Portable console for all PC (retro and actual) games - PGS

[Exhuminator]

At $250 I'd buy the piss outta this.

But two things that are important to me:

For the love of all things sane don't make the outer case glossy plastic. Please make it with a matte finish. Or at least offer a variant with matte finish. I for one am tired of portable devices that are never ending finger print magnets and make your hands sweat profusely. A matte finish alleviates this issue.

Make the battery something that's easily replaceable by the end user, and also a battery which has a common format so that it's not proprietary (bad for longevity). Lithium-ion batteries only last so long after all.

[Anapan]

A couple more - this is fun, asking what I'd like in a budget handheld, and already promising nearly all.
The hinge - what the pictures show is invisible. I'm always concerned with tiny hinges - nearly all clam-shell handhelds and most small form-factor laptops and netbooks have problems when they try to make their form-factor look sleek and light in the hinge area. Some hinge failures result in something more horrible than others, but it is usually a weak point that manifests very quickly after launch. Some cellphones have gotten it right, but in my experience, even Lenovo has never properly reinforced their skinny laptops - I've had to JB-weld several laptops and clam-shell phones when their cast hinge reinforcements fractured and didn't destroy the top display (I repair computers sometimes because I can, but it's just a hobby). The problem with skinny clam-shells is the flexibility vs the rigidness at certain points in the frames (usually thin aluminum multi-screwed to cast iron hinges surrounded by plastic). I think you've got a great idea using more copper as heat sync to provide durability and stability, and I'm mostly concerned with the top screens' hinge point reinforcement vs. the pictured thickness - maybe have some spring-steel solid connected at several points along the sides and the seal on the top screen made of high grade chemical resistant rubber?. Realistically, it should have prominent shell bulk in those two weak points, like some laptops have over the hinges, or some rubberized plastic that's easy to clean over the entire hinge joint - leave out the gap that will collect crud - seal the entire case to make it water resistant (not proof, that's too difficult and hard to sell with the additional cost and returns) and easy to clean - make the hinges on the sides much wider and redistribute the stress over a larger area so someone forcefully opening or closing it cannot snap it at the joint or higher connection-point to the aluminum frame.

+1 for it not being apple-white. I'd much prefer unpainted textured black (black keyboard type). It will be worn, and shiny white is kinda ugly to begin with, but with slight wear it's scuffed, grey in the corners plastic-looking thing.

I'd like an option for an upgrade in the SSD. Surely you can source larger storage for additional cost. I'd immediately install a 256 GB Micro-SD, but being able to store more on-board for faster seek, and not needing external storage is something I'd be happy to pay extra for.
Since you're designing a desired niche-type device, you should not discount premium upgrades, but, you should definitely start a poll on which features your potential buyers desire.

isiolia brought up a really important point - Expansion port!
If you could make it so I could lock a tiny sleek PCI-E, PCMCIA/cardbus via cable like those floppy-disc drives to use , or other sleek-looking but functional and cool looking expansion on this thing, it'd be really cool.


Part 2 - Drunk me vs marketing.
I think you should find someone who has purchased a power glove RetroUSB adapter.
http://www.retrousb.com/product_info.php?products_id=52
Wearable computer viral video will sell units no mater the capabilities, and this computer has capabilities.
Find someone who has used the adapter to make music.
Have them real-time render their most-viewed song with your computer attached - using the bottom screen to switch tracks, and their fingers controlling the effects real-time.
Alternatively, find a popular re-mixer that uses the Launchpad interface for fruityloops to make music, and ask him/her to use your computer's touch-screen attached to a power glove.

Another thing that would immediately make me want your computer.
Some guy embedded a wiimote into a power glove and was controlling his computer well with it. You mentioned Z-brush. Have someone control Z-brush well with your computer mounted on their arm using a glove interface.

I'm not kidding, someone doing that with an android based device - I'd say "bullshit! - fake"
You make it so that someone can - even with specially-made hardware control z-brush with a glove - and it works, you've got a shit-ton of units sold. This wearable computer interface exists. You just need to have someone film your hardware interfacing with it. - like make your computer glow and have it as the only hardware showing on the forearm.

I really want one, but your quoted price makes me think you're not really gonnba make it happen. I've seen a lot of promising niche computer manufactures turn into vaporware, and a few make a product I bought, and then died before they made their second device that would've fixed and improved all the deficiencies that he first unit had.

Therefore, I see your biggest hurtle is not your product. I believe you can make it available to me, given the funding you seek at the price you claim. The biggest problem you face is making your second iteration, as your competition can do better if you sell it.

I still think you need to make your hardware do something nobody has seen a tiny computer do. You need a youtube celebrity to clutch the power of your computer in their hand and make it do something epic. That should be easy - all of them want a prototype/

[PGSLab]

noiseredux
Thank you very much for your detailed comment. You are absolutely right.

[PGSLab]

I just want something that will play most of my GOG collection.
I already got a cheap tablet w/keyboard for some low requirement games, but something that can handle most everything else (especially since I otherwise don't have a modern PC) is an unfilled need.

Thank you! We love our project, and we will try to make it as good as possible.

[PGSLab]

PGS = A suggestion. Mini HDMI to HDMI output jack (system buyer supplies their own cable.) I have a Nvidia Shield tablet, and I do use that port to put Pinball Arcade among other stuff up on my LED TV. Notably most the games I imagine would not use that 2nd panel of yours unless designed for it so it would be cool with a minimal cost of that port if it can be fit in to allow gamers to cast their game to a TV and play on a big screen considering the fact it has real buttons (unlike my tablet) so it would be easy.

Thank you very much for the advice.
PGS has microHDMI port, however, you can connect the device to the TV via a wireless connection (PGS supports Miracast), and aditional gamepad via bluetooth for a game with friends. So we periodically Play Blur racing with our development team (on a prototype device)

[PGSLab]

Very cool! Way more usable than the Pyra Handheld (Pandora successor) which I intend to get once released. If this came to market around the same time I wouldn't buy the Pyra.
A couple of questions:
The pico projector - Will it be laser? If so, i'd definitely be interested even with a much increased price. Otherwise I would not want.
Video out port? I'd like a MicroHDMI port.
Is there any hardware that might prevent me from downgrading to Windows 7 and still having full functionality?
I wouldn't be interested in the Android dual-boot, I'd just use one of the many emulators. It is a good marketing idea however. Best to keep it available for maximized sales.
Price seems a little low. Certainly if it can be kept that's incredible. I'd expect at least $350 for the features listed.
Is 5.1 with a bunch of small speakers any better than some sort of spatial (srs wow or similar) software bundled and tuned properly? 2.1 would be better imo. 2 small top corner speakers and one low-profile mid on the bottom.

Thanks for comment!
1. We are currently considering the possibility of integrating LED pico-projector (if this feature will be in demand).
2. MicroHDMI and wireless Miracast.
3. Unfortunately, the device drivers supporting W7 exists.
4. For 5 channel surround sound capabilities built into Windows used.
We will think about your suggestions and ideas. Many thanks.

[PGSLab]

At $250 I'd buy the piss outta this.

But two things that are important to me:

For the love of all things sane don't make the outer case glossy plastic. Please make it with a matte finish. Or at least offer a variant with matte finish. I for one am tired of portable devices that are never ending finger print magnets and make your hands sweat profusely. A matte finish alleviates this issue.

Make the battery something that's easily replaceable by the end user, and also a battery which has a common format so that it's not proprietary (bad for longevity). Lithium-ion batteries only last so long after all.

Thanks for suggestions. We plan to use the same plastic, which is used in Xiaomi Mi4C. It is very durable, matte, and incredibly pleasant to the touch.
We think about your suggestions regarding the battery.
Best Regards.

[PGSLab]

...

Thank you for a very detailed commentary. We will discuss with the team the opportunity to implement such functionality. And...

and then died before they made their second device

We will try not to die

[fastbilly1]

Dont overload it with options that price you out of market?

A pico projector is a neat concept, but in reality it will almost double the cost of your device and not be that great of a projector - like the one in the Galaxy Beam.

How will the controls mount in Windows? Direct Input or Xinput? If you have to run an interpreter over the game, it really becomes a game of juggling resources.

[noiseredux]

Dont overload it with options that price you out of market?

this.

Try to think that what you're making is a Windows 10 version of a 3DS or Vita. You should want to stay in that ballpark price-wise.