Tablet Functionality


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Spadoof

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Dear Readers,

I looked around and didn't find this thread anywhere so if it is link or delete this. I know the pandora's not even out yet, but I had a few questions. I really think a tablet pc would come in handy for me in the future, but there is no point in going and spending more money on one. Acourding to what we no know (Layout of circuits, wires ect), would it be possible to make a simple swivel mod so the touchscreen could turn over the keyboard to form a tablet? If so, could it be done without compromising the size of the pandora and without changing its general appearence. I honestly like love the way the pandora looks, and am not trying in any way to insult anyone. To me it seems like the touch screen would be aquard to use the stylus on, unless the screen is tilted from a 90 degree angle to a 180 degree angle (sorry for the geometry). If anyone has any info please include links. Give me your opinions.

Thanks for listening,
-Spadoof :gp2x

You soon will be mine :pandora1:
 
btw that's just one extended question.
ZOMG WHY DON'T YOU THINK PANDORA IS FINE THE WAY IT IS!!! AAH!!!
just kidding
I would be willing to guess that, if you had the time to do it, you would be able to modify it to do this. The only reason that the devs couldn't do it is because it is a copyright violation. As long as you aren't modding them and then selling them, you should be able to do it (both legally and physically).
 
It depends on the cable that is used. Basically if it is a straight ribbon cable, then you're going to have to replace it with a cable that can be twisted. Other then that I don't see why you couldn't mod it to swivel as long as you have the guts to mod your pandora.
 
Oh I totally forgot that I read about the swivel copyright thing on wikipedia (sorry). Even if it is possible, can it be done without changing its apperence.

Thanks,
Spadoof
 
Making such a mod on your own is surely fine. And, certainly no one would mind if you posted purely instructional descriptions of how to do it on this website... ;)
 
Spadoof said:
Oh I totally forgot that I read about the swivel copyright thing on wikipedia (sorry). Even if it is possible, can it be done without changing its apperence.
Click to expand...
Nothing is impossible. If you have the ability to fab up a new metal hinge mechanism, modify the plastic casing to accommodate the hinge and allow for more lid movement, and replace the cellophane ribbon cable with something longer and more flexible, then you can have your tablet mode Pandora.

Short of that, you're just going to have to get used to using the touchscreen with the lid opened flat.
 
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A Pandora tablet mod would pretty damn cool.

In fact, there might even be a nice little aftermarket niche for someone to fill by doing such mods for people. :)
 
At Craig/Weston, is there any way I could possibly order an extra LCD/and top casing? Or am I asking for too much? I still want to do a dual screen/swivel mod.
 
i like this idea also, i miss being able to write notes on my ipaq (broke it unfortunately). im somewhat concerned about how much it would reduce the durability tho...
i wonder if the devs thought of this, even tho they cant do it, making it easy for others to mod it that way would be nice :)
 
I'm interested to know how far back the Pandora screen can actually rotate - does it lock in at a particular angle?
 
Spadoof said:
Dear Readers,

I looked around and didn't find this thread anywhere so if it is link or delete this. I know the pandora's not even out yet, but I had a few questions. I really think a tablet pc would come in handy for me in the future, but there is no point in going and spending more money on one. Acourding to what we no know (Layout of circuits, wires ect), would it be possible to make a simple swivel mod so the touchscreen could turn over the keyboard to form a tablet? If so, could it be done without compromising the size of the pandora and without changing its general appearence. I honestly like love the way the pandora looks, and am not trying in any way to insult anyone. To me it seems like the touch screen would be aquard to use the stylus on, unless the screen is tilted from a 90 degree angle to a 180 degree angle (sorry for the geometry). If anyone has any info please include links. Give me your opinions.

Thanks for listening,
-Spadoof :gp2x

You soon will be mine :pandora1:
Click to expand...
I once asked the same question, was told the only way to do this was if I did it myself, did some research and decided it really wasn't worth the trouble.

It does help if you look at the Pandora as the spiritual successor, not only of the Gamepark handheld game consoles, but also (and possibly even more so) as the heir to the realm of the Psion Series 5mx and Series 7/Netbook. These were also clamshell handhelds (the Series 7 only maginally so) with a keyboard and touchscreen, the touchscreen basically serving as a cool mouse replacement. I own both and they really work nicely (of course it helps that the entire Psion UI is extremely well thought through).

In any case, without any Linux handwriting recognition programs (I don't count Graffiti and its copycats as HWR, and don't get me stareted on the horror that is the virtual keyboard!) to speak of, tablet functionality of the Pandora will be limited at best and only really useful for drawing/sketching. For the latter, screen rotation facilities would work almost as well as a hardware solution.


PS: Something I just thought of: Maybe, instead of a swiveling screen, it could be possible to make a detachable screen, with an adapter (with contact cross-over) that allows to plug in the screen rotated 180 degrees? But even so, without HWR I really don't see the point...
 
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Karel Jansens said:
In any case, without any Linux handwriting recognition programs (I don't count Graffiti and its copycats as HWR, and don't get me stareted on the horror that is the virtual keyboard!) to speak of, tablet functionality of the Pandora will be limited at best and only really useful for drawing/sketching. For the latter, screen rotation facilities would work almost as well as a hardware solution.
I've found Cellwriter pretty good.
Click to expand...
 
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sindbad said:
I've found Cellwriter pretty good.
Click to expand...
It's better than nothing, but Cellwriter is definitely not a handwriting recognition program. The developer even specifically states that it has no learning capabilities and relies entirely on the user telling the program how he writes his characters.

Also, it is a printed recognizer, and basically a slightly more advanced version of the Graffiti-like crowd (more advanced, in that you write your characters side-by-side instead of one on top of another).

For me, the only HWR that's worthy of being called that is still ParaGraph, the cursive handwriting recognizer of the last Newtons. It really learned how you wrote (instead of the other way around) and was/is amazingly accurate (I'm talking 99%+ correct word recognition in Dutch, English is even better). That recognizer still exists, as CalliGrapher and PenOffice, by PhatWare. It's licensed by Microsoft and included in the tablet editions of their software. No Linux version exists unfortunately, nor is PhatWare willing to port (probably due to viral licensing agreements with Microsoft).

Kinda sad that ten year old technology (the Newton platform was discontinued in 1998) is still by far the best in its field.
 
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If you are able to find the software that you would want, another possibility for the mod, not the best but probably easier, is to modify the hinge so that it can open all the way to show the screen against the battery. Problems with this are the keyboard and game controls are now exposed, also that the hinge would need to be able to travel the thickness of the pandora. But something to think about if you decide to try it.

LGR
 
Karel Jansens said:
Kinda sad that ten year old technology (the Newton platform was discontinued in 1998) is still by far the best in its field.
Click to expand...
That's part of the effect of patents. HWR research has been in the works for some time in the form of analog computing rather then digital. A lot of came over to digital, but is held back by patents. Those algorithms while extremely effective, require a license even if you develop them yourself. There are other ways to do it, but none are as effecient as some of the 80's research that was put into the Newton. The main ways are through neural networks; while more accurate, they have a higher processing requirement.
 
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So in any case, suppose we find part that would allows this to work (without compinsating size, ect.), how hard would it be to get it to stay sturdy and keep it from swivelling aroung like a cheap mad catz product (lol), any time ive seen a good swivelling product, its been "factory" made. Could it be done by hand with great results. I've been looking around, but still haven't found anything to say yes to that question. If anyone has ideas or products, please give links. Thank you

-Spadoof :gp2x

You soon will be mine :pandora1:
 
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