Pandora's Design

[realyst]

I don't care much about the four shoulder buttons, but, playing devil's advocate:

Instead of push-buttons, use pivot buttons(sorta like how digital volume buttons are in car stereos) for the shoulders. You would double the micro switches per button and allow someone to "pull" for L1 and "push" for L2.

Like I said, though, I don't really care about 4 shoulder buttons. They can be remapped easy enough.

 

[kingbuzzo]

I don't want to have to press my hand on top of a keyboard to play all my fav arcade games. I would like it to go away.

I'm a bit upset that I can't play any vertical games on this, but obviously the average joe knows nothing about those awesome games and could care less. At the very least I can use the tv out to play them.

www.shmups.com

it's ugly, and looks cluttered with wayy to much crap. If there isn't a way to make somethings go away to make the device anything but a painful experience then it shouldn't all be there. I still don't get the dual analogs. Are people really planning to play some cheesey psx fps games on this? Or any fps on this?

I voted for the HATE, but I'm glad to know that it's not a final design.

keep at it, I have faith!

Can I ask what you mean, "press my hand on top of a keyboard"? I kind of doubt your hand would even touch the keyboard while you're holding it for game use. The only thing I can think of is if you have the wrong impression about the size, maybe?

And is the cluttered "crap" you're referring to the keyboard? lol, Because that's definitely kind of going to be there.


if the keyboard was a bit smaller, or the case was a bit larger then it wouldn't be a problem. Watch some of the youtube videos and you'll see that you can't really use the dpad and buttons without having part of your palm rest on top of the keys. I don't fancy straining my hands to try to keep off and use the device at some funny angle.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=dOYRy8_D1cI

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GxN3DmFZXF0

cluttered crap I refer to is how everything is there at once. It seems like all the controls are fighting for real estate and none are getting the amount they really need to have their functionality taken seriously. Don't get me wrong, I think a keyboard is very useful, but right now it's preventing me from a cramp-free session of the type of games we've all be playing on the gp2x.

I would love to slide that keyboard away, but if that can't happen then it needs to not take up as much space on the case. Like I said, this would probably mean a larger case since the keyboard is already quite small.

thanks,

King.

 

[Balzac2m]

Just rest your palm on the keyboard, most games won't need both game controls and keyboard at the same time so not mapping anything to the keyboard will do it.

 

[pupnik]

Oh and placing the analog sticks a bit lower than the buttons and the dpad somehow might be more comfortable to use and would break up the "static" look a bit.

Now that is a constructive suggestion. Thumbs moving inward would naturally prefer a placement a couple of milimiters lower. Possibly even angled a few degrees so that pulling motion on thumb is 'down'. Not sure about that though.

Whether they could be shifted down would depend on the space available internally - the analog controllers require some space around them.

 

[Jarska333]

Needs åäö on the keyboard...

 

[zaffercharles]

Instead of push-buttons, use pivot buttons(sorta like how digital volume buttons are in car stereos) for the shoulders. You would double the micro switches per button and allow someone to "pull" for L1 and "push" for L2.

That's so much better than my crap pic here.. I have had terrible trouble trying to get this up at every point - and considering that we've had a pretty solid no on the matter, I didn't put too much effort in this after all. Don't take this as gospel more of an idea that could be implemented better still. I would have drawn them higher, but this way it is basically what they showed us with a bit extra underneath.. The text basically says-

One shoulder per side, 2 actions. Perhaps viable without the overhang at all depending on how much of the above space could be used for them. The slight angle would maybe help 2 ways, using the keyboard on a flat surface and giving something to rest your fingers under while holding with one hand, and using the stylus with the other..

A finger indentation slightly biased towards the top (L1) switch and slightly curved around the side and maybe back of the unit.
The size of the buttons only depend on how much of that upper back area I left blank could be covered maybe if you don't like the idea of angle and overhang the actual dual in one shoulders can still be used without it.

Anyway, we can probably forget triggers like my old pic because it just wouldn't work on this type of design we have now. Well it would work, but the unit is too small to accommodate them really.

Thanks for listening, I will put this to bed now it never was supposed to be selfish, I truly believed that this would actually help sell it. I can live with 2

 

[naples39]

The idea that changing the color from black to white and rounding the edges would change people's minds about buying the device blows my mind.

While I am definitely against the idea of fattening the device to add two more shoulder buttons, at least that complaint deals with functionality, rather than pure bling factor.

To me the most impressive thing about this design is that it will be roughly the same size in your pocket (if not smaller) than a GP2X, yet it will have significantly more power and functionality. Isn't that the whole point?

 

[prairiefire]

@kingbuzzo, if you are refering to the mockup youtube videos, i can assure you, it doesnt feel cluttered, its quite comfortable to hold, and your palms dont rest all over the keys

 

[whiskthecat]

Form follows function in anything that is designed worth a crap.

For example, two of the fastest and most cost effective vehicles also happen to be two of the ugliest (Says the general public).
Of course there is always the option of being beautiful and powerful but that makes the price skyrocket (Ferrari) and I think we can all agree no one wants that to happen.

So basically its about picking two.

Power
Looks
Low Price

I know which two I want, do you?

 

[Peter R]

Pandora will be the Atom of handhelds

Edit: And the Atom certainly is not ugly

 

[Jarska333]

I don't care much about the four shoulder buttons, but, playing devil's advocate:

Instead of push-buttons, use pivot buttons(sorta like how digital volume buttons are in car stereos) for the shoulders. You would double the micro switches per button and allow someone to "pull" for L1 and "push" for L2.

Like I said, though, I don't really care about 4 shoulder buttons. They can be remapped easy enough.



For cool design feature, how about having the L-side of the button be actually a trigger on the R-side?

That doesn't make much sense.... :unsure:

You know how the GP32 L-R buttons are a bit sharp in the edges? They worked fine and dandy still. I'm thinking, there could have easily been a swivel under the button, so you could have pushed the button's edge upwards, and faciliate a second button.

Hoo, need sleep. Maybe that sound good even when I'm actually awake...

 

[whiskthecat]

Pandora will be the Atom of handhelds

Edit: And the Atom certainly is not ugly

Agreed, we can only hope that the Pandora will be the atom of handhelds.

Also, when I say it's ugly, I am talking about what most people think. If you don't believe me try showing it to one of your friends who drives a civic and isn't interested in cars. (They will start whining about it not having a roof.) Same with the Pandora, most will think it is hideous, while a select few will see the true beauty.

 

[Peter R]

I see the beauty of the Atom. One day I will own one....

 

[moxie]

Ugh. A handheld should be a game controller with a screen, not a fucking laptop. This is seriously the gayest design I've ever seen.

Heres a respectable design

the rectangles at the top are shoulder buttons, the round thing at the bottom is an analog stick, the rest is obvious.

Now, if someone thought that the current design looked like a Vtech product... :blink:

 

[javaJake]

Those of you saying "I'm not buying now!" are idiots. Go away. Seriously, wtf? You were all drooling over the specs and now it's the "bling" that puts you off? So what if it doesn't look like it was shat from the holy anus of the Crystal Goddess. You want an apple PC or an iPhone, go get one. Lemme know when Apple decides to let you use it.

Sig'ed. Beautifully said! Etc. :lol:

 

[Yrx]

Alright, after looking at those new renders...

If you do nothing else, PLEASE space the ABXY buttons more. I figure you probably just used the GP2X buttons for that render, but it's so hard for my thumb to hit the right buttons on games like Super Mario World and Megaman X, where holding down a button is pretty much required. Spacing them a little more (or perhaps larger and firmer buttons) would make this console so much more comfortable.

Okay, thanks.

 

[Shiny]

Alright, after looking at those new renders...

If you do nothing else, PLEASE space the ABXY buttons more. I figure you probably just used the GP2X buttons for that render, but it's so hard for my thumb to hit the right buttons on games like Super Mario World and Megaman X, where holding down a button is pretty much required. Spacing them a little more (or perhaps larger and firmer buttons) would make this console so much more comfortable.

Okay, thanks.

They look fine to me :/
They're pretty much the same positions that the Nintendo DS uses, which I think are quite comfortable.
Or I just have weird hands :\

 

[atomicthumbs]

I'd like to see a wifi antenna port on the the Pandora, I'd love to be able to upgrade the antenna to some kind of High-Gain and/or directional antenna. It's just a small change but very useful. You could ship it with a small little nub antenna, and sell up grade antenna in your retail shops.

Good idea, but the default antenna should be internal, with it switching to the external one when it's plugged in. I have plans to make a Yagi if this goes in. :lol:

Form follows function in anything that is designed worth a crap.

For example, two of the fastest and most cost effective vehicles also happen to be two of the ugliest.

I think those look awesome.

 

[whiskthecat]

I think those look awesome.

My point exactly, people who are smart enough to like the Pandora's design can see the beauty in form following function.

Also when I say "most people" That usually doesn't equate too anyone on this board, but the average joe with his ipod and his bogged down windows vista.

I definitely think the Atom looks good, cant say the same about the Hayabusa but if it helps the aerodynamics then so be it.

 

[Classic Team]

Heres my 2 cents:

So, its not what we expected... who cares? It may not look the way we exspected it to, but it gets the job done, and thats what really matters. The perpuse of disigning it that way was probubbly to avoid problems, like the buttions causeing splashes because there too close to the screen, or making room for other features - whatever the reason is, they did it because thats how they thought it should have been done. There should be nothing to argue about. THIS is the Pandora. Lets live with it, and focus on the positives of the design, NOT the negitives.