Will we ever see this with a quad core and some decent ram?


P

Papa Wolf

Guest
This gadget is just about the most ideal gadget I have ever seen, if it only had some real power to it. Wishing it had a quad core cpu, a heavy gaming gpu and at least 2 gb of ram, a 1.3 mp front facing camera, at least a 5mp camera with flash somewhere on it, a sim slot for use with 3g/hsdpa, a accurate digitizer screen for drawing with a stylus and dual boot ubuntu/linux and android 4.1+ right out of the box, -all without making it much larger, it would be the only gadget I need and I would pay a lot for it.

So how close is it going to get in the near future? Will the next version go ahead and at least step up to multicore and when is that likely to happen?
 
This gadget is just about the most ideal gadget I have ever seen, if it only had some real power to it. Wishing it had a quad core cpu, a heavy gaming gpu and at least 2 gb of ram, a 1.3 mp front facing camera, at least a 5mp camera with flash somewhere on it, a sim slot for use with 3g/hsdpa, a accurate digitizer screen for drawing with a stylus and dual boot ubuntu/linux and android 4.1+ right out of the box, -all without making it much larger, it would be the only gadget I need and I would pay a lot for it.

So how close is it going to get in the near future? Will the next version go ahead and at least step up to multicore and when is that likely to happen?
Look at the posts in the "Pandora 2 Spam" section. Also, you should make an account. Everyone is welcome
 
Expect a few years before any successor comes about. It's still in the planning stage, sourcing a SoC (processor solution) is a difficult process as the OpenPandora project is a small group of people and most companies like Samsung, Qualcom and such generally won't sell to such a small outfit.
 
This gadget is just about the most ideal gadget I have ever seen, if it only had some real power to it. Wishing it had a quad core cpu, a heavy gaming gpu and at least 2 gb of ram, a 1.3 mp front facing camera, at least a 5mp camera with flash somewhere on it, a sim slot for use with 3g/hsdpa, a accurate digitizer screen for drawing with a stylus and dual boot ubuntu/linux and android 4.1+ right out of the box, -all without making it much larger, it would be the only gadget I need and I would pay a lot for it.

So how close is it going to get in the near future? Will the next version go ahead and at least step up to multicore and when is that likely to happen?
Don't underestimate the power the current one already has. 512MB of RAM is actually quite a lot - I can easily run, say, LibreOffice, Firefox and the Gimp at the same time without needing a swap partition. Usually I don't really multitask anyway on a handheld. The CPU is not that weak - it's certainly fast enough for most normal applications. It's also fast enough for PS1 and N64 emulation. If you want to do heavy modern gaming, a full gaming PC with a large screen and semi-unlimited power budget will always be the best option.

A camera and 3G would be useful, but I doubt it's going to happen - especially 3G is very unlikely because of certification costs.

It is likely that at some point there will be a successor for the Pandora, and it will have more RAM and a faster CPU/GPU (probably the CPU will have 4 cores). But we're still brainstorming about the SoC at this point, which means that if things go fast now, there might be a design and a prototype at some point in 2014, and the unit could be available for sale at some point in 2015. But it could also be 2016. Or maybe it will not happen at all, after all.

So don't hold your breath for a successor. The current Pandora already is the best (or maybe the only) thing of its type, so just buy it now - and if and when there's a successor, then buy the successor too :)
 
This gadget is just about the most ideal gadget I have ever seen, if it only had some real power to it. Wishing it had a quad core cpu, a heavy gaming gpu and at least 2 gb of ram, a 1.3 mp front facing camera, at least a 5mp camera with flash somewhere on it, a sim slot for use with 3g/hsdpa, a accurate digitizer screen for drawing with a stylus and dual boot ubuntu/linux and android 4.1+ right out of the box, -all without making it much larger, it would be the only gadget I need and I would pay a lot for it.

So how close is it going to get in the near future? Will the next version go ahead and at least step up to multicore and when is that likely to happen?
I think the best you could really hope for in the next OP is either an AMD processor likely with discrete GPU or something like the Tegra 4 or better. Of course, this is all speculation. Just don't expect an i7, 8 GB of RAM with a GTX 770 GPU. That's coming in the OP3.
 
This gadget is just about the most ideal gadget I have ever seen, if it only had some real power to it. Wishing it had a quad core cpu, a heavy gaming gpu and at least 2 gb of ram, a 1.3 mp front facing camera, at least a 5mp camera with flash somewhere on it, a sim slot for use with 3g/hsdpa, a accurate digitizer screen for drawing with a stylus and dual boot ubuntu/linux and android 4.1+ right out of the box, -all without making it much larger, it would be the only gadget I need and I would pay a lot for it.

So how close is it going to get in the near future? Will the next version go ahead and at least step up to multicore and when is that likely to happen?
Look at the posts in the "Pandora 2 Spam" section. Also, you should make an account. Everyone is welcome
I would love to make an account but the security check thing wont accept any answer I give it, tried many times. Thanks.
 
This gadget is just about the most ideal gadget I have ever seen, if it only had some real power to it. Wishing it had a quad core cpu, a heavy gaming gpu and at least 2 gb of ram, a 1.3 mp front facing camera, at least a 5mp camera with flash somewhere on it, a sim slot for use with 3g/hsdpa, a accurate digitizer screen for drawing with a stylus and dual boot ubuntu/linux and android 4.1+ right out of the box, -all without making it much larger, it would be the only gadget I need and I would pay a lot for it.

So how close is it going to get in the near future? Will the next version go ahead and at least step up to multicore and when is that likely to happen?
Don't underestimate the power the current one already has. 512MB of RAM is actually quite a lot - I can easily run, say, LibreOffice, Firefox and the Gimp at the same time without needing a swap partition. Usually I don't really multitask anyway on a handheld. The CPU is not that weak - it's certainly fast enough for most normal applications. It's also fast enough for PS1 and N64 emulation. If you want to do heavy modern gaming, a full gaming PC with a large screen and semi-unlimited power budget will always be the best option.

A camera and 3G would be useful, but I doubt it's going to happen - especially 3G is very unlikely because of certification costs.

It is likely that at some point there will be a successor for the Pandora, and it will have more RAM and a faster CPU/GPU (probably the CPU will have 4 cores). But we're still brainstorming about the SoC at this point, which means that if things go fast now, there might be a design and a prototype at some point in 2014, and the unit could be available for sale at some point in 2015. But it could also be 2016. Or maybe it will not happen at all, after all.

So don't hold your breath for a successor. The current Pandora already is the best (or maybe the only) thing of its type, so just buy it now - and if and when there's a successor, then buy the successor too :)
I definitely plan to buy it now, I have never seen a more ideal gadget, but I would like to see it go a little further. I understand about the phone radios being too much of a hassle, as long as I can plug in a 3g dongle I am fine with it. But the cpu, gpu, ram, cameras and a digitizer screen like that of the galaxy note, that is unless the resistive screen that is already on it is capable of accurate drawing in a pressure sensitive way already, would be very welcome. I know people might say that the screen is too small for real drawing anyway but for me thats not true, I like to draw comics and I usually do it on a small paper notepan about the size of the screen on the Pandora anyway, so if its accurate and pressure sensitive it would serve me well. Truthfully I am hoping that this device will already do everything I need so I can just not need anything else. I am new to linux but I will learn, my main concern is that it wont have the power to do the long video and audio editing I need to do. I am not even sure there are good programs which do those things that exist on linux but this device makes me willing to learn and find what I can. As for multicore processors, I know the pandora is all high quality components but china does offer some pretty decent processors that they may be willing to sell in smaller lots, alibaba.com may be a way to hook up with a manufacturer. 

If it came with a dtp program comparable to serif pageplus, a good word processor like libre, a minimized word processor like notepad but with spellcheck, a video editing program similar to windows movie maker, a multitrack recording software nearly identical to adobe audition 1.5, a good pressure sensitive drawing program like manga studio, a good photo editing program like paint.net, a video and audio file converter, a ebook file converter, a pdf maker/editor/reader, a front facing camera of pretty much any resolution and skype, and android 4.1 already on dual boot with clear specific instructions how to root it, it would replace 99% of my work and play gadgets and I would gladly pay double for such a supreme gizmo. I dont need the most cutting edge games, I still like the old ones, ps1 and n64 are advanced enough for me, though I admit I would love to see someone make diablo 2 l.o.d. and it's mods, morrowind, disciples - sacred lands, zdoom and all its wads, and some kind of halo clone playable on the pandora, but even if that never happens I am already happy with all the emus.

I am studying about linux and linux based programs as fast as my peanut sized brain can absorb it because it is my goal to get the existing gadget to do as much of the above as possible. But its a big learning curve, especially for a guy whose only taste of programming was basic dos and html, but this device makes me ambitious, I have always dreamed of having all I need with me in my pocket with removable batteries, which, by the way, I do wish were 'hot swappable'.

Thanks for your reply I will try to sign up for an account as soon as I can.
 
If it came with a dtp program comparable to serif pageplus, a good word processor like libre, a minimized word processor like notepad but with spellcheck, a video editing program similar to windows movie maker, a multitrack recording software nearly identical to adobe audition 1.5, a good pressure sensitive drawing program like manga studio, a good photo editing program like paint.net, a video and audio file converter, a ebook file converter, a pdf maker/editor/reader, a front facing camera of pretty much any resolution and skype, and android 4.1 already on dual boot with clear specific instructions how to root it, it would replace 99% of my work and play gadgets 
OH LORDY!

You do this with gadgets !?!?

What do you use your computer for then?

Most of this stuff is theoretically "runnable" on the current Pandora, though not simultaneously, of course.

I would not do it, though... My current "complaints" with The Pandora Experience all stem from two things: small screen/way too much DPI and a keyboard which I'm still trying to get to grips with.

Some people seem to find the keyboard OK. For me simply the existence of the keyboard is a must, so I really "appreciate" it and don't want to sound like I'm complaining overly much... but I find the keyboard is not as good as it has been on some other PDAs I've had. I don't know why, exactly. I think it's a bit more crammed and definitely thumb typing oriented; using it with something like 4 fingers+thumb on your knee or on a desk it starts to feel very "rubbery".

I know in the screen department I'm probably in a totally outnumbered minority when I say: could be bigger with less pixels. Only time I really appreciate the DPI is while browsing with Firefox (i.e. no need to zoom in device) and then I find I'm constantly bringing the device within a few inches of my face (which means I'm "zooming optically" without paying attention" :) --> won't do for extended periods of time.

Only "increase" I'd want in the display are more contrast even when backlight is dimmed and more speed.

I think the device you're envisioning, though, is not a UMPC but what they call "ultrabooks" these days. It's not about the CPU or GPU requirements, it all boils down to work ergonomics. If you try to use software like that on the Pandora you "devalue it" to a gimmick running gimmicky software "because it can".

Run what was designed for it and you got a real workhorse, not a gimmick.

I'm still figuring out whether the Pandora is a good replacement for my Palm, but it definitely isn't a full time replacement even for my laptop, much less a desktop...
 
The real question for me is: will I ever see the original Pandora I've bought 5 years ago...
 
The real question for me is: will I ever see the original Pandora I've bought 5 years ago...
Did you reply to the survey sent to people still waiting in Craig's pre order queue?
 
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the pandora is however an excellent netbook replacement.
Well, for me that would still depend on the use case and how much work ergonomics you're ready to sacrifice for true pocketability... but to each his own, I guess...

In my thinking:

If you got a bag with you it doesn't really matter that much whether you carry a Pandora or a netbook spacewise.

What you do with it decides which is better.

Examples:

If you can't use the netbook for gaming, for example, without a million accessories and wires then the Pandora wins easily (even depends on the game played and environment you use it in...).

If you end up peering at the Pandora an inch away with eyes watering while browsing... then the netbook has a clear advantage.

(Actually, does the Pandora's resolution only "work" these days, because mobile devices are used so heavily to browse the net? I mean, because of that several sites have started to look pretty good again at lower resolutions...? At least I feel like a few years ago we were fast heading for 1280x1024 minimum and now it's been like a U-turn with web site layout space requirements? I don't know, this is just "a feeling". I know I definitely did have trouble with 800x600 resolution machines in webbrowsers some years ago... now the Pandora has that and almost everything looks "normal, but miniature"? Weird :unsure: .).

Personally while comparing devices I these days concentrate mostly on form-factor-vs.-usability-for-specific-use-case kind of thing rather than specifications.

For someone else and especially for someone coming from a heavy smartphone background and used to lousy readability (and terrible finger/wrist/neckpains etc.... whoa /me is a meanie :rolleyes: ) the Pandora could well be the only computer they ever need. What do I know...

The real question for me is: will I ever see the original Pandora I've bought 5 years ago...
If you do not order a unit from ED for the reduced price offered to OpenPandora Ltd customers then no, you very likely will not, since apparently it's the remaining 512 mb (rebirth) units that are donated to people in that queue :) .

But even for those improved rebirth units it's a lottery which depends on the amount of community donations, as time passes it also depends on the availability of the units and actually also passage of time itself :( . I find it unlikely everyone will get a rebirth and I fear many will simply dismiss it as obsolete when they would finally get it :angry: .

If I were you I'd order the CC unit for 100 euros, because it offers most things the Pandora can offer now.

I did and I can say for sure now already that I cannot readily see what more the 400 MHz + 256 mb could offer that my unit cannot handle that I would also want it to do.

When the Pandora struggles with a program, I'm sure even tripling the clock would not help; it would still stall. And that never happens with emulators, but with applications like LMMS and those have pretty serious usability issues on the Pandora in any case (direct ports from desktops), so... nothing lost...
 
The real question for me is: will I ever see the original Pandora I've bought 5 years ago...
Did you reply to the survey sent to people still waiting in Craig's pre order queue?
Yes, I answered to the email in april, but I didn't get anymore news in my mailbox since. I wrote that I wanted to pay 150€ for it.
 
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specs do not make up for everything. Software is a lot more relevant.
agreed.


until a (hypothetical) "P2" comes along, there's enough work to do to e.g. "streamline" the "user interface experience" (to use some marketing buzzword bingo terms).


Porting desktop applications / look and feel to a device like the Pandora only works so far


(although this will be a very strong point for a "P2" that hopefully will have HDMI output)


It would be cool to e.g. have a file manager and configuration editor whose UI is tailored towards the Pandora specifics


(i.e. feels more like a video game / mobile phone UI than a desktop app.)


A unified launcher for emulators would be awesome, too.


That's not to say that the Pandora, as it is now, is in any way unusable -- clearly a lot of effort has been made to make it usable for "non-geeks".


It just needs some polishing, IMHO. (..and polishing takes a lot of time -- the devil is always in the details..)
 
An unified launcher for all emulators was already written I think (forgot the name). I like the desktop feel :) .
 
If it came with a dtp program comparable to serif pageplus, a good word processor like libre, a minimized word processor like notepad but with spellcheck, a video editing program similar to windows movie maker, a multitrack recording software nearly identical to adobe audition 1.5, a good pressure sensitive drawing program like manga studio, a good photo editing program like paint.net, a video and audio file converter, a ebook file converter, a pdf maker/editor/reader, a front facing camera of pretty much any resolution and skype, and android 4.1 already on dual boot with clear specific instructions how to root it, it would replace 99% of my work and play gadgets 
OH LORDY!

You do this with gadgets !?!?

What do you use your computer for then?

Most of this stuff is theoretically "runnable" on the current Pandora, though not simultaneously, of course.

I would not do it, though... My current "complaints" with The Pandora Experience all stem from two things: small screen/way too much DPI and a keyboard which I'm still trying to get to grips with.

Some people seem to find the keyboard OK. For me simply the existence of the keyboard is a must, so I really "appreciate" it and don't want to sound like I'm complaining overly much... but I find the keyboard is not as good as it has been on some other PDAs I've had. I don't know why, exactly. I think it's a bit more crammed and definitely thumb typing oriented; using it with something like 4 fingers+thumb on your knee or on a desk it starts to feel very "rubbery".

I know in the screen department I'm probably in a totally outnumbered minority when I say: could be bigger with less pixels. Only time I really appreciate the DPI is while browsing with Firefox (i.e. no need to zoom in device) and then I find I'm constantly bringing the device within a few inches of my face (which means I'm "zooming optically" without paying attention" :) --> won't do for extended periods of time.

Only "increase" I'd want in the display are more contrast even when backlight is dimmed and more speed.

I think the device you're envisioning, though, is not a UMPC but what they call "ultrabooks" these days. It's not about the CPU or GPU requirements, it all boils down to work ergonomics. If you try to use software like that on the Pandora you "devalue it" to a gimmick running gimmicky software "because it can".

Run what was designed for it and you got a real workhorse, not a gimmick.

I'm still figuring out whether the Pandora is a good replacement for my Palm, but it definitely isn't a full time replacement even for my laptop, much less a desktop...
Look man, my dream is to have all I need in a little gadget like the Pandora. We have the technology now, it just needs to be done. Have a spectacular day.
 
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