Please Delete:Radical Hardware Idea for Pandora 2(Outdated 2/22/2012)
- Thread starter Saber
- Start date
Problem is that such (or very similar) devices are available for $85. We have no hope competing with such pricing. Also, a good chunk of the Pandora's market is the Linux palmtop aspect - its not just a gaming machine.
However, please don't be too discouraged! Ideas Are good, but Openpandora must stay in its niche to be profitable. From there, the niche can be expanded.
However, please don't be too discouraged! Ideas Are good, but Openpandora must stay in its niche to be profitable. From there, the niche can be expanded.
As someone who rarely uses the keyboard on the Pandora, and often finds it an annoyance (when "quit" in a given application happens to be an esoteric key or combination of keys) I'd love to see an alternate version of the Pandora very close to what you've specified.
Mine would be more like:
1. Check. Vita-like, though.
2. Yup! 4.5 - 5" is good... a higher resolution would be nice, too, but not necessary
3. Dual analogue, D-Pad, Start, Select, Home
4. Yup... except 2x SD, and maybe even one internal micro SD for good measure ( OS! )
5. Nooooooooooooo!!!!!
A polished minimenu would do the trick, whilst Android might bring a couple of interesting things, I'd only like it as an option and not an outright replacement.
And Binky is probably right with this form factor being a tough sell. After all the Vita pretty much ticks most of those boxes, and when it gets rooted it'll be a pretty nifty little emulation device.
Mine would be more like:
1. Check. Vita-like, though.
2. Yup! 4.5 - 5" is good... a higher resolution would be nice, too, but not necessary
3. Dual analogue, D-Pad, Start, Select, Home
4. Yup... except 2x SD, and maybe even one internal micro SD for good measure ( OS! )
5. Nooooooooooooo!!!!!
A polished minimenu would do the trick, whilst Android might bring a couple of interesting things, I'd only like it as an option and not an outright replacement.
And Binky is probably right with this form factor being a tough sell. After all the Vita pretty much ticks most of those boxes, and when it gets rooted it'll be a pretty nifty little emulation device.
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Panorama!
Does the keyboard actually get in the way? If no, then surely your problem is a software one! Setup a standard quit button, and leave the keyboard.
Garrett
Advanced Member
A six button set-up is a no brainer: http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2005/news/02/25/ssps2pad_screen001.jpg for a Pandora 2, the Saturn pad & it's button arrangement is by far the best solution for all things Mame, Neogeo, Fighters etc (apart from a cab)
Exophase
Nothing good will ever come of Exophase.
Six buttons adds a lot of width, which Pandora's design has been very shy about pushing (I remember ED commenting that the original PSP was unacceptably wide). When pushing back against that it's also a bad idea to shave off margin on the edge, something which a lot of handhelds have seem to have done (Wiz for instance) and which I find makes it a lot less comfortable to hold.
Where does all the hate for the clam-shell come from? I just love it, it protects the screen in your pocket (I don't think a PSP design would even fit in a pocket, especially not with a 5" screen...), allows for both a pretty big screen (AFAIR there's been a discussion about how big you could go with the current lid-size... Something about 4,8" to 5" although it would be horrendously more expensive) and a hardware keyboard (Which I think is far superior to any touchscreen keyboard I've ever used :/)
Yes, the hinge probably is a weak point but so far my Pandora's survived some drops from around 1 meter onto not exactly soft floor whereas my smartphone's screen broke on its first drop.
I don't find the touchscreen awkward to use, I've actually found a pretty comfortable style to hold the stylus in my hand while typing and switching to the touchscreen requires about 0,5sec.
Also, I don't actually care if the Pandora's ugly (which she isn't, in my opinion It's a practical and ergonomic design and I really like matte black) or doesn't go with current trends (like screen-only piano-finish devices with glossy screens and glossy everything xP Man, I feel so old always complaining about new technology and trends)
HDMI would be nice though as would 6 buttons and L2/R2 (I think you could hack some together right now... Maybe on the bottom of the unit.)
I actually thought about adding an internal microSD reader, that shouldn't be too hard.
Yes, the hinge probably is a weak point but so far my Pandora's survived some drops from around 1 meter onto not exactly soft floor whereas my smartphone's screen broke on its first drop.
I don't find the touchscreen awkward to use, I've actually found a pretty comfortable style to hold the stylus in my hand while typing and switching to the touchscreen requires about 0,5sec.
Also, I don't actually care if the Pandora's ugly (which she isn't, in my opinion
It's a practical and ergonomic design and I really like matte black) or doesn't go with current trends (like screen-only piano-finish devices with glossy screens and glossy everything xP Man, I feel so old always complaining about new technology and trends)HDMI would be nice though as would 6 buttons and L2/R2 (I think you could hack some together right now... Maybe on the bottom of the unit.)
I actually thought about adding an internal microSD reader, that shouldn't be too hard.
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Wrath Of Khan
Soul soother...
Six buttons would be nice but four shoulder buttons might be better.Fps games and such are best with a trigger as both fingers can be poised at the nubs and another over the shoulder button. Maybe a detachable keyboard that could be clipped onto the back of the pandora 2 when not in use though. This would leave room for additional hardware/input devices.
Can't say I hate it. I'd just like to have another Pandora in a different form factor
Gadget greed.I think the Vita will adequately fill that niche, though... apart from the terrible battery life.
WizardStan
Mega GP Mania
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You start changing too many features all at once and it is no longer a successor to the Pandora, it's an entirely new device.
A ship is built, and year by year worn out planks are replaced until eventually nothing in the ship is the same. A sports car drives by the dock and the captain exclaims "there goes my ship!" Is he right?
A ship is built, and year by year worn out planks are replaced until eventually nothing in the ship is the same. A sports car drives by the dock and the captain exclaims "there goes my ship!" Is he right?
Prometheus
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It seems that you might be looking for a different device entirely.
I think most would agree that when you remove particular features, it ceases to really be a Pandora. The device has sold, to date, precisely because it is not the same as the "mass market" items out there, and thus offers what a smaller number of users have been completely unable to buy elsewhere. On the other hand, there seems to be no shortage of devices in the vein that you suggest.
Moreover, and please do pardon my saying this, but your entire posting history consists of slightly rejigged repostings of this very idea. I get that this is what you're after, but I'm not sure that posting the same thing three times, to date, is as productive as looking at the many PSP-styled Android devices that already exist, to see if there's already one that will suit your requirements.
EDIT;
I think most would agree that when you remove particular features, it ceases to really be a Pandora. The device has sold, to date, precisely because it is not the same as the "mass market" items out there, and thus offers what a smaller number of users have been completely unable to buy elsewhere. On the other hand, there seems to be no shortage of devices in the vein that you suggest.
Moreover, and please do pardon my saying this, but your entire posting history consists of slightly rejigged repostings of this very idea. I get that this is what you're after, but I'm not sure that posting the same thing three times, to date, is as productive as looking at the many PSP-styled Android devices that already exist, to see if there's already one that will suit your requirements.
EDIT;
https://www.youtube.com/embed/pbha4XclSMU?feature=oembed
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WizardStan
Mega GP Mania
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HIVEMINGE!
Prometheus
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No, not really.
Just, seriously, noting that that sort of thing is already available, and, as with the suggested hypothetical device, it's not really a Pandora.
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When is a Pandora not a Pandora... when it's ajar.
Yes, that's a Dr Who reference.
As you well know there always has, and always will be talk of alternate form factor Pandora consoles. But I guess you're right in asserting that an alternate form factor wouldn't really be a "Pandora"
I'd still buy one, though
Yes, that's a Dr Who reference.
As you well know there always has, and always will be talk of alternate form factor Pandora consoles. But I guess you're right in asserting that an alternate form factor wouldn't really be a "Pandora"
I'd still buy one, though
Wrath Of Khan
Soul soother...
The pandora 2 could be a more powerful computer with additional input devices/streamlined software etc. Something that could be used as a serious tool.If a slightly bigger version was made(not as big as a note book though) it would be more dexterous.It could have compasses,gps and such, maybe be waterproof for rugged use outdoors.Something you could easily make calculations on etc.This sounds more like a spinoff pandora rather than a pandora 2 actually.
I don't use the touch screen much, either, the analogue nubs work fantastically well for mouse cursors.
The Megadrive, SNES, PSX and so forth never had a keyboard! My Pandora keyboard gets very little use, thus I haven't really learnt to use it efficiently, leading to me becoming slightly frustrated when attempting to use it. It's a vicious circle!
I know a great deal of people put their Pandora to better use than me, though, so I'd never advocate a single Pandora model with no keyboard... the developers would jump ship like it were sinking!
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