Some more of my ideas

[bzar]

Usb3 bus is worth more than wifi, usb2, and bluethooth.

I disagree based on my use cases.

 

[Binky]

I also disagree.

USB2.0 or above is vital, but I'd sooner have wifi than superspeed USB

 

[levi]

ED has already confirmed eMMC will be used for internal storage.

As I understood it eMMC is just TI's name for NAND flash, or at least the name they use to refer to a blob of flash connected to the system that isn't user replaceable.

Edit: Wifi>USB3 for me too.  Actually having working USB1 this time (i.e. full speed for the pedants) might give wifi a run for its money though.

 

[Eddie]

It is interesting that people want wifi over usb3, when working usb3 would give more wifi options, ranges, and speeds. If it is built in it is harder to replace and you get stuck with what you get. Also the wifi being housed in the case requires it to work harder, may result in higher power usage and lower signal strength.

glad to hear there is going to be nand this round!

USB3: considers it reasonable to achieve 3.2 Gbit/s (0.4 GB/s or 400 MB/s) or more in practice according to wikipidea.

With that design you could also sell the board with nothing attached (it's getting HDMI or TV out port of some type right?) Then you could use the board like a dev board hooked up to usb3 devices like a gigEth port and teraHdd and make a server cluster out of them.

then you would have spare parts as well.

I offten wonder if there is not some kind of release agreement that prevents hardware from being designed this way and offered at an affordable price? To control the "fair" market. Where have all the opensource hardware gone?

https://www.youtube.com/embed/JPR108kwNo4?feature=oembed

 

[bzar]

Using the USB port for wifi reserves the USB port from being used for other stuff.

 

[Grench]

It is interesting that people want wifi over usb3, when working usb3 would give more wifi options, ranges, and speeds. If it is built in it is harder to replace and you get stuck with what you get.

glad to hear there is going to be nand this round!

Your theoretical WiFi over USB3 scenario requires a dongle sticking out of the back of the unit, snagging on pants pockets, preventing other USB devices from being used in conjunction with WiFi (or having a hub).

What we need is -both-. A fully backwards compatible USB 3.0 Host AND an 802.11 b/g/n with 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz radios.

You've stated above that you want to strip all of the features that make the device what it is and that you're only willing to pay <$100 for the result. Go buy a used NDS. You clearly don't understand what the Pandor or it's successor are.

 

[WizardStan]

when working usb3 would give more wifi options, ranges, and speeds

They aren't equivalent though. Built in wifi "just works" (in theory), it doesn't need anything plugged in and the drivers are definitely there. With a USB solution the wifi drivers might be in the kernel or might require someone to compile the module (or might not be available at all), the firmware may be there or might need to be downloaded first, and not to mention you've got a dongle (no matter how small it may be) sticking out the back of your device, getting in the way and potentially consuming a precious USB port which could be used for other things.

glad to hear there is going to be nand this round

Why would you advocate a replaceable solution for one thing and then be pleased with a factory fixed solution for another? For consistencies sake shouldn't you be against using NAND again and want to use a replaceable SD card?

 

[Binky]

^ I thought in was going to be eMMC anyway?

 

[Grench]

^ I thought in was going to be eMMC anyway?

My only fear with eMMC is that it gets short-changed at <=8GB. I want >=32GB so that the eMMC can hold the OS and OS repository installed applications and swap. That way the SD cards can be reserved for media files and PNDs.

 

[Eddie]

I has happy about eMMc(nand) that is replaceable. The 100$ hardware is a dream, I paid well over 700$ for my pandora 1GHz and the accessories (128gig sdcard) and accessories case. They even sell the usb dongle with the pandora and recommend it with the purchase... isnt the wifi part of the end of life reason as well? The eMMC should be replaceable up to 64gigs but I dont want to be forced to buy that much if the sd is available.

I think some are confused about the nand being something they could change as easy as the battery... Also I'm for keeping the SD ports but would give one up for replaceable nand. I would prefer two regular sized USB3 ports, the bus sutpports multiple devices at once and the kernal has support for USB3?

I had to stand 4 feet from a wifi router to get a solid signal with the built in wifi. If you look up wifi radiation the majority comes from the router.. and the closer you have to be to it...

I don't think the wifi made the pandora what it is.. The wifi sucked lol

 

[levi]

My only fear with eMMC is that it gets short-changed at <=8GB. I want >=32GB so that the eMMC can hold the OS and OS repository installed applications and swap. That way the SD cards can be reserved for media files and PNDs.

I must admit, I'm a little overcautious about wearing out the NAND in my Pandora, but still, using it as swap sounds like a good way to eat up those 10000 (average) write cycles more rapidly.  As far as I've seen, the Pandora OS doesn't even write log files to NAND at present.

 

[Grench]

I has happy about eMMc(nand) that is replaceable. The 100$ hardware is a dream, I paid well over 700$ for my pandora 1GHz and the accessories (128gig sdcard) and accessories case. They even sell the usb dongle with the pandora and recommend it with the purchase... isnt the wifi part of the end of life reason as well? The eMMC should be replaceable up to 64gigs but I dont want to be forced to buy that much if the sd is available.

I think some are confused about the nand being something they could change as easy as the battery... Also I'm for keeping the SD ports but would give one up for replaceable nand. I would prefer two regular sized USB3 ports, the bus sutpports multiple devices at once and the kernal has support for USB3?

I had to stand 4 feet from a wifi router to get a solid signal with the built in wifi. If you look up wifi radiation the majority comes from the router.. and the closer you have to be to it...

Ummm... you do know right that eMMC is BGA packaged NAND, right?

http://www.micron.com/products/managed-nand/e-mmc

It's not replaceable unless you have a room full of technicians, can desolder a BGA package on a multi-layer motherboard and re-solder one in it's place... Ummm... maybe with a NSA type budget. Maybe.

 

[slaeshjag]

^ Or you can hire a chinese repair shop. They'll get it done with a paint stripper and a heatbed made from a hotplate

 

[Eddie]

I has happy about eMMc(nand) that is replaceable. The 100$ hardware is a dream, I paid well over 700$ for my pandora 1GHz and the accessories (128gig sdcard) and accessories case. They even sell the usb dongle with the pandora and recommend it with the purchase... isnt the wifi part of the end of life reason as well? The eMMC should be replaceable up to 64gigs but I dont want to be forced to buy that much if the sd is available.


I think some are confused about the nand being something they could change as easy as the battery... Also I'm for keeping the SD ports but would give one up for replaceable nand. I would prefer two regular sized USB3 ports, the bus sutpports multiple devices at once and the kernal has support for USB3?


I had to stand 4 feet from a wifi router to get a solid signal with the built in wifi. If you look up wifi radiation the majority comes from the router.. and the closer you have to be to it...

Ummm... you do know right that eMMC is BGA packaged NAND, right?

http://www.micron.com/products/managed-nand/e-mmc


It's not replaceable unless you have a room full of technicians, can desolder a BGA package on a multi-layer motherboard and re-solder one in it's place... Ummm... maybe with a NSA type budget. Maybe.

Dude, did you not see my post about the way ODROID handled the situation... look http://www.hardkernel.com/main/products/prdt_info.php?g_code=G135393548479  it's on a replaceable Module

write the log files to a diff partion. And at 25$ for 8gigs who cares about wear leavling, burn it up and replace it. You only need double the ram as swap so if they only put 1gig of ram your only going to need a 2gig nand module, that could reduce the cost even further.

 

[Trip]

I'd be happy dumping one of the speakers and having mono sound from the device itself if the other speaker was replaced with something good like a camera personally.

People use headphones/tv-out for the full sound experience anyway

 

[Eddie]

also to address the snaging with the wifi adapter, all you would need is and indention in the case were the usbports are so that those short nubby ones would be level. It would have to have enough room to get your finger in there to pull it out though, it's hard enough the way it is now.

That could deal with the location on the pcb being moved back a hairbit or a case mold. Could always design a pocket carring case/shell.

I think on most handheld devices they use a usb camera that has a ribbon cable going to the main board. The ribbon is one of those slide in types. It makes it a lot easyer to replace when they crap out. And being tied to the usb device bus they have better support?

 I don't like replacing the sticky ribbion cables unless they are snap in modules, prefer with screws so that after you snap and lightly screw it in it wont come loose and disconnect on the go. The sliders are nice but easy to break the part that lock the ribbion in.

 

[Klumpen]

I wouldn't buy it without internal wlan and usb.

 

[slaeshjag]

also to address the snaging with the wifi adapter, all you would need is and indention in the case were the usbports are so that those short nubby ones would be level. It would have to have enough room to get your finger in there to pull it out though, it's hard enough the way it is now.

That won't fit.

 

[WizardStan]

also to address the snaging with the wifi adapter, all you would need is and indention in the case were the usbports are so that those short nubby ones would be level

You are advocating saving space on the board by removing the wifi, a chip barely 25mm^3, by replacing it with a recession in the case (and therefore board) to accommodate a 500mm^3 dongle.

 

[levi]

I'd be highly impressed if a little stubby wifi module would work better than a properly supported and configured wifi module using an antenna like the one in the existing Pandora design.

Regarding speakers, I use them when playing games mostly.  I suppose a mono speaker would suffice for that, but in my experience mono speakers don't tend to generate the same body as stereo speakers of the same quality, and wouldn't emulate TV sound well enough (would be good for Gameboy emulation though).  If the same money was spent on one speaker as spent on two then maybe, but I'd need to be convinced.