Please Delete:Radical Hardware Idea for Pandora 2(Outdated 2/22/2012)


^ I generally spend most of my time in using DOSBOX, Amiga emulation or native games. so I guess in a different world.

There are a few native games I enjoy, but I haven't delved into DOSBOX much yet... probably going to have to sooner or later for the original Duke, Jazz... Commander Keen... Hugo?... really don't know what'll run in there to be honest!


I should probably push the frontiers of my Pandora experience a little!
 
cool but I wanna keep the current design. I mean psp? That is hard to market to people. Most will just look at it and say "it's a cheep knock-off!"
 
Most will just look at it and say "it's a very expensive knock-off!"
FTFY


Also, I believe that the current form factor (what a stupid phrase) of the Pandora is a big part of what makes it appealing.


That along with the fully open, unlocked, free, customizable, flashable etc os that fits in your pocket.
 
The idea of the Pandora is that it's "pandora's box"


I love the clamshell, but it can be improved upon with a better hinge and what I would call PDA or tablet mod were the screen could cover the keyboard making it look like a pda; easier to draw that way ;)
 
Thank you all. This is great to have this feedback from the community. Maybe we can stir these ideas into something Openpandora can use down the road.

Problem is that such (or very similar) devices are available for $85. We have no hope competing with such pricing. Openpandora must stay in its niche to be profitable. From there, the niche can be expanded. :)

I agree with you but I also have to add that niche products have a tougher time after their markets are either saturated or their inhabitants have moved on to something else. Unfortunately, what has happened to the Pandora community since it was first developed is a lot of the same faces have stuck around while many of the, maybe not so devoted, have moved on with only some being replaced by new people. With production starting soon again we should see another influx, but beyond those I have my doubts that many outsiders will look at the Pandora as a purchase they need today when on the horizon there are other options like the Vita, Smartphones, and iPad 3's. Sure, nothing is like the Pandora, and that is a good thing but it also makes it appealing only to those here or within earshot.


Many of the comments on the news sites are, when you take into account the misinformed and the usual haters, people who look at the Pandora and say, "well, my such and such can do that for the same price or cheaper". They don't understand it to be honest and even with another round of Pandora videos uploaded to youtube praising its uniqueness, they will probably never give it the time it deserves. Now in comparison to the ICP, sales for Pandoras will be decent eventually but probably not spectacular, even when availability becomes a non-issue. Price and specs will decide how many they sell. Many don't want anything but the Pandora which is fine, but many more might like a cheaper alternative in a more familiar form factor. I believe the public would be intrigued by what I thought up. With the designs inherent inexpensiveness and the iControlpads popularity, this could lead to some real success, in my opinion of course.

I'd love to see an alternate version of the Pandora very close to what you've specified. 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.

Actually, the slate or ovalish design is extremely popular. Just take a look at all the handhelds ever produced. In reference to the Vita, it's true that is a beautiful piece of gaming art, but sadly it's using notoriously inflexible firmware preventing any kind of side loaded emulation. Don't get me wrong, SNES would be a joy on Sony's next handheld, but that seems a long way from happening. This is where the Pandora Slim fits in. :)

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.

With six buttons on one side in a two column arrangement, we could still maintain the narrowness. :) Also, i've owned a PSP and it was hardly unwieldy to play with. I've also owned a Pandora and while it reduced width, it increased depth and thickness not to mention weight. One of the densest gadgets i've ever owned. Almost like a kettlebell with a screen that plays Q-bert.

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.

There is no shortage of Cannoo, Dingoo, and JXDxxx devices for sale, but none of them are mini-computers like the Pandora. I'm not suggesting the Pandora be replaced entirely, but from a business view, it will always be a device with modest sales. That's where a third product like I suggested could come into play, so to speak.


As for my posting history, in that other thread I only stated once the specs i'd like to see for a Pandora 2 and then responded to someone with a second post. By my count that brings me to just two posts with one being the original and one being the reply. I then created this thread because I liked my ideas and thought they could generate some feedback in a post on their own rather than being buried in that thread. I further added my thoughts on the external plug-in keyboard which I didn't think of until later. I'm sorry but my suggestions were my small way of offering something to Openpandora's success.


Furthermore and pardon me for saying this, but weren't you the one who posted the same exact thing half a dozen times on gp32x about how you dreamed The Misadventures of Tron Bonne would finally be emulated correctly on the Pandora. I thought you were related to Mel Tillis for awhile there. ;)
 
I can't say I recall - I do remember doing a lot of testing and such with it. Nor do I have a clue who or what a Mel Tillis is, to be honest. :p But that's besides the point, I'm sure.


EDIT: You know, you must be a real long-time lurker to remember that! :lol:
 
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A detachable or fold away keyboard could be a possibility.If the 3ds can add a second analogue stick we could surely get away with it.
 
EDIT: You know, you must be a real long-time lurker to remember that! :lol:

Yeah, i've been around since the GP32 days and the lighthearted Mel Tillis jest was in reference to his classic stuttering. I'm happy Prometheus that you finally got your game emulated to playable status. :)

A detachable or fold away keyboard could be a possibility.If the 3ds can add a second analogue stick we could surely get away with it.

You bet. The attachable mini Bluetooth keyboard "arc wand" and the six face buttons would be something none of the other chinese PMP's, 3Ds, and Vitas can brag on about. It would set it apart for sure as a pocket computer and not just a gaming handheld, but it would also be familiar, lighter, and less expensive to make and sell, which was my repetitive point. Personally, i've never understood the need for more than one nub or joystick on any device or gamepad that already has an additional and functional D-pad(and face buttons and shoulder pads). Well, I guess it could be described as the current trend.


Maybe some day. ^_^
 
Personally, i've never understood the need for more than one nub or joystick on any device or gamepad that already has an additional and functional D-pad(and face buttons and shoulder pads). Well, I guess it could be described as the current trend.

You never played Descent on the Pandora have you? you really need both the nubs the D-pad and all the buttons for full motion. A Mechwarrior type game would also benefit from all the controls as well.


EDIT: Also what about people that tend to favor one hand over another?
 
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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 and a hardware keyboard
On the other hand hinge makes the device more complicated (mean expensive) and fragile: most of the cracks happend around the hinge area, old LCD cables had been breaking bevcause of hinge movements etc.


Still, I'd rather have Pandora with some cracks rather than w/o keyboard :)
 
EDIT: You know, you must be a real long-time lurker to remember that! :lol:

Yeah, i've been around since the GP32 days and the lighthearted Mel Tillis jest was in reference to his classic stuttering. I'm happy Prometheus that you finally got your game emulated to playable status. :)
Ah, I see. :lol:


Thanks very much, by the way. It was worth all that insane testing! :lol:

A detachable or fold away keyboard could be a possibility.If the 3ds can add a second analogue stick we could surely get away with it.

You bet. The attachable mini Bluetooth keyboard "arc wand" and the six face buttons would be something none of the other chinese PMP's, 3Ds, and Vitas can brag on about. It would set it apart for sure as a pocket computer and not just a gaming handheld, but it would also be familiar, lighter, and less expensive to make and sell, which was my repetitive point.
Ooh, now I see what you're getting at. That IS an interesting idea. Sort of like the iControlPad, but, um, not? :p
 
You know, a Caanoo etc are pretty much similar to a Pandora, minus the keyboard; I mean, they run Linux and have similar options. So less RAM, less CPU etc, those are details. But for running emus and such, they're well suite.d


imho, what makes the Pandora unique is that it is a small computer .. it can do video, gaming, and real work keyboard/mouse style. It has it all, and so is a master of none, but good general purpose machine; a specvialist will always be superior and cheaper at its tasks, and worse at its not targeted tasks; so use a genrral purpose device for generral things, or get a specialist; making the general into a specialist is an idea too, but its anothe product entirely then.


The guys may well decide to do that, but thaty'd eb entering a different market with a different device; hard to manage given the manpower we already have (not much ;)


As noted above.. how would you distinguish the Pandora from anyu numebr of sub$100 units, if it lot its keyboard? Ignoring the number of mhz etc, they're all pretty close once you start going that route. And arguging on $$ is a bad thing.. everyone loses.


jeff
 
One advantage of a clamshell over a PSP-esque design is screen size. My ideal P2 would have the lid filled with screen.
 
You never played Descent on the Pandora have you? you really need both the nubs the D-pad and all the buttons for full motion. A Mechwarrior type game would also benefit from all the controls as well.


EDIT: Also what about people that tend to favor one hand over another?

I agree that two nubs would benefit both left and righthanded people. We could also further agree that two d-pads would remove the discrimination that my lefthanded brother likely feels when he picks up any of the modern handhelds. At some point though it comes down to how much available space is there to put every type of control so that everyone can have the same experience. The only thing I can think of is to decrease the circumference of the nubs a little bit and position them each right below the shoulder switches, should the community deem it diabolical if we remove one.

As noted above.. how would you distinguish the Pandora from anyu numebr of sub$100 units, if it lot its keyboard? Ignoring the number of mhz etc, they're all pretty close once you start going that route. And arguging on $$ is a bad thing.. everyone loses.


jeff

The Pandora keyboard is handy to have no doubt, but it's what the inside of the machine can do that distinguishes it from the numerous lackluster chinese PMP's with their closed ecosystems and short product life cycles. Also, price has and will always be one of the top determining criteria for a purchase. Although, the Pandora isn't in the same price range of a car, it still is a hefty purchase decision to make.

One advantage of a clamshell over a PSP-esque design is screen size. My ideal P2 would have the lid filled with screen.

That is the clamshells defining positive characteristic, no doubt about it, but it also makes touchscreen interaction somewhat arduous. I never found it an optimal placement. For those that want to view the Pandora Slim™ on a desk, a built-in kickstand could do the task well.
 
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Sorry to nitpick, <_< but "Pandora Slim" isn't trademarked.


...
 
At some point though it comes down to how much available space is there to put every type of control so that everyone can have the same experience.
Well, currently there is enough space for everything. So why change it all and copy one of the thousand devices without keyboard or decent gaming controls that already exist in the first place?


It's like buying an all-terrain-vehicle just to lower it to the ground because that riced look is what the kids like at the moment. I'm sure you'll get a lot attention with it, and you will also find people that will buy it, but that is just not what an all-terrain-vehicle is actually about. Even worse: you turned it into a normal street car and lost more than half of the possibilities it used to have!
 
At some point though it comes down to how much available space is there to put every type of control so that everyone can have the same experience.
Well, currently there is enough space for everything. So why change it all and copy one of the thousand devices without keyboard or decent gaming controls that already exist in the first place?
For all the reasons i've stated in my previous replies. I only want to see the Pandora reach a wider audience than it will as it is now. My suggestions are how I see it happening. B)
 
At some point though it comes down to how much available space is there to put every type of control so that everyone can have the same experience.
Well, currently there is enough space for everything. So why change it all and copy one of the thousand devices without keyboard or decent gaming controls that already exist in the first place?
For all the reasons i've stated in my previous replies. I only want to see the Pandora reach a wider audience than it will as it is now. My suggestions are how I see it happening. B)

The problem is that what you suggest isn't really a Pandora!
 
At some point though it comes down to how much available space is there to put every type of control so that everyone can have the same experience.
Well, currently there is enough space for everything. So why change it all and copy one of the thousand devices without keyboard or decent gaming controls that already exist in the first place?
For all the reasons i've stated in my previous replies. I only want to see the Pandora reach a wider audience than it will as it is now. My suggestions are how I see it happening. B)

The problem is that what you suggest isn't really a Pandora!
Everything that makes the Pandora what it is derives from what's inside the case, as long as you are still given the physical inputs to interact with it. The only things i've omitted are the extra SD slot and the second nub. It's also now thinner with less depth with a bit more length/width and a decrease in heft. The touchscreen is now easier to use, the darn thing will be easier to hold, the shoulder buttons would likely be more accessible, rather than an afterthought, and it will fit into a pocket with less effort due to the reduction in volume. Producing and assembling them will also be streamlined.


Different is not always bad. Besides I did state that I think the original Pandora could still be made along with this one. If anything, I would revise my earlier specs to include a screen size no bigger than 4.5". Bigger than that and we cross into the unpocketable range.
 
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