Our New Machine, Pandora

[atomicthumbs]

KDE isn't slow. It works quickly on my older, 400MHZ PIII laptop with 64MB of RAM.

I'd think that GNOME would be slower on this, considering how slow it was on my laptop.

lord of page 50! woot.

 

[A_SN]

To me, the ideal menu would take most concepts from computer OS GUIs. You would have a desktop, with shortcuts to your favourite stuff on it, for quick access to what you like best, and folders and mounted folders, so you could browse the filesystem. Files would be recognized based on their extension, just like in any OS GUI, for instance a .jpg would be opened with the built-in image viewer, a program would be executed, etc. Also, when a program would crash, the menu would report it with a dialog box and the return value (instead of leaving you with nothing running like the default gp2x menu) and when a program would quit/crash, you would naturally find the menu as you left it, with windows opened as they were, etc, etc.

Well that sounds like a complete OS. Gmenu2X is only a menu shell or frontend that basically just launches apps with some script running abilities, it doesn't replace the OS at all. What you describe would be pretty awkward to use navigating with a d-pad/stick as well. Computers use mice for navigation, that makes a big difference. Gmenu is pretty fast to use just to launch apps on what we have now.


No that's not a bloody complete OS. Learn what an OS is. That's just the same fucking kind of thing as gmenu2x, except with a different approach, ergonomy wise. And it doesn't have to be any bad for dpad+buttons navigation, it can be made to be easily browsable with those, it doesn't *have* to be exactly like a regular PC GUI.

Here's what I'm trying to say in terms you people can understand :

-FS browsing FTW, hierarchy-deprived launcher FTL
-Action depending on file-type FTW
-A kind of desktop to be used as a quick access to favourite stuff FTW
-Basing yourself on well-tried and familiar 20+ year old concepts FTW, wildely experimenting with bad ergonomical concepts FTL

 

[atomicthumbs]

To me, the ideal menu would take most concepts from computer OS GUIs. You would have a desktop, with shortcuts to your favourite stuff on it, for quick access to what you like best, and folders and mounted folders, so you could browse the filesystem. Files would be recognized based on their extension, just like in any OS GUI, for instance a .jpg would be opened with the built-in image viewer, a program would be executed, etc. Also, when a program would crash, the menu would report it with a dialog box and the return value (instead of leaving you with nothing running like the default gp2x menu) and when a program would quit/crash, you would naturally find the menu as you left it, with windows opened as they were, etc, etc.

Well that sounds like a complete OS. Gmenu2X is only a menu shell or frontend that basically just launches apps with some script running abilities, it doesn't replace the OS at all. What you describe would be pretty awkward to use navigating with a d-pad/stick as well. Computers use mice for navigation, that makes a big difference. Gmenu is pretty fast to use just to launch apps on what we have now.


No that's not a bloody complete OS. Learn what an OS is. That's just the same fucking kind of thing as gmenu2x, except with a different approach, ergonomy wise. And it doesn't have to be any bad for dpad+buttons navigation, it can be made to be easily browsable with those, it doesn't *have* to be exactly like a regular PC GUI.

Here's what I'm trying to say in terms you people can understand :

-FS browsing FTW, hierarchy-deprived launcher FTL
-Action depending on file-type FTW
-A kind of desktop to be used as a quick access to favourite stuff FTW
-Basing yourself on well-tried and familiar 20+ year old concepts FTW, wildely experimenting with bad ergonomical concepts FTL


I agree. A desktop environment (that's what it's called) would be awesome on this. I nominate KDE, as it's one of the most powerful. Have you taken a look at Konqueror? It does everything: FTP, web browsing, file managing, searching, craploads of other stuff, and more. Try using some other program to use an FTP server like a normal folder.

 

[A_SN]

To me, the ideal menu would take most concepts from computer OS GUIs. You would have a desktop, with shortcuts to your favourite stuff on it, for quick access to what you like best, and folders and mounted folders, so you could browse the filesystem. Files would be recognized based on their extension, just like in any OS GUI, for instance a .jpg would be opened with the built-in image viewer, a program would be executed, etc. Also, when a program would crash, the menu would report it with a dialog box and the return value (instead of leaving you with nothing running like the default gp2x menu) and when a program would quit/crash, you would naturally find the menu as you left it, with windows opened as they were, etc, etc.

Well that sounds like a complete OS. Gmenu2X is only a menu shell or frontend that basically just launches apps with some script running abilities, it doesn't replace the OS at all. What you describe would be pretty awkward to use navigating with a d-pad/stick as well. Computers use mice for navigation, that makes a big difference. Gmenu is pretty fast to use just to launch apps on what we have now.


No that's not a bloody complete OS. Learn what an OS is. That's just the same fucking kind of thing as gmenu2x, except with a different approach, ergonomy wise. And it doesn't have to be any bad for dpad+buttons navigation, it can be made to be easily browsable with those, it doesn't *have* to be exactly like a regular PC GUI.

Here's what I'm trying to say in terms you people can understand :

-FS browsing FTW, hierarchy-deprived launcher FTL
-Action depending on file-type FTW
-A kind of desktop to be used as a quick access to favourite stuff FTW
-Basing yourself on well-tried and familiar 20+ year old concepts FTW, wildely experimenting with bad ergonomical concepts FTL


I agree. A desktop environment (that's what it's called) would be awesome on this. I nominate KDE, as it's one of the most powerful. Have you taken a look at Konqueror? It does everything: FTP, web browsing, file managing, searching, craploads of other stuff, and more. Try using some other program to use an FTP server like a normal folder.


Errr, yes, but what I'm talking about isn't exactly a desktop environment . And Konqueror isn't the only piece of software that treats a FTP folder as a folder, you should have a look at Microsoft Windows

 

[cappuchok]

The OMAP3430 has composite and s-video output so that's most likely what we'll have. I don't think Craigix will be adding native RGB support to this already expensive device. Maybe if you're lucky you'll get a scart adapter included. More likely that will be sold seperately or you'll have to fix one yourself (buy adapter and link pin 15 with 20 for color).

I surely hope that at *least* S-video is available at least through some sort of connector even if optional. Composite is total lowest quality crap with tons of color bleeding, dot crawl, noise and poor contrast. It is absolute poke-your-eyes-out-with-a-hot-poker rubbish, arrgh.

At least with S-video you can get a cheapo adapter to downconvert to craposite so you can get both. If it starts out as craposite it can't get any better and will forever look like shit.
Actually, many European TV sets don't have S-video inputs and don't accept S-video over SCART (it's an "unofficial extension" to the standard so many manufacturers rightly ignore it).

On my particular TV set, which does not have S-video input, but does have several SCART inputs, setting any equipment to deliver S-video over SCART will result in an image even worse than Composite, full of psychedelically colored blotches and whatnot. At least Composite looks no worse than a regular RF signal, while S-video looks like an analogue channel with really really bad reception) So S-video is definitely something that is not desirable on the European market, it is way to unaccepted by the TV manufacturers.

I'd say start at DVI-A or VGA, which if implemented correctly (like in the ATI Radeon cards) can be software-controlled to output composite-sync on one pin, thereby giving a signal that is compatible with SCART-RGB. Possibly a S-video or Composite signal could be transmitted on other pins and accessed with suitable adapter cables (requiring a nonstandard connector on the device, but it'll add flexibility for more output formats).

But S-Video is almost there as well, can more easily be spliced to either SCART or composite if needed, and just as small connector-wise.

I beg to differ - S-video isn't nearly everywhere as it wasn't widely accepted in Europe. So while some European TV sets may or may not accept it, some also render it worse than Composite.
Direct-drive RGB SCART (or a compatible VGA signal with composite sync for SCART) is the way to go in Europe.

I have a problem with the VGA idea:

If you know of a device that can convert VGA to some form of analogue TV output for 15 pounds(or 30CAD), I wanna see it. There are cables that claim to do so but there is no scan conversion causing the TV signal to be very horrid and flickery. Most of the devices I've seen that do the conversion are the size of a half-brick and cost over $120CAD(60 pounds) and are fairly difficult to find as it's not a common conversion to make(many PC cards have a TVOut anyways so it's not a very demanded tech), so they have to be shipped as well.

S-Video+DVI wouldn't be bad, so you'd at least have a pre-scan-converted analogue output alongside the DVI digital option which does have many cheaply available DVI-VGA converters for those with analogue monitors.

1. VGA is analogue.
2. If well thought out, VGA output where the sync signals are composited (can be software-controlled on ATI cards for example) gives you a RGB-SCART-compatible signal. Of course, it's only usable if you have a TV set that accepts RGB, but European TV sets do (and arcade monitors, I'm told).

 

[Squidge]

@Squidge: Sure, but couldn't such a dual connector be used too?

Err, yeah, thats what I mentioned first before we started arguing that DVI was easily converted to VGA...

 

[atomicthumbs]

To me, the ideal menu would take most concepts from computer OS GUIs. You would have a desktop, with shortcuts to your favourite stuff on it, for quick access to what you like best, and folders and mounted folders, so you could browse the filesystem. Files would be recognized based on their extension, just like in any OS GUI, for instance a .jpg would be opened with the built-in image viewer, a program would be executed, etc. Also, when a program would crash, the menu would report it with a dialog box and the return value (instead of leaving you with nothing running like the default gp2x menu) and when a program would quit/crash, you would naturally find the menu as you left it, with windows opened as they were, etc, etc.

Well that sounds like a complete OS. Gmenu2X is only a menu shell or frontend that basically just launches apps with some script running abilities, it doesn't replace the OS at all. What you describe would be pretty awkward to use navigating with a d-pad/stick as well. Computers use mice for navigation, that makes a big difference. Gmenu is pretty fast to use just to launch apps on what we have now.


No that's not a bloody complete OS. Learn what an OS is. That's just the same fucking kind of thing as gmenu2x, except with a different approach, ergonomy wise. And it doesn't have to be any bad for dpad+buttons navigation, it can be made to be easily browsable with those, it doesn't *have* to be exactly like a regular PC GUI.

Here's what I'm trying to say in terms you people can understand :

-FS browsing FTW, hierarchy-deprived launcher FTL
-Action depending on file-type FTW
-A kind of desktop to be used as a quick access to favourite stuff FTW
-Basing yourself on well-tried and familiar 20+ year old concepts FTW, wildely experimenting with bad ergonomical concepts FTL


I agree. A desktop environment (that's what it's called) would be awesome on this. I nominate KDE, as it's one of the most powerful. Have you taken a look at Konqueror? It does everything: FTP, web browsing, file managing, searching, craploads of other stuff, and more. Try using some other program to use an FTP server like a normal folder.


Errr, yes, but what I'm talking about isn't exactly a desktop environment . And Konqueror isn't the only piece of software that treats a FTP folder as a folder, you should have a look at Microsoft Windows


I've never been able to do that on Windows.

 

[javaJake]

I've never been able to do that on Windows.

Go to My Network Places, and on the left side there's something like "Add network place" or something or other. It'll give you a wizard in which you can select an FTP connection and can punch in your information. Voilà! Windows has become an FTP client.

A quick, temporary connection can be accomplished by opening Windows Explorer and typing in the following URL:

ftp://<username>@<ftpaddress>/

If you have any more questions PM me, since this is getting OT.

 

[God Ginrai]

Walla!

I've seen French words mispronounced before, but never one so obvious as voila. (sp?)

-God Ginrai

 

[realyst]

1. VGA is analogue.
2. If well thought out, VGA output where the sync signals are composited (can be software-controlled on ATI cards for example) gives you a RGB-SCART-compatible signal. Of course, it's only usable if you have a TV set that accepts RGB, but European TV sets do (and arcade monitors, I'm told).

1. If you read my comment, I said "Tv format analogue". This means scan correction between the far different TV and monitor standards. Yes it's analogue. But both CB radio and broadband communication via copper are analogue. They don't talk nice to each other, though.

2. I'm still far more convinced the of multi-connector idea that allows specialized cabling. OMAP supports composite video and VGA. Allow them both. I know this console is made in the UK 'for the UK' and I'm all happy for that and all, but understand that limiting it's TV output when the SoC has another method built right in(being US in design) would be silly and very limiting to the available audience. VGA only even closely works on HDTVs elsewhere without an expensive blocky add-on(or like horrid crap that makes coax look good if you just use splicing, though if you ever -wanted- to get an epileptic seizure, it'd be a start.).

Walla!

I've seen French words mispronounced before, but never one so obvious as voila. (sp?)

-God Ginrai



I'm not sure about javaJake, but where I'm from "Walla!" is used more closely as "Woot!" then "Voila". But i'm from a very strange French dialect

 

[hlidegp2x]

Walla!

I've seen French words mispronounced before, but never one so obvious as voila. (sp?)

-God Ginrai



I'm not sure about javaJake, but where I'm from "Walla!" is used more closely as "Woot!" then "Voila". But i'm from a very strange French dialect


being french, what i can say for sure, this is not a french word per se. The way it is written is totally fanciful to be french by the way. I don't know where you are from, but it sounds for me as a colloquial word very specific to a country if not a county.

"Ouah !" or maybe "Oh là là !" is what closer I can find.

 

[realyst]

Walla!

I've seen French words mispronounced before, but never one so obvious as voila. (sp?)

-God Ginrai



I'm not sure about javaJake, but where I'm from "Walla!" is used more closely as "Woot!" then "Voila". But I'm from a very strange French dialect


being french, what i can say for sure, this is not a french word per se. The way it is written is totally fanciful to be french by the way. I don't know where you are from, but it sounds for me as a colloquial word very specific to a country if not a county.

"Ouah !" or maybe "Oh là là !" is what closer I can find.


It's used more and more in New Brunswick, Canada as well as some parts of Nova-Scotia(where I'm from). It's been used to great affect by a local band. Not sure about Quebec, they have their own expressions.

 

[Eolair]

OT: Voilà!

And these:
http://wsu.edu/~brians/errors/voila.html
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=walla
The last definition in the Urban dictionary is hilarious :lol:

 

[A_SN]

Walla!

I've seen French words mispronounced before, but never one so obvious as voila. (sp?)

-God Ginrai


lol, you write about how surprised you are to see that word mispelt, yet you wonder if you correctly spelt it. That's almost sig worthy

And yes, that's voil**

 

[God Ginrai]

Walla!

I've seen French words mispronounced before, but never one so obvious as voila. (sp?)

-God Ginrai


lol, you write about how surprised you are to see that word mispelt, yet you wonder if you correctly spelt it. That's almost sig worthy

And yes, that's voil**



Actually, the way he spelled it, he was not only misspelling it, but obviously mispronouncing it. I knew how to pronounce it and was fairly sure that I knew how to spell it, but I put in the (sp?) just to be safe.

-God Ginrai

 

[cappuchok]

I'm still far more convinced the of multi-connector idea that allows specialized cabling. OMAP supports composite video and VGA. Allow them both.

I'm liking this idea, if a special connector can be made that can output several video standards (S-video and VGA would be suitable starting points) an adapter cable with several outputs can be made to splice the S-video through a filter capacitor to achieve proper Composite, and the VGA output could possibly be configured in software to use composite sync instead of v+h, thereby making it possible to make a VGA->SCART connection, so that's 4 standards available on 1 cable. Could be nice.

 

[javaJake]

OT: Voilà!

And these:
http://wsu.edu/~brians/errors/voila.html
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=walla
The last definition in the Urban dictionary is hilarious :lol:



Heh, didn't even know that wasn't a word. I've heard it and seen it written somewhere, so I never really considered it as a mispelling. The last definition in the Urban Dictionary is pretty much true. :blush:

Fixed so you guys don't waste another page on this topic.

 

[God Ginrai]

OT: Voilà!

And these:
http://wsu.edu/~brians/errors/voila.html
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=walla
The last definition in the Urban dictionary is hilarious :lol:



Heh, didn't even know that wasn't a word. I've heard it and seen it written somewhere, so I never really considered it as a mispelling. The last definition in the Urban Dictionary is pretty much true. :blush:

Fixed so you guys don't waste another page on this topic.


True, back to topic is probably a good idea.

-God Ginrai

 

[hlidegp2x]

OT: Voilà!

And these:
http://wsu.edu/~brians/errors/voila.html
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=walla
The last definition in the Urban dictionary is hilarious :lol:


:lol:

Voilà une définition hilarante ! (that is a hilarious definition !)

 

[atomicthumbs]

asdf, enought aboi=ut walla/voila!

Let's talk about The System.

Will we be able to use USB power when it's connected to a computer?