Pandora handheld readies for pre-order

The Pandora handheld, an open-source handheld console geared towards homebrew software, will go on preorder soon it has been revealed and the company has set the pre-order date at the 30th of September.

The Pandora is an open-source, fully capable system in a clamshell just a bit bigger than a Nintendo DS. It sports a wide range of connectivity options - everything from WiFi to USB - as well as having a decent 800x480 LCD touchscreen on top.

The first batch of units is set to ship at the end of November, with 3000 units being available worldwide this year and the next lot shipping out at the start of 2009. Priced at just £199 (or $329) in the UK, the Pandora is quite the bargain considering the formidable system (for a handheld), so check them out below!

• ARM® Cortex™-A8 600Mhz+ CPU running Linux
  
• 430-MHz TMS320C64x+™ DSP Core
  
• PowerVR SGX OpenGL 2.0 ES compliant 3D hardware
  
• 800x480 4.3" 16.7 million colours touchscreen LCD
  
• Wifi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth & High Speed USB 2.0 Host
  
• Dual SDHC card slots & SVideo TV output
  
• Dual Analogue and Digital gaming controls
  
• 43 button QWERTY and numeric keypad
  
• Around 10+ Hours battery life

The Pandora is being heavily marketed as a open source system with emulation, homebrew and free games or demos being of vital importance. Already an impressive amount of software is creeping out from early developer samples - including full-speed Amiga emulation, which is a good sign.

Are you planning on picking up a Pandora, or are you going to be happy with your DS or PDA? Let us know in the forums.