What will you use your Pyra for?

[Glyph Reader]

I will use Pyra for life! 

-Glyph Reader

 

[slaeshjag]

Everything I wanted to use my pandora for but couldn't.

like what?

Web browsing

IRC

Code

Multimedia player

Mail/calendar etc.

All of the above too annoying due to lacking performance, crappy software situation, crappy keyboard or too low res screen.

 

[Grench]

I'll have to wait for software to catch up - if ever, but here is my dream of Pyra usage.

Part of my plan is to use the Pyra as a mobile communications hub.

Virtual Machines running CyanogenMod Android tablet OS.  Multiple sessions so I can silo work Android apps and play/personal ones.  These would communicate via an emulated WiFi  back to the Pyra where the Pyra would bridge to whatever networking was on and available (WiFi, Ethernet, 3G - whatever).  The Android VMs could sit in standby/sleepish mode consuming nearly no power except to occasionally check messages.

Phone use - I plan to use the Pyra as a phone using a Bluetooth pen.  Like a bluetooth headset only pen shaped.  The larger question for me is how the dialing software, contacts storage, etc will get handled.

Mobile server use - I plan to set the Pyra up as a server for multiple wifi equipped cameras to continuously offload images and video to using Eye-fi cards or similar.

Mobile WiFi bridge.  I want to plug multiple USB WiFi dongles into my Pyra and run them as USB hosts.  The Pyra would then bridge both of those connections back to the main onboard Wifi  connected to another host.  Yes, I want to use it to re-distribute WiFi from one host to multiple directions using very high gain antennas (dishes).

General productivity apps, email, web surfing.

Data exchange, SD card backup, USB drive authoring.

Music - headphone audio must be great on the Pyra.

Video - I would like to connect a USB DVD player to my Pyra when at an AC mains (home, desk or hotel), rip a movie to local storage, disconnect the USB drive and watch the movie from the Pyra on my next flight.  Ideally I'd be able to rip a 2hr movie in under 15 minutes - this is an ideal use case right?

Then there are games.  I want to be able to play any DOS game >=10 years old.  This would include Neverwinter Nights.  Ideally with working networking for MRPGs and multiplayer FPS games.  Next up, for me anyway, would be a solid PalmOS VM that can do the Tapwave Zodiac ROM on an analog and game pad and shoulder combo - I miss Bike or Die.

Looking forward to the hardware - looking forward to the software having a chance to catch up to the hardware too.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

To replace my phone, and for all the stuff I use my Pandora for most likely.

Even if the dialling software is just minicom and Hayes commands, that's good enough for me.

 

[klapse]

Then there are games.  I want to be able to play any DOS game >=10 years old.  This would include Neverwinter Nights.

This one? http://www.mobygames.com/game/neverwinter-nights_  Wow never heard of it before.

 

[TrashyMG]

This one? http://www.mobygames...rwinter-nights_ Wow never heard of it before.

Eww not that one.. A subscription to AOL was needed to play that.

This one is what most people think of and may be in the realm of playability if the x86 emulation/glshim stuff lunixbochs is working on pans out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neverwinter_Nights

Edit: Maybe even on the Pandora seeing how well UT works on with his latest experiments.

 

[Grench]

Then there are games.  I want to be able to play any DOS game >=10 years old.  This would include Neverwinter Nights.

This one? http://www.mobygames...rwinter-nights_ Wow never heard of it before.



Eww not that one.. A subscription to AOL was needed to play that.

This one is what most people think of and may be in the realm of playability if the x86 emulation/glshim stuff lunixbochs is working on pans out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neverwinter_Nights

 

[ZXDunny]

I'll be using it for pretty much what I use the Pandora for now - Megadrive and NES emulation. I don't tend to use the Pandora for anything else these days.

D.

 

[klapse]

That version of Neverwinter Nights was a Windows, not a DOS game, if I recall correctly.

 

[TrashyMG]

That version of Neverwinter Nights was a Windows, not a DOS game, if I recall correctly.

Well what you linked was clearly the early 90's DOS game developed for use with AOL(Yes there was a DOS version of AOL).. No one cares about that game
I linked to the Windows version in my post, it also had an x86 linux/mac client port a year after release.

 

[ingoreis]

The Pyra will be for me:


- my Mobile Communication Device(no Mobile Phone more)


- my portable Gaming/Linux Experimenting Device


- my Notebook Replace in the Living Room(with external Monitor)


- my Multimedia File Playing/Gaming Device on TV


- in the Kitchen for Webradio and Webvideo


One Device for all important Things.


I hope also for a Desk Docking Station for Charging and using it as PC

 

[klapse]

That version of Neverwinter Nights was a Windows, not a DOS game, if I recall correctly.

Well what you linked was clearly the early 90's DOS game developed for use with AOL(Yes there was a DOS version of AOL).. No one cares about that game

I linked to the Windows version in my post, it also had an x86 linux/mac client port a year after release.

I know you linked to the Windows one. But Grench specifically said DOS game. Which is why I went and googled and found that AOL crap game. He shouldn't have called NwN a DOS game if he wasnt referring to the DOS game.

I played and enjoyed the windows NwN.

 

[Grench]

That version of Neverwinter Nights was a Windows, not a DOS game, if I recall correctly.

Well what you linked was clearly the early 90's DOS game developed for use with AOL(Yes there was a DOS version of AOL).. No one cares about that game

I linked to the Windows version in my post, it also had an x86 linux/mac client port a year after release.

I know you linked to the Windows one. But Grench specifically said DOS game. Which is why I went and googled and found that AOL crap game. He shouldn't have called NwN a DOS game if he wasnt referring to the DOS game.

I played and enjoyed the windows NwN.

OK, then I should have included command line launchable Linux games too - which that version of NWN is.

You could also enjoy the X86 Linux compiled version if you choose to - which is what I would like to try to get running on the Pyra.

 

[FIQ]

I'm most interested in a generally more seamless desktop experience (particurly with web browsing and usability of Firefox) - both in terms of raw power, but also improved wifi for online stuff, improved emulation capabilities (not sure it will pull of more systems than the Pandora already has console-wise, but the more slower ones, i.e. N64, dreamcast, the occasional slow PSP game, should work better), the improved keyboard, and the ability to bring internet on the go with SIM capabilities. Not sure on the latter, but the rest should be relevant and nice new things.

And while I didn't expect it last month, it might turn out that we can get some usable x86 speeds with that new shiny emulator being worked on, in which case it would be really nice to mess around with some x86 games, like older ones, or newer less resource intensive ones (for example VVVVVV - that game in particular already has a Pandora build, but games with that kind of system requirements )

 

[TrashyMG]

OK, then I should have included command line launchable Linux games too - which that version of NWN is.

Well any Linux program is command line launch-able, however the game will not work without a desktop/window manager or some direct framebuffer method..  

 

[Grench]

OK, then I should have included command line launchable Linux games too - which that version of NWN is.

Well any Linux program is command line launch-able, however the game will not work without a desktop/window manager or some direct framebuffer method..  

Again, not entirely true.  The headless Linux server for NWN runs just happy as can be without any of that.

And yes, that would be hilarious - to have a Linux NWN game server running on a Pyra - or several of them.  In theory each Pyra could run 2 game instances, networked together to allow server to server portals they could appear as one large game world, and if one of them were running a mySQL database they could all have a common character, actions and item database...

That said, I've built a 12 core game server for half the price of a Pandora/Pyra...   It wouldn't be wise or economical to use one as a game server - but it would be hilarious.

 

[TrashyMG]

Again, not entirely true.  The headless Linux server for NWN runs just happy as can be without any of that.

Server.. not the game client.. obviously the server is implied to be command line only.  you are splitting hairs on a silly argument for what? to make me out as wrong? 

 

[Grench]

Again, not entirely true.  The headless Linux server for NWN runs just happy as can be without any of that.

Server.. not the game client.. obviously the server is implied to be command line only.  you are splitting hairs on a silly argument for what? to make me out as wrong? 

Boredom really.  

Seriously though - it's an awesome game and if it can become playable via the hot rodded X86 on ARM work being done + the Pyra's innate speed boost over the Pandora, it will be AWESOME.

If you've only played the base game and haven't downloaded the community expansion packs (CEP) then you haven't seen 1/2 the game.  It's amazing what the community did for that title.

 

[DAP]

1) Web browsing when I am not at a desktop computer

2) GPS navigation using Navit & open street maps

(very distant...)

3) Maybe an occasional game.

I'm assuming it will be a faster version of the Pandora. It depends on the keyboard, but if I can map a Dvorak keymap to it, it will open up a lot of other possibilities.

 

[Hồng Thất Công]

I will use it to do what all of you do up till now + all of the stuff all of you will do after my (this) post