slaeshjag
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Since there aren't enough of these or flamebait overall, I decided to waste a few hours of my morning thinking this up.
Flaws I would like to see fixed:
Future CPU/memory upgrades etc.:
Something that has been mentioned as attractive by some is having the board upgradeable with a new CPU. I'm imagining this as a tiny daughterboard simlar in size to the Gumstix® modules. This would connect via two high-density board-to-board connector, one on each short-side. These connectors should bring out all the system io needed (USB, LCD, HDMI, I²C, SDIO etc...) This interface should be kept for as long as possible, for the boards to remain forward and backwards compatible.
Where to mount it? I suggest making the pandora one cm wider, and making the battery 16 mm shorter (from 136 mm wide, according to my mesurements, might be a mm less) to 120 mm. The loss in capacity will be compensated by increasing the battery thickness from 7 mm to 8 mm.
((120 * 45 * 8) / (136 * 45 * 7) = 1.00840336 -> pretty much no change in volume.)
I know the idea of making the pandora thicker isn't liked by everyone, but I'm sure craigs visions could be used to flatten the overall unit out by more than 1 mm.
This side compartment will create a space approx 25 mm wide, 8 mm high and 55 mm deep. In this space, I would hope it's possible to squeeze in the CPU/RAM module, an extra side-ways mounted headphone jack and maybe, just maybe, a small PCB holding two full SD card slots, one on each side of the PCB.
The main PCB would now serve as an IO port board with one side used to mount keyboard/buttons/nubs and all the connectors. Not to mention all aux hardware like sound hardware, WiFi/bluetooth etc..)
Among connectors, I would like to see analogue video out. However, I doubt this is a very wanted feature, sadly. So the main board would externally hold
Software:
I like the idea of the PND system, but it could use some shaving (eheh, get it? No? Didn't think so.) And the system needs to be easier to maintained so that we aren't stuck with system libs from the middle ages. Hopefully, .next will solve this. Whenever that become a reality. Android as the only officially supported system would make me leave this community without hesitation, as it is clearly wicked.
Just some ideas that has popped up in my head over time.
Flaws I would like to see fixed:
- Better battery contact system. I'm tired of my pandora resetting all the time when I'm using it.
- Better case around the battery. Mine's bulging a bit even though the battery is completely flat.
- Better nub controller. And make the ICP lines accessable for the system so that any community attempt at making a better controller firmware is eased, in case the improved firmware is still crappy.
- Battery isolation. When the battery is done charging, the system must be capable of disconnecting it so that the system can continue running from AC. The current situation is just ridiculous.
- The case overall could do with a quality upgrade. Anyone had an old gameboy? Those things felt indestructable. My pandora started chipping off corners of its case while sitting untouched on a shelf
Future CPU/memory upgrades etc.:
Something that has been mentioned as attractive by some is having the board upgradeable with a new CPU. I'm imagining this as a tiny daughterboard simlar in size to the Gumstix® modules. This would connect via two high-density board-to-board connector, one on each short-side. These connectors should bring out all the system io needed (USB, LCD, HDMI, I²C, SDIO etc...) This interface should be kept for as long as possible, for the boards to remain forward and backwards compatible.
Where to mount it? I suggest making the pandora one cm wider, and making the battery 16 mm shorter (from 136 mm wide, according to my mesurements, might be a mm less) to 120 mm. The loss in capacity will be compensated by increasing the battery thickness from 7 mm to 8 mm.
((120 * 45 * 8) / (136 * 45 * 7) = 1.00840336 -> pretty much no change in volume.)
I know the idea of making the pandora thicker isn't liked by everyone, but I'm sure craigs visions could be used to flatten the overall unit out by more than 1 mm.
This side compartment will create a space approx 25 mm wide, 8 mm high and 55 mm deep. In this space, I would hope it's possible to squeeze in the CPU/RAM module, an extra side-ways mounted headphone jack and maybe, just maybe, a small PCB holding two full SD card slots, one on each side of the PCB.
The main PCB would now serve as an IO port board with one side used to mount keyboard/buttons/nubs and all the connectors. Not to mention all aux hardware like sound hardware, WiFi/bluetooth etc..)
Among connectors, I would like to see analogue video out. However, I doubt this is a very wanted feature, sadly. So the main board would externally hold
- two headphone jacks
- volume wheel
- power switch
- two shoulder buttons (I'd really really like four, but I can't see how this would be done,)
- HDMI out
- some connector bringing out: I²C, UART and possibly line-in
- mini OTG USB
- USB host port
- DC jack.
Software:
I like the idea of the PND system, but it could use some shaving (eheh, get it? No? Didn't think so.) And the system needs to be easier to maintained so that we aren't stuck with system libs from the middle ages. Hopefully, .next will solve this. Whenever that become a reality. Android as the only officially supported system would make me leave this community without hesitation, as it is clearly wicked.
Just some ideas that has popped up in my head over time.
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