My opinion on the pandora 2, and what it should be.


cinaed666

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Apr 26, 2011
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Hey there, long time no see! i've been reading the forums a bit, but I haven't been active for months. (In fact, I just read an inbox from october 2011)


I see we've moved on to talking about the pandora 2. It's only logical since the original hardware is already a bit aged, and they've even began making upgraded models.


Since there is no perfect setup for the openpandora, as we've noticed over the years, (People mocking hardware features other people find essential etc) I think we should go with a modular design.


In other words: Expantion slot(s). For example, people have been messing around with 3G dongles, while other people don't want that. There could be an expansion card that is basically just a fully tested and compatible dongle. Somebody else might not need that, so he could slide an extra USB host in. Or maybe a serial port card. Or an infrared tranciever, the sky is the limit, if we use an available connector. I think this way nobody would end up with features they don't need, and thus not paying for them, and people could develop their own cards, maybe.


Form-factor wise I think we're on the right track. The new cases look brilliant. Just cram the latest omap in there, maybe a faster wifi card (hey, this could be removeable, too! How hard is it to solder a connector on a board instead of a component?) So basically all outside connectors could be on removeable cards, as far as this is feasible. I think this would also simplify the motherboard designs, but it might not be financially doable to make that many daughter boards? The connectors could be an RS-232 variant, or maybe PCMCIA-based, or TTL. You'll have to talk to somebody else for that.


The screen is the right size and resolution, but a notch higher might not hurt. Resistive screens are the way to go, since you won't use your fingers that much on a top screen anyway.


I doubt the dual analog stick is a real must. the PSP did with one, and I think the general opinion here is that it's generally disused anyway.


I think all of this would help to cut costs, and make the new pandora a device that could last many years without upgrading, if we keep it modular.
 
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Capacitive screens are the way to go, since you won't use your fingers that much on a top screen anyway.
yerwhat!?


Capacitive screens are what you get behind bits of glass on smartphones - right?


They also suck for accurate use, and styluses, which is why the current pandora uses a resistive screen...


I'm happy that people are actually interested in expansion slots, as I agree that its a good idea.


Problem is the cost to OP of producing the accessories. I'd be for a few internal USB ports for preference - since this would require minimal changes to off-the-shelf hardware, and could be used with non-proprietary dongles.


Alternatively, thunderbolt extentions could be interesting, as they pack a complete pcie/displayport system


I also think it would be cool if the P2 swapped the full size USB for a wusb chip, as well as replacing one of the SD slots with a microSD slot behind the battery for running the OS.


You would then be able to buy a wusb slave device with a second battery, GPS, HSPDA(3G), and another SD slot, as well as four full-size USB ports.


This would only be one extra product.


would not increase the pandora's size


or weight


or battery life


:)
 
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Capacitive screens are the way to go, since you won't use your fingers that much on a top screen anyway.
yerwhat!?


Capacitive screens are what you get behind bits of glass on smartphones - right?


They also suck for accurate use, and styluses, which is why the current pandora uses a resistive screen...

That was a brain fart, thanks for pointing that out. I meant resistive.
 
Capacitive screens are the way to go, since you won't use your fingers that much on a top screen anyway.
yerwhat!?


Capacitive screens are what you get behind bits of glass on smartphones - right?


They also suck for accurate use, and styluses, which is why the current pandora uses a resistive screen...


I'm happy that people are actually interested in expansion slots, as I agree that its a good idea.


Problem is the cost to OP of producing the accessories. I'd be for a few internal USB ports for preference - since this would require minimal changes to off-the-shelf hardware, and could be used with non-proprietary dongles.


Alternatively, thunderbolt extentions could be interesting, as they pack a complete pcie/displayport system


I also think it would be cool if the P2 swapped the full size USB for a wusb chip, as well as replacing one of the SD slots with a microSD slot behind the battery for running the OS.


You would then be able to buy a wusb slave device with a second battery, GPS, HSPDA(3G), and another SD slot, as well as four full-size USB ports.


This would only be one extra product.


would not increase the pandora's size


or weight


or battery life


:)

I love that more and more people are seriously egging for this modulr idea, plus I really like your hub thing concept. THERE IS HOPE YET
 
Capacitive screens are the way to go, since you won't use your fingers that much on a top screen anyway.
yerwhat!?


Capacitive screens are what you get behind bits of glass on smartphones - right?


They also suck for accurate use, and styluses, which is why the current pandora uses a resistive screen...


I'm happy that people are actually interested in expansion slots, as I agree that its a good idea.


Problem is the cost to OP of producing the accessories. I'd be for a few internal USB ports for preference - since this would require minimal changes to off-the-shelf hardware, and could be used with non-proprietary dongles.


Alternatively, thunderbolt extentions could be interesting, as they pack a complete pcie/displayport system


I also think it would be cool if the P2 swapped the full size USB for a wusb chip, as well as replacing one of the SD slots with a microSD slot behind the battery for running the OS.


You would then be able to buy a wusb slave device with a second battery, GPS, HSPDA(3G), and another SD slot, as well as four full-size USB ports.


This would only be one extra product.


would not increase the pandora's size


or weight


or battery life


:)

I agree, that was kind of what I was going for.


However, thunderbolt is a port licensed by apple if I'm not mistaken, and to use them on a commercial device, you have to pay a considerable amount, like it was the case with firewire.
 
I'm also thinking that if one side of the P2's pcb wasn't taken up by keyboard pads, the motherboard size could be reduced, and space could be given over to expansion slots.


If Pandora-specific expansion units were to be be a possibility, we would need large numbers of P2 units to be sold - this seems far from given, which is why off the shelf USB devices seem a good idea


Another point is that relatively new users seem keen on the idea (I know I was, back in the days :rolleyes: ) - this suggests that a P2 with 'expandora' would have something of a mass-market, less hardcore appeal - this can only be a good thing :)


It might be worth considering SDIO cards - its a much underused standard which would fir the pandora beautifully B)


Problem is that there is a great lack of useful cards available, and OP would probably have a job manufacturing them :(
 
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I think the simpler we keep this idea the better. Don't want to over think the good ideas out of the pandora, or out of a secondary hub-like device. Also, are you suggesting that we remove the keyboard? because I am not ok with that.
 
Also, are you suggesting that we remove the keyboard? because I am not ok with that.
Certainly not!


I was suggesting putting the keys on a seperate layer (maybe a second pcb, maybe not), to double/tripling the area available for components, allowing you to give over lots of room for expansion slots
 
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