About The Prize Of The Pandara!

[Trevsweb]

Skeen, yep were in a bubble that have committed to buy a product hence why we justify our purchases.

If you can get similar products elsewhere... what are you waiting for and trolling here go and buy it. We’ve all agreed to pay a fair price for a gadget that has been custom made to our requirements.
PSP and PSP Go have no real resale value as they’re everywhere. the rarity of a product also helps resale... not that anyone would sell their hard earned (waiting) Pandora

net books are great but still too big, umid 1 and the next gen of that product along with the sharp netwalker comes close to the Pandora’s size but not in price...
iphone comes with a hefty price and contract.
psp may be good value but that’s because Sony has chucked a lot of money at it... its still a failing console compared to the DS and isn’t open without having to jump trough hoops with replacing batteries and changing firmware... dodgy.

100/150 is totally unrealistic at this point due to development costs. I wouldn’t expect that price unless Pandora had a defiant sale amount of around 100,000 products. The user base is a lot smaller its ridiculous thinking the Pandora can contend with the big guys at this very early stage. The worse thing they can do is sell at a loss and go bankrupt quickly as the Gizmondo found out!

It’s quite clear you missed the point of the Pandora.
All good products start as cult items... look at the GP32 and some cult movies.

 

[matzesu]

Mybe, the Pandora is a bit expensive, but i think: its better to spend 250€ to such a great projekt and get a pandora as get the mony for drugs, taback, alkohol, or flys around the wolrd whit airplanes where destry the global air condicion..

 

[bzar]

I've yet to see anything close to the combination of features that the pandora sports. If you know of such a device, please spread your wisdom

EDIT: typo

 

[skeen]

Travsweb: First off, I am clearly not trolling as you very well know. Difference of opinion/perspective is not defined as trolling. It's funny, I've noticed on this forum that dissenting opinions are often retaliated against with these kinds of accusations, like, ohhh I dunno, when ONE WHOLE YEAR AGO people said the device would not be released in a couple of months.

Your points about resale value for PS3/PSP's is nonsense. They have precisely real resale value. The issues you raised about usability are also ridiculous, considering the Pandora is a device usable only by geeks.

As for the PSP being a failing console compared to the DS...did you just go way out of context there or what?? Compared to the Pandora the PSP is no failing device! And at £130, it meets consumers expectations for a gaming device and then some.

£266 is ludicrous. Ludicrous. A freaking PS3 costs £250. I could buy 2 PSP 3000's for that cost. 2!

Some of you really need to step outside the box. This device is not sufficiently advanced or powerful enough to merit the cost. At this point it seems nothing more than a cult item; far from being an actual consumer product.

 

[PokeParadox]

Travsweb: First off, I am clearly not trolling as you very well know. Difference of opinion/perspective is not defined as trolling. It's funny, I've noticed on this forum that dissenting opinions are often retaliated against with these kinds of accusations, like, ohhh I dunno, when ONE WHOLE YEAR AGO people said the device would not be released in a couple of months.

Your points about resale value for PS3/PSP's is nonsense. They have precisely real resale value. The issues you raised about usability are also ridiculous, considering the Pandora is a device usable only by geeks.

As for the PSP being a failing console compared to the DS...did you just go way out of context there or what?? Compared to the Pandora the PSP is no failing device! And at £130, it meets consumers expectations for a gaming device and then some.

£266 is ludicrous. Ludicrous. A freaking PS3 costs £250. I could buy 2 PSP 3000's for that cost. 2!

Some of you really need to step outside the box. This device is not sufficiently advanced or powerful enough to merit the cost. At this point it seems nothing more than a cult item; far from being an actual consumer product.

That's nice but us first batchers only paid £200 for it and most of us are prepared to wait. And once these are out in the wild I'm pretty sure more people will buy and once more people buy with manufacturing stabalised the price can come down. Why ARE you comparing the Pandora to the PSP? The nearest thing you could compare the Pandora to would be a netbook with a USB joypad...
Yes the Pandora can play games and it is its primary purpose(maybe... some people want to code on it/watch movies/take notes/arrange their affairs/etc) but it's unfair to directly compare the two devices because the Pandora isn't just a gaming handheld...

Your missing the point that clearly Sony can go with a lower price point since:

• They have all their manufacturing process very much with bugs ironed out.

• They can afford to sell hardware at a loss and claim back these cost through software sales.

Maybe you are not really trolling, but do you really think that those of us that are waiting and hoping the Pandora succeeds are idiots that haven't already weighed things up?
Some of you need to stop worrying about us that are inside the box... I assure you we are quite content.

 

[gruso]

At this price, it makes the very business unsustainable. The devices will not retain anywhere near normal resale value, the price will have to drop dramatically due to dwindling sales, profit will decrease and the very business will fold. Someone is about to learn a very harsh lesson.

I fear he is right. OP Ltd needs to wise up and follow Sony's lead here. If all goes well, they too will lose $3billion+ on hardware sales, which (if I understand this correctly) will make their business sustainable.

 

[bzar]

The issues you raised about usability are also ridiculous, considering the Pandora is a device usable only by geeks.

Oh, you have one! Can you post pictures? What? You don't have one? What are you basing this on then?

As for the PSP being a failing console compared to the DS...did you just go way out of context there or what?? Compared to the Pandora the PSP is no failing device! And at £130, it meets consumers expectations for a gaming device and then some.

£266 is ludicrous. Ludicrous. A freaking PS3 costs £250. I could buy 2 PSP 3000's for that cost. 2!

And two PSPs can somehow do the things one PSP can't and the Pandora can?

Sorry, but you seem to be basing your ranting on a situation where a person wants something like the PSP, and then comparing how pandora fits. Try it the other way around. Think about a person that wants something like the pandora, and see how the PSP fits.

 

[Sugar_Kane]

Travsweb: First off, I am clearly not trolling as you very well know. Difference of opinion/perspective is not defined as trolling. It's funny, I've noticed on this forum that dissenting opinions are often retaliated against with these kinds of accusations, like, ohhh I dunno, when ONE WHOLE YEAR AGO people said the device would not be released in a couple of months.

Your points about resale value for PS3/PSP's is nonsense. They have precisely real resale value. The issues you raised about usability are also ridiculous, considering the Pandora is a device usable only by geeks.

As for the PSP being a failing console compared to the DS...did you just go way out of context there or what?? Compared to the Pandora the PSP is no failing device! And at £130, it meets consumers expectations for a gaming device and then some.

£266 is ludicrous. Ludicrous. A freaking PS3 costs £250. I could buy 2 PSP 3000's for that cost. 2!

Some of you really need to step outside the box. This device is not sufficiently advanced or powerful enough to merit the cost. At this point it seems nothing more than a cult item; far from being an actual consumer product.

Well I have a ps3 and an xbox already, I've just got an iphone 3gs on contract (which I can't really afford, but whores will have their trinkets), and I'm still looking forward to my Pandora.

Personally I don't think the price is too much, because you can't really compare this to a multinational corporation produced device. This isn't being made by a multi-million dollar backed research and development team with it's own production plants and connections. What I see as happening is that the community are absolutely willing to hold back the grey clouds of corporate consumerism and offer a ray of light to these guys, who have designed the whole damn thing, from the balls upwards, based on community suggestions and ideas, and that gives me faith in humanity. I know that these other devices can do similar things, but none of them do it all in one small package (of course I'm talking about qwerty keys, linux, gaming controls, touchscreen, pocket-sized etc etc etc), and none of them have the same cocktail of equal parts: love - gaming reverence - community support - sweat and nervous farts that have been peppered into the soul of the pandora. This is the coagulated dreams of a thousand retro gamers, it has been slowed on it's way to us, but it is coming, and it's fucking beautiful.

 

[WizardStan]

Travsweb: First off, I am clearly not trolling as you very well know. Difference of opinion/perspective is not defined as trolling. It's funny, I've noticed on this forum that dissenting opinions are often retaliated against with these kinds of accusations, like, ohhh I dunno, when ONE WHOLE YEAR AGO people said the device would not be released in a couple of months.

Coming to a forum devoted to a specific ideal and then telling the people that their ideal is stupid is not dissenting, it's trolling. You do not walk into a bakery and tell everyone that cakes are fattening and expect them all to say "OMG, you're right" and skip off to the market for some veggies, do you? Because that's a real world equivalent of what you've done here (except with an awesome gadget instead of delicious cake).

 

[SNESFAN]

It has always been my understanding sony/nintendo/microsoft loose money or break even on their consoles but make it up in software sales.

The Pandora is a niche product, it has no comercial support. IMO the price is about what the psp would cost if sony didn't get their cut of the software sales.

 

[musicalwoods]

£266 is ludicrous. Ludicrous. A freaking PS3 costs £250. I could buy 2 PSP 3000's for that cost. 2!

Yeah! And why do new unlocked phones cost $500+?!?! And why do UMPCs cost $2000+?!?! Why do x86 MIDs cost $600+?!?!

[/sarcasm]

 

[renwils]

It has always been my understanding sony/nintendo/microsoft loose money or break even on their consoles but make it up in software sales.

The Pandora is a niche product, it has no comercial support. IMO the price is about what the psp would cost if sony didn't get their cut of the software sales.

Nintendo usually makes money on hardware sales, because they aren't part of huge conglomerates like Sony or Microsoft who can afford to sustain huge losses in hardware in order to make it up with licensing.

 

[SirAileron]

I could buy 2 PSP 3000's for that cost. 2!

I'd say I'm getting more than a fair deal, then, since the Pandora can be at least twice as powerful as a PSP. Normally you'd pay ten times the amount for twice the power, like how you have the choice of a $200 video card, a $500 video card that's slightly more powerful, or one that's considerably more powerful (but still not twice as powerful) for $1,500 and up.

Do you even know the hardware and gadget market at all? It's notorious for being pricey, and I've never seen a gadget this small with a potential performance just shy of a gigahertz for this little money. We're talking 50% more powerful than an iPhone 3G S, for either 50% more than a locked one, or less than (or around) half the price of an unlocked one.

It's a goddamned miracle; And it's made for you to do anything you want to it.

 

[Trevsweb]

Travsweb:

(Trevsweb) had about 5 years of people assuming im Travis :/ quite clearly its Trev aka Trevor :/

First off, I am clearly not trolling as you very well know. Difference of opinion/perspective is not defined as trolling. It's funny, I've noticed on this forum that dissenting opinions are often retaliated against with these kinds of accusations, like, ohhh I dunno, when ONE WHOLE YEAR AGO people said the device would not be released in a couple of months.

well to demand a product at the very start of a project last year was just not going to happen was it.

Your points about resale value for PS3/PSP's is nonsense. They have precisely real resale value. The issues you raised about usability are also ridiculous, considering the Pandora is a device usable only by geeks.

depends what happens with the market and the development with the pandora doesnt it... already were seeing a trend of people moving from standard phones to smartphones so customers are demanding more porduct for their money. the pandora is still in its infancy it will develop into a well rounded product with tweaks and revisions in software. it can only get better.

As for the PSP being a failing console compared to the DS...did you just go way out of context there or what?? Compared to the Pandora the PSP is no failing device! And at £130, it meets consumers expectations for a gaming device and then some.

just trying to point out the psp isnt all that. psp failed thats why the sales (for a main stream console developer) are so low compaired to available competitors e.i.: DS, UMD is a failed format and the whole console is being faded out with the PSPgo i dont say upgraded because there is nothing new to the device that improves it. its just a rehash of what was already available.

£266 is ludicrous. Ludicrous. A freaking PS3 costs £250. I could buy 2 PSP 3000's for that cost. 2!

i cant put a ps3 in my pocket, watch movies and play games though. buy a psp is you feel thats better value for money.
its apparent that you want one... otherwise you wouldnt be bitching about the value of the product when you can quite clearly do a whole lot more than similar sized priced and specced products.

Some of you really need to step outside the box. This device is not sufficiently advanced or powerful enough to merit the cost. At this point it seems nothing more than a cult item; far from being an actual consumer product.

does that really bother you? you should be chuffed to bits with your PSP/ds while we are using our pandora equally happy all is well and we wouldnt need to deal with guys that disrespect our future taylored product. yes this can be called fanboyism but so far you havent ventured off the subject of sony...

 

[Hotcooler]

Hehe.. I bought it for €246,00 (Shipping to Russia + TV cable + Console) which was exactly 9 055,37 RUB according to Paypal. And it's exactly 303$ or €206 now according to google. So for me it's not bad But if I've wanted to buy it now... it would be quite pricey...

And BTW I still want PSP.. There was so many good games since I sold my launch one in 2007....

 

[Dead1nside]

I think those of you who are saying, in effect, 'OMG! I could buy a gazillion things for that price' are missing the value of this product. If I remember rightly, there isn't even a profit being turned on these first batch Pandoras yet.

My main complaint is the artificial fixing of the price to not coincide with exchange rates. I don't have a problem paying tax, if everyone from my country has to pay VAT then I have to pay VAT. I just don't like the fact that the exchange rate is saying that I should clearly be paying around £240 for the device not £266 - but I do not dispute its worth, even at this inflated price - it merely sours it for me.

Perhaps this is just the price of jumping on the bandwagon too late, I'm on the fence, I've got a pre-order email sent but now I'm wandering why I should be paying more than other people; I don't think the explanation has been good enough so far. If all funds are converted into USD so that purchasing can be made, then why has their been an artificial increase in the price? Since at one time £200 would buy a Pandora and now around £240 can buy a Pandora, it's all converted into $330 dollars at the end of it, isn't it?

 

[Monk]

Perhaps this is just the price of jumping on the bandwagon too late, I'm on the fence, I've got a pre-order email sent but now I'm wandering why I should be paying more than other people; I don't think the explanation has been good enough so far.

A lot depends on whether you're looking for THERe reason (there isn't one, but several that combine) or looking for an excuse to buy a Pandora (I can help there) or an excuse to avoid buying a Pandora (I can help there too).

I won't go into the various reasons that have been given for the price fluctuations followed by price "fixing", or the various situations regarding sales TAX (AKA VAT over here) that make for price differences, but I CAN give you a solid reason for you to pay more than (say) me, or another early adopter. OpenPandora already has our money - and has had it from many of us for a year. It's helped pay for the components in the first batch of 4000 units, paid towards development of the board and case design etc. Imagine it as one years worth of loan - interest free. We aren't charging them the interest we might have earnt from it elsewhere, and that's an extra hidden (effectively incalculable) cost that you don't have to bear.

We got a lower price as early adopters. If you buy in now, you don't get AS good a price - but you probably get a better price than for batch #2, which is supposedly going to be slightly more expensive again.

 

[Dead1nside]

A lot depends on whether you're looking for THERe reason (there isn't one, but several that combine) or looking for an excuse to buy a Pandora (I can help there) or an excuse to avoid buying a Pandora (I can help there too).

I won't go into the various reasons that have been given for the price fluctuations followed by price "fixing", or the various situations regarding sales TAX (AKA VAT over here) that make for price differences, but I CAN give you a solid reason for you to pay more than (say) me, or another early adopter. OpenPandora already has our money - and has had it from many of us for a year. It's helped pay for the components in the first batch of 4000 units, paid towards development of the board and case design etc. Imagine it as one years worth of loan - interest free. We aren't charging them the interest we might have earnt from it elsewhere, and that's an extra hidden (effectively incalculable) cost that you don't have to bear.

We got a lower price as early adopters. If you buy in now, you don't get AS good a price - but you probably get a better price than for batch #2, which is supposedly going to be slightly more expensive again.

Sure, I understand your points too. I also sympathise with it and agree in the principal as well of the literally first early-adopters to have the best price. However I guess what I'm getting at is, when is that cut off point? Evidently something changed between my first email (Early August) and my second email (Late September); in the former I was told it was $330 with no mention of sales tax, in the latter I was given prices in £ that certainly appeared to be inflated, after enquiring as to the reason I can understand in some way however that does not mean I want to accept it. But if this is as cheap as it is going to get for me, then it makes sense to still - at the inflated price - buy it now.

I would prefer a bit more transparency, that I know which is hard to give, on the pricing structure and their intentions in the future. I would be severely annoyed if I'd paid an extra amount, just to have this artificial hike removed in the near future.

£40 odd pounds doesn't sound like much, but it's the difference between a few accessories, a memory card etc. - it's a fifth of the units' worth.

 

[SNESFAN]

First off, I am clearly not trolling

i think the 30 something posts in reply to your original post tells a extremely different story

 

[Monk]

Sure, I understand your points too. I also sympathise with it and agree in the principal as well of the literally first early-adopters to have the best price. However I guess what I'm getting at is, when is that cut off point? Evidently something changed between my first email (Early August) and my second email (Late September); in the former I was told it was $330 with no mention of sales tax, in the latter I was given prices in £ that certainly appeared to be inflated, after enquiring as to the reason I can understand in some way however that does not mean I want to accept it. But if this is as cheap as it is going to get for me, then it makes sense to still - at the inflated price - buy it now.

I would prefer a bit more transparency, that I know which is hard to give, on the pricing structure and their intentions in the future. I would be severely annoyed if I'd paid an extra amount, just to have this artificial hike removed in the near future.

£40 odd pounds doesn't sound like much, but it's the difference between a few accessories, a memory card etc. - it's a fifth of the units' worth.

Ah! No, it didn't change between early August and late September, but they have sometimes been remiss about mentioning that $330 is "without sales TAX" (which we call VAT over here). This can make things very unclear, but essentially OpenPandora are charing "$330" for the Pandora - for sales to some countries (like the USA) they are not responsible for collecting the sales tax if they export it from the UK, but for sales within Europe they ARE responsible. In both cases sales TAX/VAT is usually liable, but for us europens OpenPandora are obliged, by law, to collect it and poss it on tockages. How OpenPandora are going to deal with this if packages are shigovernments. For US customers, they are supposed to declare the item and its value upon import, and are mostly on "the honor system" unless customs open up packages are shipped from Texas is unknown to me

But the $33-/$260 "inflation" has come up long before August. They really should try to be clearer about it - the extra that you are having to fork out is stolen from you levvied by our superb governments

The last estimation I had was that for the second batch the price would rise by ten something - I don't recall if it was $10 or £10, but it was ten - and it was an estimate. There is every possibility that changes in the economy (especially exchange rates, and many components are bought from the USA) could shift the price either way