Pandora Or Wiz I Just Dont Know

[foleyjo]

I usually hate these threads where someone asks what they should buy but I really don't know which one I should try and get.

I'm leaning towards Pandora for the keyboard and I think the screen will be safer when the thing is closed.

What I really want to know is which would have the better emulation performance and support.

What does everyone else think.

(If this is being discussed elsewhere please direct me as I didn't see anything)

 

[zxxgp]

The Pandora is going to have a faster processor and more capable hardware in general. Since it is a new device though you might have to wait before you see the same emulator selection on the Pandora that you have on the GP2X. On the money side you are going to pay for that hardware.

 

[Pleng]

If you want a device purely for emulation, and don't mind the extra cost then it's a no-brainer:

• The Pandora has a processor capable of faster overclock speeds, plus better GFX chips and DSs
• The pandora has a D-Pad, 2 Analogue nubs, 4 butons and 2 shoulder buttons, making it much better suited to emulating consoles such as the Playstation and N64
• The Pandora has a keyboard, making Amiga, DOS, C64 etc emulation much more enjoyable

Other advantages, not specifically emulation related, are the Pandora has are dual SDHC card slots (as opposed to one), the Pandora has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and longer battery life. As you say, the clamshell design will also help keep the screen protected.

There is part of me that really wants a Wiz in addition to a Pandora. But there's no part of me that can find a reason to actually go ahead and buy one, other than the fact it's due to be released a bit sooner (the money would be far better spend buying 4 x 16Gb SDHCs for my Pandora!)

 

[Thunder]

The Pandora is going to have a faster processor

That's not true, the Wiz uses an ARM9 processor, the Pandora an ARM8.
Yes, the Pandora has higher clocks, but that doesn't have to mean it's better.
But asides from that the Pandora has twice as much RAM which pretty much means it's waaay more powerful.
Also, the Wiz will only be supporting 2D games, that's a bit of a bummer.

 

[Adventus]

ummm. No. The pandora has a much faster cpu. Its a 'cortex a8' which you could say is an arm12 (but you would be wrong).

If money and formfactor are not an issue go the pandora. A vast majority of the gp2x games are an easy recompile away.

 

[IceBerg303]

Just a few things here.

1. The WIZ does have 3D acceleration
2. The Arm9 will be mildly slower than the Cortex
3. WIZ uses OLED witch is super highly susceptible to screen burn, exponentially more than LCD
4. WIZ has digital controls, no analog, so though it can do 3D, control will suck

I think the WIZ is cool, and Id buy one over a base F200, especially since I hate white, but I am doing my best to save my money for Pandora.

The only thing that may pull be away from the Pandora is the HTC Dream (Google Android enabled phone), depends on which gets released first really.

 

[Adventus]

I dont know what you regard as mildly faster but the cortex a8 is inorder superscalar and has an fpu. For non floating point instructions the a8 should average more instructions per clock (maybe 1.5x) than an arm9. It will destroy it in floating point operations (probably a factor of 10). Add to this the fact that it can be overclocked 250mhz faster....

 

[IceBerg303]

I dont know what you regard as mildly faster but the cortex a8 is inorder superscalar and has an fpu. For non floating point instructions the a8 should average more instructions per clock (maybe 1.5x) than an arm9. It will destroy it in floating point operations (probably a factor of 10). Add to this the fact that it can be overclocked 250mhz faster....

I said mildly because most actually software is going to show a mild performance increase as far as a user can tell. There is no need to make someone think they are going to get a Ferrari instead of a VW rabbit. I couldn't to a runtime evaluation myself so I assume anyone asking the question couldn't either. None the less it will be faster, and how much faster is going to depend on the programs and how they were written.

 

[Null]

What does everyone else think.

I think you should buy both, then send which one you don't like to me. :lol:

 

[Mutilator]

they are both looking good so far but judging ur Commodore logo i would imagine the pandora will be better by far for amiga, c64 games.. im a big fan of the amiga so im gonna get the pandora even if the amiga emulator isnt out for awhile im sure someone will do a quick port which should surfice for the time around releases

 

[EvilDragon]

Well, I did post a comparison yesterday at the German boards... I'll translate it here
As I've seen both systems, I can compare them pretty good.

1. CPU: The Pandora is significantly faster than the WIZ.
For Homebrew-Games that's irrelevant. It will be relevant for more complex applications or emulators.

2. Display: Pandora has a higher resolution, WIZ is - thanks to OLED - much brighter.
If you're outside very often and don't need a higher resolution (i.e. for playing some games, etc.), the WIZ is well better for you in that aspect.
If you need a higher resolution (i.e. for internet, etc.) but are using it inside a room most of the time, the Pandora is way better suited.

3. Size and design: The Pandora is a bit bigger and thicker, the WIZ is smaller and more compact. If you're on the go a lot and are looking basically for a small MP3 player with additional functions like a movie player or game player, the WIZ does suit you well.
If your pocket is a bit bigger and you like to check your eMails or internet or play more complex games, it's the Pandora you need.

4. Mobile Office: Well, without keyboard or Internet, you can't do much with the WIZ. It has a planner and an alarm included, if that's all you need, you're fine. Need WiFi, Internet or office apps? Well, that's when you need a Pandora.

5. Some more infos:
Pandora has TV OUT and USB Host, you can easily connect mouse, keyboard, joystick and TV. Not possible with the WIZ, it doesn't have TV OUT. The WIZ clearly is meant to be a true mobile handheld device.
GPH plans to support Homebrew and Homebrew-Devs, they also want to offer a platform for homebrew devs to sell their games for a cheap price. They also plan to release low-budget commercial games.
Pandora will have the dev fund. If it sells well, there surely will be commercial games.
The WIZ is cheaper, which might also be an aspect for some of you.

6. Games and Applications
On the Pandora, you can expect other applications and games. FreeCiv, Battle for Wesnoth or LinCity NG for example wouldn't make much sense on a WIZ because of the low resolution.
But the WIZ will be very good for Arcade- or Puzzlegames.
Console emulators should work fine on both devices, with DOSBox and Amiga the Pandora is better as you have a keyboard, higher CPU power and a better resolution.

--> Conclusion:

The WIZ is definately the better system for casual gamers or gamers who love to play classic console-like games (be it original homebrew games or emulated games), up to the PSX-Standard. It's better to use outside than any other gaming handheld I've seen yet because of the OLED screen.
The Pandora is a more fully fledged system which offers all of the above (except OLED), but also includes additional features. This means, besides Internet and office stuff, you can also play more PC-like games which make use of a keyboard, mouse or higher resolution. But it's also more expensive.

So, you don't need all those additional functions the Pandora offers? The WIZ is fine for you.
You want to access internet and love high-res and keyboards? Get a Pandora.

 

[quasist]

Do not forget that pandora has a wierd(widescreen) aspect ratio.
Touchscreen of Wiz is more easy reachable in general gameplay than one of pandora.

 

[foleyjo]

Well Ive made up my mind Ill buy both and give one to Lurkio.

Seriously though I think Ill go for Pandora. Thanks for the info people.

 

[Null]

Well Ive made up my mind Ill buy both and give one to Lurkio.

Seriously though I think Ill go for Pandora. Thanks for the info people.

 

[jakshep2]

pandora is generally superior. get a pando.

 

[klikklak]

Thanks to ED for non-partisan evaluation of the gadgets. It's good enough to be posted elsewhere on the forum, I stumbled on it while searching the entire board for new Wiz posts.

 

[velocity37]

At the cheap price, it's almost tempting, but there are a many things that will keep me on Pandora's side.

The buttons on the Wiz are definitely an issue. I can just imagine trying to play the N64 on the equivalent of a SNES controller; everything but trivial games like Tetris would be a pain. Dual-shock enabled PSX games could also prove troublesome. The extra RAM will most certainly give the Pandora a nice advantage as well.

The screen is another big issue. While 320x240 is a perfect resolution for a 2.8" screen, the Pandora's resolution is just that much better. Even if I was running a 4:3 program on my Pandora, I'd effectively end up with a 3.44" (22.9% larger) screen at 640x480.

Having a pocket-sized network/internet enabled device will also be a plus for me. While I'm around the house I can use it as a remote control for my stereo, or stream multimedia directly to my Pandora from a network drive.

One last thing that bugs me about the Wiz is a different issue altogether. I won't believe for a second it's pure coincidence the release date of the Wiz is so close to the expected release date for the Pandora. While I don't expect the Wiz to be barely functioning at launch, I do find much comfort in the fact that the Pandora project has stuck firmly to "it'll be done when it's done."

Really though, when I ask myself "which will be better, and which will I get more use and enjoyment out of?", I can't fool myself, the answer is most definitely the Pandora. I've been interested in such a portable device on and off for many years now, starting off with the original non-lit, iffy-performance GP32; Having never purchased a GP32 or GP2X all this time, it would be quite stupid of me to just half-ass my decision only to later regret it.

 

[Exophase]

The WIZ is definately the better system for casual gamers or gamers who love to play classic console-like games (be it original homebrew games or emulated games), up to the PSX-Standard. It's better to use outside than any other gaming handheld I've seen yet because of the OLED screen.

Wiz is better for emulated games even with a second d-pad that you yourself described as making it impossible to even pass the first level of Super Mario World with?

Another advantage for using Pandora is that it'll have better battery life.

 

[jakshep2]

let's just face it. GPH have epically failed. I was expecting something great from the sequel to gp2x. thank god we have pandora

 

[Thunder]

ummm. No. The pandora has a much faster cpu. Its a 'cortex a8' which you could say is an arm12 (but you would be wrong).

*Crawls in corner*
/Shame

Me and my dumbness.