Pandora's ultra-portable orders take-out PCB, forgets chips

See that? You're looking at a picture of the printed circuit board for Pandora. Ok, it's hardly a completed product. In fact, it's chipless. Still, it's a measurable step away from product vapor and one step closer to the $320 (damn dollar!) $330 GP2X gaming computer we're expecting to land in March or April.

[Thanks, Argor]

[Frogboy @ Mar 13th 2008 9:18AM]

Yeah! Can't wait.

[Wes @ Mar 13th 2008 9:23AM]

boy, that thing looks uncomfortable to hold.

[Grizz @ Mar 13th 2008 9:33AM]

I second that.

[orpheus @ Mar 13th 2008 9:39AM]

*looks at Pandora ultra-portable*

*looks at his Nintendo DS*

Hey! I've already got one of those!

[FRZ @ Mar 13th 2008 10:47AM]

I've got one too, (DS black) but, this device still looks promising with the features that it should come with. I like the idea behind it and if they have a finish product, I'd definitely be interested in buying it.

[Shiny @ Mar 13th 2008 4:51PM]

It looks nothing like a DS aside from the fact that it is clamshell and has marginally similar gaming controls.

Does a DS have dual analog nubs, a keyboard, a USB port, SDHC slots, etc.? No. Does the pandora have dual screens? No.

By your logic, every handheld device with a clamshell design is a DS clone.

[Nate @ Mar 13th 2008 9:57AM]

I can't wait. I'm saving my pennies and dumping my GP2X for this badboy.

[ReggieXuk @ Mar 13th 2008 10:21AM]

If you look at the homepage, is just a photo shopped DS Lite.
I bet all they have is a PCB

[Shane @ Mar 13th 2008 10:32AM]

Yes, but a PC board is at least a start...

[rektide @ Mar 13th 2008 4:18PM]

Thank god, I like the GP2X but this photochop looks hideous.

Honestly I'm not sure how they'll pull off a good design. Part of the beauty of the GP2X is that its slick and minimalist, add a keyboard and I dont see how it could stay with such a pleasant portable form factor.

They're treading awfully close to Nokia N810 territory. I'm not sure how GP2X intends to get access to the OpenGL silicon when Nokia has thusfar not gotten a license to use it.

[EvilDragon @ Mar 14th 2008 7:44AM]

Umm - it's not a photoshopped DS, I have the 3D model an an animation of that... and the 3D Model is almost 100% accurate to the PCB (except for some moved ports)

[Hoag @ Mar 13th 2008 11:21AM]

I'm an electronics engineer, and I have to say that if that is the first run of PCBs, a release in March or April is pretty optimistic.
They can get the board stuffed in a couple of days, and then they have to debug it.
If they find any hardware problems, they'll have to respin the board and there's typically a 5-day turnaround time on that - if you pay extra for rush handling.
Have they already written all the software and firmware? There are always differences between actual hardware and emulation, then there's the testing and the debugging.
It's possible for them to pull this off, but I wouldn't plan any birthday gifts around it :)

[Macha88 @ Mar 13th 2008 1:38PM]

well, at least is better than coal

[argor @ Mar 13th 2008 3:37PM]

@ Hoag
they have bin working on the Pandora more that 1 year
also this is what 1 of the people behind the pandora sad " We would never rush anything to meet those deadlines, and we will never take preorders until everything is in place and we are happy with the system."

[DarkLightConnection Unbanned @ Mar 13th 2008 5:53PM]

Hoag: I'm a GP2X/Pandora fanboy, and I tell you that the release date, will not be the final release... it will be as follows:

1st batch: Only 10* will be sold, only to developers, will be an assemble-your-own kit, and nothing will be final, they will discuss the bugs and possible improvements

2nd batch: Only 100* will be sold, a beta version, hunt the bugs and get the fine details right... still an assemble-your-own version

3rd batch: This is the one you buy

*Maybe not with that exact numbers, and maybe I'm also missing a stage (?) I just got up and my brain is still booting up, but you can hunt the thread at the GP32X forums

[Hoag @ Mar 13th 2008 5:57PM]

@DarkLightConnection Unbanned
Ohhhh. That makes sense, and sounds entirely doable. Thanks for the info!

[3rdsun @ Mar 13th 2008 1:22PM]

Would you like chips with your order sir?

[Cesar Cardoso @ Mar 13th 2008 1:38PM]

Yummy! Go Pandora Go!

[BigD145 @ Mar 13th 2008 2:02PM]

Unless it has some massive emulation performance over the F200, I'm not buying.

[wootman @ Mar 13th 2008 3:36PM]

the pandora will most likely have PS1, n64, and NDS emulation (n64 is iffy)
and has space for 2 (!) sdhc cards, a 3 inch screen, and a full keyboard.
also thats just a beta design, its still not confirmed and a topic of debate on its fourms.
consider it a gaming UMPC.

[FRZ @ Mar 14th 2008 9:59PM]

3 in screen? I thought the site reads 4.3 in screen, same as the psp size. They even have a pic for comparison

[wootman @ Mar 15th 2008 1:08AM]

4.3 is an amazingly abstract number, and i have the memory of a large fish.

[JerryG20 @ Mar 17th 2008 8:31AM]

It should be noted that this machine is not made by Gamepark Holdings
(the people who made GP2X) and is really only related to the GP2X in
that some of the people involved were involved in distributing the
GPH. Other than that, the Pandora isn't related to the GP2X in any
way.

Wes -- Looks are one thing, while actually holding the device is
another. I believe nobody has actually held the final device as it
hasn't been created yet, but many have actually held mock-ups and
have found it comfortable/a good setup (and a lot of these people
have been people who initially thought that the system would be
uncomfortable to hold and have awkward layout).

[mnc @ Mar 25th 2008 7:39PM]

here is the all details. http://www.gp32x.com/board/index.php?showtopic=38044&st=0
but i agree its not a ideal design.
also its a common project, 3 diffrent gp2x distributor developing it.

[james @ Mar 27th 2008 9:04PM]

The form of the device is obviously very close to the DS. The DS is a huge success and most people seem to be quite happy with it. So, how can it seem that so many people are saying they will not like the Pandora with almost the same size and feel of the DS. The Pandora has been in the works for over a year.
The great GP2X can be bought for near $100. It does almost anything I want it to do. So for about the cost of 3 GP2X's the Pandora creators have to know they had a tough device to follow. While the GP2X is great it is not without it's problems and it could use things like more CPU power and a 3D chip among other things people have wished for. Quite simply the Pandora has to really bring it on and everybody knows this. I can't wait to see what it will be as I have beenn following this story for almost a year myself. I believe Pandora will come out and it will be the most practical, useful powerful handheld device to date because it has to be at $330. It will not be perfect for everyone and so many people will be saying oh I wish this and that and if only blah blah.

[sublime @ May 4th 2008 10:06PM]

The design of the controls looks amazingly sweet for an indie project ... still, it's not as powerful as a PSP. It certainly looks better than a PSP though.

[edgex004 @ May 8th 2008 6:41PM]

Isn't it supposed to be more powerful than the psp? That's what the forum's saying at least.