Pandora is WAY overpriced????

[relapse808]

I am seeing more and more gaming tablets coming out that have dual core CPU and GPU, larger screen, and more robust controls.  All of them do lack the physical keyboard.  I owned a original pandora I think I paid 300 for.  Asking for over 600 dollars for a 1 gig model is just WAY out there.  I can get 3 gaming tablets for that cost.  I would love to come back to the world of pandora but you need to have some soft of competitive price.

 

[EvilDragon]

Aaaand.... who is going to sponsor that price?


Of course all those cheap tablets with a very simple casing, produced in millions in China have about 1/10th production costs than a Pandora has, produced in small numbers in Germany (no cheap labour land).


Not much we can do about that, can we?


Niche products and small production runs are ALWAYS a lot more expensive. That's not just the case with the Pandora, but with all other products as well.

 

[LuSimon]

I agree but you should also remember it is a great investiment cause almost everything that exists for pandora is free wich makes it a great investiment for gaming and working porpuses plus no restrictions and freedom to do whatever you please with it wich is a great price to pay plus the pandora team is litle so that means production costs are high and the pandora is not well known wich makes it sell less and make the price higher

 

[relapse808]

I understand the small niche.  I had one of the first 1000 that rolled out but was forced to sell at the time due to family or whatever.  I was looking to get another but I was just surpised the cost is twice what I paid.

 

[_wb_]

You can get yourself a 600MHz unit or maybe a refurbished 256MB model for less...

 

[crosspoint]

Better investing in a product that is produced at least partly under good working conditions and with an established and enthusiastic community than in a cheap mass market product produced fully under bad conditions without support from anyone.

 

[Galaxis]

Some time ago, a mobile Raspberry Pi project went through the news. Despite the Pi board itself only being at $35, the guy spent about $330 in used parts plus some 3D printing to make it into something portable (although, admittedly, the biggest chunk of that price was for a SSD). Still, compare that to a refurbished "classic" Pandora - and even the Rebirth is not that far off.

 

[atari_afternoon]

Compare any smartphone to the Pandora.

 

[sebt3]

..., and more robust controls.  

your post was expected to be funny or a troll ?

 

[Binky]

For the price you get:

1. awesome community support
2. loads of free, good quality software
3. access to the OS source code, bootloader and root password
4. complete freedom from manufacturer control
5. an extremely rare and (more than) functional pocket computer (or is it a games console?)
6. a crash-course in informal computer science (courtesy of the aforementioned awesome community)
7. The warm fuzzy feeling of supporting a few independently-minded people and giving factory workers a fair wage.

3, 4 and 7 are probably the most expensive components in a pandora - priceless even. They are also the parts that Apple & co omit to lower production costs

 

[PowerGod]

A tablet with a REAL OS.... 

http://idletechthoughts.com/2012/07/14/tablet-with-a-real-os/

Hey, look at the price !!

 

[Foxgod]

Worth every euro to me, and i would glady pay the same amount for the Pandora2.

Its not like theres tons of game control laptops out there...

Without Openpandpora, a device such as this would have never existed.

If i would not have a pandora, and someone would offer me three gaming tablets, i would sell the tablets and get a pandora

Plus, a tablet is nothing more then a shiny gadget that can be held and is supposed to make me feel good because of the.... what is it actually that makes people feel good from a gadget ?

 

[relapse808]

..., and more robust controls.  

your post was expected to be funny or a troll ?

I wasnt trying to be either.  I have had a pandora for a while.  For me the thumb stick are too close.  The shoulders buttons were a joke, no offense.  I had to take it apart several times to try to repair it.  Im sure things may have imporved since then but I dont find my opinion to be trolling or funny

 

[Hồng Thất Công]

Maybe including 2 x 8GB SD Cards in the sell price then that would be more price friendly and people can try out the panda right away upon receiving the unit.

 

[Exophase]

I wasnt trying to be either.  I have had a pandora for a while.  For me the thumb stick are too close.  The shoulders buttons were a joke, no offense.  I had to take it apart several times to try to repair it.  Im sure things may have imporved since then but I dont find my opinion to be trolling or funny

Which gaming tablets have you personally used and can confirm have superior controls vs Pandora? Not exactly a lot are out.. Archos Gamepad has been panned for having awful controls... Maybe the new JXD ones are better, I don't know. Would like to think that after a bazillion tries they could eventually get it right.

 

[andmaz777]

Maybe overpriced due to the low volumes but its definitely worth every penny - mass market customers would not appreciate it as its not pick up and play like an Ipad etc.

 

[Fzero]

For the price you get:

1. awesome community support
2. loads of free, good quality software
3. access to the OS source code, bootloader and root password
4. complete freedom from manufacturer control
5. an extremely rare and (more than) functional pocket computer (or is it a games console?)
6. a crash-course in informal computer science (courtesy of the aforementioned awesome community)
7. The warm fuzzy feeling of supporting a few independently-minded people and giving factory workers a fair wage.

3, 4 and 7 are probably the most expensive components in a pandora - priceless even. They are also the parts that Apple & co omit to lower production costs

That is the main thing I see justifying the greater cost compared to a load of these other gaming tablets ... those others are only gaming tablets and lack all the other stuff the Pandora OS offers.

Personally the gaming for me is the main attraction, but still

 

[vandyswa]

...I can get 3 gaming tablets for that cost.  I would love to come back to the world of pandora but you need to have some soft of competitive price.

I pay the premium because I want a tablet where the maker won't f*ck with me.  Different OS?  Fine.  Replace a library?  No problem.  Add a different kernel module?  Piece of cake.  Look at the source?  It's right over here.

Good luck finding this in a $200 android tablet... been there.

 

[Timstertoo]

Although the pricing is understandable his feedback is valuable though.

The Pandora is not going to sell itself at this price level. Some serious marketing needs to be done to get to the target audience. People who once felt the love and gave up somewhere along the line have to be let known that they can have instant gratification now through ED. And new blood needs to be found as anyone in the pre order list isn't exactly going to be a great ambassador right now. I know I'm not promoting it at the moment as the only thing it gets me is more ridicule (and rightly so!) for still waiting. So people outside of the current circle need to be reached and made enthousiastic.  Also the 1GhZ price is kept up artificially because of the remaining pre orders and the fact that Craig won't pay his bills. If there were no pre orders left it could go to the price of a rebirth edition and still make profit. That would be a much more competitive price.

I guess it has to be done at very low budget, which means it will take a big time investment from someone and a lot of creativity and follow up.

Personally I think it's probably unreasonable and most certainly unrealistic to expect ED to be able to take this job on too. And Craig who should be doing this seeing as it's the last thing left ED isn't doing for him, including servicing his customers out of his own pocket, is too much of a cry baby to suck some critique up and man up and put some work in. (ED changed the website so now I'm not doing the marketing anymore, that'll teach him!)

So isn't there someone (or a couple of someones) close to ED with some time on his/their hands who could pick this up?

 

[Kumaki]

I am seeing more and more gaming tablets coming out that have dual core CPU and GPU, larger screen, and more robust controls.  All of them do lack the physical keyboard.  I owned a original pandora I think I paid 300 for.  Asking for over 600 dollars for a 1 gig model is just WAY out there.  I can get 3 gaming tablets for that cost.  I would love to come back to the world of pandora but you need to have some soft of competitive price.

You get what you pay for.If you want cheap snot built in China by slave labor...then get that.

If you want a quality product, produced ethically, by labor paid a fair wage, quality workmanship, functionality and versatility...not to mention a supportive, friendly, and helpful community that is second to none...then suck up and get a Pandora.

Besides...

For the price you get:

• awesome community support
• loads of free, good quality software
• access to the OS source code, bootloader and root password
• complete freedom from manufacturer control
• an extremely rare and (more than) functional pocket computer (or is it a games console?)
• a crash-course in informal computer science (courtesy of the aforementioned awesome community)
• The warm fuzzy feeling of supporting a few independently-minded people and giving factory workers a fair wage.

3, 4 and 7 are probably the most expensive components in a pandora - priceless even. They are also the parts that Apple & co omit to lower production costs

Also...

I pay the premium because I want a tablet where the maker won't f*ck with me. Different OS? Fine. Replace a library? No problem. Add a different kernel module? Piece of cake. Look at the source? It's right over here.

Good luck finding this in a $200 android tablet... been there.

These people say it better than I could!

As to what Timster said...

So isn't there someone (or a couple of someones) close to ED with some time on his/their hands who could pick this up?

Well, you'd have to find someone with some money to invest in the project. And with that, any reasonable investor would expect an ownership stake in the company. So you want to be careful about who you'd pick!

Personally, if my own business takes off more I would be willing to consider making a financial investment in the project in return for a part-ownership stake...and be a very silent sort of partner...not trying to inject myself into decision-making (after all, let the people who know best about the product make the decisions...) Basically, you'd want someone like me willing to put up some money and be a foot slogger, and just take orders from others, and execute.

This, however, would not be at least for a couple years, as I have some more personal matters to take care of first.