Some Noob Question - 2nd Batch

[Fiery Phoenix]

Seriously thinking about getting The Pandora - a toss up between this and The Wiz


Mainly want it for Amiga and MAME emulation, as my DS can do the Speccy, SCUMM and C64.


Just a few questions:


1. If I order from the 2nd batch - do they still have some of the design faults I have read about? Warped cases, etc? Do these get replaced or do you just learn to live with them - not covered by a guarantee?


2. How hard is the initial set up - to get everything up and running, internet browserm etc - Im not the most technical minded person, but am so so with installing emulators on the DS and a PC - is that much knowledge ok?


3. If I'm only using it for emulation am I better off with The Wiz?


Many thanks

 

[sebt3]

1. If I order from the 2nd batch - do they still have some of the design faults I have read about? Warped cases, etc? Do these get replaced or do you just learn to live with them - not covered by a guarantee?

These have to be out to answer this...

2. How hard is the initial set up - to get everything up and running, internet browserm etc - Im not the most technical minded person, but am so so with installing emulators on the DS and a PC - is that much knowledge ok?

That's more than enough

3. If I'm only using it for emulation am I better off with The Wiz?

Especially if you only want the system you specify. (the wiz is less powerfull, but enough for these)

 

[Tickles]

Regarding Amiga, Spectrum and C64 emulation, a big plus for the Pandora is it has a keyboard. If you don't think you'll benefit much from this, and you only want to use it to emulate the systems you mention, as sebt3 said you should be fine with the Wiz. Just don't forget everything else Pandora can do

 

[Fiery Phoenix]

Just don't forget everything else Pandora can do

Thanks for the replies


The idea of a pocket size mini PC does appeal to me to be honest. Would you say thats its main selling feature? How good is it for browsing - especially YouTube and streaming websites - cant see any clips on YouTube showing this

 

[sebt3]

Would you say thats its main selling feature?

For me, definately.

How good is it for browsing - especially YouTube and streaming websites - cant see any clips on YouTube showing this

Web browsing is fine, but no flash for now so streaming is, well, a no go beside webm support. (or minitube)

 

[Fiery Phoenix]

Cool - just reading the FAQ's - flash could be supported later on which is good - hope that happens


The PS1 emultaor is also swaying me - although I know it's still early times for this one yet.


Bit miffed that it's $349 for the US price but the UK price is £270 - should be about £220 given the exchange rate - and it has been around the 1.5 mark for a while ( although currently 1.58 )


Even including the $25 airmail cost it's still a bit cheaoer

 

[froggyman]

Bit miffed that it's $349 for the US price but the UK price is £270 - should be about £220 given the exchange rate - and it has been around the 1.5 mark for a while ( although currently 1.58 )


Even including the $25 airmail cost it's still a bit cheaoer

I was wondering why it is like that myself. I was rather confused when I decided to go through the checkout to see what shipping would be and if I had any VAT (didn't order yet, don't have enough money yet ) and the price was only in British pounds not USD so I wasn't sure what I would have to pay in.

 

[Fiery Phoenix]

Considering it's built in England as well - charging us £50 more than our cousins accross the pond grates a bit.


I really want to order it, that £50 difference would have paid for a TV out, a carry case and a spare battery!


I'm still 50/50 - dont know whether to wait or bite the bullet and order one - bit concerned over all these hairline cracks and warpings - talking a lot of money - for me anyway - and I want to certain I am getting something well built which will last

 

[levi]

The UK price includes VAT, while I assume the US price doesn't include sales tax (I seem to remember something about them not having to pay it for things ordered off the internet - unfortunately us Brits aren't as lucky). If my maths is correct that doesn't account for the whole 50 quid, though I would point out that while the Pandora is assembled in the UK, most if not all of the parts for it are paid for in US dollars.


Re 'all these hairline cracks and warpings' I agree it's not ideal and hope something is figured out before my Pandora gets built, but still - it's only one warping and one crack and that one crack is hairline.

 

[DaMummy]

the reason for costing more in usa is because the exchange rate is calculated at which it was when all the parts to make the pandora were bought, so opt doesnt loose money just cause the dollar dropped into the outhouse

 

[Gerix]

Residents of Michigan are expected to claim unpaid sales tax as a use tax on their MI1040. Whether they do is another question entirely. Anyway, it would be about $24 in my case.

 

[Ratfink]

The UK price includes VAT, while I assume the US price doesn't include sales tax (I seem to remember something about them not having to pay it for things ordered off the internet - unfortunately us Brits aren't as lucky).

We don't have to pay sales tax for things on the Internet, unless the company that's selling the item is in the same state.

 

[Fiery Phoenix]

Have ALL the Pandora's had the hairline cracks and warpings - some say it was just the early batches, others even the later ones.


Or are there some people out there where it hasnt happened to their Pandora?


Also - as a noob - what would you say are the advantages of purchasing this rather than an Android phone? Have seen some of them running a PSx emulator and it looks like it runs pretty good - the N900 for example ( with keyboard )

 

[Yannick]

Also - as a noob - what would you say are the advantages of purchasing this rather than an Android phone? Have seen some of them running a PSx emulator and it looks like it runs pretty good - the N900 for example ( with keyboard )

If you need a phone, buy the N900. It costs twice as much for the same OMAP cpu/chipset and it doesn't have dedicated gaming buttons. It does have a cheap piece of plastic to slide over the keyboard, they say it's good enough to do nes games.

 

[Fiery Phoenix]

I think the N900 can do a bit better than nes games.


Both systems have the "same" processor (600MHz TI OMAP3530 -> overclock to a fast and stable 800MHz), same graphics chip (SGX530), same RAM (DDR 256MB). HOWEVER the N900 can have 1GB RAM (virtual) due to the inclusion of the internal storage, which MAY make some games or emulators run a little more smoothly (thinking N64?).

 

[Tor]

The N900 is very cumbersome to use when stretched out on the couch though..


(there's simply no comfortable way of holding it in that position)

 

[may88]

Have ALL the Pandora's had the hairline cracks and warpings - some say it was just the early batches, others even the later ones.


Or are there some people out there where it hasnt happened to their Pandora?


Also - as a noob - what would you say are the advantages of purchasing this rather than an Android phone? Have seen some of them running a PSx emulator and it looks like it runs pretty good - the N900 for example ( with keyboard )

Still waiting for my Pandora so I cannot comment on the quality of the existing cases. I'm on the boards all the time and I've not noticed any uproar about the current case's quality. Each batch may be different and you may getting one of those being shipped at the moment or one from the next run requested. This is OPT's first hardware project and may be best not to look for TOO much perfection. Personally, I want the unit to look good and I will have to show it to those that know I have been waiting for ages to, but as long as the case is functional I can live with the odd minuscule flaw.


As to your 2nd question: The community. The N900 will as a unit will be superseded very quickly (if it hasn't already). The Pandora will be about for a few years yet. Whilst I love retro the homebrew side is just as exciting for me but it is its UMPC qualities I crave most.

 

[neko]

Both systems have the "same" processor (600MHz TI OMAP3530 -> overclock to a fast and stable 800MHz), same graphics chip (SGX530), same RAM (DDR 256MB). HOWEVER the N900 can have 1GB RAM (virtual) due to the inclusion of the internal storage, which MAY make some games or emulators run a little more smoothly (thinking N64?).

It's just swap space on the embedded MMC/SD. You can do the same on the Pandora if you want. It's certainly not needed for N64 emulation.

 

[Yannick]

I think the N900 can do a bit better than nes games.


Both systems have the "same" processor (600MHz TI OMAP3530 -> overclock to a fast and stable 800MHz), same graphics chip (SGX530), same RAM (DDR 256MB). HOWEVER the N900 can have 1GB RAM (virtual) due to the inclusion of the internal storage, which MAY make some games or emulators run a little more smoothly (thinking N64?).

I was talking about that plastic thingie that slides over the keyboard to give you "game controls"


the keyboard itself is useless for emulators, even for nes


EDIT: the game gripper:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/p9D8cedGr30?feature=oembed

 

[WizardStan]

HOWEVER the N900 can have 1GB RAM (virtual) due to the inclusion of the internal storage, which MAY make some games or emulators run a little more smoothly (thinking N64?).

Swap should never make things run faster or smoother. Hard drives are slower than RAM, and SD cards are even slower than hard drives. It's like saying adding a trailer will make your truck go faster. It'll let you do more, carry more, but it certainly doesn't make you faster.


If whatever you are running is running fine without swap, then adding swap won't make any difference in a properly configured system. Swap is useful for large processes that can't run without the extra ram, or when you want to run a few smaller things which combined exceed physical ram. There is some argument to keeping a swap file, just in case your programs do temporarily exceed physical ram, but I've been doing all kinds of things in the last month without a swap file and have never once run out of the 256MB of ram we've got.