but, honestly, size will be the limiting factor to speed of typing on the Pandora.

 

[Esn]

I'm interested in seeing the final layout for the keyboard.

I hope that it is either the cosurgi or Kagato layout (or something close) rather than the original one.

 

[joa]

Is that rendered image, or an actual photo?

 

[Joshwaan2k]

I'm so pumped for the Pandora, I have not been this excited since the N64 days .

So pleased I've preordered what could be the best open source handheld ever.

Jacquelyn from the Openpandora sales has been very helpful with my order, just replyed to my order that I placed and bam! email straight back.

I can see the handheld selling at least 50,000 by end of next year.

Also thanks for the update Evil

 

[ignatz]

The bright red mk01 boards now on the blog page are yummy.

 

[Kyo]

It's red! It's beautiful!

I can't really say anything else, I gotta get back to looking at it

 

[gruso]

I remember someone saying "it's the wrong colour!" when we saw the first PCBs. I wondered if they'd go with red. Nice indeed.

 

[Vorporeal]

Pretty and red

I can see a few differences...

 

[TaG]

There's some fairly big differences; around the nubs on the top, the area around the wifi module and expansion connector and what looks like a 'new' external connector in that area. Extra holes, changes around the JTAG, EXT/MIC/TV all changed.

I'm no expert so can't say what the changes are about (hopefully somebody else will) but I am surprised at just how different they are.

 

[mcobit]

I think the green board looks much better, but I think i won't see it so often so it's ok.
Maybe I just like dark green (it's my favorite color) :lol:

 

[gaterooze]

Rev1.1