Pricing And Performance?

[Borb]

I've been reading these forums for the past few months on and off, but one thing I never understood is the price justifaction. You can buy an Eee PC from ASUS that has a 9" screen, 1 GB of DDR2 memory, and a pre-installed HDD. The only thing I really see the Pandora out performing the Eee PC in is battery life, and for about $30 more (Including 3 day shipping), I'm wondering as to what makes the Pandora justify it's $330 price tag? Is it because it's classified as an UMPC? Or is there something I'm not getting here.
If this cost less than $200, I would consider it a steal, but for the price it just seems as if you could get a lot more for your money (Including used laptops on eBay, and other sites).

 

[gaterooze]

1) It fits in your pocket. 2) It has dedicated gaming controls, inc Dpad and 2 analogue sticks. 3) IT FITS IN YOUR POCKET.

 

[Kyo]

-It's smaller (fits in your pocket)
-dedicated gaming controls
-battery life
-touch screen
-etc.
-it's a handheld UMPC/Console, not a laptop, this comparison is stupid

Look, I can say, hey I can get all the stuff the EEE has except better for free in form of my/my brothers old computer. Of course you'd say "but the EEE PC is a laptop and portable!"
well, think about it

 

[Cesartron]

For the same reason, why you buy an Ipod Touch (or other device), with 2.8-inch screen, if you can buy the same EeePC with more storage and more screen?(The EeePC also plays music)

 

[jaycee900]

Cause you can't fit an EEPC in your pocket....what is this lets compare apples and oranges day again?

Plus imo EEPC's are a bit of a ripoff anyway, you can check an Aspire One with a lot better spec for the same price.
Or as you are comparing ebay to new prices, i can get a new laptop 2ghz, 1gb, 60gbhd for £100 at work, but again your comparisons seem to favour what you like so you might as well buy whatever is cheapest since it seems money is everything to you...

 

[Megamixman]

The price of an item built by a small company is dictated more by the cost of production and R&D along with expected sales then features. It costs then X dollars to make 1 Pandora, along with Y total dollars for R&D, and they expect to sell Z Pandoras. That sets a price minimum at X + Y/Z . Then they need to make some kind of profit, so that is amortized over the development time and boom, you have a good price point. Now if that price is too high, they won't sell any.

Honestly, you're playing Devil's advocate. Yes You can spend $1000 on a Lenovo X61s, but for that price I can get a 17" Dell with an 8800GT in it. Why would I get the Lenovo? Size. Making things small costs money. So while your EEE PC costs ~ $300, this is far smaller and thus should cost more. Considering they're charging an extra $30 for less then half the size, I'd say it's a steal.

 

[jakshep2]

why do these idiots insist on creating these rediculous comparisons between the pandora and the eeepc? because they both have a clamshell design doesn't make them comparable.

 

[kanzlr]

well I think most dont get how much smaller the pandora is.

it is the size of a nintendo DS and, as the others said, intended to be put in your pocket, not in your backpack

 

[mechanizeddeath]

The EEE PC is not a pocket sized Linux computer system with gaming controls. Given all that the Pandora will be able to do, and in such a tiny package, I'm surprised that it isn't two or even three times that price.

Although, I could have probably fit the EEE in the baggy cargo pants I wore back in high school.

 

[_VWV_]

I'd agree that it's difficult to compare EeePC and andora1: . But how about this one?
It doesn't have keyboard and has got much lower (3 times) battery run time and costs more (+226$), but on the other hand you get 4 times bigger amount of RAM, x86 processor (no need to port stuff) and HSDPA. Mmmm.. I've been waiting for andora1: for so long that I've managed to save enough money to buy benq s6. I guess I'll think hard before preordering!

 

[Sphinxter]

There's a very nicely charted comparison around here somewhere.

 

[mazza558]

What about UK prices? Over here, the Eee PC is still £300 (Last I checked) but the Pandora is only £200.

 

[Turnip]

You could add the cost of modding an eeepc to give it gaming controls and then do a comparison.

 

[Exophase]

I'd agree that it's difficult to compare EeePC and andora1: . But how about this one?
It doesn't have keyboard and has got much lower (3 times) battery run time and costs more (+226$), but on the other hand you get 4 times bigger amount of RAM, x86 processor (no need to port stuff) and HSDPA. Mmmm.. I've been waiting for andora1: for so long that I've managed to save enough money to buy benq s6. I guess I'll think hard before preordering!



No gaming controls! Hell, virtually no controls at all... Most people interested in Pandora want a gaming handheld that can play existing games, not something like an iPhone. If you don't fall under that category then by all means look elsewhere but I'm surprised that so many seem to be showing up who feel this way (almost as surprised as I am that they don't think that the controls matter)

Pandora is not a laptop, it's not a MID, it's a gaming handheld and PDA. Its direct competition is zero. There is no other device that is designed like it is. On the other hand, UMPCs are a dime a dozen and soon MIDs will be too.

 

[Kyo]

plus ~300€ is the max. amount i spend on gadgets

 

[Pleng]

I'd agree that it's difficult to compare EeePC and andora1: . But how about this one?
It doesn't have keyboard and has got much lower (3 times) battery run time and costs more (+226$), but on the other hand you get 4 times bigger amount of RAM, x86 processor (no need to port stuff) and HSDPA. Mmmm.. I've been waiting for andora1: for so long that I've managed to save enough money to buy benq s6. I guess I'll think hard before preordering!



There are lots of devices in a similar size. I've seen devices with cameras built in, GPS built in for similar prices to Pandora. One even had gaming controls and similar battery life (though lower CPU power) and I was almost tempted by it. However there is currently no other device this sizr that feature the 3 things that are vital to me:

• Built in mic
• Gaming controls
• Keyboard and/or USB

Such a device has only got 2 days to materialize, otherwise my money is going Pandy!

 

[ish420]

I've been reading these forums for the past few months on and off, but one thing I never understood is the price justifaction. You can buy an Eee PC from ASUS that has a 9" screen, 1 GB of DDR2 memory, and a pre-installed HDD. The only thing I really see the Pandora out performing the Eee PC in is battery life, and for about $30 more (Including 3 day shipping), I'm wondering as to what makes the Pandora justify it's $330 price tag? Is it because it's classified as an UMPC? Or is there something I'm not getting here.
If this cost less than $200, I would consider it a steal, but for the price it just seems as if you could get a lot more for your money (Including used laptops on eBay, and other sites).


If you don't understand the potential value of Pandora, you are correct. Don't waste your time with this overpriced whatever it is. It gives people who think $330 is a steal to actually buy it. Like me. By next year, the dollar will be worth crap and probably increase the price of the second batch considerably.

 

[tazg]

every remotely comparable product I have seen costs about twice as much, or more. And no, the eeePC is not remotely comparable.

 

[scrag_10]

the specs mean nothing when you compare how much fun you will have.

 

[_VWV_]

I'd agree that it's difficult to compare EeePC and andora1: . But how about this one?
It doesn't have keyboard and has got much lower (3 times) battery run time and costs more (+226$), but on the other hand you get 4 times bigger amount of RAM, x86 processor (no need to port stuff) and HSDPA. Mmmm.. I've been waiting for andora1: for so long that I've managed to save enough money to buy benq s6. I guess I'll think hard before preordering!



No gaming controls! Hell, virtually no controls at all... Most people interested in Pandora want a gaming handheld that can play existing games, not something like an iPhone. If you don't fall under that category then by all means look elsewhere but I'm surprised that so many seem to be showing up who feel this way (almost as surprised as I am that they don't think that the controls matter)

Pandora is not a laptop, it's not a MID, it's a gaming handheld and PDA. Its direct competition is zero. There is no other device that is designed like it is. On the other hand, UMPCs are a dime a dozen and soon MIDs will be too.

What is the difference between a MID and a PDA? I think, the only difference is that the first word has m and i letters and the second has p and a letters, but they mean one and the same thing. So to my mind there is a direct competition.
Let me tell you about the category I fall to. I don't want an iPhone, I want a handheld capable of web browsing and office stuff. Devs say andora1: is "a ultra portable open source computer" - maybe that is the reason why so many people do show up who feel the way devs told them to. Such people show up because they are attracted by FF3.0 and ubuntu on the 3530, both of which have nothing to do with gaming, but rather are parts of a MID.
I'm just trying to foreseen ram consumption and so far I came to conclusion that it's RAM and not the CPU that is going to be the limiting factor.
There are people here that don't really care about gaming controls. Telling them to go elsewhere just because andora1: has more than just a keyboard is.. well.. wrong IMHO.
@Kyosys
I need a tool not a gadget. If I'm to choose between waste of 300 euro for a tool that just won't cut it, or spend more for something that'll do the trick, I'd prefer the second option or just refrain from spending money