Pandora's Design

[gaterooze]

I suggest the greek alphabet.

I actually quite like that (the labelling, not the positioning)! But I suspect it will be too "weird" for many folks...

 

[Mr B]

What you're not 'getting' is that the above pasted keyboard design has a major flaw.

The trapezoidal shape of the pandora keyboard allows for your thumbs to have some resting surface just below the controllers. extending the keyboard to the edges on the top row means your thumbs will be hitting or wearing-out those edge keys, and your grip on the unit will be worse.
With both the original, and this custom keys, your going to have people resting a part of there palms on the keys, yes. This is as bad on both layouts. More keys on this one, but also more keys in total. Just as bad, with an advantage over the other design makes it a weak, but winning concept. However the important factor, is that the analog sticks, and the d-pad/buttons have been slightly moved to provide reach in a better, and more comfortable way.
B!

 

[Mia]

I suggest the greek alphabet.

Hey that's a pretty neat idea. It could add personality to the device, and it's consistent with the name 'Pandora' related to the greek mythology.
"α to jump, β to fire"
Not sure if it's too realistic from a marketing point of view though.

 

[Turnip]

What happend to it having a part metal case like craig said in the big thread?

Hello?


Nobody wants to talk to you, vandal.

What happend to it having a part metal case like craig said in the big thread?

Hello?

He never said it would have a metal case the way a zodiac does... he said that the material used to make the case would be plastic with metal mixed in and cited the psp as an example of a device with this type of case.


It dosent look like there's any metal 'mixed in' in the pics ive seen to me.

I like the design overall, but i think the keyboard could use some work.
Ideally go to 4 rows, something like

I agree with this keyboard design. The keys don't seem too small to me.

However, the Greek letters would be too confusing, for the exact reason that nobody else uses them.

To avoid confusance, programs could have the letter in a circle, or a picture of a button, or just say "X button".


I cant beleve people who said it shouldent have 6 buttons like a saturn or n64 pad cos it would look too crowded have come up with this. :rolleyes:

 

[imec]

I don't think that keyboard works, reach your hand out and pretend it's real. I can't make my hands reach the t button easily at all. I think it should be split down the middle in order to make it easier to type with the thumbs (because you cannot use anything else with a device this size and shape).

 

[Peter R]

QUOTE

Alpha, delta, theta epsilon?

Why not alpha, beta, gamma and delta? I think those are the most well known

 

[magicman5421]

I don't care whether they do anything else to it, I need a control key and a backspace key and I will be satisfied.

 

[yannv]

...epsilon?
That's a sigma.

 

[White Demon]

It's been mentioned before, but I'll mention it too.

How about switching the location of the USB and power connection (DC in)?
Like others have said, having the DC in around the back would be better (unless the screen would get in the way when bent right over, which does not look likely). And I do think that having both USB connections in the same place would be good, and around the front would not really be in the way as much as the DC connector probably would be there.

 

[aliking]

Trying to think of changes that are small enough to have a chance of being taken seriously, something I think would be potentially useful is a standard tripod screw mount like most cameras have. Maybe even a few on the top and bottom - I have no real clue of how much space one would take up inside the case, but I think they are pretty shallow from memory.

Really it could just open the possiblities for solid bolt-ons as hardware mods - I'm imagining an attachable set of extra shoulder buttons for the psx crowd, or an attachable usb hub, ergonomic handles, even just a storage case for extra cards.

Of course you could also bolt the Pandora onto things - bike handlebars, car dash, secure location inside home-made MAME cabinet...

a

 

[chris_r]

Has anyone seen that ds mockup that someone did?
http://gizmodo.com/339601/nintendo-ds-2-th...drool-even-more

If the panda looked somewhere along those lines i would preorder the minute they were available

 

[Nova]

Has anyone seen that ds mockup that someone did?
http://gizmodo.com/339601/nintendo-ds-2-th...drool-even-more

If the panda looked somewhere along those lines i would preorder the minute they were available



Yes, and the bottom screen could be used for a keyboard, which would be able to be customised to the user's language or the program being run.

 

[kouky]

That's a great Idea, Nova

 

[Shiny]

Yes, and the bottom screen could be used for a keyboard, which would be able to be customised to the user's language or the program being run.

Except there's no tacile feedback >.>
That and everyone will call it a DS knockoff then :/.

 

[Peter R]

Yes, and the bottom screen could be used for a keyboard, which would be able to be customised to the user's language or the program being run.

Except there's no tacile feedback >.>
That and everyone will call it a DS knockoff then :/.

Not to mention you can only touch one key at a time, which makes shift keys and the like impossible.

 

[DaveC]

Yes, and the bottom screen could be used for a keyboard, which would be able to be customised to the user's language or the program being run.

Except there's no tacile feedback >.>
That and everyone will call it a DS knockoff then :/.


I think that *is* a DS concept right? Isn't that a speculation of what the DS Advance would look? Nintendo is rumored to be developing a DS with a bigger screen, I think this is someones guess at it.

Yes, a touchscreen doesn't make a great keyboard.

Not good for the Pandora, do you know how much a unit with two 800x480 screens would cost

 

[Nova]

Yes, and the bottom screen could be used for a keyboard, which would be able to be customised to the user's language or the program being run.

Except there's no tacile feedback >.>
That and everyone will call it a DS knockoff then :/.


It is possible to get tactile feedback from a touchscreen. See: LG Viewty

Not to mention you can only touch one key at a time, which makes shift keys and the like impossible.

That's seriously not a big deal. Keys such as shift can be handled with a toggle, such as how the Wii's onscreen keyboard works.
Alternatively, there could be a "Multiple key" key, where a user can select as many as required, followed by "ok", if such a need should arise (Not that I can think of anything...)

 

[JyCet]

The general design is ok for me but the keyboard maping is too strange.
This is a little idea made with OOo


Here the ods file if someone want to test his key maping:
pandora_qwerty.ods

 

[Sphinxter]

Everyone hell bent on it emulating a dinosaur by having the parts of one? How about a no key smaller, just over screen sized form factor by moving the speakers to the bottom and pop up a little stick like this:

maybe work out a bundle arrangement. Who would not be thrilled?

 

[Karel Jansens]

Everyone hell bent on it emulating a dinosaur by having the parts of one? How about a no key smaller, just over screen sized form factor by moving the speakers to the bottom and pop up a little stick like this:
maybe work out a bundle arrangement. Who would not be thrilled?

a. That thing only works on a flat surface, so don't forget to pack your picknick table and

b. it's crap: a touch-typist's nightmare and no tactile feedback for hunt'n-peckers; worst of all worlds.