PandaBox™ is a simple application which allows you to use the Pandora streaming music service from a handy desktop application.
PandaBox™ is not Pandora. PandaBox™ simple wraps the official Pandora tuner for use as a desktop application.
PandaBox™ version 0.2 requires the .NET 2.0 runtime to be installed. PandaBox™ version 0.1a requires Microsoft Windows 95 or above with Internet Explorer 5 or above installed and the Macromedia/Adobe Flash ActiveX control. Most Windows systems should work fine 'out-of-the-box'. Note: Internet Explorer does not need to be your default browser.
Pandora streams music at 128Kb/s and as such Pandora and PandaBox™ require a broadband connection.
PandaBox™ simply launches the standard Pandora tuner in a simple wrapper, launched by a simple loader program. PandaBox™ also adds a simple 'Help' menu for easy access to updates and the PandaBox™ wesbite.
Every installation of PandaBox™ includes full source code and can be accessed by viewing the 'source' and 'resources' folder of your PandaBox™ installation. Feel free to make modifications as the software is released under the MIT license.
Depending on the version, PandaBox™ utilises either the visual C language with .NET 2.0 or the simplicity of HTA (HTML Applications) to create a simple wrapper to the Pandora music service without having to figure out how to render the actual information. Unfortunately HTA's, C# and .NET 2.0 are all Microsoft Windows only technologies.
No. PandaBox™ is an independently written application and is not endorsed or supported by Pandora Media, Inc.
The website uses AJAX technology because I thought it would demonstrate good use of web technologies in a way that can degrade gracefully depending on the client side capabilities. Using AJAX also allows me to minimise page loading time (or at least show you a cool animation if the page takes a long time to load!).
I think the ™ symbol looks cool! It also helps me differentiate the program from the Pandora service and encourages people to correctly identify the application as separate from the Pandora tuner.