Some more of my ideas

[knightron]

I like using the nubs too, although i think they could use improvement.

I was being sarcastic because no one seems to like my idea for the option for the nubs to mimic the dpad.

 

[levi]

I use the nubs where analogue control is advantageous, but the d-pad when 8-way input is need. But then I also use the d-pad on the 360 to navigate menus and the likes (and get frustrated when it doesn't work), so maybe I'm the weird one.

 

[sswam]

I wonder if the steam controller's fancy-pants trackpads will be any good.  I have a feeling they will be quite good.  So maybe we will need D-pad, 4 buttons, 2 nubs and 2 fancy trackpads  (in addition to the front and back 3d cameras I requested earlier)

also if we can divert full power to the microwave / wifi generator in an emergency, it would act as a "phaser" and be useful for frying enemies.  sswam out

 

[budweiser]

I'm in , going to start saving now ...Bud

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

^^^yup.

 

[Natsu]

Could the Pandora handle streaming from a computer?

 

[Binky]

What sort of streaming?

What sort of connection?

X-forwarding of most software is fine

Web video streaming is doable

Partly depends on how good your wifi turns out to be

 

[PowerGod]

x11-forwarding is not exactly the best experience for a video streaming use, even with a fast connection...

If you need video or music streaming, just share the computer drive with the files and open them from the pandora with mplayer or vlc

Or instead of sharing the drive/folder you can moount them as NFS, that should be faster

 

[Klumpen]

IngoReis played some PS2 via streaming on Pandora, if I remember correctly.

 

[hdonk]

Possible CPUs:

AllWinner A80

http://liliputing.com/2013/12/allwinner-a80-optimus-board.html

MediaTek MT8135

http://www.mediatek.com/_en/01_products/04_pro.php?sn=1088

 

[slaeshjag]

It isn't a MediaTek one, we know that.

 

[_wb_]

Size: Similar. If we have to increase it, it will not be much (maybe 1 - 2 mm to one side)

Clamshell design: Of course!

Full sized SD Card slots: I would like to keep these as well.

USB Ports: Sure thing!

Gaming Controls: Ummm...

Replaceable battery: Yep. I want to keep the exact same battery for various reasons.:

Nubs: Completely new ones. We already have some samples that are working so much better (best nubs I've ever seen).

LCD-Cable: While the current ones are good, they still fail too often in my opinion. With MIPI displays, we don't need LCD Cables anymore.

Case: The case will be completely designed and produced by one company in Europe. This will ensure a higher quality.

LCD: Better refresh rate, higher resolution (ideally 720p, but that's hard to get), size increased to 5"

Keyboard: Slightly improved layout, better feel, probably backlight

Wireless: Improved Wifi, but maybe also optional 3G/4G would be neat.

Speakers: We already have samples of much better speakers.

SoC: A more recent one, of course. And yes... we have the confirmation for one now, but I won't tell you


So, that's my basic idea - what do you think about that?

Size: Slightly wider (maybe 5mm or so) would be acceptable, and a slightly thinner lid would be appreciated. So the X dimension can increase a bit, but Y and Z should stay the same or get thinner.

Full sized SD card slots: Yes, two of them, and make them as future-proof as possible (in terms of card speeds it can handle). Could move them to the sides instead of the front if that makes PCB design easier. The front is fine too.

USB ports: There is a thread dedicated to this subject (http://boards.openpandora.org/topic/15314-micro-usb-plz/). I think there is a lot of support for having one full size USB 2.0 + eSATAp port and one micro-USB 3.0 OTG port. This time, the USB ports should be backwards compatible with earlier USB versions, so we don't need to use a hub to plug in a keyboard etc. If the SoC allows it, it would be better to have both ports support USB 3.0, but we're assuming that it allows just one of them, and in that case it makes most sense to use it on the OTG port so we can get USB 3.0 speeds in both host and gadget mode. Care should be taken to make the mechanical strength of the ports (in particular, their attachment to the PCB) as durable as possible.

Gaming controls: The dpad is excellent. There is a consensus that we want 4 shoulder buttons, but how exactly they have to be placed (stacked horizontally or vertically, corners or not) is controversial -- I don't really have an opinion myself on that. There is a thread about the ABXY action buttons (http://boards.openpandora.org/topic/14639-6-buttons-abcdxy-and-4-shoulder-buttons/). Several people want 6 action buttons instead of 4, although we also want to keep ABXY where they are now. My proposal is to have 8 action buttons (see http://boards.openpandora.org/topic/14639-6-buttons-abcdxy-and-4-shoulder-buttons/page-4#entry305019).

LCD: If it's going to be a full HD screen (1920x1080), then perhaps it makes sense to use it at 960x540 pixels with pixel doubling by default. That way, we can use Pandora software and standard desktop applications without making everything (fonts, icons etc) too small to be usable. It would also require less memory (e.g. for the framebuffer) and be require less cpu power (and thus less battery power) to render everything. Of course if an application (or the user) wants to use a higher resolution, it can do so, I'm just talking about a sensible default here.

Keyboard: As usual, lots of ideas and opinions here. Here's the main thread about it: http://boards.openpandora.org/topic/15275-unofficial-pyra-keyboard-layoutjanuary-9th-2014/. In my personal opinion, backlight is not important. More keys are needed, e.g. dedicated TAB, delete, slash keys would be appreciated. A layout that has the punctuation keys to the right of the letter keys ([{]};:'",<.> and maybe \| /?) in their normal position would be practical for coding and for people who want to remap their keyboard to international or alternative layouts.

Wireless: There is a thread dedicated to this (http://boards.openpandora.org/topic/15262-thoughts-on-wireless-hardware//URL]). Better wifi is a must, 3G/4G would be great if possible.

If it has 3G and a camera (see http://boards.openpandora.org/topic/15316-should-pyra-have-a-camera/), the Pyra would be a great alternative for a smartphone, besides being "only" a mini-laptop + gaming handheld.

 

[skeezix]

4 shoulder buttons? hmm.. if the shoulders get some work so the case is more comfortable for those buttons maybe .. but I worry that' dbe too fiddly; you want the case as thin as possible (its just a tiny bit too thick now, imho), so is 4 buttons possible, comfortably? ie: Xbox controller and such have enormous heights, plenty of room to work with.. but in a mobile? anyone else done it before?

jeff

 

[fusion_power]

In times of 3D printers I'm sure the prototyping will be much more easy for the P2. Only with prototypes you can find out a good case design and details like how the shoulder buttons should be placed.

Oh and I'm still for backlit keyboard, right now I'm again can't see the keys, again I have to set the lid to 90 degrees to even see the butons. This is so incredible annoying and no, I will not turn the room lights on just to type onto the Pandora.

 

[Neelix]

4 shoulder buttons? hmm.. if the shoulders get some work so the case is more comfortable for those buttons maybe .. but I worry that' dbe too fiddly; you want the case as thin as possible (its just a tiny bit too thick now, imho), so is 4 buttons possible, comfortably? ie: Xbox controller and such have enormous heights, plenty of room to work with.. but in a mobile? anyone else done it before?

jeff

Why not have L2 and R2 as recessed buttons on the bottom of the case (near the back, but closer to the middle than L1 and R1) like on the iCP?

Think about it,  if you are holding the device with your index fingers on L1 and L2, where do your middle fingers naturally fall?

- Neelix

 

[Granitehead]

4 shoulder buttons? hmm.. if the shoulders get some work so the case is more comfortable for those buttons maybe .. but I worry that' dbe too fiddly; you want the case as thin as possible (its just a tiny bit too thick now, imho), so is 4 buttons possible, comfortably? ie: Xbox controller and such have enormous heights, plenty of room to work with.. but in a mobile? anyone else done it before?

jeff

Why not have L2 and R2 as recessed buttons on the bottom of the case (near the back, but closer to the middle than L1 and R1) like on the iCP?

Think about it,  if you are holding the device with your index fingers on L1 and L2, where do your middle fingers naturally fall?

- Neelix

But they would need to cover quite a big area because though practically everyone has their middle fingers down there they don't put them in exactly the same place.

And I don't know how good this would work, you are supporting a big part of the weight with those fingers and they aren't turned the right way to push a button.

 

[Natsu]

After thinking about it, I don't mind the buttons side to side as oppose to top and bottom.

Having the buttons on the back doesn't seem like they would be comfortable. 

 

[Trezker]

I had a crazy idea for L2R2. Flip outs.

When you're not using them they'll be part of the bottom, perfecly flat.

When you need them, you flip them out so the buttons face the back.

 

[God Ginrai]

I had a crazy idea for L2R2. Flip outs.

When you're not using them they'll be part of the bottom, perfecly flat.

When you need them, you flip them out so the buttons face the back.

I can already see tons of mechanical issues with users trying to press their buttons and they collapse.

Although here's an idea:

No one ever said the bottom of the Pyra had to be flat... What if we had a part that angled out near the back of the bottom, say, at the angle of a trigger, for the L2 and R2 buttons. Not actually have triggers, but just a button that is sticking out of a part of the bottom angled like a trigger. Like the Z button on the N64.

-God Ginrai

 

[Natsu]

You guys are really over-complicating it.

No one ever said the bottom of the Pyra had to be flat... What if we had a part that angled out near the back of the bottom, say, at the angle of a trigger, for the L2 and R2 buttons. Not actually have triggers, but just a button that is sticking out of a part of the bottom angled like a trigger. Like the Z button on the N64.

-God Ginrai

A wedge shape like the 2ds?