A Really Noob Question


Gantman4eva

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So after searching the 12 pages of forum threads, my question wasnt really answered. I consider myself a hardcore gamer as far as consoles are concerned and I dabbled in the emulators and roms a bit, but not nearly enough to know what exactly is going on. After the reading I did on the pandora I see that it will be using emulation that will be stored on SD cards. My question is:

The pandora will play emulators and roms that are downloaded from the web?
Will pandora.com offer places where we could dl the best emulators roms out there?
The emulators will also be loaded on to pandora via the USB and will it be difficult?

Prolly more questions to come, but I thought this should do it.
 
Gantman4eva said:
The pandora will play emulators and roms that are downloaded from the web?
Will pandora.com offer places where we could dl the best emulators roms out there?
The emulators will also be loaded on to pandora via the USB and will it be difficult?
Emulators will be available for download - Pandora emulators will likely be linked from the Pandora.org website (though I certainly can't answer that for you for sure, it seems very probable). Even if they aren't available directly from the website, they won't be difficult to find. Note that Pandora.com and Pandora.org represent completely different organizations - Pandora.org is the one that we are talking about here.

ROMs are something else - these are, unfortunately, at best semi-legal. As such, they will definitely not be linked from the website and discussion of where to find them even in the forums will probably be suppressed. These are something that you will have to find on your own. On the plus side, this really isn't very difficult.

As for loading, I'm not in a position to give any technical details (I don't know them) but if you couldn't load via USB it would be an egregious error. Difficulty will vary depending on your computer proficiency, but you can expect help on boards like this one if you run into trouble - this is a community-oriented device, and communities like this one are generally pretty good about that.
 
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shmuck said:
Gantman4eva said:
The pandora will play emulators and roms that are downloaded from the web?
Will pandora.com offer places where we could dl the best emulators roms out there?
The emulators will also be loaded on to pandora via the USB and will it be difficult?
Emulators will be available for download - Pandora emulators will likely be linked from the Pandora.org website (though I certainly can't answer that for you for sure, it seems very probable). Even if they aren't available directly from the website, they won't be difficult to find. Note that Pandora.com and Pandora.org represent completely different organizations - Pandora.org is the one that we are talking about here.

Actually, the official site is openpandora.org. Pandora.org just leads to a broken blog site. Nobody has made a final decision where Pandora software will reside. Craig may host them on the official site. They may be hosted by ED like most GP32 and GP2X software was. There may be something entirely different. There is a lot of talk about an automated package installer system. That would have to be hosted somewhere.

So for now the answer is 'I don't know', but you can be sure that as soon as there is a better answer, it will be posted here.

QUOTE

As for loading, I'm not in a position to give any technical details (I don't know them) but if you couldn't load via USB it would be an egregious error. Difficulty will vary depending on your computer proficiency, but you can expect help on boards like this one if you run into trouble - this is a community-oriented device, and communities like this one are generally pretty good about that.


While you will be able to load files onto the SD cards over USB via the Pandora itself, you're better off buying a $4 card reader and using that. The SD card will show up like any other drive and you can put whatever files you have wherever you like.
 
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One of the good folks involved in producing the Pandora, EvilDragon, runs the excellent GP2X & GP32 software archives as Chip pointed out, so it's very likely there will be something similar for Pandora.

Roms, yes, any roms from the net will work.

There will be a number of ways you can get the emulators onto your Pandora, from hooking up via USB, to copying straight onto SD cards with a card reader, or over wifi with some kind of auto-installer system that has been discussed.

Rest assured, it won't be much hassle at all to get things working :)
 
JakeK said:
I'd like to know the official laws on ROMs. But it is hard to find out without emailing someone.
According to Wikipedia, in most countries its legal to have backup copies of games you own. However in the states it's entirely illegal to own ROM images even if it's a backup unless you purchased them from the company. The wiki article on ROM images has a few paragraphs in this

EDIT: Sorry, missed the word "Official" :unsure:
 
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PlopperZ said:
However in the states it's entirely illegal to own ROM images even if it's a backup unless you purchased them from the company.
Not quite. If I'm interpreting the case correctly, JS&A failed in getting support under subsection 117(a)(2) because they supposedly didn't prove that their archives guarded "against destruction or damage by mechanical or electrical failure." The judge then sets aside JS&A's arguments as "physical dangers," which is somehow different from "mechanical or electrical failure" (don't ask me how--let's just say I think the judge is an idiot).

I should say I do partially understand the judge's meaning--it seemed he was trying to make an exception for failure that happened due to an accident involving the user.
QUOTE
JS&A disagrees, and argues that ROMs can be destroyed "as a result of a wire becoming disconnected, liquid spillage, crushing, etc."


He missed the fact that the first instance is a legit mechanical/electrical failure, though.

Edit:
Ignore what I said about 117(a)(1). That was the clause meant to allow you to make a copy to RAM.
 
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PlopperZ said:
JakeK said:
I'd like to know the official laws on ROMs. But it is hard to find out without emailing someone.
According to Wikipedia, in most countries its legal to have backup copies of games you own. However in the states it's entirely illegal to own ROM images even if it's a backup unless you purchased them from the company. The wiki article on ROM images has a few paragraphs in this

EDIT: Sorry, missed the word "Official" :unsure:


How Does Nintendo Feel About the Emergence of Video Game Emulators?

"The introduction of emulators created to play illegally copied Nintendo software represents the greatest threat to date to the intellectual property rights of video game developers. As is the case with any business or industry, when its products become available for free, the revenue stream supporting that industry is threatened. Such emulators have the potential to significantly damage a worldwide entertainment software industry which generates over $15 billion annually, and tens of thousands of jobs."

Isn't it Okay to Download Nintendo ROMs for Games that are No Longer Distributed in the Stores or Commercially Exploited? Aren't They Considered "Public Domain"?

"No, the current availability of a game in stores is irrelevant as to its copyright status. Copyrights do not enter the public domain just because they are no longer commercially exploited or widely available. Therefore, the copyrights of games are valid even if the games are not found on store shelves, and using, copying and/or distributing those games is a copyright infringement."

Can I Download a Nintendo ROM from the Internet if I Already Own the Authentic Game?

"There is a good deal of misinformation on the Internet regarding the backup/archival copy exception. It is not a "second copy" rule and is often mistakenly cited for the proposition that if you have one lawful copy of a copyrighted work, you are entitled to have a second copy of the copyrighted work even if that second copy is an infringing copy. The backup/archival copy exception is a very narrow limitation relating to a copy being made by the rightful owner of an authentic game to ensure he or she has one in the event of damage or destruction of the authentic. Therefore, whether you have an authentic game or not, or whether you have possession of a Nintendo ROM for a limited amount of time, i.e. 24 hours, it is illegal to download and play a Nintendo ROM from the Internet."

ridiculous :angry: :angry: :angry:
 
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Can we please not have this discussion again? There are probably twenty threads about the legality of ROMs and abandonware on these forums. Go read them.

Can't be bothered? Here's the unfortunate truth: The law is convoluted and unclear. In the incredibly unlikely event that you are ever sued for possession of SNES ROMs or something similar, the decision could easily go either way based on the skill of the lawyers involved and the disposition of the judge.

There is no right answer.
 
Meh, it's not really all that convoluted or unclear, unless you invoke the fair use argument. I think someone could easily prove legitimacy under 117(a)(2) with the evidence of failures of the media.

Since the law says it is not infringing to make "another copy or adaptation of that computer program" (note that it doesn't say "a copy or adaptation of that copy or adaptation"), I would say downloading ROMs for games you own is legal. I hate that earlier ruling on Atari vs JS&A so much, I'd probably test it in court, just to set things straight--but that's time better spent on new games for the Pandora! :)
 
Lets not have another topic about the legality of roms, I'm sure the OP can research this if they wish.

offtopic.gif
 
While you will be able to load files onto the SD cards over USB via the Pandora itself, you're better off buying a $4 card reader and using that. The SD card will show up like any other drive and you can put whatever files you have wherever you like.
[/quote]


Does that also mean the pandora will be like a say for instance an IPOD touch, with music and pictures, etc....
 
the more i read about pandora, the more i want one, like now.

is there any way, possibly via emu or most likely porting, that pandora can run any of the many apps available on the gp32 or gp2x?

i'll get back to waiting for the end of april and hopefully the release of pandora. i read somewhere that there will only be an initial batch of 1000, is there a way to get in on the first batch of units?
 
Gantman: yes, it will be an excellent media player and will probably handle any format you can throw at it (as apps are made and improved), much more flexible than any other media player since it's open source.

kneehigh: I've heard most GP2X programs could be recompiled pretty easily to run on Pandora.
 
kneehighspy said:
the more i read about pandora, the more i want one, like now.

is there any way, possibly via emu or most likely porting, that pandora can run any of the many apps available on the gp32 or gp2x?

i'll get back to waiting for the end of april and hopefully the release of pandora. i read somewhere that there will only be an initial batch of 1000, is there a way to get in on the first batch of units?
the first batch is actually 3000, and rest assured that if that batch sells well enough that you cant get one when you are actively searching from the start, there will be another run. apparently there will be pre orders at some point, probably will be announced here and on openpandora.org.
the first 100 which will go to developers only, is scheduled for the end of april or may, the first run of 3000 wont be out until june or july.
the gp32 i dont know about, but from what others have said, it sounds like it will be fairly easy to port gp2x games over to pandora. i think it would be pretty cool to have a gp32 emulator also, i dont know if a gp2x one would be possible.
 
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Well since it has WiFi, I dont see why it wouldnt be possible to put a Skype type program on the pandora. Of course I guess the downside to that would be the roaming Wifi connection.
 
Gantman4eva said:
Well since it has WiFi, I dont see why it wouldnt be possible to put a Skype type program on the pandora. Of course I guess the downside to that would be the roaming Wifi connection.
Skype itself is pretty well locked down. There are plenty of open source SIP clients though. At least one of them should be workable.
 
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GunPei2X said:
Gantman: yes, it will be an excellent media player and will probably handle any format you can throw at it (as apps are made and improved), much more flexible than any other media player since it's open source.

kneehigh: I've heard most GP2X programs could be recompiled pretty easily to run on Pandora.

if the apps could be recompiled, that would be nice. that would open up a slew of apps that already exists.


Snu said:
kneehighspy said:
the more i read about pandora, the more i want one, like now.

is there any way, possibly via emu or most likely porting, that pandora can run any of the many apps available on the gp32 or gp2x?

i'll get back to waiting for the end of april and hopefully the release of pandora. i read somewhere that there will only be an initial batch of 1000, is there a way to get in on the first batch of units?
the first batch is actually 3000, and rest assured that if that batch sells well enough that you cant get one when you are actively searching from the start, there will be another run. apparently there will be pre orders at some point, probably will be announced here and on openpandora.org.
the first 100 which will go to developers only, is scheduled for the end of april or may, the first run of 3000 wont be out until june or july.
the gp32 i dont know about, but from what others have said, it sounds like it will be fairly easy to port gp2x games over to pandora. i think it would be pretty cool to have a gp32 emulator also, i dont know if a gp2x one would be possible.



i hope that someone keeps the boards informed when preorders start, i definitely want to get my order in on one. if pandora doesn't release by the end of april, i'll pick up a gp2x to tide me over till pandora releases. i always wanted to pick up either a gp32 or the gp2x, so that'll be a good reason to pick one up.
 
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That would be perfect. Pre-orders could go up unannounced, and there's a whole 5 hours before everyone says "Wait, WHAT!?" I could imagine Craig watching the network statistics the whole time just for chuckles. :D
 
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