Planning To Buy A Gp2x

[knoeki]

hi everyone! \o

I'm finally planning to buy a GP2X, most likely the F200, but before I do, I got a few quick questions here for you...

- how does the transfering work? do I plug a USB cable from GP2X >> laptop, or do I need to get a SD card reader for my laptop?
- is there any 'noting' software available? it would be nice to make notes on it, especially with the touchscreen.
- which filesystem do the flashcards use? just plain FAT32, or do I need to make them ext2/3?
- I noticed that there are some apps available like webbrowsers ( links ). there is no WiFi in the GP2X, however ( from what I understand ). how does this work?
- is it possible to 'lock' the machine when playing music, for example? since it's in my pocket at such times, it would be nice to be able to lock it so I don't accidentally press any buttons ;_)
- I've seen some really cool skins around for the main menu. however, some are for older firmwares ( such as this one ). will it still work on newer firmware, or do I need to downgrade? and will downgrading have any consequences on the way the GP2X works?


I'm looking forward to the answers and holding this wonderful device in my hands :_) maybe I'll even support it with some code/graphics if I'm not too 'busy' with c64 coding/graphics ;_)

 

[gruso]

Hi and welcome!

- how does the transfering work? do I plug a USB cable from GP2X >> laptop, or do I need to get a SD card reader for my laptop?
With a card inserted, the GP2X shows up as an external drive on the PC. Transfer speeds are decent. Formatting cards needs to be done with a card reader though.

- is there any 'noting' software available? it would be nice to make notes on it, especially with the touchscreen.
I don't think there are any standalone apps doing that, I could be wrong. Of course Qtopia and GPE include it, but they're a bit big/slow if all you want is some notepad action. There is a "PDA graffiti" style app in the works. The touchscreen is relatively new, and the devs are just now starting to do some cool things with it. (See "Space Varments", a game by Ruckage. Awesome).

- which filesystem do the flashcards use? just plain FAT32, or do I need to make them ext2/3?
Plain old FAT32 has done the job for me.

- I noticed that there are some apps available like webbrowsers ( links ). there is no WiFi in the GP2X, however ( from what I understand ). how does this work?
A driver has been ported for USB wifi adaptors with a particular chipset. More info on the wiki.

- is it possible to 'lock' the machine when playing music, for example? since it's in my pocket at such times, it would be nice to be able to lock it so I don't accidentally press any buttons ;_)
Yep! Essential feature, that.

- I've seen some really cool skins around for the main menu. however, some are for older firmwares ( such as this one ). will it still work on newer firmware, or do I need to downgrade? and will downgrading have any consequences on the way the GP2X works?
If you downgrade your firmware, you lose touchscreen functionality. Forget the factory crap though, what you really want is Gmenu2x.

 

[Yos-T]

QUOTE

- how does the transfering work? do I plug a USB cable from GP2X >> laptop, or do I need to get a SD card reader for my laptop?


Both ways work, but a card reader is much faster.

QUOTE

- is there any 'noting' software available? it would be nice to make notes on it, especially with the touchscreen.


There's a terminal emulator with vi. There is an X windows port with Abiword, I think

QUOTE

- which filesystem do the flashcards use? just plain FAT32, or do I need to make them ext2/3?


FAT

QUOTE

- I noticed that there are some apps available like webbrowsers ( links ). there is no WiFi in the GP2X, however ( from what I understand ). how does this work?


You can do offline browsing. Also the F100 has USB networking support.

QUOTE

- is it possible to 'lock' the machine when playing music, for example? since it's in my pocket at such times, it would be nice to be able to lock it so I don't accidentally press any buttons ;_)


Some software supports this, but there is no hardware switch to lock the device.

QUOTE

- I've seen some really cool skins around for the main menu. however, some are for older firmwares ( such as this one ). will it still work on newer firmware, or do I need to downgrade? and will downgrading have any consequences on the way the GP2X works?


Probably yes, but you are going to want to use GMenu2X anyway.

 

[knoeki]

wow, thanks for the quick answers! :_)

I got one more question though..

QUOTE
Formatting cards needs to be done with a card reader though.


are SD cards pre-formatted when I buy them, or am I going to have to buy a card reader for this purpose only?

 

[juanvvc]

- how does the transfering work? do I plug a USB cable from GP2X >> laptop, or do I need to get a SD card reader for my laptop? Both systems work, but you'll find that a card reader is easier, quicker and more comfortable.
- is there any 'noting' software available? You can use sterm to access to the internal Vi editor, and you can use the on screen keyboard to edit text with the touchpad. Vi is a very powerful text editor, but not really user friendly.
- which filesystem do the flashcards use? ext2 works, but FAT32 is preferred.
- I noticed that there are some apps available like webbrowsers. there is no WiFi You can connect both the F100 and F200 to the world with a cable. The F100 uses the miniUSB port on the console and the f200 uses the serial or USB port on the cradle. Anyway, networking is only useful for developers, not for common users.
- is it possible to 'lock' the machine when playing music? Indeed.
- will themes still work on newer firmware, or do I need to downgrade? Nobody figured out how to easily manage themes with the new F200 menu. Current themes only work for old firmwares, but if you downgrade the F200 you'll lose many functionalities as the touchpad. If you want to personalize your Gp2x, use alternative menus such as GMenu2x.
- are SD cards pre-formatted when I buy them? Most likely. I'm pretty sure that you can format the SD cards through the USB cable with a Linux box. Anyway, a card reader costs 3$ and I strongly recommend buying one.

 

[Null]

- is there any 'noting' software available? it would be nice to make notes on it, especially with the touchscreen.

Another one to add to the pot, GP2X-Write

are SD cards pre-formatted when I buy them

Yes, at least in my experience.

 

[knoeki]

okay, so GMenu2x sounds like the way to go then. I'll probably also buy me a card-reader, if that makes everything easier ;_)

Also, using Vi(m) for making quick notes seems a bit painful. I can use it a bit, but I'd rather use something like nano ( also commandline ). I guess I'll just have to try out some apps when I get my GP2X, after all, you can't really know what *I* find comfortable to use ;_) ( suggestions are welcome, of course! :_) )

EDIT: another question:

batteries... I hear different things about this... something like normal batteries not being good enough, though rechargeables are? I don't really get it... do I need rechargeable batteries, or are standard ones fine too?

 

[juanvvc]

Surprisingly, since nano, pico, joe and so use lots of CTRL and ALT, they are more difficult to use than vi with an on screen keyboard

do I need rechargeable batteries, or are standard ones fine too?

A standard battery lasts for about 5 minutes and 1 hour if it is alkaline. They cost 3$ for one shot. Any first brand rechargeable battery lasts between 3 and 5 hours and costs 10$ for several hundred recharges. You choose.

 

[imhotep]

Look for 2500 to 2700 mAh rechargeables. They last about 4 hours of constant use.