- The ARM Core
- A Free Software System
- Yes, But Why?
- Too Little, Too Late?
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Yes, But Why?
Building a niche product is a daunting task, and designing an entire computer from the board layout right up to the included software stack is still a large undertaking. I asked Craig what had made them start:
The thing is, the handheld 'scene' had kind of stood still for over 15 years. Games systems were still based on the old Game Gear/Game Boy look. We were getting tired of it not being pushed along to what it could be; so, after approaching a couple of companies who laughed at our ideas, we decided to do it ourselves.
On paper, the system sounds a lot like my ideal portable computer. It's small enough to fit in a pocket, has a faster CPU (and GPU) than the desktop I was using when I was an undergraduate, and can handle high-definition video decoding. The only missing feature would be some means of driving an external display (the Pandora has video out, but it's only SDTV resolution), and I'd be quite tempted to use it, or something very similar, as my main computer. I asked Craig why they'd decided to focus so heavily on the gaming market, instead of general-purpose handheld computing:
We chose to focus on both, we have the keyboard but also those nice gaming controls which double up as really slick web browsing controls too—analog nubs to pan around quickly, dpad for quick text editing, touch screen for a perfect mouse.
Oh yes—we shall be using all those controls for both games and applications! I guess the gaming control side speaks for itself, it's great.
The built-in keyboard is probably a little small for much text entry, but Bluetooth keyboards are supported. I use a folding Bluetooth keyboard with my current handheld, a Nokia 770, and it's very convenient for writing in places where I don't want to take a bulky laptop, although the 770 is somewhat underpowered.
When I asked what the biggest hurdle is in producing the system, I expected to hear about production delays, issues prototyping, or software incompatibilities. It turned out to be a far more mundane problem:
The biggest one of all was our UK bank setup for our UK distribution system deciding to drop us based on their clueless views on the Pandora. They actually made us return £600,000 pounds to customers and close our account. That would never have happened a year ago.
One of the worst features of our financial system is how quickly it feeds back on itself. Banking, like fairy dust, only works when you believe in it, and at the moment no one is clapping their hands and believing in bankers. A lot of small tech companies are suffering from a banking industry that is looking to reduce its risk and doesn't understand their business models.