Pandora Cube

Would you be interested?

  • Yes

    Votes: 11 31.4%

  • No

    Votes: 20 57.1%

  • If it can do x (please state)

    Votes: 4 11.4%
  • Total voters
    35

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Not open for further replies.
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O one more thing make the Pandora available first and talk about new ideas later.
A box i am not interested.
Just my humble opinion
 
Perhaps a better question to ask is "What would you want to do with a Pandora Cube?". The answers would dictate the required features.

What I'd like is a low powered high through put, headless, fanless gigabit NAT box. If that is all it did, I'd be interested. If it could also work as a MythTV back end for digital TV recording & UPnP (no need for analog), and / or a network router, I'd be even more interested.
 
Having thought about it more after my previous posting in this thread, I just want to drop in and say that I really like the "Pandiga" idea that's come up. :p I rather miss computers of the kind that used to be king here.
 
Have to admit I didn't read all 20 pages, only the first three or so, so it's probably already been said :p
But, I vote no because as a handheld the specs kick ass, but as a fixed console it is outdated and overpriced. For that price I can assemble a PC that can handle full HD playback, play emulators (better than the pandora I'll wager, but I'm not too much into pc emulators so I don't know), older games... Hell, throw in a little more money and it'll play current games just fine (got to 180 euro including postage for an amd 5050e on an asrock 780G board with 1 GB memory and 500 GB harddrive in a compact enclosure with a 145W PSU).
I didn't count peripherals like a keyboard/gamepad yet, but then I'm guessing the pandora cube wouldn't come with those either. And on the PC I could hook up a wireless xbox360 controller for windows, which I doubt would work on the pandora (best controller ever if you ask me).
 
I answered yes. That's all fine, but I'd like to say this:

The home/non-portable version of Pandora is a wonderful idea. Even if it's much of the portable hardware stuffed inside a box, as long as that box is small enough and the whole thing is CE/FCC compliant, who'd bicker about it? ;)

Just make sure you replace the battery with a proper PSU, not just some ultra cheap product from shady manufacturers. No hissing sounds, no extreme heat, just a small and dandy PSU for the Pandora Cube. That's all I ask.
 
I was thinking that this could actually be a kick ass heart for a mame cabinet, if it had low power consumption
 
finraziel posted on Jun 7 2009 said:
.
Click to expand...
>>145W<< :D
This is what is wrong with your assembly ^^
Let's say, not what is wrong, but what is different! If I was to buy an ARM-based box, this would be to have a fanless-low power consuption hardware to be used as a little home server, too! So using a x86 machine could be bad. Here in Italy we pay about 15 €cent for 1KWh. If I was to keep this box up and running for 20 hours a day (means 24/24 but not every day), it would cost me about 30 €cent a day (assuming an effective 100W power consumption). I expect the pandora box to cost me about 2 €cent/day. This is 100€ every year ^^. And an annoying fan in the house I guess ^^.

Removing the battery to get a PSU inside the box could be a good idea as well as a bad one. Good since you don't need any external stuff, bad if the PSU would get quite hot or something similar.
 
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I think we first need to define the usage profile for such a box and the required/available input/output connectors.
Sorry if this has already been said on the pages before - haven't read all of them.

I like the idea of being able to run all old atari 800 software (others might prefer C64 here), cp/m software, acorn risc/pc software, genesis, mess- and mame-emulated systems. I also like the idea of using such a system as low-power homeserver for email, web, music and video, where I don't need a display or expensive keyboard attached. However imho there are few more things to consider.

Gaming:
Without display and keyboard, what controllers can be attached?
- is it possible to use old Atari Joysticks and/or paddle controllers (up to 4)
- is it possible to use N64- or Gamecube-Controllers (up to 4)
- is it possible to attach a usb or bluetooth keyboard?
- is it possible to attach and use Wii controllers (to be used as 'old' controllers)
=> I'd like to be able to play eg. M.U.L.E. on that thing with up to four players.
=> I'd like to be able to play "I, Robot" from Atari on that thing using the TV-set

(Multimedia-) Server:
For usage as a (home)-server (that does not need controllers most of the time), will it have
- 1-3 build-in RJ45 1G/100MBit-Interfaces
- the ability to either use a (SATA)-hard disk or 2-4 SDHC-cards?
- output DVI at 1920 x 1080 - I doubt HDMI with encryption is something that fits an 'open'-concept.
- output of 5.1 Audio (digital)

RiscPC replacement:
Will it run RiscOS Open including TCP support, allowing to be used as a replacement for old RiscPCs? Development should be coordinated with the people who are responsible for RiscOS Open, though. RiscOS Open Forum - Pandora port

Software:
The following is something that it should have from my point of view - eg. to compete with earlier set top boxes that however never were very successful afaik. B)
- easy-to-use multimedia software/center for video, films, music
- easy-to-use internet browser
- text processing (easy, small footprint - like EasiWriter for RiscPC)
- ...

Game Cabinet:
As some might want to use the Pandora Cube for a game cabinet, it might be nice to have the required connections for this as well - if it would also handle real coin slots, I might consider setting this up for my kids... :D
- what about game licensing for Pandora, such that end users can buy their most wanted MAME/MESS-games legally on a DVD? It is a pita to find them one by one...
- where to get a game cabinet for this - eg. something like dreamarcades, or can this be bought together with a pandora box preconfigured?

As it currently is, I might prefer buying another Pandora for server tasks, use the additional battery as backup for my portable pandora and use the other stationary one as a low-power-server in my basement, where I don't need the display or keyboard very often - but is more convenient than to carry display and keyboard down every time B)

Considering all this, I might prefer a supported expansion box that would offer the missing interface options instead of a pandora cube...

Best Regards,
Holger
 
Transmition posted on Jun 3 2009 said:
mini PC that has more features than what a set top Pandora could currently offer, for about the same price point or lower.
Solution: find a slightly different form to fit into a crack in the market that isn't currently being fulfilled.
If you really want to go through with this, I offer up my suggestion. Take the bottom of the Pandora, controller and keyboard and SD slots and all, throw away the LCD. Tweak so that the EXT also has the digital video lines and power. A reasonable length cable, split at the far end, connects to the TV and to power. Power is optional, as the console would still have the battery. Include a USB hub which fits snuggly to the back for times when it just sits there as a regular HTPC, suitable for keyboard, mouse, and 1TB external hard drive full of movies. (Hard drive not included"]
This accomplishes one very important thing: it bridges the gap between ultra portable and stay at home; giving you a video device that is small enough to take anywhere, yet designed to attach quickly and easily into any existing video system.
When playing a game, the console IS the controller. A single player can simply pick it up and play, right there on the big screen. For times when multiple people want to play, there is no problem in setting it down and plugging in the hub for multiple controllers. Because of its size, it's effortless to take with you. Combined with a pico projector, I envision such a device having potential in the business industry as a presentation device, beyond the capability of the existing Pandora.
This fills a spot for which no other system exists. Only by continuing to take advantage of the keyboard, game controls, and battery do I foresee success. Take those away, design it to be a box which sits on top of the tele to which you need to plug extra devices into, and you're exactly where we started: with a generic HTPC that costs more to get less. The Pandora wasn't designed by Apple, don't charge us more to give us less!
Click to expand...
This is the best comment so far. The most practical and economical.[/quote]
I have to agree... might change my mind... :)
 
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LastPucho posted on Jun 7 2009 said:
mini PC that has more features than what a set top Pandora could currently offer, for about the same price point or lower.
Solution: find a slightly different form to fit into a crack in the market that isn't currently being fulfilled.
If you really want to go through with this, I offer up my suggestion. Take the bottom of the Pandora, controller and keyboard and SD slots and all, throw away the LCD. Tweak so that the EXT also has the digital video lines and power. A reasonable length cable, split at the far end, connects to the TV and to power. Power is optional, as the console would still have the battery. Include a USB hub which fits snuggly to the back for times when it just sits there as a regular HTPC, suitable for keyboard, mouse, and 1TB external hard drive full of movies. (Hard drive not included"]
This accomplishes one very important thing: it bridges the gap between ultra portable and stay at home; giving you a video device that is small enough to take anywhere, yet designed to attach quickly and easily into any existing video system.
When playing a game, the console IS the controller. A single player can simply pick it up and play, right there on the big screen. For times when multiple people want to play, there is no problem in setting it down and plugging in the hub for multiple controllers. Because of its size, it's effortless to take with you. Combined with a pico projector, I envision such a device having potential in the business industry as a presentation device, beyond the capability of the existing Pandora.
This fills a spot for which no other system exists. Only by continuing to take advantage of the keyboard, game controls, and battery do I foresee success. Take those away, design it to be a box which sits on top of the tele to which you need to plug extra devices into, and you're exactly where we started: with a generic HTPC that costs more to get less. The Pandora wasn't designed by Apple, don't charge us more to give us less!
Click to expand...
This is the best comment so far. The most practical and economical.[/quote]
I have to agree... might change my mind... :"] [/quote]For the size of the Pandora and the Pico projector you could stuff them both in the same box. Your laptop and projector in one, with remote control via bluetooth. More of a business tool than anything else. To be honest it does feel like a strong idea to me. But I throw it out there may be it will spark something more useful from someone else.
 
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As a console/HTPC, it wouldn't make sense since it doesn't support 1080p (maybe not even 720p) and is far inferior to actual home consoles. As for a docking station, it can work if it doesn't come with gimmicks that over-use the term 'pandora', else I'll buy a usb hub+video cable/some adapter+charger+etc and fight against the cables. It would be hard to make a handheld to home conversion, unlike netbook to nettop (like the aspire revo or all-in-one pcs). So, I'll say stay with the handheld console, and if someday a CPU/GPU/etc combo that can be compared to nowadays, let other geeks to buy an open system with that.
 
Nicfer posted on Jun 8 2009 said:
As for a docking station, it can work if it doesn't come with gimmicks that over-use the term 'pandora'
I agree. They need to avoid doing what Asus did with "Eee", diluting the brand name until it means nothing. "Pandora" should mean one thing only - the Pandora handheld console. Variations like "Pandora Home" or "Pandora SE" would be a bad idea. Variations like (for example) "PanDock" or "PicoDora" might be ok though - they reference the bloodline, but maintain separation from the flagship product.
Click to expand...
 
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Sorry if i like a media center i will buy this Motherboard for 209 US :

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16813500027

It has
-wifi
-HDMI
-Nvidia Video: 9400M
-90W MAX (PSU included)
-Intel Atom DUAL Core @ 1.6 GHz (With OC it goes up to 2.0 GHz)
-3 SATA II ports
-6 USB ports (4 more internal)
-Fanless (i think, you can see the photos)
-Support for 4 Gb RAM DDR2 667/800
-Audio: 6 channels
-Low power consumption (Intel Atom and the 9400M are for netbooks maybe they use MAX 30W)

(Good) 4GB RAM 667 = 45 US
Old case without PSU = Free?

You take al the above and you will have:
-HD Media center
-Great Home server | You can stream video, download things, use ssh, etc.
-Low end gaming device (Modern games in low res, but a lot better than the pandora. Mame and PSX emulators)

The only problem is that it will use 90W MAX. 90 W is al lot compared to the pandora. But if you see what it offers is a bargain.
 
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