Our New Machine, Pandora

[P-J]

Couldn't the GP3X come with a cross D-Pad (Ninty style) hole and then sell the actually pad seperately? Might stop the patent warriors

 

[cappuchok]

Just regarding the appearance/casing et al, what about a transparent shiny black as an outer layer - and here's the interesting part - a second layer with some kind of swiley designs on it. Result should look very cool indeed, and the designs would be protected from the elements nicely, so you could use tyhings that would otherwise not last on an outer casing?

I don't have any examples, but dream with me people!

The recent HP Pavilion entertainment laptops use this sort of body design. It looks really cool while still remaining simple and elegant. I'm sure it's a real fingerprint magnet, though...

 

[Firefox]

Couldn't the GP3X come with a cross D-Pad (Ninty style) hole and then sell the actually pad seperately? Might stop the patent warriors

I'm sure the D-pad patent expired two years ago...

 

[fusion_power]

If the new handheld WERE to have 4 shoulders, I would definitely want it to be Eolair's idea. That style gives you a lot of buttons. Not only do you have L1, L2, R1, and R2 with that, but in essence, you have a L3 and R3 by pressing both down at the same time. I could see some interesting control schemes coming out of that. But at the moment, I will assume that there will only be 2, in accordance with what Craig said, I just hope that there are 6 buttons (that's including start and select) that you can get to easily on the right.

this dual Shoulder design shouldnt be able to push booth at the same time. In the head of the fight you need clear, precise controlls, so the Design of one double button should be like an lever, only one side can be pressed down.
Well, but we know, the new device will only have 2 Shoulder Buttons, so its useless to debate about. :lol:

Well that's ok then and I'd prefer no slide out too but I'm not trying to force my will here. See what happens. Is there a slide out on Eolairs design?

Some older drawings:

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/7346/spyfotagekq0.jpg
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/8985/swivelyf5.gif

The first one is a slide out but apparently there's some patent issues there. So the second drawing I made used a swivel design instead.


Hey, could you try an Carbon styled case? These typical carbon fiber optic well known from the car industry?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_fiber_reinforced_plastic

I'm sure this would be a very unique design then. (real device just look like carbon, not real carbon fiber of course :lol: )

 

[zaffercharles]

Well, but we know, the new device will only have 2 Shoulder Buttons, so its useless to debate about. :lol:

the processor was changed by debate so it's not useless to talk on it. Either way you feel.

 

[Yrx]

Well, but we know, the new device will only have 2 Shoulder Buttons, so its useless to debate about. :lol:

the processor was changed by debate so it's not useless to talk on it. Either way you feel.

Wasn't that just because craigix wasn't aware of the OMAP? If he's set his mind on 2 shoulder buttons, I honestly can't see anything short of virtually all of us begging him to reconsider. And that's not the case.

But yeah, I just use a Saturn controller for all my emulating. Honestly, the extra face buttons are just easier. I only ever like using shoulders for camera, and that only applies to 3D anyways. (Of course, there are a few exceptions, AKA Mario 64.)

And with that, I'm off to Indiana withe teh Marching Illini. Be back tomorrow night.

 

[fusion_power]

Well, but we know, the new device will only have 2 Shoulder Buttons, so its useless to debate about. :lol:

the processor was changed by debate so it's not useless to talk on it. Either way you feel.

I'm pretty sure that the case Desin of the device is pretty much more advanced than the choose of the chipset was, so I think an change there is very unlikeley. Otherwise, Craigix and Co. had posted some graphical design options where we all could debate about. So I think, everything here is just wishful thinking and I never expect, that an Design idea of us had an influence of the original design.

If everything of the new handheld will be changed by debate, This thing will never be released. Opinions are like As****...and so on. ^^

 

[X-Code]

:lol:

Craig, do you think that you could show us some of the original design sketches ( if there are any )... Please

 

[cappuchok]

Wasn't that just because craigix wasn't aware of the OMAP? If he's set his mind on 2 shoulder buttons, I honestly can't see anything short of virtually all of us begging him to reconsider. And that's not the case.

In the case of the processor choice, Craigix was aware of the OMAP (he or some of the other developers mentioned it in the old thread) but it was written off on account of TI's rather steep minimum order requirements coupled with the fact that TI has no resellers so the order would have to be placed with TI and thus would be subject to those requirements. Because of that, I believe the actual per-unit price was never investigated. All that changed when a TI employee joined the forums and could provide Craigix with better terms and a quoted per-unit price, I guess.


On the subject of OMAP3430 - can it boot directly from SD media (without anything else) to eliminate the need for JTAG? Some chips can boot from SD media via a bootloader which still leaves the device vulnerable to bricking if the bootloader is corrupted. I hope OMAP3 is one of those, it would pretty much make the device impossible to brick because of a failed firmware up/downgrade.

And as for interface choices - no built-into-firmware boot sound (but the possibility to add a wav/mp3 file of choice would be nice as long as it doesn't require a firmware "upgrade"), and a fully skinnable interface (no yucky green boot screens please!) would make my day.

 

[fusion_power]

:lol:

Craig, do you think that you could show us some of the original design sketches ( if there are any )... Please

I hope so to.

Well, better Idea, why not building our own Case? We just need an Rapid Prototyping unit, lets choose the new 4995$ 3D Printer:
http://www.desktopfactory.com/ <-not that expensive I think.

Or even cheaper, why not building our own 3D Printer?
http://fabathome.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

Damn, I love it to live in the 21. Century. :lol:

 

[X-Code]

Oh wow!, I want one of those. That's actually very cheap

 

[zaffercharles]

OK, OK! if the design is already that far ahead then so be it. I'd have thought that more of you could see my point of view that's all. It seems like putting a supra 3.0 turbo engine in the back of a mk1 Renault 5 Le Car to me.

well sort of. :unsure: Anyway

I want one of those printers!

And cappuchok :
And as for interface choices - no built-into-firmware boot sound (but the possibility to add a wav/mp3 file of choice would be nice as long as it doesn't require a firmware "upgrade"), and a fully skinnable interface (no yucky green boot screens please!) would make my day.

Same here B)

 

[Ravnos]

It seems like putting a supra 3.0 turbo engine in the back of a mk1 Renault 5 Le Car to me.

That is exactly the kind of insanity I can get behind.

 

[Orkie]

Some chips can boot from SD media via a bootloader which still leaves the device vulnerable to bricking if the bootloader is corrupted.

Umm... no. Write protect the bootloader chip and it is unbrickable - could be done on the GP2X too I guess.

 

[zaffercharles]

It seems like putting a supra 3.0 turbo engine in the back of a mk1 Renault 5 Le Car to me.

That is exactly the kind of insanity I can get behind.


I had second thoughts after I wrote it too :lol:

 

[atomicthumbs]

Some chips can boot from SD media via a bootloader which still leaves the device vulnerable to bricking if the bootloader is corrupted.

Umm... no. Write protect the bootloader chip and it is unbrickable - could be done on the GP2X too I guess.


Ah, but then if somebody invents a new bootloader that can show animations while booting, or boot from the internet, or fire lasers or something, then we won't be able to upgrade it!

 

[cappuchok]

Some chips can boot from SD media via a bootloader which still leaves the device vulnerable to bricking if the bootloader is corrupted.

Umm... no. Write protect the bootloader chip and it is unbrickable - could be done on the GP2X too I guess.

... OK, fair enough, but how would we be able to upgrade/replace the bootloader if need be?

 

[Exophase]

Some chips can boot from SD media via a bootloader which still leaves the device vulnerable to bricking if the bootloader is corrupted.

Umm... no. Write protect the bootloader chip and it is unbrickable - could be done on the GP2X too I guess.


Ah, but then if somebody invents a new bootloader that can show animations while booting, or boot from the internet, or fire lasers or something, then we won't be able to upgrade it!


Why would you want a new bootloader? The whole point is that a bootloader does only one thing, boots the real boot code. Then you can do whatever you want from there.

It's not as if you can make a chip that just knows how to boot something, you have to have SOME kind of method of doing this, and I can't think of anything better than having a bootloader ROM that's executed, unless you want to hardwire that kind of relatively complex operation into the circuitry. Anyway it all depends on what the SoC allows.

 

[Squidge]

I know we'll be putting a bootloader in there that'll support booting from nand or sd card. It'll be small and fast. It will not load Linux or do anything funky, so there will no reason to update it (thus no bricks). If you want to play funky music, graphics or whatever whilst Linux loads, then that can be done in a secondary, replacable bootloader. Primary bootloader should take about 100ms (maybe less) to execute without an SD card inserted, slightly more with one inserted (as it'll then have to read the root dir of the sd).

At least, that was the plan a while ago. Things may change with the OMAP.

 

[Gravious]

Sorry, i may have missed it, but is the OMAP a lock now? What version?