Some more of my ideas

[fusion_power]

SoC: I'm still holding out hope for the Intel z3770. I realize you're more likely to go ARM, but I can dream right?

Or stay with ARM, "Snapdragon" sounds good to me and fits in perfectly name wise, you know, SnapDRAGON!

 

[slaeshjag]

Considering ED has said he wants to keep compatibility with existing pandora programs, I highly doubt we'll see anything not ARM in the successor.

 

[worzyl]

What about Video In? Though I'm not sure how well the P2 would work as a small editing machine to upload movie files for vimeo, youtube etc.

 

[pmprog]

What about Video In? Though I'm not sure how well the P2 would work as a small editing machine to upload movie files for vimeo, youtube etc.

Probably easiest through a USB Capture device. I have one at home, might be worth trying sometime, though it'll probably require drivers

 

[TrashyMG]

What about Video In? Though I'm not sure how well the P2 would work as a small editing machine to upload movie files for vimeo, youtube etc.

Not sure any SoC has a solution for that built in. I suppose it could be done with added circuitry, but that would eat up additional space on the PCB.. However there are usb devices that work even on the current pandora.

 

[Grench]

What about Video In? Though I'm not sure how well the P2 would work as a small editing machine to upload movie files for vimeo, youtube etc.

Not sure any SoC has a solution for that built in. I suppose it could be done with added circuitry, but that would eat up additional space on the PCB.. However there are usb devices that work even on the current pandora.

Actually - they all do, but not from a wired video input perspective. They (mobile SoCs) seemingly all have camera and motion video input capabilities - from on-device cameras. I wonder if those circuits could be re-purposed (hacked) to read line inputs instead of camera outputs?

Taking that theory to the next step... Samsung's phones will output an HDMI signal over their MHL-USB connector. Could we use that same signal path & wire setup to bring video -in-?

 

[monstercameron]

USB?

 

[TrashyMG]

^universal serial bus

 

[Binky]

My wishlist of connectors, roughly in order of priority:

• Sturdy microUSB A/B port
• Full-size USB 3.0
• Headset socket with Apple/standard mode switch
• full-size SDXC slot
• standard video-out (HDMI, DP etc)
• another full-size SDXC slot
• barrel-jack power supply
• GPIO connector
• Line in
• Line out
• Second Full-size USB 3.0

 

[coreyjohnson711]

Wishlist:

- Ability to have HDMI through some kind of video-out 

- Option for 3G/4G/Compass/Haptics/GPS/Accelerometer

- Nubs that work for FPS games (if even possible) 

- Ability to charge without the Pandora turning on

 

[TrashyMG]

- Nubs that work for FPS games (if even possible)

 He said his current samples look promising.

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

- Option for 3G/4G/Compass/Haptics/GPS/Accelerometer

Looks like a maybe:

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

- Ability to charge without the Pandora turning on

There is absolutely no mobile device that charges powered off.. Even current smartphones power up to charge, even though it's a minimal mode that only allows for charging.

 

[coreyjohnson711]

- Nubs that work for FPS games (if even possible)

 
He said his current samples look promising.

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

- Option for 3G/4G/Compass/Haptics/GPS/Accelerometer

Looks like a maybe:

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

- Ability to charge without the Pandora turning on

There is absolutely no mobile device that charges powered off.. Even current smartphones power up to charge, even though it's a minimal mode that only allows for charging.

Ah okay didn't know about that last bit. I FPS games and PtitSeb has ported a ton of fun ones, but find it hard to enjoy on the Pandora. 

 

[laserbeams]

Awesome, great to see rough specs and ideas talked about!

Case: Can we get any more rounded edges? I'm a big fan of a little more rounding around the gaming control edges, I feel it improves ergonomics a lot. Pandora is still pretty good in this regard, though.

Yes, already told that to the case designers, just forgot to mention it here.

I'm a little surprised to hear you're already working with case designers! I know design-for-manufacturing is a minefield, and there are hardware limitations that most concept designers don't take into account (and thus give false promises of what could be), and that you can't please everyone... but I guess I was expecting a little more community input into the visual design of the Successor. Not least of which because the Pandora's biggest fans and greatest evangelists are here.

I know coming close to the design of ultra-sleek multi-million-selling products is technically and financially impossible, but I am still concerned about the presentation of the Successor.

When I was studying product design, one thing has stuck with me strongly - the design of a product makes a promise to anyone who sees or uses it. If the promise is not interesting, you lose many potential eyes right there (you only get one chance to make a first impression). But even worse, if the promise is interesting, but the product can't fulfill it, then even people who want to love it may be driven away (think DeLorean).

With devices like the Pandora, there's a fine line there. You want to overdeliver on the promises the design makes and give people a pleasant surprise, but the design needs to be compelling enough to get people to "buy in" in the first place. It's not as big a concern for some people (probably like most of us here), but I think the Successor could use a sizeable helping of good looks and fit and finish, compared to the original. If there's somewhere to talk about and share design ideas, or concepts that are in the works, I'm afraid I've missed them! Is there any way to get involved with the visual language and design of the Successor?

 

[wardred]

-1 for android, i dont want google to watch me

As long as it's not the only option, I only see Android as a plus.  It'd be really awesome if you could side load the Google Play store ala Cyanogen mod.  This way Google won't watch you unless you let it.  If you let it, you get access to all the software available on the platform. . . and better controls for many of the games than just about anybody else has.

 

[wardred]

I'd like to see HDMI. . . or something that can pass through to HDMI.  Hopefully *with* audio.  A single cable to the TV is really nice.  (I haven't kept up with all the usb/hdmi, dvi, etc. connectors out there.)

I'd also like to see a dedicated tab key - would fit using the Linux console a bit better . . . though overall the rest of the keyboard layout, and even the rounded keys, were good to me.  I actually liked the rounded buttons. . . but maybe that's just me.

3g/4g sounds like a cool option as long as it doesn't kill the price / amount of time it takes to get approval.

Better plastic - not as brittle / better tested case.  Kind of the biggest thing for me.  I have the original black P1.  The *layout* of the case was fine for me, but the shoulder buttons are a bit hinky - which can be fixed, but which I haven't done, and I have a crack in the back of the case like a lot of people do.

I'm happy to hear you have your hands on nubs that you like.

Edit: And I'd like to keep *at least* one full size SD slot.  I like having both of them.

 

[comradekingu]

-1 for android, i dont want google to watch me

As long as it's not the only option, I only see Android as a plus.  It'd be really awesome if you could side load the Google Play store ala Cyanogen mod.  This way Google won't watch you unless you let it.  If you let it, you get access to all the software available on the platform. . . and better controls for many of the games than just about anybody else has.

That is wrong. Google still tracks you in cyanogen. Installing gapps and downloading games is a surefire way to get tracked, logged and mined. Do not want.

If you want out, check out http://replicant.us and the https://f-droid.org/ repo

 

[wardred]

I may not have phrased that well.  With Cyanogen mod you're still tracked.  Pretty much with any version of Android out there you are. . . it just depends on who's tracking you.  Amazon, Google, etc.  But when you install Cyanogenmod you don't get the Google Play store by default, which for a lot of people is one of the primary reasons of having Android in the first place.  Cyanogenmod does let you side load the play store - edit: and other Google apps.  If Android were developed for the Pandora I'd say being able to load Google Play Store and other Google apps would be a good thing.

If it's an either / or proposition, then definitely keep the Pandora Linux install. . . but if it doesn't detract too many resources from the main Linux image, having Android as an option certainly wouldn't hurt.

 

[Klumpen]

If you want out, check out http://replicant.us and the https://f-droid.org/ repo

Replicant looks interesting for P2.

How about the compatibility with games?

 

[comradekingu]

If the SoC doesnt have free drivers for 3D acceleration its going to be 2D games only. You could of course load them yourself, but its again pending availability.

 

[worzyl]

Regarding the charge port for the P2, there's a change that I would like to see.

I have a Sonim phone and the plug that goes into the phone socket, looks like a phono plug. What nice about the phono plug is that it comes with an adapter that turns it into a mini USB.

I would like to see something similar to the P2 in regards to having the charge port have multiple uses.