Pandora 2 specifications and price

[Grench]

We entirely intend to come to market with something as close to the bleeding edge as possible.

Bring it in with a 1280x800 screen, quad core 1.5Ghz chip, 2GB RAM, USB 3.0 host - and internal hub running three SDXC slots at 100MB/sec transfer (one hidden for OS - no NAND), high end DSP and audio system, 2/3 the thickness of the existing Pandora, 802.11n (with some range to it), Bluetooth, gyro/tilt/compass/GPS and a price under $1000 with guaranteed delivery by end of January 2013 and I'd pre-order it tomorrow.

Some of that ^ is under the spec I want. Because it will be 2013 at the earliest we have to think very big in advance.

Mmm - I think you need to look at the top end of what exists on devices today - components that are being mass produced and accessible. Pick off the best bits and combine them together.


The problem with working to a 'future spec' is that you wind up waiting for it - and meanwhile the other components become obsolete.


I am really liking the idea of having the next Pandora have three full size SDXC slots capable of running at 100MB/s though. Put one up behind the battery as a NAND replacement and two off the front. Include the cheapest (reliable) 4GB or larger card you can get your hands on and plug that in as the base OS card on sold units. Crazy big crazy fast cards have got crazy cheap all of the sudden - by then you might be able to put a decent size/speed card inside them -cheaper- than supplying the NAND.


The screen though - if you can get your hands on either a 1920x1080 OR a Pixel Qi screen in a 5" form factor - that would be awesome.

 

[albo]

What about the hard disk? 60 GB would be great to me, but I don't know if it would fit into the P2 shell...

 

[Foxgod]

What about the hard disk? 60 GB would be great to me, but I don't know if it would fit into the P2 shell...

Sd cards do fine, some people came with the idea to have three sd slots, one of them being internal for the OS and other main data.


This could save some money as well, because putting an SD card inside might be cheaper then a Nand chip.


An internal micro HD wont fit, generates too much heat, drains too much energy and makes noise.

 

[Binky]

60 GB would be great

Yes, until the P2 is a few years old, then it looks really lame - like a 1GB internal disk would today

 

[Nintendo]

Larger than 60GB would be nice.

 

[Binky]

Larger than 60GB would be nice.

How about up to 2TB

 

[craigix]

We're staying with SD unless some amazing alternative crops up in 2013.

 

[Nintendo]

I'm getting 2 microSDXC cards (@ 64GB each) for my b'day next month.

 

[albo]

Larger than 60GB would be nice.

How about up to 2TB

do


want.

 

[Grench]

60GB? Spinning platter? Welcome to 2012.


My Pandora has 256GB of SDHC 'disk' in it that is capable of reading at upwards of 500% faster than the Pandora can keep up with.


Put a full size SD (SDHC UH-I) slot up behind the battery to use as the 'OS' drive so people don't eject it on accident, skip the NAND flash, and away it goes. Just make sure the SDHC slots can handle maxed out USB 3.0 transfers - which comes out to about 640 MB/sec. With 3 slots capable of that kind of read/write on >128GB cards and a quad core 1.5Ghz CPU and 2GB RAM... at that point the Pandora could handle database, web and file server duties for a small to midsize company.


So - if the Pandora 2 were to skip NAND entirely, put in a USB 3.0 internal hub with ports used for:


1 internal SDHC slot behind battery as the 'OS' card. Ship it with a small, cheap but moderately fast card.


2 external SDHC slots


1 USB 3.0 host


1 USB 3.0 device


1 internal port driven to a daughter card that is the cracked open contents of a USB networking device


I'd be thrilled with that kind of configuration.


They make USB 3.0 to HDMI output adapters - make one work and you'd no longer need a TV out port or cable. In fact, I'd consider putting one internal to run the primary display in lieu of a traditional video chip - if it can be fast enough to not ghost, etc... They might be miniaturized by then.


Just whatever you do - keep the dimensions small enough to slip into my front left pants pocket without making me look like I'm smuggling a brick. If there is a choice between making the unit thin with 5 hours play per battery or thick with 10 hours play per battery - I'd take the 5 hours and a spare battery that will fit in my back left pants pocket. More ideally - if you can have a thin base unit and choices of batteries that tack onto and become the bottom of the device - that would be even more ideal. If you can have a thin base unit with battery packs that mount to the bottom of the unit and can then mount to the bottom of another battery pack to create one of double, triple or quadruple capacity - that would be the most flexible device ever.


I'm probably one of a dozen people who actually use the little wrist strap attachment hole on the back of the current Pandora . It'd be nice to have one one the next model too.


The bugs are worked out of the nubs and keyboard. The only improvement I could see for the keyboard would be to make the key mat translucent and put LEDs behind it. It wouldn't be evenly lit - but it would give a reference point in the dark so that you could find the keys you're after. Right now I usually end up just tilting the screen down so it illuminates the keys so I can find the one I'm after.


Volume knob and headphone jack - both are great. Can they be put onto the same end of the device? When I'm flying and listening to my Pandora I keep it in my shirt pocket so that the headphone jack sits up and to my right. That works fine with a volume wheel on my headphone cord. Badly if I'm using a standard set.


Rear shoulder buttons... Scrap the current design entirely. Put a daughter board with a rubber key mat behind each shoulder and put L1, L2, R1, R2 plastic keys (like used in the AXBY set) in recesses on the shoulders. The big flapping mechanical panels we have now look cool but are way more trouble than they're worth. Recessed membrane keys on a daughter board would be more durable and more easily serviced.


I could go on, but 3/4 of the people reading this stopped after the first paragraph.


I'm really looking forward to the Pandora 2 (or whatever it gets called)!

 

[craigix]

It's pretty certain the P2 won't have NAND, it will be dual SD based, with your usual USB options available too.


You will be pleased to know it's going to be smaller than the current Pandora.


The keyboard is totally redesigned.

 

[Binky]

I think it might be better to cover the SD slots with a flap/cover, instead of hiding an one slot behind the battery

More ideally - if you can have a thin base unit and choices of batteries that tack onto and become the bottom of the device - that would be even more ideal. If you can have a thin base unit with battery packs that mount to the bottom of the unit and can then mount to the bottom of another battery pack to create one of double, triple or quadruple capacity - that would be the most flexible device ever.

quote++


EDIT: just saw that the forum software messed up that quote - even though I didn't do anything unusual - has it happened to anyone else?

 

[Foxgod]

It's pretty certain the P2 won't have NAND, it will be dual SD based, with your usual USB options available too.


You will be pleased to know it's going to be smaller than the current Pandora.


The keyboard is totally redesigned.

Sounds like you guys are already pretty far with the decisionmaking on the P2.


Could it have anything to do with the kickstarter ?


Maybe the kickstarter will partially fund the P2 so there will be less stress on sales?


If so, howabout giving a discount to big donators?

 

[albo]

Or golden P2 for big donators? Or other colors

 

[fusion_power]

You will be pleased to know it's going to be smaller than the current Pandora.

Actualy, I'm happy with the size of the Pandora, perfect fit for my big hands. ^^


The Pandora Keyboard is already pretty small, I doubt that it's handling will be better if the Pandora 2 is even smaller designed. Or are there so many Pandora Users with small japanese girly hands out there?

 

[Foxgod]

You will be pleased to know it's going to be smaller than the current Pandora.

Actualy, I'm happy with the size of the Pandora, perfect fit for my big hands. ^^


The Pandora Keyboard is already pretty small, I doubt that it's handling will be better if the Pandora 2 is even smaller designed. Or are there so many Pandora Users with small japanese girly hands out there?

Maybe he meant it will be less thick.

 

[ekianjo]

It's pretty certain the P2 won't have NAND, it will be dual SD based, with your usual USB options available too.


You will be pleased to know it's going to be smaller than the current Pandora.


The keyboard is totally redesigned.

I would be also very pleased if you still get 10 hours of battery life while the device is less thick. Is that going to be the case ?


About the keyboard, what improvements does the redesign bring?

Actualy, I'm happy with the size of the Pandora, perfect fit for my big hands. ^^


The Pandora Keyboard is already pretty small, I doubt that it's handling will be better if the Pandora 2 is even smaller designed. Or are there so many Pandora Users with small japanese girly hands out there?

Actually the Pandora has a rather good form factor. It fits in hands well as you mention. Any reduction in size may make it worse for the shoulder buttons or general stability when holding it. I hope they thoroughly test the size/ergonomy before making it slimer.

 

[Foxgod]

It's pretty certain the P2 won't have NAND, it will be dual SD based, with your usual USB options available too.


You will be pleased to know it's going to be smaller than the current Pandora.


The keyboard is totally redesigned.

I would be also very pleased if you still get 10 hours of battery life while the device is less thick. Is that going to be the case ?


About the keyboard, what improvements does the redesign bring?

Actualy, I'm happy with the size of the Pandora, perfect fit for my big hands. ^^


The Pandora Keyboard is already pretty small, I doubt that it's handling will be better if the Pandora 2 is even smaller designed. Or are there so many Pandora Users with small japanese girly hands out there?

Actually the Pandora has a rather good form factor. It fits in hands well as you mention. Any reduction in size may make it worse for the shoulder buttons or general stability when holding it. I hope they thoroughly test the size/ergonomy before making it slimer.

They where talking about a flat top keyboard a little whole ago, i think that will be one of the improvemens.


Together with a flashcard instead of Nand, the team could design a less thick pandora.

 

[Exophase]

NAND isn't adding thickness to the Pandora. It's in the same package as the memory. If Pandora 2 is SD only I hope it comes with an SD card. I hope there's an internal micro-SD personally.

 

[Grench]

NAND isn't adding thickness to the Pandora. It's in the same package as the memory. If Pandora 2 is SD only I hope it comes with an SD card. I hope there's an internal micro-SD personally.

I hope they stay the heck away from micro-SD entirely. That stuff is extremely SLOW and is always seems to be four steps behind full size SD cards in size and cost. If you want a 'bleeding edge' device that runs off of SD based memory - it HAS to have full size SDHC slots capable of high read and write speeds.


I could see doing the unit with just two full size SDHC slots though - and possibly putting one of those behind the battery or otherwise 'tucked in' to prevent accidental removal.


As for smaller - I'm all for it. Right now it's 140x83x29mm (336.98cc). If they can get that down to 140x80x20mm (224cc), that would be awesome. Personally, I'd be fine with it -growing- in the X,Y dimensions if we can get Z thinner. I.e. going to 160x90x15 (216cc), that would be just fine with me. The big issue is that the depth measurement is the narrow side - and where it makes the largest difference in volume. 160x90x20mm (288cc) would be about as large of a device as I would want to lug about. But then, I consider the current Pandora to be far too thick.


Shoulder button concerns - I -like- having shoulder buttons. I'd rather have them be four actual buttons like the AXBY where it's a plastic key cap over a membrane button on a circuit board. One small circuit board in each shoulder with a pair of keys for each shoulder, set in recesses so they don't protrude and get caught on stuff.. that would be much better.


While we're tearing things apart and re-designing them...


Light pipes & LEDs. Please move them to the front of the unit so they point down and away from me instead of shining directly in my eyes - they can distract from the screen.


Microphone - skip putting one on the device itself and simply add a mic-in 1/8" jack.


Headphones - Put the jack and the volume wheel on the same corner/end of the device.


Lid hinge - I realize that a lot of designs are already patented, etc... One I've never seen is where the hinge itself is free-flopping, but there is a knurled nut that the user can add/remove tension to the hinge as needed. This would result in infinite positions for the screen angle.


Video cable - The McTwist that the current cable does through the hinge is cool and all, but I'd just as soon have a heavy flat ribbon cable go up through a slot. Yes, this means that it is 'exposed' if someone wanted to look hard enough.


I'm really looking forward to whatever they come up with though. The original Pandora was so good I'm buying a 1Ghz one. That should tide me over until the Pandora 2.