Pandora's Design

[Eclipse]

seems worst than DS that's truly a shit to hold.
No words, it will be simply a nightmare to use. It also seems too small on the comparison to have all that stuff...

i think i'll stuck with my three gp2xs... too bad because i was a craiginator fan too

 

[deathterrapin]

I'm quite happy with this design apart from the keyboard layout, I definatly agree that it needs a ctrl key and preferably alt and tab too.

Is there any reason why there are only three rows? Making the keys 3/4 of that height and putting four rows in would give us a full layout and still leave the keys plenty big enough to press properly. The width of the keys is more important than the height to stop you mashing multiple keys.

I've made a quick example of what I'd prefer the layout to be more like:

 

[Karel Jansens]

We also need to get across how small thing thing is to you, it's smaller than the GP2X, even a childs hands can reach the analogue sticks. If you want a real size cardboard render posted to you we can send one

Would it perhaps be possible to put a PDF file of the render somewhere? Printing it out and sticking it on some cardboard would not exactly be rocket science.

And it would save you stamps. B)

 

[atomicthumbs]

I'm quite happy with this design apart from the keyboard layout, I definatly agree that it needs a ctrl key and preferably alt and tab too.

Is there any reason why there are only three rows? Making the keys 3/4 of that height and putting four rows in would give us a full layout and still leave the keys plenty big enough to press properly. The width of the keys is more important than the height to stop you mashing multiple keys.

I've made a quick example of what I'd prefer the layout to be more like:

Shouldn't the octothorpe key just be shift+3 instead?

Other than that, that looks perfect.

 

[naples39]

The more I consider it, the more I like the design. I just don't get all the people who say this is a catastrophe. As I said before it reminds me of a DS Lite, which I think is an excellent design (yes, much better than a GP2X and PSP IMO, both of which I have owned). A little cluttered, but what did people expect after asking for so many buttons, analog sticks, ports, etc?

I even messed around with my DS Lite in 'vertical mode', and it's possible to use the dpad holding it that way. Not ideal, but doable.

 

[deathterrapin]

Shouldn't the octothorpe key just be shift+3 instead?

Not on an english keyboard

 

[fusion_power]

About the volume control, I would prefer a wheel like the old gameboy. It's a lot more accurate.

I'd say this way is a lot more accurate, you can see at a glance what the volume level is before turning it on, and always make sure it's at your preferred level. With a wheel, you have to turn it all the way to zero, before you can measure where it is.

You could use a thicker Wheel with Marks or Numbers on it. Black Wheel, White signs or vice versa. Problem solved.
If you want a Slider, then you should put the Slider more into the case. When using the Pandora as an Audio-Player in the Pocket, such an easy to manipulate slider right out of the case isn't very good. (A Headphone jack at this place in the Render Pix are not good to for Pocket-usage to.) At least I hope, The handheld is designed for Pocket usage as an Music-Player. Then it needs a "save" Volume Slider and a second Audio Jack on the right small side of the Pandora (Which would be upper side in vertical usage)

 

[Eolair]

Look any better? The problem is that you would have to redesign the hinge completely....maybe not what you want to do at this point.

 

[fusion_power]

Look any better? The problem is that you would have to redesign the hinge completely...




Very nice! I like the rounded edges. It seperates the Whole Device from the DS.
Is this a Volume Wheel? Nice and not too thin. You could try to add Numbers or dots onto the wheel so we see instant the current volume level. No more need for an Slider.
How people can model such a thing so fast? I would need a whole Week in Blender to do such a Thing. ^^"""

 

[Balzac2m]

Look any better? The problem is that you would have to redesign the hinge completely....maybe not what you want to do at this point.





Looks soo much better. As the final device will have a tablet-like lid, the hinge has to be redesigned anyway.

 

[Tobriand]

Look any better? The problem is that you would have to redesign the hinge completely....maybe not what you want to do at this point.





Wow. With the simple addition of a few curved corners, the device suddenly looks sexy. And that's not a word I use of computer hardware lightly.

If the hinge can be made as sturdy with this design, and it wouldn't be too lat to implement it, then this is the one I vote for!

Idd, another idea: What about adding a second hinge in the lid such that the screen can be rotated 180 degrees? Wiring done through tubes at the sides, of course.

Essentially would add the tablet/PDA mode without compromising the clamshell design. Which would be very very cool. Possibly overly complex, but perhaps not...

 

[zaffercharles]

I prefer the square look myself, but it's 3 to one already

 

[___]

weee that does look sexy! Now everbody should be convinced that the design can easily be optimized too make it look a little more slick.

 

[Squidge]

Looks like my GF's makeup box :unsure:

 

[CoMiKe]

I've made a late mock-up of what I would like the Pandora to be.

It's very different to the current Pandora design, but well, shouldn't hurt to post this here.

Anyway, I'm not a great designer and it's my first time using Inkscape. Don't be too hard on me.

It's a clamshell design, a little wider than the GP2X, but with the rotated screen laying over the keyboard, it helps on using the stylus, and has four shoulder buttons when you are using it as a gaming handheld.

EDIT: Oh, I think it should be close to real size... I tried it, at least.

 

[Amon_Re]

http://www.openpandora.org/

I'm sorry Craig and others, but I'm really disappointed by the design. In my opinion it looks dated and too eeepc-like. I was expecting something a lot more modern, and this has left me underwhelmed and majorly disappointed.



I'm mostly worried about how this thing will feel in my hands, it's too stiff, and way to cramped for my liking, make the case more curved, get rid of those speaker holes next to the screen, or try to make them atleast less obvious, i'm not sure about the keyboard's position neighter, but then again, maybe that's because it's hard to picture this thing in proper scale.

the control system would benifit more with 6 face buttons rarther than just the 4

You're right, having a cluttered soup of action buttons would be better than a clean group of 4. :rolleyes:


Remember Sega's six buttoned joypads? Those still are my favourite joypads ever, and not cluttered

 

[atomicthumbs]

Look any better? The problem is that you would have to redesign the hinge completely....maybe not what you want to do at this point.




YES

Idd, another idea: What about adding a second hinge in the lid such that the screen can be rotated 180 degrees? Wiring done through tubes at the sides, of course.

Essentially would add the tablet/PDA mode without compromising the clamshell design. Which would be very very cool. Possibly overly complex, but perhaps not...

YES

The only thing left would be a better keyboard!

 

[lubidog]

@Xnop, you just speak the truth!

@Eolair-perfect!

@Tobriand good idea!

Personally, I am excited more by this than I already was. And if these slight modifications can be made it will be everything I wish for! Well, maybe more ram, if that will help the web browsing part. Not that I know anything about it.

 

[Amon_Re]

Look any better? The problem is that you would have to redesign the hinge completely....maybe not what you want to do at this point.





This is a much cleaner looking design, alot more elegant then the white renders, still not too sure about the d-pad & analog controls, they look cramped, maybe moving the 2 analog pads out of the straight line with the rest for the buttons would help?

I've made a late mock-up of what I would like the Pandora to be.

It's very different to the current Pandora design, but well, shouldn't hurt to post this here.

Anyway, I'm not a great designer and it's my first time using Inkscape. Don't be too hard on me.

It's a clamshell design, a little wider than the GP2X, but with the rotated screen laying over the keyboard, it helps on using the stylus, and has four shoulder buttons when you are using it as a gaming handheld.

EDIT: Oh, I think it should be close to real size... I tried it, at least.

If the hinge can be done solidly enough, i'd vote for this design, looks *alot* more practical, but it all depends on wether or not the rotating screen is feasable

 

[CoMiKe]

This design should have the following advantages:

- Full keyboard with good key size.
- When the screen laids over the keyboard, the stylus can be used in a very comfortable way.
- When the screen laids over the keyboard, you have four shoulder buttons available, and it could be played in a similar way to the GP2X / PSP.

Disadvantages:
- It's a little wider, but that helps the keyboard and it has minor height.