Thanks skeezix for inviting us out! And thanks WizardStan for paying attention to all these details; I didn't have nearly enough forethought to check out so much of the hardware. And congratulations to both of you on not getting fired!
I'm not really sure what to add, except that it met all my expectations. In my mind, I keep comparing it to that Touch Book that skeezix apparently covets; it's also an OMAP3530-based device, made by a small startup company, but the difference is that the TB was rushed out after just a year of development, and it shows (the TB does what I need it to quite well, but I have a litany of complaints that you're all about to read). The casing on the TB seems loose and cheap, but the casing on skeezix's Pandora is solid. Do you all remember when some prototype cases came in and MWeston described them as "an insult"? Yeah, skeezix's prototype has one of those cases, and it was still great (oh, except the hinge was kinda loose, but I think this was one of the Craig-abused versions). The touchscreen on the Pandora was accurate enough to use with a finger, which is no small feat given that my TB's touchscreen, so much larger than the Pandora's, can be inaccurate enough to make fingers useless. The software all seems well thought-out, even down to details like the menu button ignoring rapid mashing so impatient users don't find themselves with half a dozen windows suddenly spawning (I can definitely not say the same about the software on the TB). Even the stylus felt nicer than the one that came with my TB! So everyone upset with delays: the TB is what the Pandora would have looked like if it had been rushed out. Be happy that you're getting something far better.
So yeah, I have nothing but nice things to say about it so far (oh wait, one exception: the pixel-perfect double-tap was indeed tough, but skeezix and the rest of the devs are aware, so don't be surprised if the issue disappears soon. Alternatively, just switch to single-tap activation). Again, I wasn't the most attentive person there, so I imagine I could find something to gripe about eventually, but I haven't seen it yet.
For posterity, I can second much of what WizardStan said. Nubs were great for playing Q3; I managed to suck only as much as I do with any dual-stick FPS. Keyboard worked far better than any of the handheld qwertys I've tried before (though, like WizardStan said, hunting for special characters was a challenge that I'm sure will be corrected with practice). That outline on the case lid is not at all as prominent as some of the photos would make you believe (in photos, it almost looks like a section of the case is raised, but it's actually perfectly flush; I expect the line will disappear entirely after proper finishing). However, I disagree with him on two points: I was very impressed with the sound - I think you could gather people around a video playing on the Pandora (though I think my expectations were low as I'm going to be using headphones regardless); and I was actually surprised at how small it was (ED's high-res videos have spoiled me).
Exciting times, everyone! Now calm your beating hearts and continue to wait patiently; you'll be happy with the result.
