Will You Buy It Now?

[magicman5421]

In the long run, I will probably buy one. Whether or not I preorder it depends on a few factors.

1) Supply. How many of these will be available on launch date. I don't want another Wii fiasco with people lining up outside the nintendo store even today to buy one. How fast will they be produced, what will the amount be at launch, and will I be able to get one within a reasonable time frame if I don't preorder.

2) Quality. I know the specs are amazing, I've drooled over them for a while now, but there are a whole host of things that could go wrong. The Linux firmware it runs on could be crappy, it could be a pain in the butt to use (although from some posts I've seen, this doesn't seem to be a problem), or any number of other things.

3. Support. Craigix&co. and community. I wouldn't want to buy this if there was no support available on the back end, for whatever may go wrong. Also, what kind of community support will be available? I've seen people posting about how the second this comes out, they'll be developing for it. That's all well and good when you're posting about it, but if you don't deliver, it will be dead in the water.

So, barring anything terrible, I will be getting one, whether or not I preorder is mainly based on supply. However, a suggestion to Craigix and co, if you give out an early copy to some dedicated people on this forum, they would have a chance to not only begin developing, but to give the general public a review of how things went from first impressions to developing. That would really affect my decision.
Just a suggestion.

 

[DavidBeoulve]

Well I'm buying this, easily. I got all hot & bothered over the fact that the Pandora answers my every complaint of my GP2X, which honestly doesn't get used much anymore.

The GP2X:

• Has cheap construction / joystick
• Has no Wi-Fi
• Doesn't support powered USB devices
• Sucks as soon as you need a keyboard
• Doesn't have Touch Screen (MK1 & MK2)
• Can brick itself
• Doesn't have SDHD
• Doesn't have an analog stick, never mind two of them
• Volume control was always wonky
• Dual-core implementation just makes developers go bat-guano insane.
• Did I mention the joystick was bad?

The Pandora, in one fell swoop, handles every single one of these problems. The Touch-Screen GP2X, to my knowledge, still has all but one of these problems.

I am so jazzed about the Pandora that I would like to pre-order one now so that I can be sure to get one later.

Plus, the Pandora:

• Can feasibly run X-Windows
• Has a 3d processing GPU
• Can run PSX games, with an appropriate emulator
• Can support a nice handheld application (something less clunky than DSorganize please)
• Can get on the Web and run Firefox!
• Has a keyboard!

As for everyone whining, I will point out that researchers at Harvard (those with doctorates, not undergrads) have found that people are actually very bad at estimating what will make them happy, yet it appears to be human nature to take your own advice, based on no empirical data whatsoever, over the advice of others who have tried and used something. Granted, that's hard to do here, but like Nintendo before the Wii launched, you either have faith in the designers of the product or you don't.

 

[Sphinxter]

Amen, if you figure out how to pre-order one let me know.

 

[magicman5421]

^ ahem...Craigix?

 

[DavidBeoulve]

^ ahem...Craigix?

I tried PMing him but his box is full. I wonder why

 

[Mr B]

As for everyone whining, I will point out that researchers at Harvard (those with doctorates, not undergrads) have found that people are actually very bad at estimating what will make them happy, yet it appears to be human nature to take your own advice, based on no empirical data whatsoever, over the advice of others who have tried and used something. Granted, that's hard to do here, but like Nintendo before the Wii launched, you either have faith in the designers of the product or you don't.
Doesn't that swing goes both ways? Your trying to tell us that the researchers at Harvard proved that we who have some (mainly design) issues with the Panda are all wrong, but in fact you could just as well have said all those going "yeay, great" are wrong. Without the research data to go on, its hard to say, but if the research shows a higher % being wrong, then right, the later scenario is actually more likely here, since more people claim to be happy with the design, then those who claim not to.

All of this "look at how many who wants the keyboard, you others must be nuts" thats going on, have neglected something else.. How many of the once saying "current design is fine" would have said exactly the same if the design was another, entirely different? Anyway, since they promised new, updated pics soon, and since the website should have been updated a while back allready, we have nothing more to do, but wait, and see what changes they made.
B!

 

[DavidBeoulve]

QUOTE
Mr B
Doesn't that swing goes both ways?

Probably not. Buy "Stumbling on Happiness" by Dr. Daniel Gilbert.

Here's a few quips to get you pointed the direction he's going...QUOTE
1. What is your definition of affective forecasting? You like to say you study happiness—how are the two related?
People make mistakes when they try to predict what will make them happy in the future—a process that Tim Wilson and I have called "affective forecasting." Anyone who has ever said "I think I'd prefer chocolate to vanilla" or "I'd rather be a lawyer than a banjo player" has made an affective forecast. And anyone who has made an affective forecast has found out the hard way that sometimes they are wrong. Stumbling on Happiness is an attempt to explain how and why our brains are structured to make these mistakes, and what we can do about it.

7. Okay, let's cut to the trillion-dollar question: how do I find happiness?
People have been writing books that promise to answer that question for roughly two thousand years, and the result has been a lot of unhappy people and a lot of dead trees. What makes my book different is that I don't even try to answer that question. Stumbling on Happiness is not an instruction manual that tells you how to be happy in four easy steps and one hard one. It is not a self-help book that will transform you into the Dalai Lama with a better haircut. Rather, my book describes what modern science has to tell us about how and how well the human brain can imagine its own future, and about how and how well it can predict which of those futures it will most enjoy.

The main point of this book is to show just how bad we are at predicting what will make us happy in the future, and to explain how and why our brains are structured to make the mistakes they do. Modern people take the ability to imagine the future for granted, but it turns out that this is one of our species' most recently acquired abilities—no more than three million years old. The part of our brain that enables us to think about the future is one of nature's newest inventions, so it isn't surprising that when we try to use this new ability to imagine our futures, we make some rookie errors. These errors come in three basic flavors, and that's what the book is about. The book does end by describing an alternative method for predicting future happiness, but ironically, research shows that while this alternative method produces much more accurate predictions, people generally refuse to use it.

That last one is just great, especially the last sentence. Human nature is king, no?

Pardon my digression, but I didn't want to "post and run" and leave the question unanswered.

PS - Oh, you mean is MY prediction bad, not "the concept you just spoke of written by that Harvard guy is bad". I'm sorry. Yes, I could very easily be wrong about the Pandora. As I said, it's hard to use predictive methods outside of myself when no one owns a Pandora, the people doing it haven't made handhelds before, and I don't know who their investors are or how well made they will be.

 

[Mr B]

I never even tried to imply that the Dr was wrong, or rather, i cant believe someone made a study of this. Talk about a waste of money. Pretty much any salesman could have told them b4 hand.
I am the first to admit, that this might turn out to be the best handheld ever made (Might being the lead word) but that doesn't stop me from disliking the current design, and stating that if it isn't significantly changed, I'll never own one. Even without any big changes it might turn out to be a big hit, and they will sell like crazy, it just wont suite me, and what i perceive as "needs" and hence i will never get it, and never find out if I'm right, or wrong. It's not like someone will ship me one, and go "here, try it out for a week, or two, and if you don't like it, ship it back, you only have to pay return shipping" and i doubt there will be more then 10-15 units in Sweden, making it really unlikely for me to meet anyone who has one, and lets me try it out.
Of course it all boils down to opinions i got based on the image of the device i had b4 hand, and issues i see with the design, regardless of if they are, or aren't actually an issue. It's really as simple as i expected the ultimate game emulator handheld console. To me, that has virtually nothing to do with a keyboard, or a clamshell to do. Cant even remember a single game i would want to play on this small a screen, that needs keyboard input. It has everything to do with ergonomic controls, good touchscreen gaming for mouse games, being able to turn it 90degrees to play arcade games with a high screen rather then a wide screen, and so on. It all depends on where your coming from.

Someone who expected a laptop replacement with a really tiny screen, and a gamepad that works, but might not be the best one in the world, is probably very pleased. If he knows what he wants more then i know what i want? Doubt it. Who's right? Well, i like to think i am, but i bet so does he. (Of course i know I'm the one being right;- )

B!

 

[parag0n]

In reply to the topic, if the pandora was available right now for £200, my bank account would be £200 lighter.

 

[Peter R]

In reply to the topic, if the pandora was available right now for £200, my bank account would be £200 lighter.

If the Pandora were available now, my bank account would be empty

 

[magicman5421]

In reply to the topic, if the pandora was available right now for £200, my bank account would be £200 lighter.

If the Pandora were available now, my bank account would be empty

I need a job. My bank account is empty as it is.
*sigh

 

[Peter R]

In reply to the topic, if the pandora was available right now for £200, my bank account would be £200 lighter.

If the Pandora were available now, my bank account would be empty

I need a job. My bank account is empty as it is.
*sigh

The only money in mine is currently for a laptop for University. No money left for Pandora I'm afraid .

 

[zektor]

I'm down to buy one. Always up to try new hardware, and I really do like the fact that this will have a full qwerty keyboard. Awesome stuff!

 

[imec]

I was half-way there, but I spent it.

 

[letsridebmx104]

Not at release going to wait see reviews and see how/ what is made for it... and I just got a f200

 

[moxie]

I am the first to admit, that this might turn out to be the best handheld ever made (Might being the lead word) but that doesn't stop me from disliking the current design, and stating that if it isn't significantly changed, I'll never own one.

...which means we won't have to put up with you on these forums? Excellent! Craigix, MWeston - Don't change a thing!!!

QUOTE
...and i doubt there will be more then 10-15 units in Sweden, making it really unlikely for me to meet anyone who has one, and lets me try it out.



You're Swedish? Oh dear...

Me wants one. Now. Or perhaps when they're available.

 

[realyst]

I'm already forming a Pandora fund

 

[javaJake]

You guys better get your act together - looks like pre-orders might start soon.

 

[Yrx]

I just realized, I only need like 50 more dollars. And that's not bad at all.

Of course, then it gets back to the question of whether I really want to spend all my money on this. :lol:

 

[Magnulus]

I was in a local computer shop in Edinburgh today where they actually had the Eee PC in. Tested that keyboard and it felt rather comfortable, surprisingly enough. I asked the guy about the Pandora, and he said they'll probably have it in when the time comes, so I'm looking forward to being able to check it out in real life. I feel very good about a store when they actually know about the Pandora there.

It does make me wonder if the screen's resolution isn't too dense for 800x480. The Eee PC felt like it was just about comfortably dense at the same rez and three inches more, but it could easily be that I will think the same about the Pandora.

I'm applying for a job next to studies to be able to afford the little luxuries like a Pandora, so I'm crossing my fingers for that.