Waiting in October

[rygD]

I'd say make it "colorless". Transparent as possible with the coating (at least for the first run of the molds). An then go for painting it from the inside, like it is done with the RC-modellcars with Lexan bodies.

Yes that means disassamble it (or get it disassamble, whatesver is easier for ED). So everybody can have colors whatever you want (even pink), or an airbrush whatever.

I have said before that I like this option as a way for everyone to have the option to customize the color/look how they want.  I still like it, but it doesn't look as nice as colored plastic, and depending on the design of the case it may look terrible even when painted properly on the inside since there will be places for screws and such.  

On the positive side, you really don't need an airbrush to get good results, as I have had decent success with a rattle can on other transparent cases.  You can also use multiple colors, make it translucent, or even glow in the dark.  I have a GBC I painted dark translucent blue and purple with the Nintendo logo the original color (it was the common light tranlucent color before I started painting).

 

Interesting idea, but the current plan is to not paint the case, except for a final transparent hard coat to protect against scratches.  The entire plastic will be coloured.

I suppose an interior coating on a transparent case might be useful to detect, for example the Pandora case flexing and striking that coil under the L trigger.  For testing, but for production I guess coloured plastic will be more robust.  In my previous experience, colourless plastic tends to be more brittle than coloured, although I dare say they've created colourless plastics these days that are reasonably elastic and tough.

I think there have been plenty of translucent and transparent plastics that are durable enough for our needs.  The color is less important than the type of plastic being used.  I think cracks might be a bit more obvious with something clear.


 

With the real Pyra CAD files, I finaly could try to design a case I had in mind.   More streamlined and less "bricky". Because I still don't like the old Pandora-case appearence. Pyra deserved to look better (or more expensive actualy).  :rolleyes:

I would prefer something even more bricklike, with less rounding on top.  The early HP Palmtops aren't too bad imo.  Even something resembling the ThinkPad style looks nice to me, although I am guessing this would injure some people or something (I never understood the "sharp" edges issue) and the corners might get damamged more easily.

I think the sandwich picture you made looks really bad.  It should be more pocket friendly than my angular preference.
 

I'd like to design some kind of sliding case so the keyboard is under an always-exposed screen.  Most sliding keyboards like that are only half the width of the screen though, whereas the Pyra's is the full width, so I'm betting this to be impossible.
Maybe a rotating keyboard like the iCP2 was originally supposed to be...

Do you mean like some of the slideout keyboards on smartphones (some Motorola Droids, or the Photon Q I am currently using...looking at what Grench said I am guessing so)?  I think this might be better for some uses, however many people will probably only be using the Pyra for games and fun stuff, and it might be better to protect the screen.  I like the clamshell design even if it is old fashioned.  It helps me when I put my Pandora on a desk/table, and I plan to do the same with the Pyra.

Or - if nothing but a full keyboard will work...
http://notebooks.com/2006/11/07/samsung-sph-p9000-folding-mobility/

Yes.  That is silly.  Yes - I wish I had one.  No - I don't have an actual use for one.
 

(Sorry for quote fail).  I agree with you on everything about that.  I wonder how that keyboard feels.
 

Hey ED, molds are about done, what did the stylus end up looking like?  Measurements?
What are the length limitations in the Pyra's stylus slot?  I notice in the current design that the mobile radio may sit in-line to the stylus slot.  Is that the limiting factor?  

I would like to know, too.  I thougt it was going to be the same as the Pandora, however I don't know if we will have the option of using one slightly longer as with the Pandora.  It would be nice if we could get something a little wider so it is easier to hold.  Are you thinking of making a better stylus for the Pyra?


 

 

[PatientFan]

Juliano deserves a free Pyra, I suggest. Nice job with signal integrity testing and the video!

 

[comradekingu]

I suggest you cough up the money to make good on that offer.

 

[EvilDragon]

It would be maybe just a little bit longer (5mm?) to contain more curves, nothing to extreme. And when you look how cramped todays smartphones can be in the inside, then you may notice that even the Pandora/Pyra has still some room that contains just pure air. I have the Pandora CAD files at least. The Pyra may have less space inside but for example, the battery alone could have saved some space if it would be part of the backside (like some mobile phones have, at least older Nokia ones) instead of using a battery cover. The Lid could be also a little bit thinner, at least the outside "frame". I've seen Ultrabooks that have a thinner lid.

I just toying around with some "sandwich" design. First ideas but It should be less rounded of course:
 

View attachment 12337

That looks like it would by far not thick enough... it doesn't seem like there would fit a battery in there.

 

[EvilDragon]

Hey ED, molds are about done, what did the stylus end up looking like?  Measurements?
What are the length limitations in the Pyra's stylus slot?  I notice in the current design that the mobile radio may sit in-line to the stylus slot.  Is that the limiting factor?  

And to pre-empt the obvious crude replies - get yer mind out of the gutter.  These are real questions.

The stylus is exactly the same as on the Pandora, as I still like that one.
I also haven't heard complaints about it, and it still fits

 

[notaz]

The stylus is exactly the same as on the Pandora, as I still like that one.
I also haven't heard complaints about it, and it still fits

There were many complains about taking it out the very first time though.

 

[matzesu]

But the Pyra and the Stylus are from a diverent Plastic, made whit a diverent mould in a diverent company in a diverent country in europe..

You cant compare the Pyra Stylus whit thePandora Stylus..

 

[EvilDragon]

The stylus is exactly the same as on the Pandora, as I still like that one.I also haven't heard complaints about it, and it still fits

There were many complains about taking it out the very first time though.

Well, that's because it was painted which made it thicker
The unpainted prototype didn't have that issue, and as we won't paint the case, it will not be an issue here as well.

 

[fusion_power]

That looks like it would by far not thick enough... it doesn't seem like there would fit a battery in there.

That's the trick actualy.   You could call it "optical illusion" but it's are actualy the same measurements, maybe a little bit wider but not thicker or thinner. Well, Ok, it's just a ugly sketch and yes, the battery  area maybe needs more attention to make it really fit. All I wanted to try is how you can have a rounded base and still have a seamless fit of the lid. 

 

[ZXDunny]

I would very much like a design that is not the original Pandora design. That thing is UGLY. Sorry, I know a lot of people love it, but some serious mistakes were made designing the case (and painting it).

D.
 

 

[EvilDragon]

Well, it's as much the original Pandora design as any laptop is the same design as a different one or the iPhone has the same design as a Samsung Galaxy or Motorola phone.

The LCD area has totally changed, the speaker area has totally changed, the keyboard area has totally changed, the corners where you hold it in your hands have been smoothed.

The only things that haven't changed are functional ones. Making the device wider will make it almost impossible for some users to reach the middle keys of the keyboard (my wife already has problems on the Pandora), so making it wider in able to smoothen the sides will make the middle keys of the keyboard unusable for a lot of users.

A way would be to make the thing a lot wider and don't put any keys in the middle of the unit, but then the device would be 1 - 2 cm more wider than it should be.

Fusion_Power: If you like, I can send you the case files as .x_t, .step or .igs.
You can play around with it as much as you like, but remember it's not possible to change the battery, main PCB or LCD area.
I don't think you will be able to do a lot of changes without increasing the case size a lot, but feel free do to so.
What also need to be taken into account (though you probably won't care a lot when doing your design) is that it can be done with plastic injection without having shrinking marks and stability issues.

 

[Kiga]

some serious mistakes were made designing the case

what mistakes? smh

Pandora is ugly because it is cheap plastic, if Pyra is made with good plastic it will look great. Especially if it is all Black!

 

[fusion_power]

I would very much like a design that is not the original Pandora design. That thing is UGLY. Sorry, I know a lot of people love it, but some serious mistakes were made designing the case (and painting it).

It's true that form follows function. Well, good design also needs good designers and these are not cheap. I guess  it would need alot of prototypes to have a more sleak design without sacrificing the internals alot. Sad but true. But at least they could make it more "clean" this time, no rough edges, better plastic etc. It's already an improvement that the new case will not need painting.  
 

Fusion_Power: If you like, I can send you the case files as .x_t, .step or .igs.You can play around with it as much as you like, but remember it's not possible to change the battery, main PCB or LCD area. I don't think you will be able to do a lot of changes without increasing the case size a lot, but feel free do to so.
What also need to be taken into account (though you probably won't care a lot when doing your design) is that it can be done with plastic injection without having shrinking marks and stability issues.

Well, my CAD-Fu is not that great, do not hurry. I doubt I could make it so detailed that it is an usable design for real usage. There are alot of internals that need fitting and connections to the case, not easy if the guts are already set. I tried it with the old Pandora Design, it may work but of course it needs more tuning than just designing a fancy outside.
And like mentioned, it's so or so to late. ^^"  Let's hope the Pyra Case will get good materials and have a clean finish so it looks better through this.

 

[Urben]

The Pyra have to be not perfect. Otherwise there would be no need for modifications. All part of the plan...

 

[Kiga]

It's true that form follows function. Well, good design also needs good designers and these are not cheap.

Expensive design doesn't mean good design, in the same market the Shield is the most ugly thing I have ever seen even if the design is expensive, I barely even can think about it more than 5s because it hurt my mind so hard. I hope that selective amnesia will save me from this thing as fast as possible.
I don't get what kind of fancy useless stuff you want, Pyra design is near perfect to me, it's like ED said a smartphone look like a smartphone and a laptop look like a laptop. Now you can still draw some flowers yourself if you want a cool! Pyra, you can even add some LittlePoney stickers.

 

[WizardStan]

I would very much like a design that is not the original Pandora design. That thing is UGLY. Sorry, I know a lot of people love it, but some serious mistakes were made designing the case (and painting it).

The mistake wasn't painting it, that was the solution to previous, unfixable mistakes from what I recall, though I can't remember the details.
If the case mould had been made properly it wouldn't have needed the paint.

 

[EvilDragon]

The paint was to cover the shrinking marks which wouldn't have happened if the design was fit for the machine... which is the reason I'm happy that one company is designing, creating the mould and producing the cases. 
They know their machine and they have to make sure it all works

 

[rygD]

The only things that haven't changed are functional ones. Making the device wider will make it almost impossible for some users to reach the middle keys of the keyboard (my wife already has problems on the Pandora), so making it wider in able to smoothen the sides will make the middle keys of the keyboard unusable for a lot of users.
 

I know it is too late to change now, but did you have your wife test the Pyra prototype case to see if the smoother corners have made it any easier for her to reach the middle of the keyboard?  (I guess I am not one of the small handed people, although mine aren't large, so I don't know what causes some of the problems people have, like pain from the edges and reaching keys/buttons.)

 

 

[ZXDunny]

Well, things I don't like about the Pandora case design - all personal opinion of course:

1. The corners on the lid - no need for such pronounced roundness which makes it look like a fisher-price design.
2. because of said corners we have those raised-and-rounded ends to the shoulder areas when the lid is open which leaves huge open sections below the lid when open which when opened at any angle doesn't look good - and is most pronounced when open in laptop position. When opened at 180 degrees, it leaves lumps to the sides in contrast to the sharp edges of the lower screen corners.
3. Number keys way too close to the hinge. 
4. In contrast to the softened lid appearance, the lower half is all angles which, as has been pointed out numerous times before, cuts into the hands. The only part that is rounded is the lower corners which of course doesn't mitigate this in the slightest. 
5. The recess around the inner lid is pretty sharp, and the recess around the actual screen seems pointless.

Note that none of these are in anyway related to the quality of the plastics. Some things were done right - the front ports and switches/volume wheel are perfectly placed (nice to find a portable that has a headphone socket that doesn't get in the way). Game controls are of course stellar in pretty much every way except for the way the DPad rocks around - and of course, some cardinals register much easier then others which is a known issue due to the shape of the pads on the PCB, which makes some diagonals harder to hit than others,

The keyboard isn't bad - could have done with more room to the sides when thumb typing to prevent "clawing" of the fingers/thumbs, but size prevents that from being changed much and I suspect the Pyra will have similar issues. 

The only way this could have looked any more 90s in design would have been beige plastic.

I love my Pandy for what it can do; not for how it looks though. It does however look severely dated and a more modern design would be nice. I'm not a designer though, so all I have to go on are what other clamshells look like - and most of them (Shield notwithstanding) look better than this, and are usable for far greater lengths of time when being used in a truly portable fashion.

D.
 

 

[Stainy]

Erm... bit late now ZX!  don`t you think?

oh just noticed you`re talking about the Pandora design ? 

:wacko: