Gp32 The Best Multimedia Gadget?

[Divine Shadow]

Hey all,

Just a quick question.!

ive been looking around for some sort of a hand held console/pc etc..
i travel by train quite a bit as i am at uni and vist home on weekends and naturally i get bored having nothing to do for about 2 hours (4 hours round trip). So ive been searching for some multimedia device that would allow me to listen to my mp3's watch eppisodes of my fav tv shows (divx format mainly) or movies etc and maybe even play a few games..
thats when i stumbled onto this site and found out about the gp32.
would the gp32 be ideal for this? or is there anything else out there that would be better suited to my needs?...in the same price range ofcouse..

any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Dan

 

[Lethe]

by your explanation, yes gp32 is ideal for you. you could get a really nice palm (in the $400-500 range) with a keyboard but prolly too pricey for you.

 

[Zeuss]

other than getting a laptop or perhaps a zodiac. You can't beat a gp32. (i personally will start dev'ing for it one day, stargate based platform game is wat i aim for). but other things to do 1st.

 

[Hooka]

If you wanna watch movies and listen to MP3/WMA/OGG sound format's on the go I feel that the GP32 does all of these quite well. You will have to reencode your movies (320X240 resolution and a lower framerate) but the LCD manages to do some very nice effects to blend the frames together making it look nice Also know you don't have to pay for any of the multimedia files, GPCinema (the movie player) is free and there are quite a few options for free music players... you can even watch movies in United GP32 Viewer by Aquafish which can load quite a few different formats

You'll also find that the amount of free software for the gp32 is astounding! you buy the console and you'll have all sorts of entertainment for a long time without spending any additional money. Of course there are a couple commercial games if you feel the need to buy some extra games, but I've found the best homebrew game to be Gloop Deluxe which is actually a game by a homebrew developer Toris, the original Gloop is free also so you can try it and if you like it buy the Deluxe edition! But official commercial games-wise I'd probably have to say that Pinball Dreams, Her Knights and Little Wizards seem to be the most popular.

 

[generalnmx]

Jr2Swiss's post moved to FAQ section for posterity: http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showtopic=13961

 

[Magellan]

There are better devices but not in the same price range. I would Stick with a GP32. You are limited by Smart media cards only having a max of 128mb, but I think they are not overly expensive.

 

[ralp99]

yeah man

it's a great time to jump onthe GP32 bandwagon. (so long as you like retrogaming and the homebrew/dev scene)

if you want current commercial stuff and limited other stuff (emu etc) then just go for a GBA. if you want to pay bigger bucks and have more palm-y stuff then go Zodiac. But I'll never need much more than what I've got with my GP32, as far as what it can do.

 

[xboxit]

your asking on a gp32_console forum so all the anwsers are gonna be yes. yes the gp32 is the best

 

[EvilDragon]

Well, I wouldn't think it's the best for you...
If you ONLY want it for movies and mp3, there are better players for the same price (i.e. , if you understand German: )Pearl Mustek)

But don't forget that you can play games, mainly old games with it.
If you ever played NES, GameGear or even C64 games: You can play them again with a GP32.
That's the reason I would get one. Only for movie playing isn't the best idea in my opinion.

 

[mattmagoo]

If its movies ure after looks for a middle of the range pocketPC because the picture quality is slighty nicer than the GP32

but if u want gaming too then GP32 is the way to go

 

[El_Diablo]

Gaming wise remember this platform probably has the biggest software library ever behind the PC that is...

 

[timeslip]

For what your gonna use it for your better off one a PPC - Same sorta Price but a lot more powerful.

If your happy playing just retro get a gp32 if u want more modern games and better multimedia (and more storage 1g > 128mg) get a ppc

 

[timeslip]

Gaming wise remember this platform probably has the biggest software library ever behind the PC that is...

​

Have to dissagree with that since PPC`s got all pretty much all the emulators the GP32`s got plus Amiga,GameBoy Advance and Playstation

 

[Memnoch]

Are there any forums dedicated to emulation on PPC that anyone can recommend?

 

[timeslip]

Are there any forums dedicated to emulation on PPC that anyone can recommend?

​

Try http://www.pdarcade.com/ or www.pocketgamer.com

 

[DaveC]

Gaming wise remember this platform probably has the biggest software library ever behind the PC that is...

​

Have to dissagree with that since PPC`s got all pretty much all the emulators the GP32`s got plus Amiga,GameBoy Advance and Playstation

​

Now only if they will make a PPC with decent controls, that would be nice.

 

[timeslip]

Gaming wise remember this platform probably has the biggest software library ever behind the PC that is...

​

Have to dissagree with that since PPC`s got all pretty much all the emulators the GP32`s got plus Amiga,GameBoy Advance and Playstation

​

Now only if they will make a PPC with decent controls, that would be nice.

​

I`d agree/disagree depending on what u want to play - Fast paced action game PPC controllers to generally suck compared to a proper joystick

BUT!

If you like Arcade,RPG,strategy,FPS,RTS then PPC with stylus is FAR better

 

[Divine Shadow]

Well thank you all for the replys..
im still very intrested in this console... but now also tempted to buy a ppc.
they are a bit more expensive tho.
one of my fav consoles is the megadrive..can the gp32 emulate it well?
i read some problems about it not running full speed yet. has anyone tried it with the 166mhz gp's? if so is it full speed with sound?.

cheers
dan

 

[jmetal88]

Well thank you all for the replys..
im still very intrested in this console... but now also tempted to buy a ppc.
they are a bit more expensive tho.
one of my fav consoles is the megadrive..can the gp32 emulate it well?
i read some problems about it not running full speed yet. has anyone tried it with the 166mhz gp's? if so is it full speed with sound?.

cheers
dan

​

Fgen32 does a marvelous job of Genesis (Megadrive) emulation. It does support sound, but only on some roms (or so I've heard). It gets pretty darn close to fullspeed without sound fs=0, and can even get to fullspeed without sound at a modest fs (2, perhaps, maybe 3 depending on the game, I'm using Sonic 3D Blast as my comparison point. The auto fs should work fine). On Sonic 3D Blast, though, I've noticed that the bonus stages appear scrambled and that you can see Sonic even if he's standing behind something, but other than that it is superb at Genesis emulation, and I would think that 2D games should work even better.

 

[Exo]

"Divine Shadow" a lexx fan maybe ?

Dose it have to be small ?

*In the UK choices are currently selling the classic Ngage for £79
N-gage its smaller and thiner than the Gp32 and can take 512mb MMC where the Gp32 is limited to 128mb and smaller Smart media cards (only downfall of the gp32)

There are a few emus and a movie player (the 3rd party movie player is better fullscreen support)

*You could always get a Sub-notebook
The libretto 70CT subnotebook and its around the size of a VHS tape has 32mb ram and a P120mhz cpu and a 1.6 gb hdd you can install any os you want it has a verry big / clear screen (640x480x16m) only avalible second hand but always on ebay normally sell less than a Gp32 (around £90 to £120 depending on accessories)

*If you want a "Multimedia Gadget" only for media theres the MUSTEK PVR-A1
http://uk.special.reserve.co.uk/q_GG6139_p..._media_pla.html

takes MMC and SD designed specifically for watching movies and from the look of it also records.
I have not tryed that myself but it looks good and got 9 out of 10