So how powerful will the Pandora be?
It is, without doubt, the most powerful portable games system ever and at the time of writing the most powerful mini computer, too. It has openGL 2.0 3D hardware, a 600-900Mhz CPU, media coprocessors, an 800x480 LCD and 128MB of RAM. The killer app with the hardware is that it is using an ARM Cortex A8 CPU, meaning astonishing battery life – over ten hours – which blows away similar mini PCs based on the old x86 chipsets. You will be able to play games like Quake III with ease and at the cutting edge even Doom III (if the engine goes open source soon, of course).
In terms of emulation, what kind of performance can we expect from the machine – what is the most advanced console/computer it can emulate at this stage, for instance?
Good PC emulation, most 32-bit consoles, Amiga 1200+ and all the usual suspects. Emulating something like the Sega Dreamcast would be pushing the hardware to the limits.
Aside from emulation and gaming in general, presumably you're envisaging other uses for the Pandora?
A complete desktop environment is already up and running – Ubuntu will run on the Pandora. This really is a PC the size of a Nintendo DS.
Do you think the machine could be a potential rival to the numerous 'Netbook' mini-laptops that are flooding the market at the moment?
Yes, and it has the advantage of a sensational battery life. We will be pushing to over take those other devices in 2009 in terms of functionality. After all, how many of them have complete game controls, a keyboard and an active programming community of tens of thousands of people?
When can we expect to see units on sale and can you confirm the price point for the UK?
They will be shipping before Christmas and the price in the UK is £199.99 (inc VAT) which is way under the cost and way over the specs of similar 'Mini PCs' which are mostly running a sluggish Windows Vista.
When will people be able to place pre-orders for the Pandora and what kind of numbers are you producing the unit in to begin with?
At the end of September via
http://openpandora.org. The first production run is 3000 units which we hope will sell out before they ship.
