Real-world Pandora Size And Carying Cases.

[BackAssward]

So Engaget just mentioned that some Hard Disk manufacturer released a line of soft and hard carrying cases for their external enclosures. It occurred to me that the Pandora is roughly the same size. This means two things:

1. If you want to get a feel for the Pandora size, you can estimate off of a 2.5" external enclosure. I have an old aluminum one that is quite thick, withing a few mm length and depth of the Pandora specs, and about 75% as thick

Another example is the slim WD Passport, which is bit smaller in every dimension (and about half as thick). Not perfect, but if you have an enclosure lying around, you can get a feel for the size of the Pandora. Basically, your generic chinese enclosure that wasn't designed to be super eficient in size will be closer to the pandora.

2. Many of the carrying cases made for 2.5" enclosures could be used for the Pandora. This opens up a whole lot of options. A quick google returned a a number of results with various features.

Edit: Right, the engadget article was for the Lacie drives which tend to be thicker. The Pandora should fit in one of them for example (you can find the inside dimensions if you google them).
http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/26/lacie-i...rious-hdd-bags/

 

[JayFoxRox]

...or just hold a NDS in your hands...

 

[benjymous]

I saw an article on Moleskine modding the other day, which got me thinking about hollowing one out as a pandora case - similar to this ipod one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zzilch/1617295310/

 

[WoD]

This could be interesting, I'll have to try and get my hands on a selection when I've got hold of a Pandora. To my knowledge, though, none of my contacts in the case industry manufacture any such thing. Many of them do, however, have generic cases of varying sizes so I will certainly see what I can get hold of and recommend to Pandora users.

I'm still going to hand-make my own stitched-leather/brushed aluminium case, though. (http://gadgetoid.com/pandora/PandoraCaseLeather.jpg)

If you're interested in a form fitting, reinforced case that the Pandora can wear whilst open or shut, then hit up the thread and contribute your ideas: http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showtopic=47984

 

[BackAssward]

...or just hold a NDS in your hands...

The point (I was hoping not to have to point out, since I thought someone like you would get) was that many people wonder about the size of the Pandora and would like to feel the form factor in their hands, and *do not own* another portable like the DS.

Thanks for the useful input.

Edit: This was for those without a personal size reference.

Edit2: Removed inflammatory comment in first edit. Deserving or not, I should act better.

 

[Swiss_Cheeseman]

Most DS cases are padded or have a bit of wiggle room, so there's a good chance that most DS cases will fit the Pandora just fine.

 

[BackAssward]

Most DS cases are padded or have a bit of wiggle room, so there's a good chance that most DS cases will fit the Pandora just fine.

Good point, and I was wondering the same after I made this thread; Another avenue of pursuit, this adds to point two.

Point one was for those not owning a DS. It is helpful if you want to hold something in your hand about the same size; A lot more people have an external 2.5" drive than own a DS

Not sure why there was any hate for this thread.

 

[elwing]

Point one was for those not owning a DS. It is helpful if you want to hold something in your hand about the same size; A lot more people have an external 2.5" drive than own a DS

not so sure... and anyway you generally can buy DS case cheaper than 2.5" harddisk case... now if your own 2.5"drive does come with a case...

 

[WoD]

I don't have an external 2.5" drive OR a DS Lite. I'm just going to have to carve a replica Pandora out of cheese.

 

[BackAssward]

Point one was for those not owning a DS. It is helpful if you want to hold something in your hand about the same size; A lot more people have an external 2.5" drive than own a DS

not so sure... and anyway you generally can buy DS case cheaper than 2.5" harddisk case... now if your own 2.5"drive does come with a case...

Many people have *use* for an external small HDD case. Not as many for a DS case. Regardless, it was an alternate option for the Pandora, and a DS case as an alternate didn't occur to me until after posting. As for having a case, many manufacturers offer stand-alone HDD carry bags as stand-alone purchases (part of my point).

What, is this place better without suggesting options? Does it add value to ignore one over the other? What exactly is the point of your post?

The suggestion of a DS case is nice, and an addition to this thread.

Thanks for the useful post.

Edit: Oh and the post you quoted was about holding a hard drive in your hands to get the feel of the Pandora form factor / size, not about a case.
Edit2: Again have to remove negative comments that are probably warranted, but I should do better.

 

[SiegfriedCroes]

The Pandora is almost exactly as big as a DS, the original DS and not the DS lite. So DS cases will work for sure, DS lite cases only if they have some extra room instead of a perfect DS lite fit.

Pandora: 140 x 83 x 27mm

DS: 148,7 x 84,7 x 29mm

DS Lite: 133 x 74 x 21.5mm

 

[JayFoxRox]

Well.. I also think more people own a DS than 2.5" drives.. I own one myself but the case of it is by far bigger than my DS because its a NAS.
(//Edit: I know we are not supposed to hold the case in our hands, but who is going to unmount his / her harddrive to see the dimensions of the Pandora?)

A DS shouldn't be out of reach for anyone seeing how many people own one. At the same time its very unlikely that anyone doesn't know the dimensions more than half a year ago after pre-ordering.

For those who don't have a DS in reach - which is unlikely - but still go to school:
Most students got the casio fx-350 calculator (or fx-300 which should be the solar-cell edition). The calculator is almost exactly the same size as my DS bottom half, and stacking two on another should give dimensions very similar to the Pandora.

We had the discussion for the case a few times before - why bring it up again? We know that it will fit in the most DS cases probably and if that doesn't work we can still buy the offical case.

 

[WoD]

The Pandora is almost exactly as big as a DS, the original DS and not the DS lite. So DS cases will work for sure, DS lite cases only if they have some extra room instead of a perfect DS lite fit.

Pandora: 140 x 83 x 27mm

DS: 148,7 x 84,7 x 29mm

DS Lite: 133 x 74 x 21.5mm

Nifty, I hadn't bothered to check. I've got a couple of "phat" DSes but no cases for them!

I'm waiting for a response from a sheet metal supplier to see if they can produce what I need to make a really shiny proto-type Pandora case. I might try the same thing on a phat DS in the interim.