SD card for press Reviews

[CapcomSuicide]

Make sure there is the Screenshot script, was it someguy99 who worked on that? I would think a simple, hotkeyed way of taking screendumps would be invaluable for a reviewer. I would also think this would be nice for linux noobs like myslef that are easily confused without a sniping tool.

 

[b1ueskycomp1ex]

This conversation is sort of slipping into the realm of this thread, rather than the current one. So what should be included on a press SD card? Possibly a PND containing a readme that drops an icon on the desktop to readily and easily explain how the PND system works and possibly some other things.

 

[Prometheus]

Make sure there is the Screenshot script, was it someguy99 who worked on that?

It was indeed.

 

[SomeGuy99]

Make sure there is the Screenshot script, was it someguy99 who worked on that? I would think a simple, hotkeyed way of taking screendumps would be invaluable for a reviewer. I would also think this would be nice for linux noobs like myslef that are easily confused without a sniping tool.

Yeah.


Over on the other side of THE MOON.


Edit:


'king ninjas!


I am in your neutral zone, keeping your peace.

 

[Korlithiel]

No suggestions for Open Tyrian? That thing runs amazing on my pandora. I can't suggest OpenSonic as the default controls (at least in the pnd I DL'd) are really bad and I've found no option to change them, space to jump, enter to pause and select to change characters makes it difficult to enjoy.


Anki might be worthwhile, even though it's still really in beta it runs fairly well even with the two issues (Japanese default font is garbage, and the issue with time).


Comix seems like a fine inclusion, though I can't get it to read into .zip or .rar files like it claims well enough to display pics.

 

[Trip]

I would suggest some different types of PDF files to show off the reader. I posted some PDF files with audio and video links included on the other board. I'll see if I can find them.


Edited due to missing the above post whilst typing


EDIT2: Here you go Craig. I'd see how these run on the Pandora before adding them though

 

[Christoph.Krn]

Here's the way I'd do it:

• I'd pay attention to not cluttering the Pandora with games, applications an videos.
  The reviewer's time probably is rather limited, so I'd lay out the Pandora to talk to their enthusiasm instead of smashing a confusing amount of games, applications and videos into the reviewer's face. This way, it's more likely that they'll catch the spirit of the Pandora project. Let the reviewers experience the openness and specialty of the Pandora instead of focusing them on what you can do with it. Because what you can do with it is inherent to its openness and specialty.
  
  I'd make sure the reviewers won't be confused by the amount of software on the device, and make it likely that they'll get a structured overview of that software.
  
  
• I'd collect all of the games and applications that are widely being called great, plus some few that are especially unusual.
  
  
• I'd put only a few videos about the Pandora project onto the system,
  because once they have it they will probably prefer using the device themselves over watching videos about it.
  
  For the same reason, I wouldn't provide any videos about the Pandora itself (maybe a single one, but that's about it). I'd rather create a video briefly explaining:
  1. The position of the Pandora within the opensource and retro-gaming Communities
     
  2. The history and development of the Pandora with its numerous problems and heavily community-based spirit
     
  3. The current situation of the Pandora Project, how the Pandora and its software, games and applications are evolving
     
  
  
• I'd give them a Retrode and some SNES or Mega Drive/Genesis games along with the Pandora.
  
  
  They're a great combination, and trying them might make them see the enthusiastic elements behind the Pandora. I'd give them a one-page, easy-to-understand graphical and beautiful instruction on how to use the Retrode in combination with the Pandora. But I'd make sure that Matthias Hullin, the creator of the Retrode, is okay with this. Also, I don't know about the legal situation concerning the Retrode outside of Germany.
  

Also, personally I think it'd be nice to give them all this in some kind of small box, with a sheet of paper inside of it or glued to the outside of the lid, that would have "Thank you for reviewing the Pandora" written in the center. Around these words the nicknames of users who wrote "Thank you for reviewing the Pandora" into dedicated threads on the forums, in the form of "[nickname] would like to say:". On the bottom, URLs to the threads. But I'm drifting away from the core of the question I suppose...

 

[Caine]

Emphasize the various different uses of the Pandora


PDA / Organizer

• Calculator (basic one and Pandora-Ti92)
  
• Dictionary
  
• Email/Addressbook/PIM (Evolution)
  
• Some decent note taking app (Xournal/Gournal/NoteLab?)
  

MP3/movie player

• Audio player (Exaile)
  
• Video player (VLC, mplayer)
  
• Some decent image viewer
  
• media center software (if a decent one is available)
  

Desktop software

• Web browsers (Firefox, chrome, ...)
  
• Basic Office suite (e.g. OpenOffice or Abiword, Gnumeric, ...)
  
• Communication (pidgin)
  
• Graphics/Audio editing (Audacity, mtpaint or gimp)
  
• Casual gaming (PySol/PySolFC)
  

Gaming handheld

• Ports (wesnoth, openTTD, Tux racer, OpenTyrian, Quake 1/2/3 demo)
  
• Homebrew (Pandora panic, Panjoust)
  
• Emulators (N64, uae4all, mame, PSX, SNES)
  
• Game engines (ScummVM w/ demos)
  
• Compatibility layers (Ginge w/ payback demo & cave story)
  

Development

• Text editors (Mousepad/Vim/Emacs)
  
• IDEs (do we have any?)
  
• Compilers & interpreters (gcc, python)
  
• Some other stuff, maybe a debugger.
  

Misc.

• Education (Anki)
  
• Ebook reader (Ebooks (PDF!) & comic reader apps)
  
• Navigation (navit, iff it works w/o GPS device)
  

 

[Yannick]

Craig's hat and a tile of his roof in a box together with the Pandora


That would make a nice and accurate representation of the project

 

[elwing]

I have to agree, a review pandora need OpenTyrian... if the build is good through...

 

[pepone]

If necessary, I can send a new version of gngeo. I've improved stability and added a rom selector.


Only tested on a beagleboard clone, but it should work ok on the pandora.

 

[Renegade]

I hope this image file of the card will be available for everyone would be great for linux newbies.


Gngeo that would be nice can you release it as a PND?

 

[Drack]

Guys, you need to stop acting as if it's okay to distribute commercial ROMs.


That's asking for a lawsuit.

 

[WizardStan]

Guys, you need to stop acting as if it's okay to distribute commercial ROMs.

I don't see anyone saying anything about sending ROMs. Someone suggested a retrode and some SNES or Genesis games to go with it, but that's about it.

 

[Trickyhero]

Send it with a video of how to download and use PNDS. And if you must give them sugestions. Exept I don't think that that is nessicary. Also give then bookmarks to gp2x.com , boards.openpandora.org , http://apps.open-pandora.org/ , and http://dl.openhandhelds.org/cgi-bin/pandora.cgi . Of course telling which one is which and what each is for. (I remember ED having a video about PNDS a while ago.)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/O4fhYlEDW54?feature=oembed

Edit: tried to use emed code and it didn't work.

 

[tsh]

Send it with a video of how to download and use PNDS. And if you must give them sugestions. Exept I don't think that that is nessicary. Also give then bookmarks to gp2x.com , boards.openpandora.org , http://apps.open-pandora.org/ , and http://dl.openhandhelds.org/cgi-bin/pandora.cgi . Of course telling which one is which and what each is for. (I remember ED having a video about PNDS a while ago.

This is completely the wrong approach for a press review. If you want to make it easy to use, some stuff needs to be pre-loaded. A Journo isn't going to want to spend hours reading the forums and the wiki, they want to jump in any spend an hour messing about, then write an article. For real users, it is different.

 

[WizardStan]

ED should create a video of himself talking to the reviewer giving them a brief overview and showing how easy it is to download PND files, and then mention that step is already done for them while opening the menu and showing everything that is there, something maybe 2 minutes long. This accomplishes several things: establishes how well video playback works; introduces the PND system; actually show what they should test.


Plus EvilDragon has such a dulcet voice, we need more videos

 

[Trickyhero]

This is completely the wrong approach for a press review. If you want to make it easy to use, some stuff needs to be pre-loaded. A Journo isn't going to want to spend hours reading the forums and the wiki, they want to jump in any spend an hour messing about, then write an article. For real users, it is different.

But with the video they don't need to read anything and then they can understand how easy it is to download apps for the pandora and tell people about it.

ED should create a video of himself talking to the reviewer giving them a brief overview and showing how easy it is to download PND files, and then mention that step is already done for them while opening the menu and showing everything that is there, something maybe 2 minutes long. This accomplishes several things: establishes how well video playback works; introduces the PND system; actually show what they should test.


Plus EvilDragon has such a dulcet voice, we need more videos

+1

 

[tsh]

But with the video they don't need to read anything

I hate video how-tos too, how can it be easier than 5 lines of text? Regardless, making a reviewer download their own apps is asking for trouble. The PND system is great, but the actual apps are where the real functionality is. If they like it, yes, point them at the appstore, and hope they like it!

 

[Trip]

..making a reviewer download their own apps is asking for trouble.

Normally I'd agree with this but not with the Pandora.


Set the web browser homepage to Pandora apps web page, let them know where to save the download on the SD card and away they go. Should only take a couple of line of text on a piece of paper or in a README file on the desktop.