Questions Before Buying A Gp2x


zephyr88

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Dec 4, 2005
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Hey all. I'm very new to the whole GP2X scene, please don't mind. I just have a few questions before buying it. I tried doing a search here, but couldn't find anything specific. Anywho, here are my questions:

1. I read that the GP2X uses the Linux O/S. Does that means that I can access a command console (terminal) to manage files? Does it come with standard *nix commands? If so, does it come already with needed files for development, like .h files, bash, etc. for me to use? I'm assuming these files will be run off the SD card from the SDK, but I'm not sure if there's a command console, basically.

2. Linux apps I've compiled on Linux - will they run on the GP2X without a problem?

3. How good is the media player? I listen to audio books a lot, and I would like a player that can fastforward to a specific spot. For example, I have an ebook chapter that's about 5 hours long - I don't want to wait 10 minutes to fastforward to the middle.\

4. Are there any mainstream software companies that will be releasing new software for the GP2X? I ask because software has greater potential when it's made by a company rather than an individual person - since they have budget and commercial resources.

5. Are there other peripherals coming for the GP2X? Keyboard? Wireless NIC?

6. How good is the NES emulator? SNES? Emulator? NeoGeo Emulator? Genesis? Do they all have sound and play smoothly?

7. Quake, Heretic, and Doom - are they the full version (not shareware) and play with sound effect AND music?

8. Ebook reader? Does that mean PDF? CHM? DOC (MS Word)? HTML?

9. Any major game companies going to release games for it?

Any feedback is greatly appreciated. I have a PSP currently and I'm looking for the things that the PSP doesn't provide.
 
1. I read that the GP2X uses the Linux O/S. Does that means that I can access a command console (terminal) to manage files? Does it come with standard *nix commands? If so, does it come already with needed files for development, like .h files, bash, etc. for me to use? I'm assuming these files will be run off the SD card from the SDK, but I'm not sure if there's a command console, basically.

I dont think you can access bash. There are already compilers for the system out on the net for PCs. Check the Wiki for more information.

2. Linux apps I've compiled on Linux - will they run on the GP2X without a problem

They will need to be recompiled for the target platform and even the probably not, depends on the libraries used. So far the GP2X has support for SDL and Pygames to my knowledge.

3. How good is the media player? I listen to audio books a lot, and I would like a player that can fastforward to a specific spot. For example, I have an ebook chapter that's about 5 hours long - I don't want to wait 10 minutes to fastforward to the middle.\

Sorry cant help you there/ The Video player is based off mPlayer. I have no ideaa about the mp3 player.

4. Are there any mainstream software companies that will be releasing new software for the GP2X? I ask because software has greater potential when it's made by a company rather than an individual person - since they have budget and commercial resources.

No mainstream that I have heard of.

5. Are there other peripherals coming for the GP2X? Keyboard? Wireless NIC?

Just TV out is confirmed. The rest kind of depends on what the community can hack together

6. How good is the NES emulator? SNES? Emulator? NeoGeo Emulator? Genesis? Do they all have sound and play smoothly?

Read the relative various threads.

7. Quake, Heretic, and Doom - are they the full version (not shareware) and play with sound effect AND music?

They are just interpreters. You have to supply the Data/WAD files.

8. Ebook reader? Does that mean PDF? CHM? DOC (MS Word)? HTML?

Good question,again I have no idea. I believe it cant support .doc, .chm and .pdfs.

9. Any major game companies going to release games for it?

Not that I know of.
 
Thanks for shedding some light on the questions. 'Tis much appreciated. Curious if anyone else wants to add comments...
 
1. Nope.

2. Nope. Your linux apps were compiled for a different processor. This one uses arm9.

3. The media player works pretty good. Sorry, but to my knowledge (I only played with mp3's a bit) the only way to fast foward is to wait a bit. Ill test it out tomorrow.

4. If I remember correctly, there is this 3D racing game comming out for both the GP32 and GP2x, and some developers were interested in the 2x.

5. TV out, and other stuff that we can make. Nothing is confirmed yet, but TV tuner and Wireless is a possability.

6. NES - 90% speed and full sound. SNES - 75% speed with sound. NeoGeoCD - Probably around 85% with only background music, no sound effects. Genesis (Unreleased) but according to preview (front page) its running 95% full speed with sound, and only a tad bit of graphical problems to be sorted out very soon.

7. They are interperters, so if you own the full version wad, then you have full version, if you own shareware wad, you own shareware. full sound.

8. As of right now, I've only tested .txt, but Ill get back to you on that.

9. See answer 4.
 
zephyr88 posted on Dec 4 2005 at 07:08 AM said:
1. I read that the GP2X uses the Linux O/S. Does that means that I can access a command console (terminal) to manage files? Does it come with standard *nix commands? If so, does it come already with needed files for development, like .h files, bash, etc. for me to use? I'm assuming these files will be run off the SD card from the SDK, but I'm not sure if there's a command console, basically.
I think you can use bash if you have the serial cable. For now you can write scripts, copy them on and run them. I think a command console wouldn't be that useful anyway unless you had a keyboard plugged in...

On the SDKs, various people have built toolchains (Cross compilers, useful bins + libs) and uploaded them.

2. Linux apps I've compiled on Linux - will they run on the GP2X without a problem?
Depends what you mean without problem. If they use SDL only and suitable screen resolution then you might get something displayed. But then you'll need to play around with the code a bit to get the input side working. So relatively without problem!

Of course you'll need a cross compiler since the GP2X has a different type of CPU. You wouldn't really want to build ON the GP2X even with a terminal. Too slow...

5. Are there other peripherals coming for the GP2X? Keyboard? Wireless NIC?
tvout will be released officially.

People have (finally) got hold of the connectors. Soon we will have a serial cable. I expect a chatboard or something is quite likely, but I don't know if anyone is working on it.

6. How good is the NES emulator? SNES? Emulator? NeoGeo Emulator? Genesis? Do they all have sound and play smoothly?
7. Quake, Heretic, and Doom - are they the full version (not shareware) and play with sound effect AND music?
Its early days for software. I think you can expect everything you say. Of course you'd have to buy the WADs/PAKs for commercial Doom/Quake. i.e. the data files.

_For the time being_ I think its only the 8-bit ones that are going full speed. No-one is really using the second CPU _yet_.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated. I have a PSP currently and I'm looking for the things that the PSP doesn't provide.
You can code for it, even direct to the hardware. Gamepark are not intent on stopping Homebrew like Sony.

Mark
 
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Thanks again guys! Lots of questions asked. Gonna get it after all. Some of the features are just downright, mouth watering delicious!
 
there are still a bunch of problems (as you have probably noticed while searching the forums..) usb connectivity, sd card reader problems, the whole lot. for those who are early adopters of the system gamepark holdings have promised continuously some firmware updates to fix these problems, but nothing as of yet. if you are interested in developing (i might get that from question #2), you might want to get one of the first edition releases so you can playtest your software on the hardware.
if not, gamepark will be releasing a second edition which promises to be better than the first edition release in that GPH will have had time to iron out the problems users have been having. if you wish to wait a few months, you can oder from any of the distributors (gbax, or any other distributor) and email them to hold your money until they get the second edition in, i'm sure they'd oblige your request (though i haven't any confirmation of that.) one company, though they are a major distro and i wouldn't want to direct many people there because people like craig (at gbax) have proven to be really swell for the community, you could order now at lik-sang.com and they will send your gp2x to you when they get the second edition in...
 
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