christo930 said:
I agree with this point, but most people and reviews don't. For us classic gamers the KB allows us to use software for classic computers, but other people see the keyboard as an intregal part of the design. So it (the KB) get s reviewed on the merits of the kb. Since the kb isn't very good as a regular kb it ends up being a negative point at least in the review.
Who's reviewing it? No one has one yet, it's all just reaction to the design. Wait for some people to actually use it for a while.
christo930 said:
This machine is basically a small pocket computer, not a pocket game system.
It isn't actually that black and white at all.
christo930 said:
It's in the price range of a small pocket computer,
No, UMPCs cost at least two to four times what Pandora does. It's more in the price range of a PDA/PocketPC (which despite its name is NOT a pocket computer) or tablet web device like Nokia N800.
christo930 said:
has the capabilities of a small pocket computer,
And has the capabilities of a handheld game machine, including dual analog which no other handheld has. You can't just ignore the gaming controls.
christo930 said:
looks like a small pocket computer,
No, it looks like a DS with a keyboard instead of a second screen. UMPCs, PDAs, and what have you look nothing like this.
christo930 said:
DS has a touch screen and it's the most successful handheld on the market right now, maybe ever.
christo930 said:
ports galore (and I really thing the power cord needs to be moved to the back),
Ports are par for the course for a platform like this, of course until it's out you can't really say anything. What do you expect?
And the power cord will be in the back. Even if it were in the front (like the PSP...) that'd be a million times better than having it on the SIDE like GP2X.
christo930 said:
a kb etc... The problem is, is it's not a very good pocket computer and a very powerful game system can be had for less (like the PSP).
No, the problem is that people such as yourself are seeing a design that is different from what you expected and are not willing to give it a chance. Yes, it's true that this aims to be more than just a gaming device but there's no reason why that should take away from it being one as well, and the keyboard can aid in gaming. In fact, a number of the people interested in it want it for emulation of old consoles, no matter how much you think that this isn't why it was put there you can't deny that it's beneficial for this. I'll be the first to admit that the design might have led to some compromises in how the gaming controls work (particularly touch screen, which is probably not going to be that heavily utilized anyway), but until we actually get to use them we'll have no idea how it pans out and we don't know exactly what the final revisions will look like either.
"Very powerful" is entirely meaningless. Is GP2X "very powerful" too? Because it's less than the PSP. No matter how powerful you think either is, Pandora will be the most powerful by far. This is progress.
christo930 said:
Finally, I really don't have anything against a new game system, but I feel like the GP2X is not even close to being tapped (at least for home brew games) and still has an untouched core for almost all of the emulators. Most of the emulators could get a significant speed boost by using the second core.
What do you know anyway? It's really easy to point at emulators and call them subpar but the work necessary for parallelizing them to the point where it can run on the 940T is anything but trivial and will most likely give far less of a benefit than you're anticipating in most cases. The lack of cache and shared bus means that it can easily cripple 920T performance as well as performance of the video subsystem which is also sharing the bus. Not to mention the fact that the 940T doesn't have an MMU, so it becomes a real pain sharing code and data between the two since they're in different address spaces.
Despite the fact that game consoles tend to have parallel components they more often than not rely on a degree of high synchronization, which can often be to the point where it would negate parallelizing it in emulation.
christo930 said:
There are lots of people buying gp2x's now (the new version), but lots of people are being put off by a piece of hardware that is supposed to ship in the spring and most likely won't.
That's just unfounded pessimism, I think you're eager to slash this thing because you're bitter about it.
christo930 said:
Summer starts in 5 months, spring in 2 (march 21). When you take into consideration that not much usually happens in the spring and summer in the video game industry
Which is a totally different market that's ramping up for the winter holiday season...
christo930 said:
, there is really no point in pushing for a spring release when most sales happen in the fall.
This is ridiculous. I'm sure they won't have that much problem selling the initial batch regardless of when they release it. I don't think people actually make all their purchases in the fall. Getting this out as soon as possible as good thing (so long as quality control doesn't suffer)
christo930 said:
To the best of our knowledge a final proto has not been made and carved in stone. This stuff takes time and I just don't see it happening in the spring. I COULD be wrong, but it just doesn't make much sense, especially when you consider that the spring is historically not a good time to release a new system.
You're basically just repeating the same sorts of things a lot :/
christo930 said:
Even in our little microcosm of the market, many of us got our machines as presents (I got my gp32 as an xmas present. Look at my join date)
If you look at what people are saying here I think it's pretty obvious that most of them plan on buying this themselves. This isn't a child's toy, the demographic is entirely different.
christo930 said:
We have RIGHT NOW a fairly capable game system that is pretty good, well supported (for the size of it's market) and it's being abandoned for something that isn't even here yet and most likely won't be here for 8 or9 more months (if at all). So lets be happy with what we have RIGHT NOW
Who is abandoning the GP2X exactly? Are you going to blame a lack of development on the Pandora because you're disappointed with what isn't being released, when your expectations are unrealistic to begin with? In fact, I would say that the GP2X is overall a very unimpressive platform that's far too weak for its own good and is riddled with design flaws (of which F200 has only corrected one). Saying it'll take 8-9 months is completely contrary from their intentions, and saying it won't be out at all is just incredibly pessimistic. But I am pretty sure you want this to fail so people will focus on your precious GP2X instead :/
christo930 said:
I really don't like the fact the GPXX forum (meaning the website as well as user forums) are being used to push the Pandora. We wouldn't like it if Sony were using this forum to push the psp. This webpage is for Gamepark video game systems (I mean, it is called gp32x.de) and I would like to see it stay that way. It's not my decision, but being part of the community I have as much right to stick up for the GP2X and GP32 as someone else has a right to push the Pandora (which isn't even out yet) with the exception of the website owner and I would think that the site owner is interested what the members think.
Chris
Now you're just being petty. Despite the name I really don't think these forums have any brand loyal to companies that have "Gamepark" in their name. Comparing Pandora to the PSP is preposterous and you should be ashamed for doing so. Pandora intends to be a platform for enthusiast developers which more upholds the spirit of what GP32 and GP2X were than they did. If the site owner is supposed to care what the members think then you're on the losing end of this because you are by far part of the minority.
I think you're just bitter because Pandora isn't what you expected it to be and rather than live with the fact that GP2X was never going to see the kind of amazing performance you thought it would you'd rather blame something else for it. Pandora is what people want. GP2X's strengths lie more in a community that has a strong desire to make it succeed than in being a well designed platform.
