Pandora Blog News - Moving forward! | OpenSource Handheld News

Pandora Blog News - Moving forward!

Hardware Production

We were really pleased with the last 100 boards! Only a few failed for different reasons, but the nubs were working fine! So it seems the mechanical testing is a fine solution until the next batch of nubs will be produced with added accuracy.
170 more boards are already on the way to UK, so expect more units to be delivered soon.

Hopefully, now that the nub problem seems to be sold, the production will speed soon! As usual, we're working on getting there!
The next 4000 cases should also be ready soon - all of them have been produced and most of them are already painted. They should just arrive in time when we are passing the first 1000 units mark!

Software updates

Softwarewise, some nice things have happened: With Ginge (which should be ready for release soon), you can play GP2X games (even commercial games like Payback and Wind & Water) on the Pandora! While it still is work in progress, it already has pretty good compatibility. Thanks to notaz for that incredible piece of software work.

Also, Hotfix 4 Beta 1 is out. Thanks to the guys that tried it, I already fixed a few errors and will release a Beta 2 within the next days.
The biggest improvement is probably that HF4 is using IPKs for the update: This is the first major step to properly upgrade the system, via a package manager.
Another test I did worked fine: I installed the very first OS version on my Pandora, changed the config files to use our feeds and upgraded the system using opkg update and opkg upgrade - and 10 minutes later, I had a working up-to-date OS on my system!

Soon you will be able to update your unit by either downloading the latest HotFix and running it or by directly update the Pandora while connected to the internet.
The brave ones among you will also be able to use unstable feeds to get the latest changes to the system a few minutes after they have been committed! Of course, bug reports are welcome.

Help us improve the unit!

So, all in all, while things are not going perfect, we're still moving forward and getting there.
Basically, I could be happy with that - but there is one thing that makes me sad: And that is the current mood on the boards. There are some people who seem to try to bash the unit for whatever reason.
This is really demotivating and won't help anyone get anywhere - since it's no constructive criticism.

Yes, we know there have been some problems with the first produced units like shoulder buttons, nubs, LCD cables. And we are working hard to get them all fixed (and most seem already be fixed).
Yes, we know there have been slowdowns in the production - mainly because we had problems with the nubs (we couldn't magically fix them, this takes some time).

Please don't forget: We are not a big company, we are just some guys trying to achieve something. Something major - and I think we didn't do too bad so far.
We are NOT trying to cover or deny any faults, but are trying to fix and prevent them in the future.
According to most people we talked to who already received the unit: They love it and think it's the best device they ever owned.

So far, we only had about 50 RMAs out of 700 - while the boards currently make it sound as if almost EVERY unit is unusable.
Some people do claim that there are more broken units but the users do not want to ship it back to us since they are waiting for production to speed up.

I can imagine this might be true for some people, but not for all.

Please: Even if you do not want to return your unit right now, let us know if you have any serious issues like a dead nub or a failed LCD cable or anything else.
Why? Well, we're trying to fix all problems and prevent them from happening. But if we DON'T KNOW about these issues, we can't fix them. Telling us what fails will help us to improve the quality and increase the production speed.

Also, of course, if you have a Pandora and like it - spread the word! Show it to friends, colleagues, post on boards. Tell them the story behind it, that it's a device made by a small company, not by Sony, etc.

One thing you can be sure about:
If you encounter any real problems with your unit, we'll fix it for you! AND use the information to improve further produced units!

Let's all work together to improve the mood at the boards again. We all do share something: The love for niche products. Be it for gaming, for hacking, for coding - we all gathered to make the Pandora happen. For some, the Pandora is already reality - and for the rest, this reality is coming closer and closer!

Thanks to all guys that do support us - it's never been easy, but you keep us going!

For more information and downloads, click here!

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