Personally I think the best thing of this new device will be the combination of touchscreen, keyboard, gamepads and pda capabilities
I agree the good thing about this device is its flexibility. I imagine everyone reads my line at least two, three times. "Did he say good?" Yeah i did. I think this device has potential. I don't quite agree with the current design, and time will tell if this design will work for them, or bite them in the rear. In all honesty i don't see this as a better device to run emulators on when compared to the GP2x F-200. Yes, it has more cpu power, but it still lacks a good space internal storage, and anything including the PSX and above tends to have large storage needs. SD memories can easy make the cost of the device double, just to get a meaningful storage space. On the other hand, a small internal harddrive has its own drawbacks, as power usage, heat, size, and so on. I see why they didn't add a harddrive.
To make it good as a PDA with the capabilities of a PDA, it has to come with official PDA software, that runs well, and supports the expected functions. Is there any open source alternatives that would work, or would that have to be made by the developers, and if so, would they stay true to the open concept? I have serious doubts about its capability to compete with PDA's from brands that have software ready and just takes it a step further. I could type forever, and try to explain how i go from here to my favorite issue the keyboard, but i wont. I've been told in one of the threads that regardless of how good points i have, my opinion isn't wanted, and, well, i didn't care to much about it, but i can stick to one concern at the time.
This can have the greatest hardware, and design ever, sacrificing a little gaming for PDA usability, and the other way, and still fail miserably, due to software issues. When you add PDA capabilities, you have to compete with all the PDA's out there, when you add gaming, to a PDA, with a full web browser, video playback, and the ability to run any software you like on it, your going to pull something amazing out of your ass so it doesn't get compared to laptops. The main argument I've heard so far "this will do everything my laptop does, but its smaller." I don't buy it. Smaller laptops could easily be accessible to everyone, if everyone wanted them. As it turns out, laptops with screens smaller then 12" are hard, not to say impossible to sell anywhere but the "third world." This device, as great as it may be, has a 4.3", and in a comparison, that alone is a problem. Yes, it's not a laptop, but what will reviewers compare it to? What will buyers think about when they look at buying it? In my mind its easy, (Oh crap, here goes my promise to stick to one concern) make sure its darn good at playing games. Lose the keyboard if you have to, replace it with a second touchscreen, and display a keyboard, or anything else you want there. Just make darn sure it plays games really well. It has to look like a good friend you just want to hold in your hands for hours at the time.
But i admit, my main use for this, is without a doubt, as a emulator for Nintendo and SEGA 8-32 bit console, with the addition of settlers and similar games from the Amiga. The last thing i need is a keyboard. I know not everyone else will use it in the same way, but i do think most will. I think the main selling point is, without a doubt, the ability to emulate games. Hell, the second and third largest issues aside from the keyboard people express with this, is the inability to turn it to the side and play games, and that it only has 2 shoulder buttons. Not necessary in that order.
Ok, for now, I'll shut up.
B!
