Craigix Discloses Information On New Gp2x?

[Dzz]

Indeed, I will get this just for a web browser And is it nto plausible we run firefox on this thing? I mean, I've run it on a 550mhz PC with 96MB of ram! This was also on linux and there was still 20MB of RAM free! I am pretty sure I was using 76MB of RAM, and of course no swap. I mean, the browser wouldn't need to run lightening fast as you wouldn't be multitasking as you would on a PC. Ofcourse flash won't run at all.

Thanks for volunteering to port Firefox, Sam! You da man!

 

[sam fisher]

OM3? Well on linux i've had it down to 76MB, with linux running aswell, so if we can manage the same on GPNext. Anyway, it may be too bloated

Edit: Naaaa, I will be the first to port a beta of hello world to the console though Orkie suggested if he is bored oneday he may look into firefox

 

[predatorramboxxx]

Indeed, I will get this just for a web browser And is it nto plausible we run firefox on this thing? I mean, I've run it on a 550mhz PC with 96MB of ram! This was also on linux and there was still 20MB of RAM free! I am pretty sure I was using 76MB of RAM, and of course no swap. I mean, the browser wouldn't need to run lightening fast as you wouldn't be multitasking as you would on a PC. Ofcourse flash won't run at all.

Thanks for volunteering to port Firefox, Sam! You da man!

maybe something like portable apps. Firefox for portable apps runs on usb stick for linux/windows and its less then 5mb i believe. It requires very LOW requirements runs well for me on crappy old pentium 1 pcs.

 

[shinneri]

Are there no lightweight open-source browser projects? I know Opera's the popular handheld browser, but that's not open (right?).

If dzz is right, I'm excited about this. I'm wary of the dual-core thing. But I'm no dev. If I see it producing substantial results, that's all that matters. Good luck.

 

[jmetal88]

I have actually managed to run Firefox on a 120mhz Pentium with 32mb of RAM. I believe it was a pre-1.5 version though.

 

[Alex.]

Two times speed increase for casual apps sounds fantastic, add to that 2D acceleration, and very intense games will become a reality

I wonder, will it be possible for tasks in a program to be shared between the two cores by Linux, without having to write specific code to do this? I assume that's how modern dual core architectures work, right? Of course, a SOC is different, so I have no idea, just dreaming

 

[kingbuzzo]

Its CENTER dumbass!!!

now let's consult the wikipedia....

QUOTE
In British usage, some words of French, Latin, or Greek origin end with a consonant followed by -re, with the -re unstressed and pronounced [ə(ɹ)]. Most of these words have the ending -er in the U.S. The difference is most common for words ending -bre or -tre: British spellings accoutre(ment), goitre, litre, lustre, mitre, nitre, reconnoitre, saltpetre, spectre, centre, titre; calibre, fibre, sabre, and sombre all have -er in American spelling.


It appears you are both right and wrong! depending where you are anyway.
since this is an english speaking forum with an international appeal, both spelling will most likely be accepted as proper. You will most likely only be considered wrong for accusing the word "centre" as being an incorrect spelling of the word "center".

Also keep in mind, Canada also uses British English. So you might see some dudes like myself speaking in a way that is similar to most Americans, but spelling like the British do.

THE MORE YOU LEARN...


now that this thread has gone to all, let's kill the time until this new gizmo comes out by playing some games on the gp2x..... eh?

 

[KeyboardCowboy]

QUOTE
Two times speed increase for casual apps sounds fantastic, add to that 2D acceleration, and very intense games will become a reality smile.gif

I wonder, will it be possible for tasks in a program to be shared between the two cores by Linux, without having to write specific code to do this? I assume that's how modern dual core architectures work, right? Of course, a SOC is different, so I have no idea, just dreaming smile.gif

Even in high-end PC processors with 4 cores, this isn't an available feature. It is very difficult for a processor to manually parallelize code as it is running, and multi-core processors are still in their infancy. Most software is not multithreaded, even. As the technology improves I'm sure we'll see that change; however it will probably take even longer for mobile devices.

In addition, Linux would not be the means to implement such a thing. Due to the (apparent) use of the MMSP2+ and lack of a secondary MMU, Linux will not recognize the 2nd processor. Therefore utilizing it will be no easier than the 940T in the MMSP2.

maybe something like portable apps. Firefox for portable apps runs on usb stick for linux/windows and its less then 5mb i believe. It requires very LOW requirements runs well for me on crappy old pentium 1 pcs.

Though the program's executable and support files occupy ~5mb, the program, when memory resident, can occupy over 100mb... even over 200mb, depending on how many tabs you have open. FireFox also has a number of memory leak bugs that cause it to occupy more and more RAM over time. It is not very practical for use on a handheld. However a port of a much older version of Mozilla could be very practical. While FireFox is an excellent browser for a decent PC, there are other browsers better suited to a handheld.

 

[TyBO!]

QUOTE
Two times speed increase for casual apps sounds fantastic, add to that 2D acceleration, and very intense games will become a reality smile.gif

I wonder, will it be possible for tasks in a program to be shared between the two cores by Linux, without having to write specific code to do this? I assume that's how modern dual core architectures work, right? Of course, a SOC is different, so I have no idea, just dreaming smile.gif

Even in high-end PC processors with 4 cores, this isn't an available feature. It is very difficult for a processor to manually parallelize code as it is running, and multi-core processors are still in their infancy. Most software is not multithreaded, even. As the technology improves I'm sure we'll see that change; however it will probably take even longer for mobile devices.

In addition, Linux would not be the means to implement such a thing. Due to the (apparent) use of the MMSP2+ and lack of a secondary MMU, Linux will not recognize the 2nd processor. Therefore utilizing it will be no easier than the 940T in the MMSP2.

You suck the fun out of every ounce of excitement in this thread, and it's not appreciated. <_<

 

[J201605]

It appears you are both right and wrong! depending where you are anyway.
since this is an english speaking forum with an international appeal, both spelling will most likely be accepted as proper. You will most likely only be considered wrong for accusing the word "centre" as being an incorrect spelling of the word "center".
Also keep in mind, Canada also uses British English. So you might see some dudes like myself speaking in a way that is similar to most Americans, but spelling like the British do.

THE MORE YOU LEARN...

lol it was a joke... you were talking about thinking america was the center of the universe and i corrected your british spelling with american spelling.

 

[KeyboardCowboy]

You suck the fun out of every ounce of excitement in this thread, and it's not appreciated. <_<

Would you prefer I lie to him? "Of course Linux will split up threads to two processors, one of which it isn't aware exists because it lacks an MMU, on a low-end mobile chipset, when high-end PCs and workstations lack this capability?" "Anything is possible if you put your mind to it"? If hearing factual information bothers you, you are more than welcome not to read it. At any rate, it's better if prospective developers be aware of what is realistically possible on this machine from the very start, rather than repeat past issues where perceived features before launch and actual features AFTER launch turned out to be quite different.

 

[gaterooze]

I think we trust people like Squidge, Zodttd and Dzz a lot more than someone who couldn't even get a 2D shooter running on the GP2X.

They've made it clear you don't know what you're talking about regarding the MMSP2+, so why not give it a rest eh?

 

[KeyboardCowboy]

Who exactly is it you think I am? (Apparently, Satan.) Anyone technically knowledgeable will agree that single-threaded applications can't easily be made to run across multiple processors, and it's common knowledge that processors without MMUs are not recognized as legitimate processors by Linux.

At any rate, it's probable my intentions are being widely misconstrued. Am I out to make a bad name for the GP2X with my posts? No. Is the GP2X a perfect machine? No; otherwise why is there a new machine in development, and why has it garnered so much excitement? The GP2X had shortcomings and flaws that a new machine should correct and improve upon if it is to be a true successor and worth being given the time of day.

It is the apparent common opinion in this forum that if the owners of stores who originally sold the GP2X are involved, the machine will be amazing, guaranteed. The harsh reality is that even a few flaws, like failing to give separate memory to both CPUs and the 2D/3D Accelerator, or failing to use MobileDDR instead of SDRAM, will hopelessly cripple the machine and leave developers struggling to make use of it. Make of that what you will, but if you take that as a personal slight and perceive the GP2X and its successor as a religious experience, it might be worthwhile to re-evaluate your perspective.

 

[Vimacs]

epicenter, ever heard of uClinux?

Also this thread is NOT about the gp2x, pleas stop arguing about it already, any further offtopic posts WILL be deleted.

QUOTE
he harsh reality is that even a few flaws, like failing to give separate memory to both CPUs and the 2D/3D Accelerator, or failing to use MobileDDR instead of SDRAM, will hopelessly cripple the machine and leave developers struggling to make use of it.

The new handheld wont have those flaws. Also the overall memory bandwidth is much higher, so there's even less concern about that.

 

[KeyboardCowboy]

epicenter,

Do you have difficulty reading? ...

ever heard of uClinux?

There are implementations of Linux that do not require an MMU. This is obvious; there is a Linux implementation that runs on the Nintendo DS which lack an MMU. I was referring however to standard Linux kernel implementation of Symmetric Multi-Processing.

At any rate, this is beside the point- there is not a practical method (yet) available, even for top-of-the-line PCs and workstations, to split one thread into many for parallel execution on multiple processors.

At any rate, one more powerful core and a capable GPU is a superior solution from an ease-of-development standpoint, but the DS' 67 MHz ARM9 demonstrates it does not take a very powerful CPU to make an immersive and graphically intensive game. Therefore the most important thing that can be done to ensure this new machine is a successful platform for emulators and original games is to remove all bottlenecks.

That means, ensuring both CPUs and more importantly the GPU have their own RAM with sufficient bandwidth to get the job done and DMA is operational. There are some corners that cannot afford to be cut to still have an effective product.

The new handheld wont have those flaws. Also the overall memory bandwidth is much higher, so there's even less concern about that.

When were any details of how the memory is laid out, or its variety, made clear?

 

[cappuchok]

The point is if it has S-video out you can get S-video (better quality) AND composite with a cheapo $2.00 adaptor. If it starts out composite it can never get any better. It starts out crap and is always crap, so 1970's. Why ruin it and limit it for everyone because you don't want to spend an extra $2-3? I think there should be a multi-out for RGB,VGA, S-video etc. If not that there should at least be a VGA-out and some sort of a converter box accessory to get the other lower formats.

A VGA-out would be able to provide RGB+composite sync (suitable for SCART) too if implemented well, and an S-video out is easily downconverted to composite as you said. Putting all of that into one (nonstandard) connector on the device might be possible, and then delivering suitable converter cables with the unit. I like the idea. Just don't forget that a SCART cable would need to be connected to both audio and video outlets on the device (while the rest of the connectors discussed here are video-only).

On a side note, even S-video looks crap after having used only RGB for over a year, but I realise that using RGB on a standard TV set is a European thing, so I guess VGA is the best option for the people across the pond, and Component or S-video below that.

 

[gp2x.info]

Some people were asking for a Real Time Clock.

The MMSP2+ adds support for the RTC where MMSP2 lacked this.

This'll mean a lithium battery on the board, so it is likely that it will have a RTC.

That would be great!

 

[quartercast]

QUOTE
Two times speed increase for casual apps sounds fantastic, add to that 2D acceleration, and very intense games will become a reality smile.gif

I wonder, will it be possible for tasks in a program to be shared between the two cores by Linux, without having to write specific code to do this? I assume that's how modern dual core architectures work, right? Of course, a SOC is different, so I have no idea, just dreaming smile.gif

Even in high-end PC processors with 4 cores, this isn't an available feature. It is very difficult for a processor to manually parallelize code as it is running, and multi-core processors are still in their infancy. Most software is not multithreaded, even. As the technology improves I'm sure we'll see that change; however it will probably take even longer for mobile devices.

In addition, Linux would not be the means to implement such a thing. Due to the (apparent) use of the MMSP2+ and lack of a secondary MMU, Linux will not recognize the 2nd processor. Therefore utilizing it will be no easier than the 940T in the MMSP2.

You suck the fun out of every ounce of excitement in this thread, and it's not appreciated. <_<

KeyboardCowboy = Literary Dementor?

 

[zaoin]

What kind of in/out slots will have?

Sdio?
USBs? 1, 2 , 3?
People say that Infrared is not useful but I like it. For tv's, etc...
Add these things too much cost?

Bluetooth will not be included, right?

Is really necessary two speakphones?
For me one speakphone is enough. (at least in my zodiac)
Nintendo ds speakphones are very good.

(My favorite design is DaveC, with speakphones on front-top)

 

[supaimposter]

Can someone sum up what info we have on this new machine coz this thread is getting very long and im confused about what we definatly know.
Also please include bluetooth as this would be great for two player head to head games, wifi is ok but you have to be in a hotspot to play.
Cheers