Want to explain what the Pyra is?

[Kiga]

@EvilDragon If the metal plate is black, it would look much better. Is it possible?

The color of the metal is not yet decided, it should be something to match the case color.

Oups I didn't read that post before asking.

Some Dark grey on Dark gey or Black on Black should look decent.

Maybe you should choose the color of the case according to the color of the metal plate.
For example if you choose dark grey, you choose the metal plate color first since metal plate colors must be less diverse. Then you ask them to reproduce the same color for the case (I'd advice not a much metallic color to make the plate stand out a bit).

If the aluminium inlet is made of the correct material, most colors are possible.
But the darker the color, the better the anodizing result.

Anodized aluminium have a hard, glossy surface.

Nice informations, I guess you can choose it less(or more) glossy though.

 

[Bernd]

As far I knew, a anodized surface is always glossy.
If you want a matted surface, you have to paint it.

But a painted surface is not scratch resistant like a anodized surface.

 

[Kiga]

I was writing that because I saw this but the photo isn't clear and you never know what they call "anodized".

 

[Urben]

if you matte the aluminium by roughing it up, shouldn' the anodized metal be matte, too?
I once anodized (ALUMINIUM) myself and dont remember it being shiny...

 

[WizardStan]

I once anodized myself and dont remember it being shiny...

Yes, well you aren't made of aluminum, are you?

 

[FBnil]

I'm just explaining how I feel, that might help. I don't get how how I feel is a negative vibe. Just imagine 90% of people think that plate and logo is awful and nobody said nothing. Maybe Pyra will have an awful lid forever while it could be changed easily.

Logo
The Pyra logo is OK, I guess (I support it, as it was chosen), and I like the plate even less (but I heard you can mod that, so I settle for that. Too bad it is not the small e-ink display I wanted). I DO like the Pandora logo. And it is deployed unobtrusively, your cloth will not cling to it (doesnt destroy the fabric if you do not use a pouch)... so for me it is a wait and see, because I really do not know if my fears are just that...

Keyboard

Re-learning of the key positions... (at least the layout is similar, so it won't be too hard. But I will miss the babyblue and will have to settle with orange). I wont start a new keyboard thread, but I hope I can use the userkeys for what I want: press userkey1, press a, and get "á" (currently function, compose, function, m, a) and again: limited keys means compromises (dropping ¥ and £). I welcome the ° to use it to compose letters with rings, and the user buttons, with which I plan to get ñ and ij amongst many others.

Center of Gravity

The balancing (does it stay balanced on 2 fingers on the bottom, so that you can reach the gaming buttons without cramping; E.D. said it was OK in his earlier videos but I have to hold it myself to know).

Lights

I do not like the fact that the lights are not like the Pandora: visible when the clamp was open or closed. Now, we have to disable the lights next to the power button, and forcefully enable the Pyra lights to get some reading (charging/sleepmode) when shut or turn the pyra around to see... The benefit of NOT getting a red light in my eye when charging and watching a movie at night is not there, as I still will need to drop to commandline mode to dim the lights (nightmode).

Lock Switch/Low Power Button

Not to mention the nice fact I could keep my Pandora closed when listening to music, and with a flick of a switch, turn it off (into low power mode). Now, we need to open up the clamp ALL the way to reach the power button located in the center... and be careful not to scratch the screen if you have rings and such.... sure, I guess a new version of Blind player could help there, as we have now 4 outer keys... but no way to lock the keyboard, so listening to music will be harder, as you can bump the R and get the next songs (I guess it could be done in software, where you hold all 4 R/L/1/2 keys to lock/unlock (*).. but with the Pandora, you could do it by fumbling with 1 hand). But that is what you do when the internal space is limited (the Antenna takes up all the space on the side front, and the backsides are full with nice connectors, and the sides, well, the motherboard is cramped and do not know HOW they managed to put in so much... so I can not complain of that either... just look how much space the volume wheel occupies...)

(*) For next/prev just switch to R2/L2 as these are much harder to press accidentally when in your cargo pants

New Software Library

And of course, the step back (or forward, depending on your point of view): search again for your favorite applications (rockbox not in Debian repository, but many other things are, although Debian-ARM does not have it all), and set it up "just like I want it"... backup is a bit harder now, reinstallation is not just reflash and put in your SD card... you still need to redo the apt-get install's.



Do you think I am being negative? I still preordered more than 1 device....

 

[EvilDragon]

Just to serve my curiosity: Would it have been feasible to have the mold with the logo cut out as previously planned, inject the plastic for the general case and then in a second step inject transparent plastic into the logo gap?

No, you can't inject two times, as the plastic would melt.

 

[Djoga'Ro]

No, you can't inject two times, as the plastic would melt.

I see. Thanks!

 

[rygD]

But Pyra's hardware-design is not friendly for modding.
I'm sad that there are no solder points like the one on Pandora for the additional shoulder buttons.

I'm speaking of: 2nd HDMI, Camera and Flashlight.
Especially the missing possibility to add a second big screen is what I miss most.

I disagree. This could be because most of my hardware hacking/modding has been done on devices that did not provide convenient places for you to add/change things (so I would follow the traces to find a place where I can mess around, or I would desolder original components and replace or move them). From what I have seen and thought about (first for the camera, then other stuff in the lid, which may be somewhat difficult due to the hinge design, and most recently adding a flashlight) the design doesn't get in the way very much. I agree, it doesn't seem to help you out or hold your hand by providing super simple places for such things, so that is probably what you mean, but many things are still possible. A major part of that is getting creative, as it should be.

I don't know enough about how HDMI works to offer suggestions there, and I know it probably isn't simple. If you need 2 external displays can't you use something with USB For the second one?

@erico would it be simple to change the logo plate color to test some things?

@everyone that is concerned about logo plates, what are your thoughts about something made to look copper or another color. Although it is sorta hold looking I have seen some aluminum in "champagne" and was surprised at how nice it looked. Although colors like this are probably not popular with most people I would be interested in seeing a black/dark grey case with an olive drab or similar color plate. What about gun metal or something like that?

if you matte the aluminium by roughing it up, shouldn' the anodized metal be matte, too?
I once anodized (ALUMINIUM) myself and dont remember it being shiny...

Pretty sure that is correct. That is how the items I saw that included the champagne colored one were. For that product there were at least red, black, blue, champagne, and silver, although I thought there was a muted green at some point.

On second thought, check out the colors of the RevoMaze. Many choices, and as far as I know none are shiny on the anodized aluminum, only on the nickel plated brass core (mine is starting to be less nickel plated).

No, you can't inject two times, as the plastic would melt.

I am not suggesting you look into it, I just know that double shot keys have small details and two colors of plastic, with some being transparent for the letter portion.

Maybe you should choose the color of the case according to the color of the metal plate.
For example if you choose dark grey, you choose the metal plate color first since metal plate colors must be less diverse. Then you ask them to reproduce the same color for the case (I'd advice not a much metallic color to make the plate stand out a bit).

Good idea if it will have closely matching colors. I wonder what it will look like with years of wear from handling and inserting and removing from pockets. Would the color start to wear in a noticeable way?

 

[comradekingu]

No, you can't inject two times, as the plastic would melt.

While different, if you throw different coloured beads in. It would, provided enough colours, produce a very distinct look. I know some forum members would love this, but a little apprehensive myself.

Is it possible to use scraps, just whatever beads is in the pile of leftovers?

Does help the environment side of things.

Edit: Original post unclear.

 

[elvissteinjr]

So are we off with 2 different official logos now? I don't mind either, but having both may not be optimal.

 

[Grench]

Ok, if you're that unsatisfied with the original plate, I hereby offer handmade logo plates for about 10€.
I got a lot of expensive tools for tiny wooden jewelry and traditional wooden mechanics anyway due to my job as an artisan.
Whether you want a batma...™ errr vampireman logo, a penis or an apple without the missing bite, I'm your man.
What I always have in abundance is well dried cherry wood, a bit of walnut, american oak and ash tree, got a collection of other more expensive sorts too stashed away and could provide black POM too if enough people are interested (wood would actually be cheaper and easier though).

Sold. Cherry stained cherry wood please. Same dimensions and design as the logo plate. Yes, it is very red.

In your tools and equipment... does that happen to include a lathe capable of turning down to 5mm diameter wooden rods? (Stylus ideas...)

 

[iprice]

I'd love to see what can be done in those woods

 

[EvilDragon]

It would, provided enough colours, produce a very distinct look. I know some forum members would love this, but a little apprehensive myself.

That is something completely different. It's using multiple colors of plastics to create one piece, not creating a piece and THEN mold a different color into it.

 

[Klumpen]

Sold. Cherry stained cherry wood please. Same dimensions and design as the logo plate. Yes, it is very red.

I prefer cherry wood just oiled since it darkens a lot after a while. Haven't got any mordant apart from black atm.

In your tools and equipment... does that happen to include a lathe capable of turning down to 5mm diameter wooden rods? (Stylus ideas...)

Yes, I got a lathe (actually my most expensive and most heavy machine), 5mm may be a bit thin for not ultra hard woods, I normally make such small things out of POM. I planned to make myself some kind of stylus with a screwdriver for opening the Pyra integrated into the back anyway, let's see how that ends, if it works well, I'll make some spares anyway.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I prefer cherry wood just oiled since it darkens a lot after a while. Haven't got any mordant apart from black atm.

Yes, I got a lathe (actually my most expensive and most heavy machine), 5mm may be a bit thin for not ultra hard woods, I normally make such small things out of POM. I planned to make myself some kind of stylus with a screwdriver for opening the Pyra integrated into the back anyway, let's see how that ends, if it works well, I'll make some spares anyway.

If the logo plate is made of wood, will it need to be oiled regularly?

 

[Neelix]

Keyboard

Re-learning of the key positions... (at least the layout is similar, so it won't be too hard. But I will miss the babyblue and will have to settle with orange). I wont start a new keyboard thread, but I hope I can use the userkeys for what I want: press userkey1, press a, and get "á" (currently function, compose, function, m, a) and again: limited keys means compromises (dropping ¥ and £). I welcome the ° to use it to compose letters with rings, and the user buttons, with which I plan to get ñ and ij amongst many others.

Don't forget that there's a "Fn" button on one of the shoulder buttons (L2 IIRC) so "function, compose, function, m, a" simplifies to Hold L2, Compose, m, Release L2, a" It may take a bit of getting used to but once you do it should be much more efficient than it is to do the compose sequences on the Pandora.

-Neelix

 

[EvilDragon]

Yep, you get used to some things pretty fast. I always try to use the nub click on my Pandora now as well...

 

[Neelix]

hehe I've lost count of how many times I've tried to use the non-existent touchscreen on my netbook since I got the Pandora.

-Neelix

 

[rygD]

How about mixing up keyboard layouts. This especially sucks for me since I regularly use three different ones (and a fourth when using other people's computers and keyboards). I suspect ED is using 3 or 4 himself, and now he has the Pyra.