Pandora Cube

[fiveseven]

I guess I'm going to suggest DVI/VGA like everyone else, and maybe an ethernet port (don't have wifi in my house, I'm old fashioned like that). Not sure that leaving the controls is the best idea, I'd prefer just a box with lots of usb ports, so I can attach my own keyboard.

If it was done well, and wasn't too expensive, I guess I might consider this as an easier alternative to the beagleboard/gumstix. My motivation for getting one of them was to build a tablet pc (no keys or anything, just a large touchscreen). I've since backed out due to the amount of money involved, but I guess by the time one of these comes out, the other parts I need might have come down in price.

 

[WizardStan]

Why include the controls and the battery? :huh:

Because it's their intention that it use the exact same board as the Pandora already has, just in a different case with DVI output instead of LCD.

 

[BackAssward]

Why include the controls and the battery? :huh:

Because it's their intention that it use the exact same board as the Pandora already has, just in a different case with DVI output instead of LCD.

Also, the idea is to cut costs and sell at a lesser price. The lack of LCD (and portable case) isn't going to drop the price by $110-$140... they have to also cut other parts if they want to sell at a significantly lower price. Especially if they are adding a daughter board for DVI.

 

[hedwards]

It would just use the Pandora board as is, there isn't any extra work required, we are just trying to open our potential market a bit more so we might become profitable a little faster.

That's basically my understanding, you'd mostly just have to create a new case, possibly lengthen some wires and add the extra ports for the controllers.

I'd be potentially interested, but it would help out a lot if there were some way of getting hi-def support of some type. Probably not necessary, but I hate having to shell out for satellite and at the price you're quoting, it might be quite good as a replacement for that. Considering that most of what I watch is now available online for free or cheap it would be a pretty good deal.

Gaming in that case would just be a bonus.

I do agree with earlier posters, that you should be able to use the Pandora to control the box, otherwise you'd really need a remote control.

EDIT: Assuming I can actually come up with the cash to actually buy it.

 

[Wootson]

Why not make something Commodore Amiga style? ASUS is also currently making something that's currently called the "Eee Keyboard". It's just a prototype though.

Thing is that you would need the keyboard build inside the case. So, it makes the case relatively big, plus you couldn't sit on the couch with your wireless keyboard.

 

[CCmachined]

QUOTE
Hurry up and get these things on the market and in peoples hands if you want money. Once some positive reviews come out I am sure more orders will come in. There are a lot of people (non gp32x) that still believe you guys are scammers and the pandora is vaporware.

+1

 

[hobbyman II]

QUOTE
remove the screen/battery/keyboard/nubs/controls

add a slimline cd/dvd drive

add a small hard drive or 32gig sd

add more usb ports

add a monitor port

include a more desktop-like OS such as Puppy or Xubuntu with all the standard applications and a good selection of games and dev tools

wrap it in a full size keyboard

sell it as a low cost, low energy, cheap to run, environmentally friendly, console computer


my thinking being, lot`s of people no longer buy Amigas for the simple reason that you can`t get one any more, but Amigas used to sell rather well, so some people find the form factor appealing and would buy one if they could, and a low cost PC for occasional use?, kids can have one each if cheap enough, etc
if you just had 10% of the sales Amiga used to have then you would be doing rather nicely, plus I always rather liked the keyboard console, laptops have crappy flat low travel keyboards, standard PC`s have a rats nest of wiring, but the Amiga just needed a TV and a socket, had a decent keyboard, and an enthusiastic following, it never bothered people the Amiga wasn`t x86 compatible, it was always thought of as "an Amiga" not "A PC", and the Pandora carbon (or whatever) would be faster and have more connectivity than an Amiga ever had.
it could be the rebirth of the home PC, esp with a wide range of developer software included by default, rather than the current incarnations of over-hyped, noisy, power hungry, mutually incompatible, cumbersome beasts we have today, you can have one standard machine that will run programs written by any other user, a selling point could be "the console you can create games on and share", something else ninsonbox would never do, unlike the big firms we WANT people to code on their Pandora, not just be a user.

 

[b._.o._.b]

Might be interested if it is capable to function as a decent media center. Depends on how well it performs compared to other low costs solutions.

 

[RajTakhar]

This thread is okay for trying guage if people would want a 'not so portable' base pandora.

Yes it may open up more markets for pandora usage in a wider marketplace - possibily extending its appeal

But can we please have a thread which is more pertinent to those of who ordered a Pandora!!!

There must be a huge amount of us who would actually shell out for a well designed docking station to get more functionality (add more USB devices - GPS/3G/Video/Storage/etc)

Rather than have a Pandora Cube which I really think will have limited appeal outside of community as there are far too many other devices in same price range which are just as if not more powerful

 

[infected]

I'd love to see a cube version of the pandora and and i'd really like a car version. With 12V PSU and stuff integrated. Pandora and a LCD touchscreen... mmmm... sexy.

 

[foft]

"If it can do X": 480p widescreen VGA please. Matches the in-built screen res nicely and my TV!

 

[Prometheus]

I'm afraid I voted no.

That's not to say that I don't like the idea, as I do, and hope to own more ARM-based computing devices in the future (I am a person for who x86 is rather overkill, to be honest, so more choices ARM-wise would be a nice option to have ), but I am concerned that a device like this may dilute something somehow (be that the "brand", for want of a better description, or stuff to do with software due to slightly differing input methods, or something else, I'm not sure). Of course, perhaps that concern is just totally wrong.

Also, really, it would be a bit moot, from my own personal perspective, since anything I'd be using it for would be the same as what I'd be using my Pandora for - except without some of the convenience of the machine being a handheld. But then, I really like handhelds. :lol:

Lastly, Pandora CUBE? Shame on you, Craig! Why not Pandora Box?!

 

[puppydee]

IF the cube thing gets the green light when would it be available? before the Pandora or after the Pandora?

 

[lulzfish]

Probably after the Pandora.
They're just now sending the last bits of the Pandora's case into MP, right?
And they'll need another round of case adjustment, prototyping and mold production for the Pandora Box version of the case.

Official preliminary guess: Two months after the Pandora, so about 4 months from now.

 

[phrawzt]

I'm interested. I have a bunch of videos on my computer that I'd like to watch on my TV. I have a modded original Xbox that I use as a media player now, but it has issues with mkv files and large HD videos. If the Pandora Cube can play all my videos without problems then I would be sold.

 

[may88]

Official preliminary guess: Two months after the Pandora, so about 4 months from now.

:lol: +61 (the number of days until delivery. Officially unofficial guess #2).

methinks that the cube is likely to have its own schedule. Unlikely to be 2 months as a lot of the work is done. More like a rolling 6 weeks may be closer to the mark.

I just love the mount of action on this post. May be if we all stopped typing for a day then Craig could get that video finished rather than reading our wish lists.

 

[senorgomez]

I'm interested. I have a bunch of videos on my computer that I'd like to watch on my TV. I have a modded original Xbox that I use as a media player now, but it has issues with mkv files and large HD videos. If the Pandora Cube can play all my videos without problems then I would be sold.

http://us.shuttle.com/KPC/index.htm Uses Foresight Linux which is pretty cool.

The Pandora boards on hand now wouldn't be able to handle high resolution video, as far as i can tell.

 

[barzoule]

voted no cuz current PCs can be foundrather cheap and a pandora box won't have anything more than a cheap linux box.

but!

reading Hobbyman II 's post I'm 100% willing to get a "Pandiga". (PC-in-a-keyboard)
- LCD TV's are good enough these days to plug computers in them anytime
- would answer most needs when it comes to bring your computer at a friend's place or at the chalet.
- still comfy to type on ! (unlike every single portable computer / laptop!)
- very good to have simple hardware with limited connections so it doesn't end up as a shitload of wires and modules. Normal case would probably be mouse+kb+tv, which is 100% acceptable
only useful if you have a numpad tho.
and it would rock to ship the system with a development suite already installed, like in the old days

 

[gp2.eXe]

Official preliminary guess: Two months after the Pandora, so about 4 months from now.

:lol: +61 (the number of days until delivery. Officially unofficial guess #2"].[/quote]methinks that the cube is likely to have its own schedule. Unlikely to be 2 months as a lot of the work is done. More like a rolling 6 weeks may be closer to the mark.
Confirmed: Pandora Cube will be available in about 4 months.

I just love the mount of action on this post. May be if we all stopped typing for a day then Craig could get that video finished rather than reading our wish lists.

+1

...

...

Damn! I posted!

 

[danielliu88888]

Official preliminary guess: Two months after the Pandora, so about 4 months from now.

:lol: +61 (the number of days until delivery. Officially unofficial guess #2"].

methinks that the cube is likely to have its own schedule. Unlikely to be 2 months as a lot of the work is done. More like a rolling 6 weeks may be closer to the mark.
Confirmed: Pandora Cube will be available in about 4 months.[/quote]

I just love the mount of action on this post. May be if we all stopped typing for a day then Craig could get that video finished rather than reading our wish lists.

+1

...

...

Damn! I posted!

NO! i posted too! just can't resist. (you're doing it wrong, the pandora cube will be available two months after the pandora will be released, but the pandora will always be 2 months away, so the pandora cube will always be four months away... wait what?)