When Am I Getting My Pandora?

[Iorgy77]

out dated - you think that the shiny new phone in your pocket is "NEW" most devices take bleeding edge hardware and a few years later out pops the product in the high street,

Did they make people pay upfront?

people are getting frustrated by the openness of the developers - hows that for ironic !

People are getting frustrated that it has taken so long all the while being told two more months, two more months for the last 20 months.

ED and others are running themselves into the ground, to the NUB (sorry!) and no matter how people bitch it ain't gonna get the Pandora in your hand any earlier (quite the reverse)

Maybe its a friendly remonder that if they dont do something soon people are just going to walk away.

problems like nubs etc WILL need ironing out - better that than they just throw any old junk together and throw it out the door - which they could have done...

Seems there is always "some problem" that needs attention and delays, its never the OP teams fault but they keep happening... this isnt the first "problem" and I very much doubt the last.

Take a deep breath its so very close!

Yeah yeah I have been hearing that for the last 20 months... Maybe you have the patience of a saint, oh... seems you only joined last month yet think its fine to comment on others who have been waiting for 2 years...

 

[DaMummy]

playing devils advocate, what are the positives/negative of just taking your losses and build the future pandoras with more up-to-date components, especially ones that we are currently waiting to be built, i would probably disagree with this whole idea as well as its just another delay, but what if?

 

[EvilDragon]

ED and others are running themselves into the ground, to the NUB (sorry!) and no matter how people bitch it ain't gonna get the Pandora in your hand any earlier (quite the reverse)

Maybe its a friendly remonder that if they dont do something soon people are just going to walk away.

Well, yeah... and we're aware of that. It's the main reason I don't feel so well at the moment.
If we had all the time in the world, I wouldn't be worried, as that issue WILL be solved.
You can be sure WE are doing all we can to speed up things.
But what can we do except for wait that the nub factory and the board factory work on that stuff and tell us they managed everything going?
Michael is in daily contact with them to keep them working at that.

problems like nubs etc WILL need ironing out - better that than they just throw any old junk together and throw it out the door - which they could have done...

Seems there is always "some problem" that needs attention and delays, its never the OP teams fault but they keep happening... this isnt the first "problem" and I very much doubt the last.

While it's true there was always some problem, those problems all were solved so far.
Since 600 units are out in the wild and except for some broken LCD cables that happened for the first shipped units and the nubs, there's no hardware problem we are aware of.
And I guess after 1 month and 600 units, it should be known if something was really wrong, shouldn't it?

Also, we never said that no problem was our fault. Of course there were problems caused by us, learning what we're doing here and how stuff works. Like the wrong resistor for WiFi.
But I guess this is a problem we can't be blamed for. Our testing nubs worked, we didn't do them ourselves but paid a BIG company to do it... and now quite a few fail.

That was totally unpredictable but needs to be solved. At the moment, they are testing them and sending the tested ones to the board manufacturer.
They also got a few of those nubs that didn't center anymore so they can check what's wrong with them and prevent that from happening with nubs in the future.
But to do so, they first needed to get some - which means they first had to be shipped back by the customer, then shipped to Michael who desolders those nubs and ships them to the nub company.
Naturally, this take 1,5 weeks at least.
They now got them, will find out what's wrong, and then this problem will hopefully be history.

We can't do much except for calling them, asking the status and replace broken ones.
While quite a few fail, it's no catastrophic amount (thank god!)

It seems only the ones fail that were a bit jiffy from the very beginning - so the tested ones shouldn't fail at all if it goes well.

 

[Iorgy77]

My intention was not to attack you ED, I know you are doing all you can in the situation. I just dont like the way certain people attack anyone who is vocal in their dissapointment about the delays. (So called gp32x white knights)

I'm sure once I get one I will be happy, I just hope you guys manage to get a large amount out in a short time because many of the devs do seem to be moving on.

GnoStic for example will not work on P-UAE and that is pretty much the main reason I got a pandora. UAE4ALL is really just an a500 emulator and thats fine for playing a couple of games but its not the portable amiga 1200 that I was expecting like P-UAE could be.

 

[clyborg]

GnoStic for example will not work on P-UAE and that is pretty much the main reason I got a pandora. UAE4ALL is really just an a500 emulator and thats fine for playing a couple of games but its not the portable amiga 1200 that I was expecting like P-UAE could be.

I agree. P-UAE was something I wanted as well because it was truly a step forward in mobile amiga emulation. Look at all the mobile variations (WinCE, PSP, PalmOS-Zodiac, and iPhone) of UAE, they are basicly offering the same A500 emulation. Having the first portable A1200 would be something true amigans are looking forward too. I have been looking for an amiga replacement since I shorted out my 1200 in 1999

If my pandora does not arrive before this( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn4ZzLH6MpE& ) is released, I might considering canceling.

Jason

 

[MrMoneybags]

Look, it isn't as much specs as it is specs to price, but specs do make a difference. If people didn't care about specs then people would just buy a Dingoo or Wiz since its far cheaper, already has good emulators, and above all, is currently widely available to purchase. What makes the Pandora so special is its controls with dual analog nubs AND a high quality D-Pad. The question is, what good are analog nubs if you can't play the games you want with them? Most "older games" have no need for two analog nubs (many don't even need one analog nub), and some have no need for the shoulder buttons either. I know PS1 can be emulated fairly easily, but can the Nintendo 64 be emulated at hight quality, and can the Dreamcast be emulated to playable state at all? Better specs can make this an easier if possible situation. With the PSP2 supposedly coming out soon and the 3DS with the classic high quality Nintendo controls along with an analog nub, these reputable companies that have been known to produce high quality systems with a huge fan base will very likely get hacked and have a huge dev group. These next gen handhelds can probably emulate these systems with ease and have an even larger dev group with many more projects being worked on.

I guess what I'm trying to say is whether this is a reasonable price for this system. Is this system worth $330? Two years ago, this $330 system had features that outdid many other systems similar to its kind and was far cheaper. Today, $330 can get you MUCH more, and is even more of an issue with this economy. And with more options upcoming that will be far more powerful at a very similar (if not cheaper) price, is it worth it? The extra $200 gets you decent controls, that's about it. Maybe it's the concept that's more outdated than the system, but you cannot deny there is an issue with a system taking many more months than advertised in more than one circumstance.

 

[Sphinxter]

Forget about the press with the 3DS shipping in September.

 

[mray]

I ordered nearly two years ago, thought it would stylish to have in grad school, unfortunately I'm questioning whether I'll have it before graduation.

When I ordered I was in my senior year of my undergrad. I finished up my masters in May, and got a new car, new city, and new job in June.

I've made multiple fundamental changes in my life in the time I've been waiting.

Honestly I'm glad in some small way for the delays. They've definitely shaped who I am as a person, partly because I had so much passion about it and partly because my desire was constantly unrequited, but mostly because I kept my hope throughout.

I feel like I can weather any storm now.

And I know it might sound stupid to say that about some tech gadget that I'm going to put in a bin and forget about in 6 years, but it truly has been a big part of my life, and so have all you guys. Far more than any commercial device I've ever had. And I haven't even had a Pandora yet.

But yeah, I'm still getting kind of irritated

 

[mray]

My program is three years, MSW that’s a master in social work. As a social worker, I’ve found the OP project educational but I wouldn’t say the delays have changed my perspective or improved me as a person. If that was the case, I’d have to be thankful even if I never saw my Pandora, I’m just not that enlightened.

Time is an interesting phenomenon however. People’s concepts of time differ crossed cultures. Now I’m from Eugene, Oregon USA, thought to be a liberal slow paced Birkenstock wearing population. My idea of what should occur in any given span of time may be much less than someone’s from New York, NY, and more than someone’s from Europe or parts there of.

My theory is that excepting Texas Instruments, the Pandora Team has utilized smaller companies with casual concepts of time. I think this because Pandora is a small company and likely unable to contract with large manufacturing companies. Further this couples with the power of stakeholders. At this point the stakeholders are that Pandora Team, and we the buyers, there aren’t powerful corporations interested in seeing Pandora produced. I’d suggest the whole thing would go faster if there were a time limited shareware program included.

 

[lordbobjones]

The whole point of the Pandora is not just found in getting the hardware... What captured me and caused me to pre-order mine was the whole concept. A community of people coming together to build something that was in our minds and hearts... And to then work to carry that out is part of the experience. To watch this whole process has been so fulfilling. When I get mine one day, it will not just be a piece of hardware. It will mean so much more to me personally. A part of a lot of us will be found inside that machine. So I enjoy the journey and wait.


Hang in there all of you.

 

[Bigun]

If the manufacturer of the components is the issue... then apply pressure on the component manufacturer - daily calls if necessary.

I myself have to push employees from other companies to get things done, or nothing would meet a deadline. I start with a phone call every two weeks... then once a week.... then twice a week. When they begin to get a call from me once in the morning by 8 AM every.... single..... day....., they start to get the picture that I will be the pain in their ass if they don't get "X" done by "Y". And God help them if I get a home phone number.

I love you guys... but if someone there isn't being a pain in someone's ass... we *ALL* will be in for a long ride.

 

[Bigun]

I have to add one more point. These manufacturers are the ones with the manpower and ability to handle the workload in a professional manner. The bottleneck should be lying at the assembly hall... not at the component level. This is simply unacceptable on their parts. There is zero reason why you guys should be feeling the pressure directly, and if I were involved with this team, I would be pissed off and wringing some necks overseas until things got done.

 

[gruso]

I wish there was some way to make these companies understand the situation at this end. I just want to go to Texas and smash some heads against desks.

 

[DaMummy]

this might be another reason why have a large company invest in OP would be a positive idea, having some fortune 500 company at our manufacturers throats would equal a different outcome

 

[Prometheus]

It would probably also equal a different product.

 

[EvilDragon]

I have to add one more point. These manufacturers are the ones with the manpower and ability to handle the workload in a professional manner. The bottleneck should be lying at the assembly hall... not at the component level. This is simply unacceptable on their parts. There is zero reason why you guys should be feeling the pressure directly, and if I were involved with this team, I would be pissed off and wringing some necks overseas until things got done.

Well, we ARE contacting them daily, no worries
However, too much pressure also wouldn't help.
What should we do if they get fed up and say "Okay, go search another company to do the job".

It's a bad situation here-

 

[XxionxX]

The whole point of the Pandora is not just found in getting the hardware... What captured me and caused me to pre-order mine was the whole concept. A community of people coming together to build something that was in our minds and hearts... And to then work to carry that out is part of the experience. To watch this whole process has been so fulfilling. When I get mine one day, it will not just be a piece of hardware. It will mean so much more to me personally. A part of a lot of us will be found inside that machine. So I enjoy the journey and wait.


Hang in there all of you.

I want to echo this in my own way. I want to start by saying that I hope the Pandora will sell a million units. Nothing would make me happier. That being said, I think of my Panda as an investment in some obscure pop culture relic. Some people collected comic books back in the day, I want to have an antique which will be both rare and sought after. There might only ever be 10k ever made, maybe even less considering all of the cancellations and issues we have all witnessed. We are a select group of customers/investors which have been attached to a unique experience which not many will share. I will be able to own one of the rarest and most exotic handhelds on the planet. There are over a billion computers in the world today. We will own something so rare I can only think to express it in this manner 10,000 / 1,000,000,000 = .00001% I will be excited to receive my Pandora whenever it gets here. Although sooner than later would be nice.

To the people complaining about cellphones having nicer processors.

DUH!

When you buy or trade up for a new cellphone you generally sign up for a two year contract so you can get a nicer/cheaper phone right? Why do think that is? Because the contract is worth WAY more than your phone (2yrs*$60mth=$1,440). That phone is paid for by the phone company as an incentive for you to sign up for a two year contract. So phone manufactures trip over each other trying to get these incentives because people are throwing money at them. Huge amounts of money generally get people out of bed in the morning. The Open Pandora has no such money being thrown at them.

 

[MrMoneybags]

The thing is that phones get cheaper as time goes by, including unlocked/no contract phones. Two months ago, when the Pandora first shipped, the phones might have been $25-$50 more expensive. Six months from now, today's phones (unlocked/no contract) might be $100 cheaper, or maybe even less, but the Pandora will most likely be the same $330 it was a year and a half ago and today. Moore's law is really being proven with this, and it's really hard to ignore it or deny it. Sure this might be a one of a kind product, but I have a feeling some sort of Chinese PMP maker will fabricate some higher end, higher quality Dingoo with Pandora-like features and controls (maybe not as high quality, but completely usable), will be hacked to run custom emulators and programs through Linux or whatever, yet be half the price of the Pandora and far easier to obtain. I really wish the Pandora could have come out early-mid last year for more than one reason. If it came out last February or something, then we'd have plenty of Pandoras out and available and probably more people feeling comfortable enough to buy the product and more developers making program for it. Secondly, the specifications would be more appropriate for the time. And third, perhaps the Pandora team would be more comfortable in making some sort of Pandora successor since they didn't have to deal with all of the delays, nonsense, and hair loss, and they might have very well had double the user base since I bet a bunch of people have given up on it.

If I could get a Pandora for $175-$200, I'd get it in a heartbeat. $330 (plus shipping if it isn't included; I'm not sure if shipping is an extra fee) just seems a bit too steep for what you're getting. This whole project had so many issues and setbacks, but I honestly could not possibly blame anyone on the Pandora team for this. I just can't. They did a beautiful thing just to get this project up and running, but I do understand why many of you would feel hurt and betrayed by the multiple inaccurate shipping dates given. It's a very delicate situation with a lot of ups and downs, but I think right now time is the biggest enemy of the Pandora. With Nintendo's 3DS coming out soon and Sony's PSP successor rumored to be coming out very soon as well, if either of those make good homebrew machines/are hacked relatively quickly then I think the Pandora's narcissism won't be as valid as it was a year ago or even today.

Just my thoughts.

 

[gruso]

Smartphones get cheaper because they're so expensive to start with, anywhere between $500 and $1000. Then they make millions of them. And the costs are subsidised by phone contracts. If new smartphones were priced just above their manufacturing cost (let's say... $350), sold outright and not tied to a phone provider, the price would never go down.

Perhaps you'd prefer to buy a $100 Pandora, locked into a 24 month contract with minimum spend of $2000?

Moore's Law has nothing to do with pricing BTW.

 

[danielliu88888]

I'm expecting my Pandora to ship by December, like when I first ordered it. So I'm good until then.