OpenPandora: The Open Handheld Of The Future?
I've been checking up on this platform on and off for awhile now, and I feel that it is officially at a place where I can safely say it is not vaporware. This platform is the Linux powered hand held Pandora. Pandora was created by a group of at-home developers who wanted to create the ultimate open hand held platform. Having a look at the specs, it is responsible to think that this platform might be just that:
- Built around the Texas Instruments OMAP3530 chip-set
- 600MHz Cortex-A8 Core Processor
- 430MHz TMS320C64x+ Programmable DSP
- PowerVR SGX OpenGL 2.0 ES compliant 3D hardware
- 800x480 Touchscreen LCD
- Wifi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth & High Speed USB 2.0 Host
- Dual SDHC card slots
- SVideo TV output
- Dual Analog and Digital directional pads
- 43 button keypad
Comparatively speaking, the performance of the system falls somewhere just beyond that of a Dreamcast. It runs at 1200 Dhrystone MIPS and is built off the 5th generation PowerVR SGX chipset, an updated version of the same video chipset as that in the Dreamcast. In short, the machine is a beast of a gaming handheld.
Essentially, the platform is built around the same concept as the GP2X. Instead of prioritizing licensing fees and commercially generated software, the Pandora will revolve around homebrew development for it's software. Since the platform is built around standard, readily available API's, it makes the platform easy to develop for, and port software from a number of platforms. Numerous emulators, utilities, and games have already been ported to the platform thanks to are limited release development kit.
The system is basically set to be released at any time now, and will have a limited initial run of around 3000 units. When those sell out, they will make more, although there will be a slight delay in sales while they manufacture more. Price you pay for being a limited production.
OpenPandora.org - Pandora The OMAP3 Powered Handheld Linux Console
A video of the development platform running Quake 2 (Software 3D) after The Jump.
Asterick
Posted to Video Games on 14 August 2008
· Comments (3)
Other stuff like this: gamepark, handheld, homebrew, omap, open source, pandora, texas instruments
I for one, and personally very excited for this. It's almost the functionality of a laptop but in DS form and designed with gaming in mind. I really am impressed with what I have seen so far.
please let us know how much this marvel costs, where and when we can get it. I want it.
If I can find a way to duct tape a 160GB+ hard disk to this and still have it be portable, I won't care if it costs me a grand and takes 6 months to get here, I'll buy it and create what will be (for me) the ultimate jukebox interface, after which my 160GB Archos 605 -- with its picky MPEG-4 support, clunky navigation and excruciating interface lockups at the beginning of each audio track -- will collect dust. The gaming aspect will just be a nice bonus, since no companies I care about will be making games for it, but the analog sticks just look too promising to pass up.
I could already do it with a used first-gen Eee, but I think I'd rather have the smaller footprint and touch screen this will provide.