Some Q's about the Pandora

[Snoa]

Hiya guys, I made a thread similar to this a long time ago, but it seems that the Pandora has gone through some changes since, so I thought it'd be relevant to make a new thread.

I'm going to be a college student soon, majoring in computer science and minoring in business. I want to know if the Pandora would be right for me for note-taking and doing homework. I'd like to go paperless for my college years (Since I have terrible, illegible handwriting), so I'm definitely going to be needing some laptop or tablet-like device. I heard the Pandora is good for programming, so maybe it might suit my needs in terms of computer science.

So is the Pandora the right choice for a student like me?

Is it good for note-taking?

I plan on using something like Open-Office as a word processor, is Pandora capable of running that?

I have large hands and fingers, will the Pandora still be comfortable to hold and type on (As a reference, I can hold my 3DS with relative comfort, though I have an aftermarket battery pack on it that adds bulk)?

Will the Pandora's screen be easy to see and read in a classroom environment (When I can't necessarily hold it right in front of my face)?

I plan on hooking up a keyboard, mouse, and possibly a small monitor to it (If you guys know of any decently-priced monitors less than 10 inches or so, feel free to provide a link), could the Pandora support all of these at once?

How difficult is it to figure out the Pandora OS (I've never used an OS outside of Windows before)?

Is the Pandora capable of sending files to another PC that's using a different operating system (Either through a USB drive or through a program like Dropbox)?

What are some of the other things Pandora is capable of?


Sorry that I'm asking SO many questions, but money is tight so I need to make sure the Pandora will do exactly what I need it to do before I go and toss $600.

 

[WizardStan]

Pandora benefits that suit your needs: long battery life, extremely portable, keyboard. You can have it out, take your notes, and easily pack it away as you're walking out at the end of class, with more than enough battery life to get you through all your classes and a couple games in between.

The downside that may cause problems is that you will not be fast on the keyboard. I've been using it a while, I can get pretty good speed but still nowhere near what can be achieved touchtyping a full sized keyboard. You can add a keyboard, like you say, but then it loses a lot of portability. It's still more portable, you don't NEED the keyboard so you can get away with only taking it out when you do need it, but it is something to consider when choosing between Pandora or cheap laptop. Mouse can be added for sure. Just make sure you get a USB hub, you can't plug a keyboard or mouse in directly (Pandora is missing the USB1.1 to USB2.0 conversion chip, a hub takes care of that though). By design the TV output is standard 480i output, but you can also get a USB video adapter: all three can be in the same hub at once, no problem. You may need a powered hub to handle the video adapter but otherwise you'll have no problems.

The screen is pretty good. There was a batch of screens which suffered a bit on the gamma so don't work so well outside (I recall someone mentioning that the next batch will be better, so don't worry about that) but even so they still work great indoors under regular lights. Sitting on a table a couple feet away shouldn't be a problem.

Libre Office is the full featured office suite and runs just fine, but it's a little bulky. There's also Abiword, a basic document editor that's nice and slim. Either of these will work for you.

The Pandora is a little larger than a 3DS, so if your 3DS is comfortable the Pandora almost certainly will be as well. I never had any issues using it 6 hours a day.

The OS is not especially difficult to learn at all. It's a standard windowed system: you can even just think of it as if it were Windows with a different skin; the "start" menu is in the lower left, clock on the right, task bar across the bottom, all exactly the same with just a different look.

Transferring files is a piece of cake: you can mount it as a Samba share (the Windows file sharing protocol) and copy files over wifi, or plug it into a PC via USB and turn on external storage mode so the SD cards appear on the PC as any other external hard drive.

Other things it can do: Code::Blocks lets you code and compile directly on the Pandora in C, C++, Python, a bunch of other languages.

At the end of all this, I can say for certain that the Pandora is fully capable of performing the duties you need it to, in regards to note taking, programming, and file sharing. Whether it's worth $600 is really hard to say. If you can afford it then it is definitely worth it. If you can't then you may want to scour ebay or ask about older refurbished models.

 

[Snoa]

Are those word processors able to save files as .doc, so if I had to email the file to a professor or something, he/she would be able to read the file with Microsoft Word? And USB ports only output a set amount of power, so would a USB hub be able to power a keyboard and mouse simultaneously? Also, since I'm majoring in computer science and would be programming, do you think the programs I would have to write for school would be able to work on an ARM processor?

I don't think a keyboard and mouse would take up too much space in a backpack. I'm mainly worried about weight, and I'd think that a Pandora+Mouse+Keyboard would still weigh less than a standard lappy.

And you said the screens in the next batch would be better, do you know how long it usually takes to go from one batch to the next?

Sorry again for all the questions I'd just hate to spend this amount of money on something I won't be able to fully utilize.

 

[Hồng Thất Công]

You forgot to mention that the support for the Pandora is the best.  They maybe able to help do all your CS homework    Lots of knowledgable guys here.  There's a real PHD in CS guy on this forumn too!  

 

[RuneIV]

Personally, having gone through a CS B.Sc. 6 years ago, I'd recommend going for a cheap laptop mainly for the typing speed argument WizardStan mentioned and for the flexibility an x86 architecture will give you. Some teachers can be dreadfully fast and the Pandora has mainly a thumb keyboard. That said you mentioned carrying an extra USB keyboard (maybe one of those foldable keyboards, don't know if they're any good), so maybe that could solve your typing problems. Also, typical CS curriculum includes many math courses and those can be a real pain in the @$$ to note on a computer. I had a friend who used to note down mathematical formulas using LaTeX but that's still way more complicated than a sheet of paper.

That said, for the homework part it all depends on your college's CS program. They may require you to use some platform specific software. Some simulators on Windows or to hand-out a Visual Studio .vcxproj as the result of an assignment. If I were you, I'd wait till you've got a more precise idea of the technologies you'll have to learn. Maybe talk to a senior student about their previous courses and decide on the best device from there.

In any case, enjoy whatever device you buy and have fun studying Computer Sciences.

 

[_wb_]

The Pandora is great if you're going to study CS, because it lets you and encourages you to tinker with everything: it has a more or less standard GNU/Linux OS. Having an ARM cpu is no problem at all, you're probably not going to learn any real assembly coding anyway, but even if you are, it will be not very architecture-specific.

A normal laptop with some GNU/Linux installed on it is also fine.

Drawbacks of Pandora: screen and keyboard are small. Memory and CPU is a bit limited, in case you want to run big IDEs like Eclipse or something.

Drawbacks of regular laptop: not that portable, battery will not last an entire day.

 

[Mr_Loon]

Is it good for note-taking?

Absolutely fine from my perspective but then again It's a very occasional usage scenario for me.

I have large hands and fingers, will the Pandora still be comfortable to hold and type on (As a reference, I can hold my 3DS with relative comfort, though I have an aftermarket battery pack on it that adds bulk)?

I also have large hands and have no problem thumb typing on Pandora

Will the Pandora's screen be easy to see and read in a classroom environment (When I can't necessarily hold it right in front of my face)?

How good are your eyes? If you find the screen on the DS / 3DS OK then you'll be fine with the Pandora

I plan on hooking up a keyboard, mouse, and possibly a small monitor to it (If you guys know of any decently-priced monitors less than 10 inches or so, feel free to provide a link), could the Pandora support all of these at once?

As far as I know it is not really possible to properly use an external monitor with the Pandora unless it accepts TV out (Composite / SVideo) as an input.

How difficult is it to figure out the Pandora OS (I've never used an OS outside of Windows before)?

I was in the same boat and had no real problems with the Pandora OS

Is the Pandora capable of sending files to another PC that's using a different operating system (Either through a USB drive or through a program like Dropbox)?

Yes

What are some of the other things Pandora is capable of?

Retro gaming & anything else you would expect a mini PC to do.

Sorry that I'm asking SO many questions, but money is tight so I need to make sure the Pandora will do exactly what I need it to do before I go and toss $600.

Why exactly do you think Pandora might suit your needs? Is it battery life, small size, built in controls?

From my perspective your biggest problem with the Pandora will be lack of screen estate, the 800 by 480 resolution screen does not lend itself well to 'office' use IMHO.

 

[FaeMinx]

My recommendation? Get a refurbished CC unit *and* a really cheap lightweight x86 laptop. This way you'll always have the right tool for whatever circumstances, won't feel compromised, and in all likelihood will be able to get both within budget.

Edit: But best device purely for note taking, mathematical formulas, and dictation in a study environment? ... GNote 8.0 *ahem*

 

[KickAss]

there's only one way to find out if the pandora works for you.
unfortunately that ain't cheap.
the pandora is up to any of the stuff you said youd like to do.

seriously if you need to take notes during class id advise you to use a real size keyboard. its so much faster.
you could hook up peripherals, yes, but wouldn't that kinda defeat the purpose?
theres cheap netbooks weighing practically nothing.
i can only speak for my unit, its fine indoors but it's totally useless outdoors (tweaked gamma as much as possbile). you should consider that.
also this might be interesting:

http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php?/topic/11471-CS-student-Looking-for-a-ReBirth-or-1Ghz-Pandora

 

[Hồng Thất Công]

The Pandora is great if you're going to study CS, because it lets you and encourages you to tinker with everything: it has a more or less standard GNU/Linux OS. Having an ARM cpu is no problem at all, you're probably not going to learn any real assembly coding anyway, but even if you are, it will be not very architecture-specific.

A normal laptop with some GNU/Linux installed on it is also fine.

Drawbacks of Pandora: screen and keyboard are small. Memory and CPU is a bit limited, in case you want to run big IDEs like Eclipse or something.

Drawbacks of regular laptop: not that portable, battery will not last an entire day.

Here he is!  The PHD! 

 

[PokeParadox]

Well I originally wanted a Pandora for note taking at uni... unfortunately being an original first day predorderer I actually finished uni before I received my Pandora - but...

I ended up getting an EEPC 701 which has the same resolution screen as the Pandora does.

So the resolution you can get by with it - The EEPC had a bigger 800x480 screen and obviously had a proper keyboard though - but it's possible to thumb type fairly quickly once you get used to the keyboard.

I found even with my eepc I was taking notes on paper and the eepc. Also the eepc only lasted around 3 hours - i.e. a couple of lectures(sometimes I sat next to a power point,however), the pandora lasts  a good 10 hours - longer with brightness turned right down and wifi disabled etc.

It's a very capable device, but a compact USB/bluetooth keyboard might be needed for typing speed and possibly a mouse too. You will not be able to hook it to a monitor. We only have Svideo or composite out so you will be able to hook it to one of those playstation screens if you are looking for something portable. There is also the DisplayLink device which gives you higher resolution but I have no direct experience with that - I believe it uses USB and allows you to connect to a desktop monitor, I think the drivers are now included in the firmware as standard too (someone please correct me if I'm mistaken.)

 

[CocoCreekFisherman]

As much as I love this device IMHO I think it is a bit too small for your serious needs. 

I think the keyboard and screen is a bit cramped for serious,lengthy note taking.

 

[Exophase]

Personally, I'd much sooner use my Chromebook for something like this. It's a nice, cheap, thin/light ~11" laptop with a fairly good keyboard (pretty awful trackpad though, you'd benefit from bringing along a wireless one)

 

[comradekingu]

get a pandora and put slackware on it. Also, get a thinkpad x60s with coreboot and your distro of choice

 

[Snoa]

Gah, so many varying opinions, everything ranging from "There are better devices to suit your needs" to "It'll work, buy it!". I should have put a poll up or something

 

[WizardStan]

It'll work, buy it if you want, but there are better devices to suit your needs.

 

[Snoa]

It'll work, buy it if you want, but there are better devices to suit your needs.

Hrm. Perhaps I'll wait to buy one, then. I mean I would also really like to use it to program Pandora apps, but I suppose I could just get a normal laptop and buy the Pandora at a later date with my own money (My parents said they'd buy me a laptop or something equivalent to a laptop for college, provided it was reasonably priced). I guess I'll just put this purchase off for another year or two then...or maybe not, depending on what laptops I can find on the market I've been following the Open Pandora since it's inception practically, and every few years I'm all "Maybe I'll buy it now...or now...or now..." haha.

 

[b_o_b]

In your case I would buy a Galaxy Note 8.0 + case and keyboard. 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lduo8apVkio?feature=oembed

 

[FaeMinx]

In your case I would buy a Galaxy Note 8.0 + case and keyboard. 

Wise words.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[comradekingu]

I use a thinkpad, my opinion matters.

Spoiler

^_^

Well we all agree the pandora is good. I can hold down ctrl+backspace on a normal keyboard, and the keypad on the pandora works for me.