Status Update after 3 years

[Metamo]

hello everyone.

a long time ago, i read every day on this forums at openpandora and i was one of the firstbuyer of openpandora.

then the problems with the chinese firma occurs, a long waiting time and i cancled my pandora. that was 3 years ago (or so).

after that, my birthday is in 1 month. i would buy a pandora 1ghz for me.

on the official website the openpandora seems like finished: full emulation support to all the systems i want, more power, all seems perfect.

but i want to know from you - the users of the pandora - depends on my criterias: is it the pandora so well-engineered? which is:

-playing my original pal FF-titels including ff tactics and abe's escape (PSX-Emulation) fullspeed

-playing these systems: genesis (md2), snes

-playing handhelds (gb, gba, ds, gg) fullspeed.

-maybe saturn? ok, its a dream, i know...

-after that, could i write small textes or surfing with the desktop?

-use it as small-pc with monitor-out and usb-keyboard and mouse? like the raspberry pi

-all that without tweaking, scripting and other things like that

-and 1 year ago i heard from a programmer, that would ps2 to pandora, whats the status? its unfinished or works very well?

i only have original pal-games, the compatibility must me given to that. dont want to buy ntsc-games especially for the pandora.

my english is still bad, 3 years ago the site was in german. it wonders me, but i think its for the reachability.

can anybody answer my questions? i know, i can read that in the forums, but it would be a loong time and the informations could be old. need an up-to-date-man

thank you so

 

[sebt3]

The only things not done in your list is Saturn ans PS2 emulation. Otherwise everything is there (PSX emulation is perfect etc)

I would recommand you to buy from (depending on where you live)

EvilDragon (germany/ world-wide) : https://www.dragonbox.de/de/

Linux-Swat (France) : http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php/topic/14426-pandora-shop-2-in-paris-selling-pandora-units-and-spare-parts-repairs/

Ekianjo (Japan) : http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php/user/4605-ekianjo/ (cant find a link to his shop right now)

Link (North America) : http://www.ithic.com/

I wouldnt buy from, craigx if I were you....

 

[TrashyMG]

Just answering them in order..

- PSX Emulation is near perfect at double resolution with PCSX ReARMed

- Genesis emulation is great with picodrive, SNES emulation is nearly as good..
- Handheld emulation is really good especially the older game, DS with Drastic(first out on the Pandora before Android) is great.. the emulator is new, compatibility is getting better day by day..

- I know there is a saturn emulator floating around.. don't expect it full speed or remotely playable.

- We have many browsers, including latest Firefox.. we have Libreoffice if you want to make a document or spreadsheet and such..
- You can use it either with a TV out (SVideo or composite out) or a USB VGA or HDMI displaylink adapter with a keyboard and such.. Power consumption is high with USB so I recommend a powered USB hub.
- yeah I tweak scripts, compile code and such on it.
- PS2 emulation strains some desktop computers, I think PS2 emulation is several years off on mobile devices period.

 

[Metamo]

okay, thanks!

i have forgotten one: i have a lot of old dos-games (like warcraft 2, theme hospital usw).

would that work with pandora? a good dosbox for pandora?

and i have see that i can emulate starcraft? other windows-games that i can play on that? fullspeed or with restrictions?

oh and when i connect a mouse, the pandora knows that (plug&play) or must i search drivers and so?

and the last question: have the 1ghz-version wifi?

 

[F_Slim]

There are two different ports of DosBox (I prefer Pickle's port http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=dosbox.pickle). There is also Qemu which in principle allows you to run Windows, but it will require quite some tweaking and results may vary. I bet Ingo will be happy to help you getting things run with Qemu though. He's also in the german forum, which is here: http://forum.gp2x.de/

One important thing about keyboard and mouse: these are usually USB 1.0 devices. The USB-port can only handle true USB 2.0 devices! If you attach a USB 1.0 device the port will crash and only work after a reboot. You can use USB 1.0 devices by plugging them in via a USB 2.0 hub. You'll probably need a hub anyway, so that shouldn't be a problem. Just make sure it's a USB 2.0 one. No special drivers are required.

I personaly used the Pandora several times as a Laptop-replacement on conferences. I used it to browse the web, check mails, I even changed some slides for my presentation in LibreOffice (I suggest using a swap file: http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=swaptools-0.1-slaeshjag) and there is even LaTeX available on the Pandora. It will never be a full replacement for a notebook, but you can push it pretty far. Attaching a monitor that does not use S-Video or Composite will require some work I guess.

 

[JePP]

Word of advice for the mouse, my standard wireless mouse with a USB-Infrared adapter doesn't work, the Infrared adapter is not being recognized by the Pandora. Wired USB-Mouse should work.

 

[ekianjo]

Ekianjo (Japan) : http://boards.openpa...r/4605-ekianjo/ (cant find a link to his shop right now)

it's http://openpandorajapan.stores.jp

my standard wireless mouse with a USB-Infrared adapter doesn't work, the Infrared adapter is not being recognized by the Pandora

Did you try through a USB hub ?

 

[JePP]

 

my standard wireless mouse with a USB-Infrared adapter doesn't work, the Infrared adapter is not being recognized by the Pandora

Did you try through a USB hub ?

Nope, don't have one. I have a Logitech M305 by the way. Anyway its not a big issue since I wouldnt use it anyway (Come on, what are laptops for? )

 

[Jey123456]

okay, thanks!

i have forgotten one: i have a lot of old dos-games (like warcraft 2, theme hospital usw).

would that work with pandora? a good dosbox for pandora?

and i have see that i can emulate starcraft? other windows-games that i can play on that? fullspeed or with restrictions?

oh and when i connect a mouse, the pandora knows that (plug&play) or must i search drivers and so?

and the last question: have the 1ghz-version wifi?

quit a few good dos games have seen port on the pandora (that dont need dosbox using opensource remake generally), those i played and can say they work great are

star control 2 (http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=uqm-070)

warcraft 1 (http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=warcraft_sr)

theme hospital (http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=CorsixTH-CorsixTH-22523)

xcom ufo defense (http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=xcom1_sr)

xcom terror from the deep (http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=xcom2_sr)

there is also another different xcom build on the repo, but i havent tried it so i cant vouch for its functionality (seem to be fine) (http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=openxcom)

And many more. For warcraft 2, i remember seeing some video of it being playable (cant remember if dosbox or qemu), but i dont think it was 100% unlike all of those port. 

Take note that for most of those games, youll still need to provide data files from the original game as they only are the game engine (ported part)  they still need the data from the paid / original version to actually work. 

 

[Exophase]

No one was ever working on PS2 emulation for Pandora, I think someone was having fun with you ;p

 

[TrashyMG]

For Warcraft II I use Stratagus, It's a bit of work to setup as you need to rip the data from the original DOS CD.. Windows Battlenet edition won't work.

It's playable with DOSBOX, but touchscreen can be iffy.. I tend to use the analog nubs and keyboard shortcuts anyway.