Wow, Over A Year Late?

[impreziv]

I stopped following the Pandora back in 2009, when it missed its 2nd expected launch. Just thought id come back to see how everyone was enjoying their Pandoras, and I can't say that I'm not surprised.

How does everyone feel waiting for something that is increasingly becoming obsolete before it even launches? (instead of saying obsolete, i'm rather suggesting that our interests or expectations have changed in 2 years) Im not trying to troll here, I'm genuinely interested in buying one, if it ever comes out.

But for me, my expectations have changed a little. To be my 'dream' portable system, it would really need 3G/HSDPA. Other small things that would make it for me are things like integrated GPS. Also, with almost 2 years gone by, 600mhz is looking like a bit less than it sounded in 2008. (But it still really surprises me that PSone and N64 are withing reach for that chip)

Im curious to know.. In the past 2 years, how have your guys' expectations/desires changed, for a dream portable system?

 

[mali]

Im curious to know.. In the past 2 years, how have your guys' expectations/desires changed, for a dream portable system?

I'm still in need for a N800 replacement. As there's still no proper alternative, Pandora is my favourite. Not much happened in the last year in the ARM handheld sector.
Waiting is still fun. Talking crap on the boards and all

 

[bzar]

I'd like the lil bugger to launch just as much as the next preorderee, but the wait has been an experience in its own right. There's still nothing like the pandora anywhere in the horizon from my point of view, and it can still do everything I need it to. In short, nothing has changed.

 

[Jourdy288]

Looking at the recent events like E3 and CES, I don't see much anything to indicate the obsoletion of the Pandora. It still has quite the edge over the PSP and NDS, isn't a locked down system, and has a great community behind it. Oh, and the hardware is still above standard, and should be for about 1-2 more years. I'm not panicking.

 

[Prometheus]

My expectations or wants for such a device have not changed.

But then, I am a customer who simply doesn't care about having super-duper-technology all that much - what I care about is a device doing the tasks I want, doing them well, and lasting a long time. This tends to be reflected in most of my electronics purchases.

 

[renegadechic]

i think that in the same way people still buy the all the game park consoles still and the dingoo people want something that fits whatever needs they have. either there are devices there or there arent. there is NO good solution for both 3G, GPS, linux browsing and handheld gaming. its just not there. there are devices that excel in every area, but you choose your market and you make what you can. there is never going to be a smartphone with gaming controls because most smartphone users dont care about them so we will only ever see smart phones with some creative and unusual control mechanisms that make the most of what they already have. we have some netbooks (i think? i could be wrong) with linux and 3G but they arent handhelds. we also have the pandora which is a handheld and linux system. somewhere you have to compromise. to have the device some people seem to want they need to understand the extra cost and the extra size.

for me its the machine i wanted back then and its still fulfilling the needs it did when i ordered it. i guess if something came out doing the same or better i might consider changing my order but there is no evidence for that at all, only devices capable in different areas. maybe someone will make this happen further along the line but it'll come with a price and probably just as long a wait. short of nintendo and sony coming out with new systems i can only see microsoft coming out with a handheld expanding from its success from the xbox360 and even then i wouldnt put much money on it being open or having 3G.

what i would really like to see happen, and if the OP guys actually thought it worth the investment and effort, is a modified battery section that users could use at their own risk which allows L2 and R2, and either USB hub style solutions or some kind of USB connected board solutions to the 3G and the GPS. its going to cost a bit and its not going to be as sleek and pretty, and the modifications for the L2 and R2 arent going to be for novices, but it would take it to that next level. i actually expect someone to come up with something, even if its not the OP team, but in that situation it will likely be bespoke and cost even more. im sure i saw someone say on here that adding 3G to a device will add about £100 to the cost, and of everything thats the main reason i dont see a handheld coming out with it as standard.

 

[greendots]

Theres still no device that compares to the pandora yet. Time has not made the pandora's components any less powerful, only less impressive. Even though I've been content to wait this long, I think I'm about ready to cancel my order if I don't see a LOT of progress by the end of this month...

 

[Awakening]

Well, I haven't been waiting a whole year yet. I discovered the Pandora when I was thinking about maybe finally getting a GP2X to play SNES games on. At first I thought that I didn't want the keyboard and I was more into the Wiz but then the Pandora was more powerful and did great with PSX. Back then the latest images was with a white keyboard and that was really ugly. Then the Wiz had the diagonal line problem and I started to think about using the Pandora for both gaming and work and we got the sexy black epoxy keyboard and I'm totally hooked on it now.

There's just nothing like the Pandora out there or coming this year. First off it's the only handheld that have game controls, touchscreen and a keyboard in the same package. The game controls are perhaps the best ones available, even counting game pads. The screen is bigger and have a better resolution and quality then most handheld devices. You need a high resolution to use it for things other then games. The battery life of the Pandora is in a league of its own with 4200 mAh you get 8+ hours playing games and more when not using full power. Then you add in WiFi, BT and dual SDHC. It is open source and there are many skilled developers out there porting software etc. And finally we have the appstore, which isn't unique but a good way to encourage software development and making finding apps and games a lot easier.

If you are looking for the Pandora experience there's nothing else out there.

 

[Rockthesmurf]

Person A. Hey, would you like 10 marbles?
Person B. Sure, that'd be great!
Person A. Okay, you will have to wait 2 years though.
[... two years ...]
Person B. Hmm, my expectations have risen now, I'm expecting those 10 marbles to be 20 marbles!
Person A. Why the hell would you expect that?

Steve

 

[Joepostal]

I still see it as a mobile repository of all the greatest games from the past, that won't change and is why I want one and will wait. I will buy P2 if they build one. I will want an upgrade a mobile collection of all the best games.

No other device is being built to do this. Emulators that are highly polished will make or break the device for me. Having emulators on my PC is great but it is not mobile. Every other mobile device is either too big or not dedicated to this.

 

[Jumpman]

I think this is an interesting topic, I would very much like to know where many stand on this matter. Although, I would imagine most guys/gals still hanging out here are still into the project. For me personally, I only ever wanted the Pandora for classic gaming with proper controls. Everything else is really just icing on the cake for me. I'm sure I'll use many of the other functions over time, but if it didn't have wifi, bt, ect., I would still be waiting for it.

I thought the GP2X was the greatest little device I had ever seen(I missed the GP32 bandwagon). I used it non-stop for months, checking the boards everyday for new emu's, and updates. Customizing menus, start up sounds, I was in love! Every week was like christmas. My DS, and PSP had layers of dust on them in a matter of weeks. Although after several months, I begin to feel the limits of it's controls and processing power. Then like an answer from the gods, PANDORA!

It had everything I could think of, and allot of things that never crossed my mind. It would be great if it could run xbox, gamecube, ps2, and dreamcast games at fullspeed, but when I preordered, I knew N64 was about as much as we could hope for, and I have been very surprised over the last several months. The developer support is crazy right now, guys are throwing stuff into the mix, and it hasn't even been released yet? Once this thing hits the market, I think we can expect allot of great things, from many great people! I bought a Wiz last july when I got tired of waiting on Pandy, hoping for a little of the GP2X magic, but sadly it wasn't meant to be. I retired my Wiz after about one month of use. It was really just a slight upgrade to the GP2X, a nice little handheld, but a HUGE dissapointment!

So for me, the wait has been hard, but I don't see anything coming close any time soon. Most companies just don't really understand the Pandora, and I don't really think we will see any real good competition until the Pandora is actually released, and electronic companies see that there is a market for this kind of device. Craig stated awhile ago how hard it was to get this device made, stating how no companies they went to could understand the point of it all. That just shows the lack of understanding that most industry folks have. I have been seeing it for 30+ years, and I don't expect it to change anytime soon!


Chris

 

[fiveseven]

My troll sense is tingling.

 

[Exophase]

It's not obsolete yet. If Pandora is released within the next several months then it'll still be a sufficiently competitive design, for something that's required to use off the shelf parts.

I do think that pushing the "world's most powerful handheld" marketing has come back to bite them in the ass now.

 

[verm71]

Person A. Hey, would you like 10 marbles?
Person B. Sure, that'd be great!
Person A. Okay, you will have to wait 2 years though.
[... two years ...]
Person B. Hmm, my expectations have risen now, I'm expecting those 10 marbles to be 20 marbles!
Person A. Why the hell would you expect that?

Steve

Interest rates. But that's beside the point. ;-)

 

[Tuxedomask29]

I stopped following the Pandora back in 2009, when it missed its 2nd expected launch. Just thought id come back to see how everyone was enjoying their Pandoras, and I can't say that I'm not surprised.

How does everyone feel waiting for something that is increasingly becoming obsolete before it even launches? (instead of saying obsolete, i'm rather suggesting that our interests or expectations have changed in 2 years) Im not trying to troll here, I'm genuinely interested in buying one, if it ever comes out.

But for me, my expectations have changed a little. To be my 'dream' portable system, it would really need 3G/HSDPA. Other small things that would make it for me are things like integrated GPS. Also, with almost 2 years gone by, 600mhz is looking like a bit less than it sounded in 2008. (But it still really surprises me that PSone and N64 are withing reach for that chip)

Im curious to know.. In the past 2 years, how have your guys' expectations/desires changed, for a dream portable system?

Hi Impreziv:

It sounds like you might be looking for something like I just bought. It's called a viliv and it has 3G and an excellent intregrated GPS built in. Also runs a 1.33 processor and has 1GB of ram. http://www.myviliv.com/eng/product/s5.asp

 

[RotsiserMho]

Hi everyone,

I haven't posted much as I'm kind of new here and short on time, but I figured I may have a unique perspective on this thing. I like this topic.

I ordered mine in November '09 after a year or so of occasionally checking in on the project after I first heard about it in 2008. Once I saw that MP truly was close (this was before I saw images from May of '09 showing a test case) I decided to preorder. So I placed my order in an era where my friends have iPhones, Androids, DROIDs, Crackberrys, etc. I hate those things. I want a phone that's a phone and a hand-held computer that's a computer.

When I first ran homebrew on my DS, I thought it would be the end-all, be-all for me. But web-browsing sucks on it, SNES emulators don't run on it well and doing anything beyond simple games and taking very short notes is a chore. I discovered I really wanted a real computer, something running Linux or something. The PSP is useless to me because text input is just a chore. No keyboard, no touchscreen.

The Pandora fits all of my needs (wants really ). I can keep track of my finances on it (using OpenOffice Calc), I can read PDFs, I can browse the web (with Flash - at some point), I can play all the games I could ask for - with decent controls. Aside from possibly Gamecube emulation, the Pandora can emulate all consoles that can reasonably be emulated on a sub-3GHz system. Emulating an XBOX, a PS2, or anything newer is going to require an order of magnitude more power. I doubt even a Pandora 2 will be able to handle PS2 emulation, which for me is the real next step.

So I do I think it's obsolete? No. It's a hand-held magical box. It's a full out computer. It's the best portable gaming system ever created. It has the highest resolution screen available for something that fits in your pocket. Those facts won't change until the PSP2 comes out. And that won't have keyboard. It might not have analog nubs. And it's going to be locked down TIGHT. Simply, the Pandora fits my needs better than any other device on the market now or on the horizon.

Sure it could be faster (but it can be overclocked at least), but what would that buy you without dual 2GHz ARM cores? Better native software maybe, but I'm in it for the emulation and the Pandora will suit me just fine until something comes along that can emulate a PS2. Maybe that's the Pandora 2, and if so, great. Rumor is the Pandora 2 will use the same case, so the time to market should be much shorter.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[cobaltage]

When I became aware of this project, I decided to pre-order for a few reasons:
1) As a companion device to an iPhone or smartphone, with a file system, a desktop capable browser, and games.
2) As an interesting, community-driven, open-source project.

One year later, none of the considerations I used to make my decision have changed.

a. I would also love to have a 3G connected MID, but the costs are too high for a dedicated cellular data contract on top of a smartphone contract, IMO. Basically, I agree with Renegade Chic on this, in the first paragraph of his post.

With the Pandora, I'm hoping for some kind of alternative solution that has yet to come about: like tethering apps. Even a Mi-Fi style, battery powered, 3G/4G router is better than getting a crap netbook that isn't going to even last the length of a two-year contract at $60/month.

I do like the looks of Viliv's products, but their design is completely different. The MIDs do look like good car computers though.
http://www.myviliv.com/eng/


b. The fact that it's still going forward is a sign of the dedication of the developers, who, if they are still involved, must feel likewise that there is no other device that has come up that they would rather develop for.


c. As long as it can surf the internet, work as an internet communicator, and play games, the Pandora will be usable. I think that's a powerful combination: useful, entertaining, and, these days, capable of being combined in a small device with a reasonable battery life and for a few hundred dollars. Five years ago, a device like the Pandora would have cost $2000 and had a two hour battery life. (It would have been like an OQO with gaming controls.) The combination of these functions is what lies behind the success of the iPhone. But IMO, the smartphone isn't sufficient as an all-in-one device; a secondary device should pick up where the smartphone leaves off. It should be cheaper, larger, have a longer battery life, and a lot of controls.

It's of course always nice to chase down better specs, but, IMO, there are certain cut-off points where you can hang out for a while. Internet browsing and gaming on a small screen are not extremely processor intensive tasks. There may be all kinds of fancy schmancy ways of controlling games and interacting with your fingers, but nothing is ever going to replace controlling games with ... game controllers. And there is simply no other device out there that combines a MID with gaming controls and a thumb keyboard in general production. The most similar gadgets to the Pandora are actually those mods of gaming systems by Ben Heck and the others who have come up after him. (See photo.)

from http://showcase.benheck.com/cody27_ps2-portable_102.html


e. As far as other devices like the Wiz go, I'm not into emulated games enough to get one. I'm also of the opinion that "if you built it, they will come." That is, good games and good apps. While this wasn't true ten or twenty years ago, there's way too much excess computer programming skills in the general population these days to channel all that interest and capability into commercial channels. And good controls have extensions well beyond gaming: live audio/video control, robotics, etc.


So, I'm basically still pretty interested.


edited to omit accidentally placed emoticons

 

[MiniSinisterMinister]

Yes, my expectations actually did change quite a lot in the past year! :angry: When I first heard of the Pandora, I thought this is it! This is the most perfect handheld device so far. This is how I always imagined the PSP2 would be designed. True, I always wanted the Pandora mostly for emulation (and I still do, so it has not exactly become obsolete for me), however back in late 2008, I was equally excited about the notion of a handheld computer that offers ultra mobility without sacrifcing capabiltiy. My thinking was that handhelds become better by offering more and more functions of stationary systems. Well, the Pandora wasn't released and I tried the iPhone 2G in the meantime (you know I did need a new handheld Craig!!!!!! and it doesn't have to be perfect but just available). That totally changed my opinion about what a handheld computer should and should not offer. The crucial point is that you use a handheld in different situations and for different purposes than a desktop system. So a handheld has to focus on different features. I want to give you a few examples:

In 2008 I was excited about being able to play any video format on a handheld system without having to convert the file. Now I think that this is just nonsense. With modern desktop-CPUs any video file can be converted in no time and it doesn't really make much sense to go without converting and having to copy ridiculously large files in an obsolete and inefficient codec onto your handheld system instead when there is a much more efficient and modern codec available. There is also no need to have the video in a higher resoultion than the screen and sacrifice storage capacity for nothing. So instead of focusing on offering compatiblity with a lot of different file formats, a handheld should rather be designed to have a light weight in your hand as this is really important for the experience of watching videos on the go (you are going to hold it in your hands through the whole video).

Quickoffice for iPhone is able to display and edit most MsOffice formats (including docx files!). It would be sooo much better with a higher resolution and a real keyboard, right? No, well I mean, who cares? This is one of the apps that I use the least often. So I do not think that I will ever really need any of the different desktop apps that people think about porting to the Pandora. I mean it is such a tiny laptop. If you are serious about working, get a 10"+ netbook, lol! What I really use often on a handheld is google maps, safari with 3G, alarm clock, around me and weather pro non of which will be available or even possible for the Pandora.

When I am on the go, I do not have time for intricate desktop functionality. Instead, a lean and smooth interface is very much appreciated when I am on the way to the bus stop and have just seconds available for any task.

This post is not supposed to bash the Pandora or the efforts of OP. I just want to explain why my view on the Pandora has changed. In 2008 I wanted the Pandora for everything, now I just want it as an advanced emulation handheld and I use my smartphone for the rest.

 

[renegadechic]

Hi Impreziv:

It sounds like you might be looking for something like I just bought. It's called a viliv and it has 3G and an excellent intregrated GPS built in. Also runs a 1.33 processor and has 1GB of ram. http://www.myviliv.com/eng/product/s5.asp

that actually looks quite nice. the site doesnt half take forever to load though! i wouldnt get it as a replacement to the pandora but it does look nice.

found this engadget link http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/24/viliv-s5-reviewed-is-mostly-smiles-with-good-video-playback/ so its an extra $270 for the extra features and for windows and no keyboard. sounds about what i would expect really and definitely outside a price range i would wanna pay for those extras. id probably put a $100 limit on what i would pay for those in a battery compartment modification.

This post is not supposed to bash the Pandora or the efforts of OP. I just want to explain why my view on the Pandora has changed. In 2008 I wanted the Pandora for everything, now I just want it as an advanced emulation handheld and I use my smartphone for the rest.

it sounds like your expectations of a smartphone has gone up due to your enjoyment of using one whereas your requirements for a gaming device has gone down, which is fair enough and i can kinda understand. still, i dont think the price of the pandora would have changed considerably if they decided to go for a model without a keyboard. maybe i am wrong there... but something would have had to give to make it non clamshell be it nub position, screen size, etc. overall i dont think it cheapens or lessens the appeal of the pandora being able to do those things

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

I want PS1 and Amiga emulation.

I want to write games for it.

I want to pay about £200.



I can't wait to play Wipeout