Openpandora

[jourdy288]

Just a warning, it's not released yet, but it will be! it got delayed several times. Right now, they're doing FCC/CE Testing.
http/openpandora.org
OK, this thing has more processing power than a Nintendo ds, runs a version of Linux, has a touchscreen, and so much more I can't begin to mention... and it's an Open-Source device as well! Anybody want one?

* ARM® Cortex™-A8 600Mhz+ CPU running Linux
* 430-MHz TMS320C64x+™ DSP Core
* PowerVR SGX OpenGL 2.0 ES compliant 3D hardware
* 800x480 4.3" 16.7 million colours touchscreen LCD
* Wifi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth & High Speed USB 2.0 Host
* Dual SDHC card slots & SVideo TV output
* Dual Analogue and Digital gaming controls
* 43 button QWERTY and numeric keypad
* Around 10+ Hours battery life

 

[tenohfive]

Possibly a bit naive here, but what does it do (other than being touchscreen, which is a gimmick largely) that a netbook doesn't? And how much is it predicted to cost?

 

[jourdy288]

Well, it has D-Pads, it's excellent for games, it's Open Source, you can run emulators for other consoles on it, and it doesn't just do games! You can get work done, check your e-mail, etc., and even pop in a Sim card to call somebody!
Check out http/gp32x.com/board/index.php and read the Pandora section. You'll be amazed.

 

[The young one]

It looks horrible! Also an iphone can do all of the stuff that you have listed, and an iphone is much sexier.

 

[jourdy288]

It looks horrible! Also an iphone can do all of the stuff that you have listed, and an iphone is much sexier.

That page makes me sad when you can see all the other hardware that outpaces it though (the new iPhone for instance apparently, using the 535 rather than the 530 the Pandora uses).

but it makes me happy when i remember that the iphone's controls are ****, it has an overhead OS, isn't open source, and is made by apple.

Well an iPhone costs too much, and is NOT open source! Besides, the Pandora runs Linux, so when the iPhones are all abandoned for something else, a Pandora will always have software at the ready, good free software, because Linux will always have new stuff. Opening Pandoras 'box' will be easy, and you can expand it if you feel so inclined. You have to buy the new iPhone if you want to upgrade. Besides, the reason the photos are so unattractive is because they're not real photos, they're renderings. The real Pandora is mostly finished, and it will be beautiful once the real case is out.

Besides, who needs a gimmicky accelerometer when you can have raw power to run superior, freer apps?
Did I mention? You get to choose your wireless network.

 

[amyw2008]

Looks like a mahoosive Nintendo DS with a keybard

 

[jourdy288]

Mahoosive? Do you mean massive? Well, I'll tell you this; it's got alot more power than a DS!

 

[amyw2008]

Mahoosive/Massive yea same thing... just makes massive sound even bigger

 

[jourdy288]

Ah, OK LOL. But yeah, it won't be too big, that could be inconvenient.

 

[tenohfive]

Those keys look rubbish for touch typing, there are too many gaps and they don't look particularly tactile. The number keys are also too small, so doing serious work on them is unlikely.

I don't know how much it'll cost, but I suspect that it'll be more than a decent netbook - which can do all the things you described above. Only difference being it doesn't have a touch screen.

I say this as I'm netbook shopping at the moment

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Looks pretty cool. It is basically a netbook with control pads on though.

Tenohfive, why would you even want a netbook? For any real work they are pretty useless and for internet browsing there are loads of really good smartphones out there that can do the job just as well.

 

[saltynay]

Netbooks are ideal for work and browsing and light standard quality video watching. Sure if you want to encode a dvd or play games they fall below par but they are ideal for the jobs they are designed for, lots of people just don't know how to keep there computers clean and clear on a software side and end up having a pc which is so slow it takes 3 days to just turn on and open the browser as 200+ background processes and services are vying for attention.

 

[jourdy288]

True, I agree there. Netbooks are meant for quick, light browsing, word processing, etc.