221 replies to this topic

[prasselpikachu]

Well, I think this is a REALLY good idea. I'd implement the following things:
-Rednet capability
-A dock to manage it
-less Disk space than a computer
-multiple programs (maybe even apps? )
-a battery which drains
-recharging from dock
-held maplike
-recipes:

Dock:
I I
I G I
I R I
I = Iron (body)
G= Gold (contacts)
R = Redstone (interface to computer)

PDA:

G M G
G P G
G R G

G = gold (case)
M = modem
P = glass pane (screen)
R = redstone (conductive material for dock contacts)

Well, thats my opinion at PDAs.

[ChunLing]

I think that it should be somewhat more convenient than simply carrying about a named wireless turtle, placing it to use and then breaking it to pick up and carry. Because you can do that, which gives you fully portable rednet/computing capability without any limits other than having to place/break the turtle between sessions if you want to move it to another location.

Limiting the usage time, program space, portability (by requiring a dock) or increasing the cost too much above that of a wireless turtle would all tend to obviate the utility of this device.

To make this actually more functional than carrying a labeled wireless turtle, I suggest that whenever it is selected your keyboard input goes to the device, if it wasn't shutdown the last time you used it. This would justify a modest cost increase above that of a wireless turtle since you could do things with it that you simply couldn't do with a carried turtle. If you didn't want to send input to it, just switch to your weapon or tool while moving about (or shut it off to end a session).

[Cloudy]

We already have plans - and it is unlikely we will even look at this thread when implementing it. The fun part is actually implementing it, and thinking of ways how it would work. If we just took all your suggestions into account, it would make us less fun for us

[Sebra]

@ChunLing, Advantage of PDA over Turtle should be:
1. Ability to look around while work;
2. Ability to work at background device;
3. ...
It would not be fun as a simple GUI caller.

@Cloudy, of course it is your fun as developers.
I just afraid of bad decisions to be made:
1."a battery which drains" - bad. Tiny amount of RedStone energy used for calculations and Rednet. No physical work performed by PDA - no power consumption.
2.Special dock - No dock at all or use Disk Drive instead. Rednet is enough for file exchange.
3.Restricted processor in speed or memory - brakes are bad. Small screen, small disk, but not processor, please.

[KaoS]

I think the main advantage is having it run on your co-ordinates while you move so it can then track your position and execute things automatically as you approach them. this was initially possible with ccSensors but I don't have that at the moment. the realtime execution at player CDS is great

[Sebra]

I mention it as background work.

[Cloudy]

Sebra, on 27 November 2012 - 03:48 AM, said:

@Cloudy, of course it is your fun as developers.
I just afraid of bad decisions to be made:
1."a battery which drains" - bad. Tiny amount of RedStone energy used for calculations and Rednet. No physical work performed by PDA - no power consumption.

We probably wouldn't do that without making Computers or Turtle's require power to run the Lua - and we don't do that.

Sebra, on 27 November 2012 - 03:48 AM, said:

2.Special dock - No dock at all or use Disk Drive instead. Rednet is enough for file exchange.

I don't see the issue with that.

Sebra, on 27 November 2012 - 03:48 AM, said:

3.Restricted processor in speed or memory - brakes are bad. Small screen, small disk, but not processor, please.

We wouldn't do that.

[RunasSudo-AWOLindefinitely]

Do not... make PDAs limited to one file...
1) Pointless: I'll just put everything into one massive file. Then you'll need to limit disk space. So then I'll make a wireless system which pushes commands to.....
2) PDA = Personal Digital Assistant. Note the "Assistant". What sort of assistant does one task?
PDA: The time is 3:13PM.
PDA: The time is 3:14PM.
THIS IS NOT AN ASSISTANT!!!!!

[ChunLing]

I now wish to hire someone to follow me around and tell time...and nothing else. Until I have a hissy fit and fire them to salve my irritation at something completely unrelated.

But...I think you are right.

[Leo Verto]

PDAs are going to be quite useful
Imagine sitting in that bad dudes prison and no way to escape but you've got your PDA! You can just activate, say something cool and watch your turtle army breaking the prison walls and rescuing you.
Certainly very useful.

[RunasSudo-AWOLindefinitely]

Leo Verto, on 27 December 2012 - 03:18 PM, said:

PDAs are going to be quite useful
Imagine sitting in that bad dudes prison and no way to escape but you've got your PDA! You can just activate, say something cool and watch your turtle army breaking the prison walls and rescuing you.
Certainly very useful.

Unless you're limited to only one program. Sorry, but the only thing that piece of junk is going to do is tell you the time or something...

[ChunLing]

Feh, I only ever used one program with my CCPortable PDA and it was so awesome I didn't even want to upgrade from 1.2.5 for...a long time. Whenever I'm lugging around turtle ID0 to use as a portable, I think, "Dang I miss my PDA with it's one, super awesome, program."

Admittedly, that program did a lot more than tell time. Come to think of it, it didn't tell time at all.

[Cloudy]

Why the hell would we limit it to one file? I don't see where that has come from.

[ChunLing]

It's derived from one of prasselpicachu's suggestions last month, limited disk space. Which some have decided to interpret as limited number of files, which somehow transmuted into only having one program.

There's a reason you aren't relying on us for actual design decisions on this

[RunasSudo-AWOLindefinitely]

Cloudy, on 27 December 2012 - 11:41 PM, said:

Why the hell would we limit it to one file? I don't see where that has come from.

ChunLing, on 28 December 2012 - 12:06 AM, said:

It's derived from one of prasselpicachu's suggestions last month, limited disk space.

Actually...

Leo Verto, on 30 April 2012 - 12:14 AM, said:

Maybe they can hold only one file that is only available as autostart.

Teraminer, on 04 May 2012 - 06:37 AM, said:

they only can have 1 program

Last month?

[ChunLing]

So I was being charitable in assessing the potential current relevance of the "one program" idea.

[Leo Verto]

Limiting it to one file would just make it more difficult but I don't get your point about a one-file program just displaying the time.
You'd just have to integrate all APIs and programs into one program.

[Bubba]

Leo Verto, on 28 December 2012 - 04:12 AM, said:

Limiting it to one file would just make it more difficult but I don't get your point about a one-file program just displaying the time.
You'd just have to integrate all APIs and programs into one program.

Exactly. Allowing for only one file doesn't make it more balanced, it just makes things unrealistic. Even with the one file limitation, it would still be possible to simulate a multi-file environment - it would just be more difficult. Have you ever heard of a computer that is only able to save one file if it is not limited by memory? I haven't.

[Cranium]

The only way to implement single programs on devices would be to make a 'cartridge' system. Totally not what I want, as limiting things is not fun in my opinion.

[RunasSudo-AWOLindefinitely]

Bubba, on 28 December 2012 - 05:11 AM, said:

Leo Verto, on 28 December 2012 - 04:12 AM, said:

Limiting it to one file would just make it more difficult but I don't get your point about a one-file program just displaying the time.
You'd just have to integrate all APIs and programs into one program.

Exactly. Allowing for only one file doesn't make it more balanced, it just makes things unrealistic. Even with the one file limitation, it would still be possible to simulate a multi-file environment - it would just be more difficult. Have you ever heard of a computer that is only able to save one file if it is not limited by memory? I haven't.

That was my point when I was saying

pokepal101, on 27 December 2012 - 12:38 AM, said:

I'll just put everything into one massive file.

Then, the people who proposed the one-file idea (to preserve their original intent of restricting the PDAs functions) might suggest "oh, then we'll limit disk space to 1KB" or something. Making the PDA even more pointless.