Should I buy a Pandora

[Luvarim]

Hi everybody,

I  read in the Forum and in the Pandora-Wiki in the recent days, and I think the Pandora could be the right device for me. I read the impressive things a pandora can do, but i want to know how it works.

This is what i want to do with my Pandora:

1) Play Amiga Games, primary playing old RPGs like Amberstar, Ambermoon (It is possible to install it on HD in UAE4ALL?) Black Crypt and others. Is the mouse control comfortable or a pain?

2) Playing Adventures with ScummVM. The same question, is Scumm comfortable to play?

3) Playing old RPGs via DosBox. (Is the Pandora fast enough to play bigger Dos-games like Ravenloft, Menzoberanzan or Fallout1?)

4) Playing Ultima 7 via Exult. Is it comfortable to play?

5) Use the Pandora with a video projector to show movies and Powerpoint presentations at work.

6) Modify and print word documents with the Pandora at work. (Is it possible to use Linux Printer drivers with the Pandora? Or Wireless printing with a Android SDCard?)

Should i buy a Pandora?

Thank you very much.

 

[Wally]

I'll answer some select questions

2) Yes ScummVM works great with the touch screen and is rather comfortable to play. You can also use the analogue nubs in mouse mode if you wish.

3) Depends on their requirements, you'd want to get a 1GHZ Pandora at least. 

5) You'll need a TV out cable, they're not ready yet though. Keep an eye on the forums for when they will be! (Put your name down on the EOI form at dragonbox.de store where you buy your Pandora)

The answer is yes. Crazy amazing device with lots of potential.

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

Yes you can install games to a virtual hardisk file in uae 2.0. Virtually all amiga games run very well now. It takes a bit of setting up though.

there is one or two bugs remaining in the emu but the maintainer has promised to remove them.

The pandora can be hooked up to a projector yes.well ive seen it used with a small portable projector. maybe you need a small adaptor thingie to connect it though.

 

[BAFelton]

3) These games are not really playable. You'll have fullspeed with Beholders/lands of lore.

 

[ekianjo]

7) you can use LibreOffice to modify word documents. For printing, though, there is no good way to do it currently, there are no printer spoolers included in the current firmware.

 

[Luvarim]

Thank you very much for your answers. It sounds very good.

I read that there is a GemRB Version for the Pandora. Does it work quite well? Is Planescape Torment running?

 

[FaeMinx]

Isn't Fallout 1 fullspeed via Qemu + dos?

 

[kuru]

Last I tried GemRB it had sound issues, but played well otherwise. Tested with BG. Those sound problems are possibly fixed by now though, somebody please confirm.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qqe-98nIsuQ?feature=oembed

 

[Askarus]

All you need for work.

If you want to modify any document: We have LibreOffice

If you want to show films: Use a TV-out cable. It's composite or S-Video.

If you want to show some presentations: We have DisplayLink.

DisplayLink is Video via USB.

Pandora can give you full HD if you want to with this little adapter.

As the adapter is DVI and comes with VGA and HDMI adapter it's great for presentations.

For video via DisplayLink you might get an acceptable result for VGA and low res Video (not tested) but don't expect it for HDMI.

Within the next month I'll use my Pandora for my presentations at University. Then I can tell you how good animated stuff works. As we only have VGA projectors I think everything will run fluid.

(DisplayLink eats lots of battery. If your presentation will last longer than 3-4 hours you should get a powered hub or simply take a charger with you)

Maybe Xournal http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=xournal-xournal-5695 is also interesting for you.

I use it in every lesson too take notes directly on PDF documents (you can also underline and highlite stuff, delete and copy pages).

No answer for  question 1-4 as I never played any of those games/emulators.

Play mostly PSX.

 

[ekianjo]

Isn't Fallout 1 fullspeed via Qemu + dos?

Nope, I think it was still not full speed from what I remember from the Ingoreis videos. Not too far from it, but that was already on an overclocked 1ghz unit. 

 

[Klumpen]

Isn't Fallout 1 fullspeed via Qemu + dos?

Nope, I think it was still not full speed from what I remember from the Ingoreis videos. Not too far from it, but that was already on an overclocked 1ghz unit. 

The only Fallout1 video that I know was made when the Ghz-units did not even exist.

 

[ingoreis]

Thats Right,my old Fallout Video was made with a overclocked First Batch CC Unit.

In the Moment prepare i a new Image for making a Video with a overclocked 1GHZ Unit

I think i have a new Video in a Half Hour or so and it should run smooth(i am curious too)

To play this use i a Mouse on the Pandora,but i can be played with Nubs too.

 

[ekianjo]

interesting! I would be very curious to see how it runs!

 

[ingoreis]

With Qemu can you doo so many Things

See what you can do,with a 1GHZ Pandora WOHOOOO

Fallout Windows 95 Version good playable:

(The Dosversion should be perfect playable but never found the Dosversion for testing)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/7Zc6vW4Ar58?feature=oembed
(uploading)

 

[rohezal]

When qemu could use openglcand lunichsbox opengl to opengl es wrapper works perfectly the pandora,will be the ultimate retro devide

 

[ingoreis]

Yes the Magic Word is VMGL,with VMGL can we give Qemu Guests a real OpenGL accerleration.

Then maybe work Descent 3 on the Pandora and Halflife too ^_^

But noone compiled VMGL yet for the Pandora and it should be Pair with Qemu 0.1.51 the Version that we use.