Suggestion: Pandora Torture Test

[TrevorBradley]

I have a suggestion to Craig and company now that everyone can turn their thoughts back to engineering. You may be thinking along these lines already (a search reveals the phrase "Extensive Testing"), but I'd thought I'd share this while it was on my mind...

Once assembly of Pandoras have begun, take one Pandora that's already passed standard quality control and torture it. Drop it repeatedly from a certain height about 100 times onto a hard surface, open and close the hinge forcibly about 2000 times, type a small essay on the device to test keypresses, press too hard on the LCD touchscreen, leave it plugged in and on for 14 days straight, sit on it repeatedly and whatever other torture test that could be devised for a clamshell based system. (I'm thinking of that bizarre contraption they have in IKEA stores here that shows one of their chairs can be sat in once every second, 24/7 without breaking.)

This isn't to look for manufacturing defects. I'm certain you're already checking for these. None of your manufacturers is going to refund you for components that can't resist torture as opposed to testing. And of course we're all going to take good care of our Pandoras. But *some* part on the Pandora is going to break first after N years of regular use, that's just entropy. On the GP2X F100 that was the joystick for many. It would be handy to know what that part is for the Pandora.

If a "long term use" fault is found where the part would survive for only N years of standard use, it isn't going to affect production. You're still going to have to assemble the first batch of Pandora with the parts you have. But for a first batch system there's going to be some sort of structural flaw greater than the others, and it would be useful for us, the end users, to know what that is so we can take extra care of our devices ("Whatever you do, try not to drop it from more than 60cm" or "Don't put extra force on the hinge by walking around with the clamshell open".. my daughter's NDSlite suffered this way).

It would be worth the price of a single pandora and probably save more than that on warranty. It would also clearly identify any manufacturing improvements that could be applied to latter batches.

It might also make a cool video, but I'm certain that would make many users here cry or call "Sacrilege!".. Alternately if you don't share the results the test would still be useful. Advance knowledge on what kind of warranty requests you're going to get might be fiscally prudent.

It would also be useful to know what *does* survive. Knowing the Pandora can handle certain types of (unrecommended!) torture will make us all happy.

 

[mali]

There are companies doing this kind of testing for a living. I suppose, that there are standardized tests for torture. It might be better to hire such a company instead of doing it themselves. I think a certain degree of know-how is needed, to realistically spot the weak points.
I don't know MWestons background, but he seems to be very accurate and picky about quality. I don't expect major flaws.

Edit:
From a point of view of good PR it would be best to say: "Look, we have hired company XY and they approve, the design is very reliable" instead of: "Look we have dropped the Pandora multiple times, so it must be OK"

 

[Yigguth]

results in,
the pandora is in fact stronger than a brick of titanium

 

[Chip]

As previously mentioned, we don't have the time or money for proper HALT testing (1 2). Just "dropping it a bunch of times" isn't going to tell us much.

 

[bartleby]

will it blend?

 

[fusion_power]

results in,
the pandora is in fact stronger than a brick of titanium

But the current Hinge-Design looks more like a fragile piece of Plastic and you should call it "SIR" so it don't get broken instantly if you take a evil look on it.
Seriously, I couldn't spot any Metal-part inside the Pandora-Hinge so this sensitive area of the whole case construction would be rigid and durable enough for more than one "fall-from-the-table".

...and there are hinges out there that really look as strong as a brick of Titanium!

http://www.notebookcheck.com/typo3temp/pics/52fc16394a.jpg (Dell Latitude E6500 Notebook, hinge made out of a single piece of metal)

 

[Zor Prime]

Dang this is a very good point that I never thought of.

So basically we have ZERO clue if the Pandora can even handle a drop from arms length or from a table, etc?

 

[PoisonedV]

Well, this just makes me more hopeful that they will release an invisible shield for the pandora.
i already have one for the screen.

 

[mali]

Dang this is a very good point that I never thought of.

So basically we have ZERO clue if the Pandora can even handle a drop from arms length or from a table, etc?

I could imagine, that they went with sturdy over stylish, to be on the save side. If you have a filigree design, you should stress it, but if you keep it more bulky, that isn't such an issue. You could disassemble a NDS, because it's similar and just add a little flesh to the breakable parts. That is, what I would do.

 

[Megamixman]

Dang this is a very good point that I never thought of.

So basically we have ZERO clue if the Pandora can even handle a drop from arms length or from a table, etc?

Go ahead and buy enough Pandoras to do the testing. People expect way too much. Don't be greedy, this project is already addressing many issues that major companies would never bother with. If you don't think that is good enough, put up your own capital, time, sweat, and sanity and start a similar project of your own.

 

[cb88]

@PoisonedV http://golden-shellback.com/ << your invisible shield sir

 

[Eniko]

Dang this is a very good point that I never thought of.

So basically we have ZERO clue if the Pandora can even handle a drop from arms length or from a table, etc?

Pandoras are for computing, not playing catch with.

 

[surt]

I know the first thing I'm going to do when I get the P in my mitts is throw it against a brick wall a few times then run over it with the car, just to make sure I've got my money's worth.

 

[sjm2006]

any one for a game of Frisbee?

 

[TaG]

"Whatever you do, try not to drop it from more than 60cm"

So let me see if I've got this straight.

You're sitting on the bus playing your favourite game when some git barges straight into your arm. Your Pandora is about to crash to the floor. You quickly look down gauge the distance to the floor. You guess 55cm and say 'sod it, that should be fine. A few centimetres more and I'd have to try and catch it.

I have to be honest, if I'm about to drop something, I'm not really trying to calculate the distance to the ground; I can either catch it or not.

 

[sinoth]

I feel like this is a pretty legitimate fear. I know the board and components will be tested enough so that I'll get a nice working Pandora on my doorstep. I'm worried, though, that the first time the thing falls out of my pocket or gets knocked off a table by one of my cats, some piece is gonna fly off the PCB because the unit wasn't properly abused before full-scale production.

 

[TaG]

I feel like this is a pretty legitimate fear. I know the board and components will be tested enough so that I'll get a nice working Pandora on my doorstep. I'm worried, though, that the first time the thing falls out of my pocket or gets knocked off a table by one of my cats, some piece is gonna fly off the PCB because the unit wasn't properly abused before full-scale production.
Although it is a legitimate fear, I'm not sure that we should expect otherwise. We know how it is being developed and can't expect them to trash thousands of pounds of kit too prove it's durability. What we can 'expect' is that the people involved will do their damnedest to get the design as good as they can.

Also, there a times with stuff from famous brands where one drop has killed a device but others can take serious abuse and carry on fine. Even when you pay professionals they cannot always test for real life situations.

One company has a 'handbag test'. I'm not sure of the exact details but they used to put their products in a ladies handbag along with keys, purses, lipstick cases etc, etc and then shake and rattle it about for ages to see what 'real life' did to the device. That was until the German part of the group got involved. They could not cope with something so 'random' that could not be properly measured. Both had valid points of view from different perspectives. Both spent a small fortune testing stuff that would sell in the many hundred of thousands or millions.

 

[sinoth]

Sorry if this is answered elsewhere, but does anyone know what would happen if something popped off the PCB? Would the Pandora team let us mail it to them and get a fixed one back, or order specific parts from them? Any sort of warranty? I think that would give us a little peace of mind when it comes to accidental damage.

 

[TaG]

Sorry if this is answered elsewhere, but does anyone know what would happen if something popped off the PCB?
Depends what dropped off - it likely wouldn't work anymore.

Would the Pandora team let us mail it to them and get a fixed one back, or order specific parts from them? Any sort of warranty? I think that would give us a little peace of mind when it comes to accidental damage.
There is a normal warranty with this and craigix has said they will look after 'you pioneers'.

 

[mechanizeddeath]

One thing to keep in mind that may help with the long term durability of the Pandora, is that we're dealing with a device that is primarily made with common parts and designs that can be found on other devices. The PCB design, custom analog nubs, and the case itself are among the few truly custom parts, everything else is more or less standard. We don't have to worry about a proprietary cartridge slot wearing out since we're using standard SD card slots found on tons of devices. Touch screens are nothing new and this exact screen is found on an Archos product. The clamshell design has been around long enough to show what works and what doesn't, provided quality materials are used I can't see why the hinge would break. Ditto for the membrane keypad, something I've only seen break on really cheap devices.