Suggested Improvements And Inside Info?

[vaustein]

Hi all,

This would be more appropriate for the bulletin board at GP2X.com. However, new user registration has a fatal flaw; attempting to create a new username pops up a "verify your existing username" dialog. It's an infinite recursion problem.

Since it appears the hardware is due to be upgraded, with new joystick/d-pad and new sourcing for LCDs and NAND memory, I've sorted the major issues descending order of importance (to me). Since many of you have some connections to the GP2X dev team, can you offer some guidance about when the following will be implemented?

- SMP support, enabling multiprocessing across the two ARM CPUs, solving many of the speed problems with some emulation. Doesn't solve 3D acceleration issues, but then at <$200, 3D acceleration is somewhat unrealistic. Performance is king.

- Brick-free firmware updates. Wasn't a problem with the GP32?

- Joystick replaced, possibly with something resembling the original GP32 control or DaveC's hardware mod.

- Battery life. With rechargeable batteries and the AC adapter, this needn't be a big deal. Although, it is odd that the GP2X draws less power than the GP32 reportedly did.

Anyhow, I'll be buying a GP2X next month after completing pre-graduation work. I have no interest in a PSP because of the reliance on UMD/MP4, active opposition by Sony to community development, and 0% interest in commercial content for that system.

 

[vaustein]

BTW, in another thread, many current GP32 owners prefer their GP32 to the GP2X, mostly because of better battery life and joypad precision. I don't mean to undermine the hard work and dedication of the GP2X engineers, but did the more creative members of the GP32 design team stay with GP when GPH split off? The GP2X guys are struggling with problems the GP32 didn't have.

 

[Vimacs]

- SMP support, enabling multiprocessing across the two ARM CPUs, solving many of the speed problems with some emulation. Doesn't solve 3D acceleration issues, but then at <$200, 3D acceleration is somewhat unrealistic. Performance is king.

​

Impossible, the 940 dosnt have a mmu.

- Brick-free firmware updates. Wasn't a problem with the GP32?

​

the risk of brickin uboot is near 0 (leavng apart autobrick wich isnt a issue anymore if you sue arts uboot)
so i would say getting a total birck is pretty hard.

- Joystick replaced, possibly with something resembling the original GP32 control or DaveC's hardware mod.

​

Maybe the cap will be changed, thats about it.

- Battery life. With rechargeable batteries and the AC adapter, this needn't be a big deal. Although, it is odd that the GP2X draws less power than the GP32 reportedly did.

​

what makes you think that? gp32 drew 300ma, gp2x draws 500-1000.

Anyhow, I'll be buying a GP2X next month after completing pre-graduation work. I have no interest in a PSP because of the reliance on UMD/MP4, active opposition by Sony to community development, and 0% interest in commercial content for that system.

​

try the search function next time, it works wonders.

 

[vaustein]

Thanks for the reply.

According to the ARM Architecture Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture), there is an MMU embedded in each ARM chip. I'm not yet convinced that multiprocessing on the GP2X is impossible.

As for using "the search function next time", how do you think I found out about firmware upgrade issues, etc., in the first place?

 

[theoddbot]

According to the ARM Architecture Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture), there is an MMU embedded in each ARM chip. I'm not yet convinced that multiprocessing on the GP2X is impossible.

Try reading it again. Pay close attention to the differences between the 920T and the 940T.

 

[Paradox]

That, and since when was wikipedia a reliable source of information anyway?