When Will It Be Avaible

[Chip]

The FAQ should be as clear as you've been here, which is to say, it will be available when it is good and ready. As it stands, the FAQ implies availability in July at the latest, whereas the truth seems to be that it will be available for pre-order in July at the earliest and thats only if we're lucky.

The FAQ is pretty clear on the point. I couldn't say why Openpandora.org lists the dates that it does, other than the fact that the guys who update the site probably have their hands full with more pressing issues.

That is a strange thing to say. If there are issues which are out of their hands, they should be more conservative with their promise dates. If not, anyone who visits the web site but does not scour the forums are only going to think that they are being misled when the date comes and goes. Breakout box anyone?

Maybe, but when you have something like "Release date TBD" on your website, people start throwing around words like "hoax" and "vaporware" (not that they're not doing that already). June/July was the best guess estimate when it was posted a couple months ago. Now it's not looking too likely, but it could still happen. If it were up to me, I'd probably change the dates. But again, it's up to people who have bigger fish to fry than website updates.

 

[kloplop321]

It should at least be updated sometime this month though, websites don't like a month of neglect

 

[waffles]

mmkay, so considering how far along it is, whats everyones best guess for the release month?

 

[kloplop321]

I would say(if they are going to use the new beagle board model) December

 

[Vorporeal]

I would say(if they are going to use the new beagle board model) December

I think you're confused. The Pandora doesn't use the Beagleboard. They have the same SOC (the OMAP 3530), but the rest is different. The Pandora PCB was designed by MWeston specifically for the Pandora.

EDIT: The Beagleboard revision might be set for November just because they need that much time for the work, not because of the issues that are affecting the USB HOST.

 

[kloplop321]

ohh, yeah, then I was.
then if MWeston has fixed or will fix in the next few weeks for this problem, I would say between September and October. for public use.

 

[Vorporeal]

ohh, yeah, then I was.
then if MWeston has fixed or will fix in the next few weeks for this problem, I would say between September and October. for public use.

You again seem to be misinformed - the issues that are making people wonder about delays are out of the hands of the developers - there is an issue with the chip that TI has to work out.

 

[kloplop321]

so is the chip having a hardware problem, or a driver/software problem?

 

[BackAssward]

so is the chip having a hardware problem, or a driver/software problem?

The chip. See here:

The hardware itself is shaping up to be very stable so far. A new board revision is planned for the near future and has a couple bug fixes, numerous clean ups to remove the extra parts I placed for testing, addition of the final wifi module and changes to final connectors and headers (smaller JTAG, different expansion connector, AV connector). Product launch is likely to be delayed for the reason explained below and this gives us even more time to make sure absolutely everything is perfectly functional.

Anyone who has been following the Beagleboard progress will know that the USB phy chip has issues and is likely going to need a new rev in silicon. Any TI customer using the OMAP chip for its built in host capabilities is waiting for a solution because the OMAP uses a non-standard clocking scheme to drive the phy that only one or two companies is trying to support at this time. As usual these parts are covered by NDA for a while so I can't say too much more than is public with the Beagle.

The bad news is more of a delay, the good news is that early adopters (first 3000 and even the next batch of 3000) should feel very confident that their Pandoras work just as well as systems made a year from now since we have more time to test them. Craig has also just pointed out that if it is defective from manufacture, it will be fixed under warranty.


The only mention of the beagleboard is because they are having the same problem with the chip, and some people here might have heard about those problems if they are also following the beagleboard project.

 

[astro]

so is the chip having a hardware problem, or a driver/software problem?

The chip. See here:

The hardware itself is shaping up to be very stable so far. A new board revision is planned for the near future and has a couple bug fixes, numerous clean ups to remove the extra parts I placed for testing, addition of the final wifi module and changes to final connectors and headers (smaller JTAG, different expansion connector, AV connector). Product launch is likely to be delayed for the reason explained below and this gives us even more time to make sure absolutely everything is perfectly functional.

Anyone who has been following the Beagleboard progress will know that the USB phy chip has issues and is likely going to need a new rev in silicon. Any TI customer using the OMAP chip for its built in host capabilities is waiting for a solution because the OMAP uses a non-standard clocking scheme to drive the phy that only one or two companies is trying to support at this time. As usual these parts are covered by NDA for a while so I can't say too much more than is public with the Beagle.

The bad news is more of a delay, the good news is that early adopters (first 3000 and even the next batch of 3000) should feel very confident that their Pandoras work just as well as systems made a year from now since we have more time to test them. Craig has also just pointed out that if it is defective from manufacture, it will be fixed under warranty.


The only mention of the beagleboard is because they are having the same problem with the chip, and some people here might have heard about those problems if they are also following the beagleboard project.



You live up too your name. :lol: :blink:

 

[Chip]

ohh, yeah, then I was.
then if MWeston has fixed or will fix in the next few weeks for this problem, I would say between September and October. for public use.

Believe it or not, you don't have to respond to each and every single post on this forum. It would be especially helpful if you didn't respond when you don't actually know the answer. Just making up dates isn't helping anybody.

I appreciate that you're bored and are excited about the Pandora, but you've posted 65(!) times in the last 48 hours, and you haven't really said anything of value. If you're really that bored, I suggest you go back and read some of the old posts in this forum. It would be a more constructive use of your time. It would also give you some actual facts upon which to base your posts.

 

[waffles]

so is the question now 08 or 09?
i think im gonna ebay a gp2x, i cant take anymore wait.
woo.
:gp2x

 

[JakeK]

Here's to hoping for a September release (I finish Army basic training then, so I could actually use it when it came out )

 

[sm1988]

The sooner I can bring it to work the better. I feed off of my co workers envy.

 

[CronoTriggerfan]

I know the dev team's got it hard, but damn, updates would be nice. In all honesty, I'm really close to just saying, "Screw it" and keeping my iPod Touch and just waiting it out for the iControlpad to come out.

Sure, the wait is ultra frustrating, and the fact that it won't be out during my summer vacation really pissed me off, but the main reason the drawn-out release process is frustrating is that, and I will probably be flamed for this, I know it can't live up to my expectations. I think a lot of people here should also take that into consideration. With all the speculation that goes on in these forums, sometimes I think we make it seem like the Pandora is limitless. A lot of this stuff, let's be honest, will never see the light of day. And if it ever does, it won't be for a long while after the release. I just hope it proves me wrong! :lol:

Oh, and unconfirmed Flash support = bad.

 

[waffles]

i agree crono.
my personal plan is to wait a month or two after the Pandora is released and then buy one, if its panned out fully.
im going to buy a gp2x now.

 

[kloplop321]

Chip I counted like 57 posts earlier today
I have a lot of free time, but I doubt I will be doing that tomorrow, and a while after that I will be on a trip with out any technology except a bus and an MP3 player.
I have days where I will almost surge on what ever I am interested on only for that day. I don't think I will be nearly as active tomorrow if that is some relief for you
QUOTE
Oh, and unconfirmed Flash support = bad.

Well there are open source flash players such as GNASH, which I am sure that someone could port. It would be a matter of replacing the methods for the graphics processor unless you wont it to be CPU only and non-optimized. but flash games would be cool on a touch screen :lol:

 

[WizardStan]

QUOTE
Oh, and unconfirmed Flash support = bad.

Well there are open source flash players such as GNASH, which I am sure that someone could port. It would be a matter of replacing the methods for the graphics processor unless you wont it to be CPU only and non-optimized. but flash games would be cool on a touch screen :lol:

It may be worth remembering two things:
1) GNASH is an incomplete attempt at reverse engineering the flash spec. As a result, a lot of things (especially in the newer releases) do not work so great, or at all.
2) Adobe just opened up the flash spec last month.
So I imagine it's only a matter of time before an open source, full feature compatible player is produced from that spec.

 

[Vorporeal]

QUOTE
Oh, and unconfirmed Flash support = bad.

Well there are open source flash players such as GNASH, which I am sure that someone could port. It would be a matter of replacing the methods for the graphics processor unless you wont it to be CPU only and non-optimized. but flash games would be cool on a touch screen :lol:

It may be worth remembering two things:
1) GNASH is an incomplete attempt at reverse engineering the flash spec. As a result, a lot of things (especially in the newer releases) do not work so great, or at all.
2) Adobe just opened up the flash spec last month.
So I imagine it's only a matter of time before an open source, full feature compatible player is produced from that spec.

I'm just waiting for someone to create an open-source flash player that's more efficient and faster than the official Adobe one

 

[bigtruck]

As someone on 64-bit linux, which there has long been no official flash player for, I tried swfdec and gnash and found that while for the most part they were okay with videos, most games didn't work. (Eventually I got the 32-bit official one working, in case anyone was curious.)