Your Ideal Handheld Device?

[b1ueskycomp1ex]

My ideal device runs some sort of magical version of GoboLinux that is actually usable.
A man can dream, though...

Also, it's powered by this entirely fictional singularity engine that I thought of recently. It's fictional because none of the principles that it uses could ever work.

How about a modular device? Strap part of it to your wrist, some glasses for viewing part of the interface. a camera and microphone built into said glasses for recording video/audio, some temperature gauges, wifi, link the whole thing together with bluetooth, add an ankle bracelet sized device for tracking your steps, etc.

It doesn't sound entirely fictional to me. Just saying.

 

[christo930]

I wonder how much cheaper the Pandora could be if it were being made in quantity?

I doubt very much if we`ll see a cheaper Pandora in the future, If ever. Considering the Pandora is being sold as cheaply as possible already (for the the type of device, Size of the project and technology we are getting), Any profit the Pandora team can make on release and in the future is rightly deserved.

Just think of all the time, Energy and resources (Blood, Sweat and tears"] that have been poured into bringing the Pandora to the masses. They have to make it worth their while, Otherwise, What is the point ?. Any money the Team can make above and beyond development and production costs, Could possibly be used to fund the next version of the Pandora, Or some other project.

The GP32 never really saw a reduction in price during it`s active life, Neither did the GP2x, And i very much doubt the Wiz will or the Pandora.

Trooper[/quote]Profit isn't made on merit or something that is "deserved" and I don't think it would be in their best interest to stick to such a high price that over time could come down. It's possible that they could face competition as well, especially from the portable media devices as they could end up changing and looking more like a Pandora. The component costs are going to drop, the price should drop when the time comes. The gp2x didn't drop in nominal terms, but you got more for the same price with new revisions.

Chris

 

[Frogboy]

Profit isn't made on merit or something that is "deserved" and I don't think it would be in their best interest to stick to such a high price that over time could come down ... The component costs are going to drop, the price should drop when the time comes. The gp2x didn't drop in nominal terms, but you got more for the same price with new revisions.

The consumer price of Pandora will likely stay static over the devices lifespan, I'd guess. They are starting with a low price point right from the start and won't be making much money off of sales until the cost of components goes down. They have to get theirs sooner or later especially if they ever want to make a Pandora II.

 

[b1ueskycomp1ex]

Profit isn't made on merit or something that is "deserved" and I don't think it would be in their best interest to stick to such a high price that over time could come down ... The component costs are going to drop, the price should drop when the time comes. The gp2x didn't drop in nominal terms, but you got more for the same price with new revisions.

The consumer price of Pandora will likely stay static over the devices lifespan, I'd guess. They are starting with a low price point right from the start and won't be making much money off of sales until the cost of components goes down. They have to get theirs sooner or later especially if they ever want to make a Pandora II.

Pandora II, now with.......


Wait, the first one has everything..



What do we do now?

 

[gp2.eXe]

Profit isn't made on merit or something that is "deserved" and I don't think it would be in their best interest to stick to such a high price that over time could come down ... The component costs are going to drop, the price should drop when the time comes. The gp2x didn't drop in nominal terms, but you got more for the same price with new revisions.

The consumer price of Pandora will likely stay static over the devices lifespan, I'd guess. They are starting with a low price point right from the start and won't be making much money off of sales until the cost of components goes down. They have to get theirs sooner or later especially if they ever want to make a Pandora II.

Pandora II, now with.......

Wait, the first one has everything..



What do we do now?

A Pandora Cube?

 

[trooper]

Pandora II, now with.......

Wait, the first one has everything..



What do we do now?


Do a bug fix, And release it as a new device, Just like Apple does. :rolleyes:

Trooper

 

[Ravnos]

Profit isn't made on merit or something that is "deserved" and I don't think it would be in their best interest to stick to such a high price that over time could come down ... The component costs are going to drop, the price should drop when the time comes. The gp2x didn't drop in nominal terms, but you got more for the same price with new revisions.

The consumer price of Pandora will likely stay static over the devices lifespan, I'd guess. They are starting with a low price point right from the start and won't be making much money off of sales until the cost of components goes down. They have to get theirs sooner or later especially if they ever want to make a Pandora II.

Pandora II, now with.......

Wait, the first one has everything..



What do we do now?


There's no phone in it. If they made it a landscape qwerty slider phone with gaming controls, that would be pretty awesome.

 

[Frogboy]

Pandora except...

I would like a backlit cell phone keyboard similar to a Blackberry Curve or MotoQ bottom-centered where the keymat currently is so that thumb typing would be easier. It'd still need a couple of buttons in the two top corners as I imagine that those will eventually get mapped to L2 and R2 on the PSX emu. Maybe the extra real estate could be used to slim down the size of the device or move the speakers to the bottom to make the screen bigger. Maybe the keyboard can slide down to reveal another touchscreen LCD ala Nintendo DS that could double as a touch pad when you need to move the mouse around a lot. Top-center could have a little ball for MAME emulation and also another option for mouse movement. Tablet mode and accelerometer, of course. SDHC and SDXC support. HD antenna for watching TV and DVR software built into the OS. Blends, makes toast, plays Crysis and automatically flames all of the idiots on Engadget that say, "but why not just get a PSP, it can do all that" whenever they post something about Pandora.

Did I forget anything?

 

[lulzfish]

If they made it a landscape qwerty slider phone, that would ruin everything.

Your quote didn't have any of my opinions in it, so I added a couple.
Cell phone technology is a huge "maybe" since I rarely need a phone, and the software would need to back it up somehow. I'm not sure how this would work in Linux... It might not have the tight, "do exactly as we say" style that most phones use to pull this off.

Sliders are horrible. They expose the screen and short-shift the keyboard. I really think clamshells are better.

 

[danielliu88888]

If they made it a landscape qwerty slider phone, that would ruin everything.

Your quote didn't have any of my opinions in it, so I added a couple.
Cell phone technology is a huge "maybe" since I rarely need a phone, and the software would need to back it up somehow. I'm not sure how this would work in Linux... It might not have the tight, "do exactly as we say" style that most phones use to pull this off.

Sliders are horrible. They expose the screen and short-shift the keyboard. I really think clamshells are better.

clamshells are kind of a pain though. overall, something tablet like is the best solution.

 

[Tag5]

I'd like the GP2X-F200 to have the following modifications:-

* Thinner and lighter;
* WiFi and Bluetooth built-in for multi-player and internet usage;
* 128MB RAM, 1GB NAND and 500MHz CPU with 3D Capability;
* Built-in sliding keyboard;
* OS boot selector;
* Use AAA batteries as they are smaller and quickly changed when flat;
* Larger screen surface;
* Touchscreen pen to slot within the handheld console;
* Titanium case for the console.

Hmmm, sounds rather close to the GP2X-Wiz.

 

[b._.o._.b]

There is no ideal handheld device. I will probably always need more than 1.
1 for gaming, a small laptop and a smartphone with keyboard.

From a gaming pov, the Pandora will be pretty much perfect with current technology and reasonably priced.

 

[Nova]

My ideal handheld device is a Pip-Boy 3000.

Would settle for the earlier 2000 model though.

 

[Ravnos]

If they made it a landscape qwerty slider phone, that would be pretty awesome.

Your quote didn't have any of my opinions in it, so I added a couple.
Cell phone technology is a huge "maybe" since I rarely need a phone, and the software would need to back it up somehow. I'm not sure how this would work in Linux... It might not have the tight, "do exactly as we say" style that most phones use to pull this off.

Sliders are horrible. They expose the screen and short-shift the keyboard. I really think clamshells are better.

Your opinions are bullshit, because a clamshell would either be incredibly awkward as a phone or provide insufficient screen real-estate. The problem with the exposed screen can be countered with a case, which doesn't affect size that much and isn't a serious restriction to answering the phone (and I say this from experience.) I don't use a phone much either, but I'm required to have one for work, so combining it with the Pandora would make for one less device to have in my pocket, plus make a phone that I would not mind carrying with me everywhere. Sliders aren't ideal, but they're the better way to achieve a smaller form factor without compromising elsewhere. The technology exists to combine all of the devices I would use on a day-to-day basis in one efficient device, it is just prohibitively expensive. If we're talking ideal, then I would like something that does as much as possible. Linux support wouldn't be an issue, since there are no less than three Linux distributions geared explicitly toward mobile phone use, plus others which are viable candidates. There is literally nothing standing in the way of my ideal handheld other than the high cost. Until other people are willing to spend the money on my handheld, I'll never see it, but it's certainly possible.

 

[lulzfish]

Maybe it's nostalgia, I like clamshells better.
Plus it makes it look like a tiny laptop, which amuses me.

And my phone has a spring-loaded automatic opening mechanism, which is extremely cooler and easier to open than many of the sliders I've encountered.

I think a Pandora-sized device would do better as a clamshell since it's noticeably bigger than most phones.

 

[johncross85]

I've just been through my handheld collection picking the best bits and what I'd say is...

- Size, shape, weight, build quality, screen and neat stylus holder from a Zodiac
- Digital controls from DS Phat but with...
- 2 analogue sticks from Zodiac
- Boot time as short as GP32
- Battery life as long as GBC
- Community support as good as GP32/GP2X

Add in the processing power of the Pandora and I'd be over the moon

John

[Edit added pic]

 

[trooper]

Did I forget anything?

So you can wash your plate up after eating the toast that you made.

Trooper

 

[dingens]

I'd like a Pandora where lid and controls are seperated, the lid contains a big battery, the control part and screen part communicate via bluetooth and both are attached to a nice leather clamshell case. You could use the lid part without controls for surfing and media playback. You cold also use other bluetooth controllers without having to carry the whole package. Or you could use both parts in the leather clamshell like you would use the original Pandora.

 

[b1ueskycomp1ex]

I'd like a Pandora where lid and controls are seperated, the lid contains a big battery, the control part and screen part communicate via bluetooth and both are attached to a nice leather clamshell case. You could use the lid part without controls for surfing and media playback. You cold also use other bluetooth controllers without having to carry the whole package. Or you could use both parts in the leather clamshell like you would use the original Pandora.

It would be rather cool if you could flip the screen over like a tablet =D

 

[ashdjones]

My ideal handheld device would be:

Fairly small and discreet, fits into my trousers
It extends to a larger size that is more convenient for heavy usage
Kinetic charging would be ideal so I never have to worry about it going flat, some kind of manual pump action would be perfect
One handed operation, but made so I can swap hands if one gets tired
Something flashy, you know, so when I take it out in public everybody gasps and stares
It absolutely has to have streaming ability, no overheating but slightly warm is okay
It also goes without saying that it includes a touch interface
It includes a stylus hole, but most people won't want to use it
Some kind of virus protection and a third-party protective case as optional extras