Gp2x Questions

[ljones]

Hello,

I'm new here, so I hope my questions aren't too silly(!) . I've not put my post in the "I need help" section of this forum since I don't have a GP2X (or a GP32) at all, I hope I have the right section on the forums here! I'm thinking about getting a GP2X but I'm still in two minds;

Firstly, what is the highest resolution I can get from a GP2X? I understand the internal LCD screen is only 320x240, but is the GP2X stuck at this resolution? The GP2X official website mentions 720x480, wikipedia 1920x1024....which one of these is correct?

Can this device be used as storage for digital camera photos, e.g. downloading the pictures from a camera via USB onto the GP2X and then to a SD card plugged into the GP2X (I have a Fuji Finepix camera which works 100% in linux, maybe it will work on a GP2X)?

It's very intresting to see emulators for the GP2X that emulate a C64 or an Amiga, but what is the speed like? From memory - a long time ago, I used to run programs like C64S, CCS64 and UAE in DOS - I see the GP2X is running at about 240Mhz but is this enough ( in DOS on an old 233Mhz PC C64 and Amiga emulators run too slowly x.x )?

Finally the breakout board for the GP2X looks intresting, but the pictures all show the device as a circuit board. Does the breakout board come as just a circuit board, or in a case? Also is there any other option than a video output (I'm guessing if the GP2X can do above 320x240 on its video output, the results would look *awful* on a TV?).

Thanks,

ljones

 

[Yono]

Hello,

I'm new here, so I hope my questions aren't too silly(!) . I've not put my post in the "I need help" section of this forum since I don't have a GP2X (or a GP32) at all, I hope I have the right section on the forums here! I'm thinking about getting a GP2X but I'm still in two minds;

Welcome! This forum is fine.

Firstly, what is the highest resolution I can get from a GP2X? I understand the internal LCD screen is only 320x240, but is the GP2X stuck at this resolution? The GP2X official website mentions 720x480, wikipedia 1920x1024....which one of these is correct?

TV-Out can be 720x480, GP2x LCD is "stuck" at 320x240.

Can this device be used as storage for digital camera photos, e.g. downloading the pictures from a camera via USB onto the GP2X and then to a SD card plugged into the GP2X (I have a Fuji Finepix camera which works 100% in linux, maybe it will work on a GP2X)?

I don't see the point, just use the SD card for both.

It's very intresting to see emulators for the GP2X that emulate a C64 or an Amiga, but what is the speed like? From memory - a long time ago, I used to run programs like C64S, CCS64 and UAE in DOS - I see the GP2X is running at about 240Mhz but is this enough ( in DOS on an old 233Mhz PC C64 and Amiga emulators run too slowly x.x )?

You can see some compatability charts in these articles: http://wiki.gp2x.org/wiki/Software_Directory#Computers

Finally the breakout board for the GP2X looks intresting, but the pictures all show the device as a circuit board. Does the breakout board come as just a circuit board, or in a case? Also is there any other option than a video output (I'm guessing if the GP2X can do above 320x240 on its video output, the results would look *awful* on a TV?).

The current board is the developer edition, and doesn't come with a case. Later a cased version will be available. The TV-out looks awful for some programs, but just fine for others.

 

[nawa]

1: the resolution of the TV out is 720x480.
2: You surely can
3: I don't know ... I never use those emus
4: It comes just the circuit board ...

Hope this help.

 

[craigix]

Yes the C64 emu is 60fps full speed, as is Megadrive/Genesis, Neogeo etc.

 

[shinneri]

You can learn a lot about the GP2X here.

 

[ljones]

Thanks for all the info! The GP2X looks intresting, moreso than it did before I made this post! I was thinking about dropping pictures onto the GP2X as my idea was this: 1) elimiate the need for a laptop, 2) easier file navigation (e.g. to delete a file -- my digital camera's system of deleting pictures is *very* slow) and 3) maybe even some sort of photo manipulation (maybe the GIMP or Imagemagick could one day run on the GP2X?).

Just one other thought/question: can you plug a USB keyboard into the GP2X directly, or does it need the breakout board?

The only thing that still puts me off buying a GP2X is the build quality, reading posts here it seems as if a lot of people have received broken GPX2's .

ljones

 

[StewC869]

Thanks for all the info! The GP2X looks intresting, moreso than it did before I made this post! I was thinking about dropping pictures onto the GP2X as my idea was this: 1) elimiate the need for a laptop, 2) easier file navigation (e.g. to delete a file -- my digital camera's system of deleting pictures is *very* slow) and 3) maybe even some sort of photo manipulation (maybe the GIMP or Imagemagick could one day run on the GP2X?).

Just one other thought/question: can you plug a USB keyboard into the GP2X directly, or does it need the breakout board?

The only thing that still puts me off buying a GP2X is the build quality, reading posts here it seems as if a lot of people have received broken GPX2's .

ljones

I wouldn't worry about it, the build quality is fine. I'm sure the vast majority are fine - people aren't going to post on here to say "I have no problems with my GP2X and the build quality is excellent"

The C64 emulator is excellent, there are a few games which won't run for me but other than that its fab.

 

[Magnulus]

Can this device be used as storage for digital camera photos, e.g. downloading the pictures from a camera via USB onto the GP2X and then to a SD card plugged into the GP2X (I have a Fuji Finepix camera which works 100% in linux, maybe it will work on a GP2X)?

I don't see the point, just use the SD card for both.

He can't. Fujifilm cameras only work with cards, the only real downside to a Fuji camera these days. On the bonus side, I get full use of my card reader! I have a slot for my Gippex's SD cards, a slot for my Canon EOS 300D's CF cards, and a slot for my (and my girlfriend's) Fuji F455. I've actually had them all hooked up at once sometimes. Yay! ^_^

Anyway, I prefer not to mix cards for cameras with cards for other things. You should format your camera's card every time you empty out the photos if you want it to stay fast and healthy (cameras don't really delete anything when you press delete. They just hide them and then overwrite.) and if I had a bunch of games and stuff on it at the same time, I couldn't format it.

 

[ljones]

Well I finally took the plunge and bought a GP2X! So far so good - but I don't have an SD card right now (I'll get one soon however). But just one more question: if I were to download some test files onto the GP2X, like one or two MP3s or a JPEG picture where is the best place to store them on the GP2X? I guess it has to go somewhere in NAND memory?

Also I tried connecting the GP2X to my PC via usb, so I connected it to the USB port of the PC and switched on. The GP2X's display suddenly looked corrupted (so I switched it off again pretty quick!). Does this do any damage?

ljones