Pandora Questions And Answers

[Near_Kstor]

A OS Question:
How easy will it be to install a new OS in the NAND and reinstall the original xfce if it's not satisfactory?
Will this be even possible? =X

Yes I believe this was always the intention to be able to install other OS's but the preferred route from what I gather is not to install over the NAND in case you brick it, and instead install the other OS on the SD cards and use a boot loader to choose.

One of the good things is that if you mess the NAND up, you can re-install from the SD card, so bricking isn't an issue

Hmm, that's very interesting, indeed... and also very nice to hear (or read? =P)
So I assume the install directly to nand will not affect the boot loader, so the Pandora keeps its 'unbrickable' status?

 

[peca]

So I assume the install directly to nand will not affect the boot loader, so the Pandora keeps its 'unbrickable' status?

Yes. IIRC there is small ROM or somehow locked bit of FlashROM where BootLoader sits. So even if FlashROM is weared out and can't be flashed with proper image, You still can boot from SD card.

 

[SoleGrave]

How does one know which batch they are in? Does it correspond to the order number?

 

[fischju2000]

How does one know which batch they are in? Does it correspond to the order number?

All current orders are in the first batch of ~4000 units, orders for the second haven't been taken yet. If you wish to know your approximate place in the queue, you need to email the sales team.

 

[SoleGrave]

How does one know which batch they are in? Does it correspond to the order number?

All current orders are in the first batch of ~4000 units, orders for the second haven't been taken yet. If you wish to know your approximate place in the queue, you need to email the sales team.

Considering Im very late in the game, Im not expecting mine anytime soon (which totally sucks). 4000 units preorder locked within a week after september 2008. A whole year went by before I stuffed my order in this december. Im not privy to the manufacturing process so Im guessing maybe another year for me. (I would have loved to see the faces of my local GameStop employees when I walk in with the Pando).

 

[fischju2000]

How does one know which batch they are in? Does it correspond to the order number?

All current orders are in the first batch of ~4000 units, orders for the second haven't been taken yet. If you wish to know your approximate place in the queue, you need to email the sales team.

Considering Im very late in the game, Im not expecting mine anytime soon (which totally sucks). 4000 units preorder locked within a week after september 2008. A whole year went by before I stuffed my order in this december. Im not privy to the manufacturing process so Im guessing maybe another year for me. (I would have loved to see the faces of my local GameStop employees when I walk in with the Pando).

We on the boards generally are - After everybody had to reorder and in the time since many people have canceled and new orders have taken their place. If mass production can start in January, every Pandora could theoretically go out within a couple of months

 

[Bigun]

External HID devices:

What will the default kernel support?

Joypads?
Keyboards?
Mice?

Will they work if they are USB1 devices?

 

[zhasha]

Joypads?
Keyboards?
Mice?

Yes
Yes
Yes

Will they work if they are USB1 devices?

Yes, but with a hub in-between. USB 2.0 is not backwards compatible BUT any USB 2.0 hub will do as an intermediate.

 

[juniorm33]

Bit more info regarding Pandora and USB

 

[mali]

Yes, but with a hub in-between. USB 2.0 is not backwards compatible BUT any USB 2.0 hub will do as an intermediate.

That leads to an idea for an accessory. An short USB adaptor cable with a mini black box in between that contains a hub chip that converts the port to full compatibility. It might even be possible to integrate that chip into the USB plug/socket of that cable.

 

[Bigun]

Yes, but with a hub in-between. USB 2.0 is not backwards compatible BUT any USB 2.0 hub will do as an intermediate.

That leads to an idea for an accessory. An short USB adaptor cable with a mini black box in between that contains a hub chip that converts the port to full compatibility. It might even be possible to integrate that chip into the USB plug/socket of that cable.

That would be a highly desirable integrated hardware enhancement for a Pandora 2.

 

[juniorm33]

That leads to an idea for an accessory. An short USB adaptor cable with a mini black box in between that contains a hub chip that converts the port to full compatibility. It might even be possible to integrate that chip into the USB plug/socket of that cable.

Something like this ?

 

[Bigun]

Bit more info regarding Pandora and USB

I've looked over that page before and had no idea what an "On The Go" Port was. But a USB 2.0 hub, Gotcha...

Can the hubs be powered through the port ok? Assuming the hub and devices doesn't go over the 500 mA power limit?

I would almost like to see a few demos of this, seeing how some USB Hubs can play utter hell on certain devices pending on the chipset and drivers used.

 

[mali]

That leads to an idea for an accessory. An short USB adaptor cable with a mini black box in between that contains a hub chip that converts the port to full compatibility. It might even be possible to integrate that chip into the USB plug/socket of that cable.

Something like this ?

Yep, I mean something like that Just instead of acting like a hub it would have only one socket to keep it smallest possible. It would just be used to connect a single USB 1.1 device to Pandora's USB 2.0 port.

 

[WizardStan]

I've looked over that page before and had no idea what an "On The Go" Port was.

An On The Go port is a slave port that can be converted into a host port, usually with a simple adapter. I believe the phrase was first coined a few years ago for certain external hard drives: the hard drive could be plugged into a computer as normal, and it would be treated as a slave, but with the right adapter you could plug (for example) a digital camera into the hard drive and copy the files off the camera directly onto the hard drive any time and anywhere, without an intermediary computer; "on the go" as it were.

 

[juniorm33]

That leads to an idea for an accessory. An short USB adaptor cable with a mini black box in between that contains a hub chip that converts the port to full compatibility. It might even be possible to integrate that chip into the USB plug/socket of that cable.

Something like this ?

Yep, I mean something like that Just instead of acting like a hub it would have only one socket to keep it smallest possible. It would just be used to connect a single USB 1.1 device to Pandora's USB 2.0 port.

This is gonna sound stupid, but could the rest be cut off to just leave one?
Wonder if there's any like you want already out there, may not be worth them making considering cost of hub version?

 

[mali]

This is gonna sound stupid, but could the rest be cut off to just leave one?
Wonder if there's any like you want already out there, may not be worth them making considering cost of hub version?

This would surely work(would be better to crack the case open and desolder the other connectors to prevent short circuits, though). If there is demand for something like that, it might be possible for OP to order it somewhere for a few cents, put a Pandora logo on and sell it for 1EUR or two, I think. Personally I'm planning to put a chip inside Pandora itself and rewire the port internally.

 

[brunox69]

a)Is it possible a driver to a USB Rj-45 Ethernet Cable Adapter? like this one: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2797

It work on Linux but probably there aren't drives to ARM's architecture, it would be very useful at my work where we don't have wi-fi.

b)Is the nubs really going to makes the mouse moves? How is it going to work... the shoulders buttons will correspond to the mouse buttons?


Sorry for USB again...

 

[juniorm33]

a)Is it possible a driver to a USB Rj-45 Ethernet Cable Adapter? like this one: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2797

It work on Linux but probably there aren't drives to ARM's architecture, it would be very useful at my work where we don't have wi-fi.

Sorry for USB again...

here you go mate usb ethernet Cable Adapter
Not tested on Pandora but says drivers not required so I'd be very hopeful, and expect that it will work.

 

[brunox69]

Also hopes that we could use the generics one because the Aples's one should cost something like U$50,00.

a)Is it possible a driver to a USB Rj-45 Ethernet Cable Adapter? like this one: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2797

It work on Linux but probably there aren't drives to ARM's architecture, it would be very useful at my work where we don't have wi-fi.

Sorry for USB again...

here you go mate usb ethernet Cable Adapter
Not tested on Pandora but says drivers not required so I'd be very hopeful, and expect that it will work.