Pandora "console Edition"

[Beoran]

Firts of all, this is a great project, and I hope it becomes popular enough to reach the 10000+ distributed stage, so I'll be able to buy one.

The Pandora already as TV out, so, I was thinking, perhaps it would be possible to make a "console version" of the Pandora. Perhaps it could even be cheaper than the portable version. Changes I would make from the handheld to the console version:

• Remove touch screen and keyboard.
• Remove phone out and replace with analog out (red/white plugs).
• Add a DVD reader drive if that is not too expensive. Alternatively, there could be one extra high capacty SD slot, for storing the games on.
• Autostart the game on the DVD.
• Add VGA output.
• If not too expensive, HDMI output?
• Add a lot more more USB connectors (for USB game pads, keyboards and wireless mice)
• More powerful, yet compatible CPU with more memory. (if possible and not too expensive)
• Same for the video chip, compatible with more memory. (if possible and not too expensive)

The idea is that any game or ap that game that runs on the handheld runs better on the console without recompiling. And "light" console apps that don't use any console features could also work on the handheld.

Alternatively, a kind of "console sled" could be used to achieve this, but that may be an expensive solution.

I don't know the details of the component costs, but I'm guessing that a console edition needn't be more expensive than the current proposal. Perhaps even cheaper if the LCD screen is a bigger price factor than a DVD reader. Wired USB joysticks are dirt-cheap these days, and the console would only need to be packaged with one of them. All in all, you'll end up with a system of the same power of the Dreamcast, but completely open for homebrew.

Now, feel free to shoot my whacky idea down with constructive criticism.

 

[gaterooze]

I'm assuming this is in jest

 

[Squidge]

It'll cost much more simply due to the reason that there will not be thousands of people buying it, so the production cost will go through the roof (not mentioning the cost of the tools to make new housing).

 

[Tozarian]

You might want to consider this after the Pandora sells over 10 million units and destroys the PSP and DS.

 

[crasherball]

what dyou need vga for, if u had hdmi?

what dyou need more usb-ports if u can just plug a port on it?

what dyou need an internal dvdreader if u could plug it in externally?


and anyway:
we are still talkinb about pandora right?
u pretty much wanna change...EVERYTHING?

so whats the deal?
what about ur system would still be the pandora if u'd change everything?

just buy a pc then, and install linux on it duh

 

[bigtruck]

Honestly, I have to agree with the "Just use a PC" suggestion. However, I don't know of any projects making a good console-esque gui for linux, but there definitely should be one. It should be similar to a media center program, but designed with the focus on games/emulators instead of video, and controllable entirely with a usb game controller, so it would feel like you were using a regular video game console. Perhaps the Pandora's GUI (do we know what that looks like yet?) could be adapted.

Any linux developers with spare time, get to it.

 

[Kayday]

Just get an xbox and mod it. That's what I have and use it as my media center and for playing emulators on my TV. Do the IR mod and you can turn the xbox on and off without touching the system. Get some wireless controllers and you're set.

 

[crasherball]

wouldnt it be just easier to get a barebone?

 

[atomicthumbs]

Pandora console edition: put it on the floor and plug in the TV out.

 

[Prometheus]

Pandora console edition: put it on the floor and plug in the TV out.

And put it in an empty casing from or resembling a favourite past console?

... Actually, I like that idea. An old console's casing as a storage medium/disguise for the console when the Pandora's hooked up to a television set.

"Hey look, I can make my SNES play Mega Drive games!".

Time to go hunt down some Famiclones or something.

 

[WizardStan]

"Hey look, I can make my SNES play Mega Drive games!".

Yeah, well my NES can play DVDs too!

*disclaimer* I don't actually own this case mod, though I wish I did. My case is a 9 drive fullsize beast of a tower. Though it does have pretty blue lights inside.

 

[Prometheus]

That's the sort of thing I was thinking of, funnily enough. :lol:

Actually, though I was mostly joking and thinking of the novelty value of such "tricks" at the time of my previous post, I've just realised that it could potentially serve some sort of purpose if one is temporarily using the Pandora as if it were a home-console - weighting. I'd be less worried about hooking up a few external wired controllers if the machine was housed in something else (say, a weighted-down NES shell) that wouldn't be at such risk of being accidentally pulled down from its perch whilst hooked up to the TV.

Although it's still mostly about the novelty value.

 

[Mistabeen]

would it be possible to hook up 2 PS3 controllers using bluetooth? or aren't there any opensource drivers out there for them
some type of wireless controlers would come in handy on the pandora

 

[Megamixman]

Uhhh yah, you're not asking for a Pandora : Console Edition, your asking for Pandora : My own special doesn't exist in real life edition. Why do people always think that what they have is not fast enough? The Pandora SoC is going to be one of the most powerfull ARM SoCs released. Pandora will be one of the first designs using it.

Making some type of console like dock for Pandora makes much more sense. I think it might be time for a "Don't post suggestions unless you have put half a thought into your idea first" Sticky.

 

[plopperz]

Phantom, anyone?

 

[chad78]

I'm sure this post is a troll - but....

First, see the sticky about hardware suggestions - as in, we don't need any

Second - Take the Pandora, as slated to be released, plug it into it's power supply, plug in the TV-Out to the Pandora and your TV, plug in a USB hub (powered, USB 2.0 would be best). In the hub plug in an External DVD drive (or burner - your choice), a multi-100GB (powered) USB HD, a mutli-format card reader, and another hub. Into that hub, plug in your gamepads/keyboard/mouse... Or use BlueTooth versions.

Faster CPU, better graphics card ... For emulators? Not needed. For native games - I doubt any will actually use all the power the Pandora has. The Pandora is far more powerful - in every conceivable way - than the Sony PSP or the Nintendo DS.

Console Pandora - done.

 

[trooper]

I`m pretty sure this guy is a troll, Sent only to rile people up, Pretty much like quite a few topics we`ve had recently.

The original poster created an account to post such a topic as this, They have a huge accumulative post count of one, And an even bigger possibility of never login in and posting again, Much less replying to his own topic.

If i`m wrong, I`ll buy everyone a beer, Virtually that is :rolleyes: , And only to those that are old enough to drink.

Trooper

 

[Squidge]

He seems to have logged in again Today @ 08:08 AM, but not posted anything. Maybe he's checking this thread?

 

[Beoran]

Well, first of all, I apologise if my post looked like a troll. That was definitely NOT my intention! I really would like to have a serious discussion here, and I know that my ideas are a bit of a naive "pipe dream" now. But the same could have been said about the Pandora one year ago.

Edit:
I understand some people think my post is a troll because I just jumped in. But I'm like that, I like dive in the deep end. I think the Pandora is a very exciting idea, and it sparked my ideas in turn.

I looked up a few things more carefully, and yes, I see a more powerful CPU and video is technically not possible at this time (they're already using the most powerful CPU TI is making, and the video chip is included in the CPU chip, so no upgrades are posible in the near future). After I checked the specs, I realised the CPU is already powerful enough as it is anyway. I should have done my homework better before sending my first message. I apologise for that too.

I know about the Phantom project, and I think it's a shame it never came to be. So yes, I was
being serious, in all honesty. I am a game programmer, and I'm really excited by the idea of
the handheld Pandora. If it takes off, I'll buy one and develop for it. That's what so nice about GP2X and now Pandora. It's a uniform, yet open platform. PC are open but not uniform. Commercial consoles are uniform but not open.

Basically, the whole point of my idea would be that it could potentially be a legal way to get an open platform console, as the Phantom should have been, but then with the benefit of a high level of compatibility with the handheld Pandora. As a programmer I could make a game for the handheld and have it run on the console immediately.

The idea of a "console version" seems kind of a logical future extension to this project to me. Future, as in after the handheld is completed and sucessfully released, of course! It's an open platform, so even if the makers of the Pandora are not interested, I could develop such a thing myself with the help of some hardware experts.

A low power PC? For game programmers like me, consoles are a great target because they have one big advantage: uniform hardware. That drastically reduces the time you need to write a game. Good luck with that on the PC platform where you have a plethora of graphic cards, sound cards, processor speeds, operating systems, etc, etc, and you have to write tons of hacks to get around those problems. PC platform is open but not uniform.

As for hacking an X-box (or most other commercial consoles), technically that's illegal in many countries in the world. Actually, most homebrew on commercial consoles is illegal if you have to mod the firmware. Modding the firmware is illegal, because you're infringing on the commercial vendor's copyrights on that firmware. Furthermore, mod chips are also illegal in many countries.

Sure , you could connect the handheld Pandora in the way described by chad78, but I think it's not so convenient, and also, possibly more expensive than a mass produced console version. The idea of a sort of "wraper box" that has been jokingly mentioned here is actually the best way to go with chad78's idea, that is, something like a "docking station" that contains some extra hardware built-in.

Actually, I think the idea of a sort of "docking station" is very nice as well. Didn't the GP2X have something like that? Actually, seen that the CPU cannot be upgraded, it might be a better idea, depending on the economics. People who already have the handheld would then not have to buy a separate console version, but only a docking station, which arguably could be made much cheaper than a "console version" of the Pandora.

So what do you people think then? If a 100% compatible console version of the Pandora was designed and produced, would you buy it and at what price? Or would you prefer to buy a "docking station" for the handheld that transforms it into a console? What would such a docking tray need to have? How much would you be willing to pay for one? Or do you still think that both the "console edition" and the "docking station" are bad ideas, and why?

 

[plopperz]

I want my beer, trooper