Craigix Discloses Information On New Gp2x?

[Julius]

A touchscreen really doesn't cost much at all (at least a regular one), but the problem is that you can't really have a GP2X like design with a touchscreen, because they offer no real pysical protection to the lcd and thus it would probably break quite easily. So in other words: If you want a touchscreen you also need a DS like design, or a plastic cover of some sort (like the first Zaurus).

But personally I would think that if it would get a touchscreen, than one should really take it the whole way and make the "GP3X" more PDA like (Which I would actually welcome).
The Linux PDA software is all available from the Zaurus, and all it would need (for me) would be:
1.Touchscreen (with a display resolution higher than 320x240)
1. Internal clock
2. Wifi
3. VGA out
4. partially powered USB host
5. Slim and professional looking design (no button overload)

But if it stays true to it's gameing roots (which is more likely) than there really is no need for a touchscreen, and the GP2X like design could be preserved.

Edit: Well the iphone has a "open" touchscreen so maybe it is possible to build them more sturdy now. In that case disregard some of what I said.

 

[Dzz]

The main thing I notice from these discussions is that no matter what feature set is chosen, just about everybody will say "how stupid, how could they not include the flibberdingus? this will never sell!"

At any rate, if these decisions have not already been made and if some running prototypes don't exist, there's no way it will be shipping this year.... after that point they have to design a final board, redesign the final board when the first design wasn't quite right, source all the parts, design an enclosure, get all that through the manufacturing and assembly pipeline, figure out the packaging, produce an operating system and shell application, get a minimum set of software ready (for playing movies, configuring hardware options, etc)... It's hard to do much of that if they don't know basic stuff like whether it will have wifi and what the screen resolution will be.

It would also be nice if there was some software on it that truly showed the power of the system so people who get it early don't sit there wondering what to do with it, and so reviewers have something to write about other than vague potential.

Plenty of good gp2x devs could help out on the software front and would do so for free, but can't until at least the technical details are available.

 

[techFreak]

A touch screen and wi-fi... don't hurt yourself for small things.

 

[X-Code]

I would hate to see something good turn into a terrible and terribly expensive mistake like for example the Gizmondo or the Zodiac .

A minimum set of tech specs regarding this new machine would be nice... What has been considered so far?, what would be integrated so far?

 

[Samba Pa Ti]

i doubt what anyone says here will influence the finished product anyway, its nice to say what you would like but i cant see it happening (it sounds like a design has already been decided on)

 

[Dzz]

i doubt what anyone says here will influence the finished product anyway, its nice to say what you would like but i cant see it happening (it sounds like a design has already been decided on)

There have been recurring threads on desired features of a gp2x successor for at least a year and a half; I thtink almost everything that can be said has already been said, and was most likely taken carefully into account.

 

[fusion_power]

7 Pages in one day....you guys are kidding! :blink:
*readreadreadread*.... ok, im up-to-date. :lol:

It's coll, that a possible future Handheld will be more near at the wishes of the community than the GP2X. Sounds promissing.
Well, I like the GP2X, his Design to (I mean his form, not the wrong placed connectors etc. ) I use my GP2X every Day since over a year (my stick is slightly dying ) But I could imagine, if a device BETTER than the great GP2X come out, I'll buy it if it is not much more expencive than the GP2X.

Besides all the mentioned stuff here, I am for an NON REFLECTIVE Display, which let us the Handheld use outside (and this is not recommended with the current GP2X)
Yes, Touchscreen is a nice Idea, and for protection, the device could be put in some flip-open plastic/leather protection case where you can use the handheld whlie he is inside that case.
4:3 Screen is my fav to, 320x240 res would be ok to, maybe a bit bigger to fit CPS2 Games and for a correct doubled GBA resolution so we no longer have this tiny 1:1 GBA res at GPSP.

Some here may know more than others but are also teasing the others

But me wanna have it soon... <dreams of playing FreeCiv on the go...>

Hey, I like Free Cive to. Haven't played it since a long time but it is much better than the Original Civ. But I think this game needs a BIG screen, even at my 19" Monitor I could need more overview in the game.

 

[tim0391]

a bit more processing power wifi , usb , 3d accelerator and a li-ion would do me. I would rather the gp3x be more of a gaming device than a pda.

plus without a touch screen it would hopefully keep the costs down

 

[techFreak]

a bit more processing power wifi , usb , 3d accelerator and a li-ion would do me. I would rather the gp3x be more of a gaming device than a pda.

plus without a touch screen it would hopefully keep the costs down

Touchscreen doesn't cost that much. Even GP2X might have a touchscreen.

 

[StarG]

A touchscreen really doesn't cost much at all (at least a regular one), but the problem is that you can't really have a GP2X like design with a touchscreen, because they offer no real pysical protection to the lcd and thus it would probably break quite easily. So in other words: If you want a touchscreen you also need a DS like design, or a plastic cover of some sort (like the first Zaurus).

Let's look at the iPhone... it does great if i remember reports right. It uses a good protective cover and still can do some capacitive touch measures. Fragility is not an good argument contra.

But personally I would think that if it would get a touchscreen, than one should really take it the whole way and make the "GP3X" more PDA like (Which I would actually welcome).
The Linux PDA software is all available from the Zaurus, and all it would need (for me) would be:
1.Touchscreen (with a display resolution higher than 320x240)
1. Internal clock
2. Wifi
3. VGA out
4. partially powered USB host

What is a difference between a Linux PDA and a gamemachine if i might ask ? The lack of buttons ?

5. Slim and professional looking design (no button overload)

But if it stays true to it's gameing roots (which is more likely) than there really is no need for a touchscreen, and the GP2X like design could be preserved.

Edit: Well the iphone has a "open" touchscreen so maybe it is possible to build them more sturdy now. In that case disregard some of what I said.

Well if i remember right the DS was a huge success... i wonder why...

If the original design would be preserved then would there be a reason to design a new one? Will a mere little bit faster cpu and some more accelleration here & there enough to be attractive to new customers?

Not to be understood wrongly: i really like the perfect blend of an allround machine. But keys and input methods like motion sensors or touch screens are really helpful for non gaming stuff too.

 

[cowai]

a bit more processing power wifi , usb , 3d accelerator and a li-ion would do me. I would rather the gp3x be more of a gaming device than a pda.

plus without a touch screen it would hopefully keep the costs down

Touchscreen doesn't cost that much. Even GP2X might have a touchscreen.


WTF?

 

[Exophase]

- PSX, gba, snes, N64 fullspeed.

Regarding inputs: i really accept others opinions but c'mon: adding a 3d chip without using an analogue stick? Thats plain mad and would spoil any N64 emulation option.

If N64 is a reality then we need the buttons.

Just saying...

I'll say it again: if the platform doesn't have a real FPU (that is a CPU coprocessor) then there will not be N64 emulation. If it's using MMSP2+ then there will not be N64 emulation.

4:3 Screen is my fav to, 320x240 res would be ok to, maybe a bit bigger to fit CPS2 Games and for a correct doubled GBA resolution so we no longer have this tiny 1:1 GBA res at GPSP.

If you have a 640x480 screen that's the same size as a 320x240 one then it isn't going to do anything for GBA w/integer scaling, you'll end up with the same resolution and the same black bars taking up 50% of the screen space. It'd scale a little more gracefully though (either with or without filtering).

On the other hand, if the platform has an 800x480 screen you can scale GBA up to 720x480 (3x in both dimensions) and that would only have 10% of the screen in black borders while giving nice sharp pixels.

Here's a little table for some platforms (I didn't do PS1 because it has so many resolutions >_<), obviously this is not taking into consideration preserving aspect ratio, just integer scaling.

640x480:

CODE

scale black borders
SNES 2x2 (512x448/478) 25.3%/21.3%
Genesis 2x2 (512/640x448/480) 25.3%/6.6%/21.5%/0%
GB/GG 4x3 (640x432) 10%
GBA 2x2 (480x320) 50%




800x480:

CODE

scale black borders
SNES 3x2 (768x448/478) 11.4%/4.4%
Genesis 3/2x2 (768/640x448/480) 11.4%/25.3%/4%/20%
GB/GG 5x3 (800x432) 10%
GBA 3x3 (720x480) 10%



I THINK PS1 games are usually 320x224 or 320x240 (with occasionally splash screens at 640x480 or whatever), so it'd be better with 640x480.

Point I'm trying to get at is that not all popular platforms are 4:3. I firmly believe that for SNES and especially for GBA 800x480 would be preferable, and as craig said before this is much more of a commodity size. And before anyone yells at me about aspect ratio for SNES, I don't think it was ever supposed to have square pixels, and I think displaying it at 768x448/478 is closer to the aspect ratio it'd have on a TV.

 

[Julius]

What is a difference between a Linux PDA and a gamemachine if i might ask ? The lack of buttons ?

Exactly there isn't much of a difference. But if the "GP3X" would go into this direction intentionally it should drop some of its "gaming device" look.
Buttons wouldn't necessarily have to go, but there shouldn't be really big analog stick or colored buttons or stuff like that (Actually I think it wouldn't even need a analog stick if there was a touchscreen and a great dpad).

Well if i remember right the DS was a huge success... i wonder why...

If the original design would be preserved then would there be a reason to design a new one? Will a mere little bit faster cpu and some more accelleration here & there enough to be attractive to new customers?

Not to be understood wrongly: i really like the perfect blend of an allround machine. But keys and input methods like motion sensors or touch screens are really helpful for non gaming stuff too.

Yeah I think we pretty much agree. It would certainly reach a broader audience it it was less of a gaming device at first sight while not sacrificing the great gaming features.

 

[pepone]

My number one request for a new handled would be: keep linux!

 

[DaveC]

Regarding inputs: i really accept others opinions but c'mon: adding a 3d chip without using an analogue stick? Thats plain mad and would spoil any N64 emulation option. I still opt here for a dual role digital analogue stick which could be reconfigured by software to act as digital one - preferably with low dead zone. To adress the comforts of the players i would have the main input easy swappable.

It sounds good in theory but analog sticks completely *suck* for digital controlled games. That was a BIG problem with the Zodiac which had an analog. That stick was complained about there as much as the GP2X stick was here. We would just be trading a crap digital stick on the GP2X for a sloppy analog one that everyone would be complaining about. Bad idea. It is just too sloppy it would ruin *everything* other than N64. Fuck analog. BTW the DS doesn't have an analog it has a D-PAD and it plays mario 64 fine.

 

[jmetal88]

Regarding inputs: i really accept others opinions but c'mon: adding a 3d chip without using an analogue stick? Thats plain mad and would spoil any N64 emulation option. I still opt here for a dual role digital analogue stick which could be reconfigured by software to act as digital one - preferably with low dead zone. To adress the comforts of the players i would have the main input easy swappable.

It sounds good in theory but analog sticks completely *suck* for digital controlled games. That was a BIG problem with the Zodiac which had an analog. That stick was complained about there as much as the GP2X stick was here. It is just too sloppy it would ruin *everything* other than N64. Fuck analog. BTW the DS doesn't have an analog it has a D-PAD and it plays mario 64 fine.


Yeah, but with the DS, you can control the directional movement of Mario 64 with the touch screen, simulating an analog controller.

 

[DaveC]

On the other hand, if the platform has an 800x480 screen you can scale GBA up to 720x480 (3x in both dimensions) and that would only have 10% of the screen in black borders while giving nice sharp pixels.

Point I'm trying to get at is that not all popular platforms are 4:3. I firmly believe that for SNES and especially for GBA 800x480 would be preferable, and as craig said before this is much more of a commodity size. And before anyone yells at me about aspect ratio for SNES, I don't think it was ever supposed to have square pixels, and I think displaying it at 768x448/478 is closer to the aspect ratio it'd have on a TV.

Most popular platforms were 4:3 as they were being displayed on a 4:3 TV. The only one that would benefit from the widescreen you speak of would be GBA. All others would be fine at 640x480. SNES would be fine too as you could just scale horizontal like the Sega CD emu does now on the GP2X for the few non-320 wide stuff. Genesis on the GP2X now at 1:1 fills the screen very well at 320 x 224, and would be the same on a 640x480 screen at 2:1 both directions. 800x480 gives nothing exept a bulky screen that forces other compromizes (size or control placement) to be made. For 4:3 stuff this 800x480 you talk about doesn't give an image that is any bigger than the GP2X does as the vertical height is actually slightly less in measure (a mm or so) than the GP2X 4:3 is. The 640 x 480 ones are usually 3.7" which would give a bigger image when doubled 2:1 both ways than both the GP2X and the 800x480.

 

[Dzz]

For any device you hope to sell, you find a target market and the marketing message which convinces people to buy it and hopefully make the best device for that target. If the reason to buy this device is so you can download romz and play them, then the device should have great emulator support for a set of planned systems, and great ergonomics for those systems. I'm not into emulators but I think reaching for great N64 support is probably unrealistic in a sub-$200 retail price low-volume device; it seems better to me to target PSX and under and do everything possible to make those systems not just passable, but great. Whatever display and controls are required for that, and whatever software encouragement and support are needed.

Unless one is willing to be brave and market the device as an emulator host (instead of calling it a PMP with a secret wink) I don't know that the approach is likely to be that great, but if that's the desired approach I'd focus completely on that.

Note: I think "the open handheld" is a terrible marketing message. "Free games!" is much better.... or "A neverending flood of new free games!". This is the biggest reason to include Wifi IMO, so you can have a custom app to let people pick and download the latest cool stuff right to the machine.

 

[virusx]

And automatic wireless updates of softwares

 

[efegea]

And automatic wireless updates of softwares

Then it will need a package manager system. I'd like it but there is a lot of people that doesn't want it (they didn't want it for the GP2X)