trooper
Trooper`s watching you !!!
The psp does not have a hardwired battery, It is a pop-out replaceable battery just like a mobile phone.
Just thought i`d clear that up.
Trooper
Just thought i`d clear that up.
Trooper
Tapwave Zodiac Versus Gp32
- Thread starter wild_eyed
- Start date
The psp does not have a hardwired battery, It is a pop-out replaceable battery just like a mobile phone.
Just thought i`d clear that up.
Trooper
Exactly! I wish people would get the facts right!!! 64% of people get 56% of things wrong 79% of their lives! And it really gets me going...
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Fishbong
man of poor reputation
Oh, don´t listen to me, i´m just stupid.
The problem is not the responsibility. It is the fact that if you push the stick in a direction (say, up.) and you don´t hit the direction more or less precisely, the Emulator will recognize it as a diagonal. Can be annoying at times, but you learn to avoid it...
But it doesn´t stop
Besides, all current PDA´s and mobile gaming devices have hard wired Batteries.
Does that mean that you´ll never buy modern portable devices anymore?
Noone forces you. But beware of the PSP, it has a hard wired battery :blink: !!!! Very evil !!!
No, really: if i had to decide between GP32 and Zod, i´d take a GP32. But i still love my Zod.
The other problem with the stick is that you need to press it so far to get it to register anything. This hurts response time. I did have a Zodiac and I never could get used to it. So I didn't play emus much. I used the GP32 for that.
The PSP and most PDAs have replaceable batteries. There is usually a door on the back to access it.
Yes the hard wired battery WILL stop. On average they say you get about 500 charges, after that you lose about 1/2 of the charging capacity and it declines fast from there. The chemicals in there change over time/use. With a PDA you must always be charging it or you will lose your data. They say that to store a LiIon battery correctly to avoid decay you should disconnect and store at about 50% power and top it off once a year. But in the case of the Z you can't remove the battery and it drains on its own so you are forced to kill it. That is the other thing that bothered me. If there are some games etc that you bought for the Z and wanted to play around with them in a couple of years you won't be able to because the battery will be gone, and Tapwave will likely be gone and/or the Z discontinued. It will be truly worthless. It is a limited lifespan disposable PDA.
RMA it? if you are not in the US but have a problem with the battery you will need to ship your Z back to the US for replacement. (you can't just get a new battery because it is custom made and soldered in) If they give you a different unit all of your games that are encrypted to your old unit won't work anymore. It just didn't seem worth the hassle to me.
The GP32 is forever, until they stop making AA batteries.
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mr twit
A can of spam!
How many times do people have to tell you, the only reason you had to push it far was because you configured it like that. You can configure it to respond to any amount of pushing, I have mine set up so that I only have to push the stick a millimeter or two in any direction to register it.
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Fishbong
man of poor reputation
No, No, DaveC is right; actually the Zod is a heap of crap, there´s no reason why anyone could enjoy it, all advantages of it are no match for the GP32´s digital controls and AA batteries.
The most shocking thing is that i can only charge it 500 times; that means if i continue using it like this it will ONLY last for about 2,7 years, thats horrible, i wanted to give it to my grandchildren.
Also, who could ever want a full-fledged Palm 5.2 device? Noone. Its not as if many people buy Palms with similar specs (but without the Zodiac´s special features) for higher prices (like the LifeDrive).
The most shocking thing is that i can only charge it 500 times; that means if i continue using it like this it will ONLY last for about 2,7 years, thats horrible, i wanted to give it to my grandchildren.
Also, who could ever want a full-fledged Palm 5.2 device? Noone. Its not as if many people buy Palms with similar specs (but without the Zodiac´s special features) for higher prices (like the LifeDrive).
Magellan
Member
I have a PDA from 1996 with a hardwired battery that still works fine, and last like new on a charge. Besides, even hardwired batteries are replaceable if you know what you are doing.
Drumaster
Certified Guru
I have both a GP32 BLU and a Zodiac 2.
I can say :
- I keep my BLU for emulation (DrMD 2.0 is unbeatable) but SNES emulation, MAME one and others are better on Z.
- MP3 and movie quality is SO FAR BETTER on the Zodiac, no way comparable (movies are perfect with Divx 5.2.1 256 kbps, sound in 64 kbps and 25 fps at resolution as 480x260).
- Commercial games are much better on the Zodiac even if they are not free (but cheap) and in a large number.
- Palm OS is an advantage as it has so many cool apps and games.
- Zodiac can have up to 4 GB of storage at once, 128 MB for the GP32.
Stop fighting about these 2 handhelds, they are 2 great, even if I really prefer the Zodiac now.
I can say :
- I keep my BLU for emulation (DrMD 2.0 is unbeatable
) but SNES emulation, MAME one and others are better on Z.- MP3 and movie quality is SO FAR BETTER on the Zodiac, no way comparable (movies are perfect with Divx 5.2.1 256 kbps, sound in 64 kbps and 25 fps at resolution as 480x260).
- Commercial games are much better on the Zodiac even if they are not free (but cheap) and in a large number.
- Palm OS is an advantage as it has so many cool apps and games.
- Zodiac can have up to 4 GB of storage at once, 128 MB for the GP32.
Stop fighting about these 2 handhelds, they are 2 great, even if I really prefer the Zodiac now.
I have both a GP32 BLU and a Zodiac 2.
I can say :
- I keep my BLU for emulation (DrMD 2.0 is unbeatable
- MP3 and movie quality is SO FAR BETTER on the Zodiac, no way comparable (movies are perfect with Divx 5.2.1 256 kbps, sound in 64 kbps and 25 fps at resolution as 480x260).
- Commercial games are much better on the Zodiac even if they are not free (but cheap) and in a large number.
- Palm OS is an advantage as it has so many cool apps and games.
- Zodiac can have up to 4 GB of storage at once, 128 MB for the GP32.
Stop fighting about these 2 handhelds, they are 2 great, even if I really prefer the Zodiac now.
What is this a one time zodiac basher turned raging Z fanboi
I guess none of this will matter when the PSP gets cracked.
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Fishbong
man of poor reputation
Why are you insulting him? He was very objective. Fanbboys aren´t objective.What is this a one time zodiac basher turned raging Z fanboi
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Drak
fff
Question Here plz answer
Umm... on the zodiac which emus are full speed currently? I would like to know how fast the genesis and snes ones are compared to that of gp32. I could imagine they are around the same? if not better. And is their a gba emu for zodiac?
Thx.
Drak
Umm... on the zodiac which emus are full speed currently? I would like to know how fast the genesis and snes ones are compared to that of gp32. I could imagine they are around the same? if not better. And is their a gba emu for zodiac?
Thx.
Drak
craigix
Mega GP Mania
I am also amazed by drumasters post.
amazed.
For me GP32 wins just because of DR.MD, add in PCengine etc. combined with AA batteries and its just what I want. Really simple to use too, no OS at all...
I'm into the simple things plug and play, the zodiac was too complex for my liking.
Bring on the new GP32...
-Craig
www.gbax.com
amazed.
For me GP32 wins just because of DR.MD, add in PCengine etc. combined with AA batteries and its just what I want. Really simple to use too, no OS at all...
I'm into the simple things
plug and play, the zodiac was too complex for my liking.Bring on the new GP32...
-Craig
www.gbax.com
onionfrog
Sir Cheapass Gamer
W00T! Go Craig!
zodiac seems a tad bit too expensive for me... Dont like the wired in battery either.. being able to just pop in some AA's and keep on gaming...
zodiac seems a tad bit too expensive for me... Dont like the wired in battery either.. being able to just pop in some AA's and keep on gaming...
Question Here plz answer
Umm... on the zodiac which emus are full speed currently? I would like to know how fast the genesis and snes ones are compared to that of gp32. I could imagine they are around the same? if not better. And is their a gba emu for zodiac?
Thx.
Drak
On the Z Snes is a bit faster due to the fact that it is a newer version but still far from perfect, Genesis is slower on the Z and has limited sound. GBA is unusable just like the GP32 version (slow, no sound, terrible compatability). All of the other emus are about the same. After fDay the GP32 will have near perfect versions of many emus. It will then come down to if you like the analog or not or if you need a PDA etc. If I were looking at getting a different handheld right now I would go for the PSP. It has a much brighter future than the Zodiac, and much more power (and the battery is removable
). The PSP is the most likely to get a perfect SNES and GBA emu someday in the future. The Z is too close to being the same to be worth it right now.It seems that the original poster was just spamming here for the Z to start a flame war. It always seems to work
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Squidge
Certified Guru
DaveC, please stop talking crap until you know the facts. The battery in the Zodiac is not custom and can be bought (Not from Tapwave, but it can be bought).
Also, it's not soldered in either, it's just placed inside and held there by the back cover, remove the back cover and it falls out - it's connected to the main motherboard by a standard connector which can be easily removed.
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Thank you for the info Squidge. This has been one point of confusion for me... I couldn't believe tapwave literally soldered in the battery... that'd be just plain retarded. I've been pondering a Z for so long now, it was actually a very close choice between the Z and the GP32 for me but everyone seemed to agree emulation on the GP was mostly better, and the idea of paying for emu's on the Z wasn't too thrilling. Mostly the issue was the Z's extremely high price... I understand that it is a really capable machine with the Palm OS so probably worth the price but I didn't know enough about what is out there for Palm to think it was a good choice.
I still want one though... it is a gorgeous machine IMO, but I can't justify another $400 on yet ANOTHER handheld that will serve mostly the same purpose as my GP. I need to find out some more info about what's out there for Palm OS....
I think the oppinions about the PSP being the better choice are probably the right way to go though... with 1.5 supposedly cracked and the PSP scene growing INCREDIBLY rapidly with new releases or updates almost every day... it really is gonna be huge, and everything up to SNES should run perfectly, also even Neo Geo CD is already running and will probably end up being perfect at some point. Mame will run much more than what can run on GP. PSP is gonna be THE handheld to own for homebrew and emu's... it's just a matter of time.
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Theres also Pocket PC and NGage and Gizmondo; I won't discuss NGage or Gizmondo further than mentioning them
I also use a Pocket PC a ton for gaming.
The Asus MyPal 620 should be a lot cheaper obviously than it was 2 years ago, on ebay it could be a bargain.
I have a 1 meg CF card on mine, tons of emulators and roms. GBA games work 100% speed (the majority), the sounds a bit iffy but for me i can play Mario and Mario Kart full speed on the GBA emulator so i'm happy with that.
A lot of MAME games eg Bombjack work very well, SNES games run perfectly (99% of them) and so do all the other emulators i use on it.
The best thing about the Asus MyPal 620 is the gaming control , one of the best on any PPC. The Dell Axims are very good and a great price but the gaming control isnt as good.
Been using the Asus for about 2 years, the pads getting a little bit worn but still totally okay.
For me that Pocket PC and the GP32 are the best for me for mobile gaming.
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Squidge
Certified Guru
Compusa are having a Zodiac sale this week. You can purchase the Zodiac 1 for $199 and Zodiac 2 for $299, both come with 4 free Zodiac games. If you can't get the Z2, then just go for the Z1, which is more than capable (you just have to store more on SD cards, and less in the internal ram).
More info:
http://www.emuboards.com/invision/index.php?showtopic=22534
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Hello,
I don't own a GP32 nor a Zodiac.
These are just my impressions about these two systems:
1) Both devices have an ARMV4 CPU (urgh... :blink: ).
The MC9328MX1 into the Zodiac has also the MMA acceleration, useful for movies decoding and matrix algebra.
2) I think it's nice to have AA batteries like in the GP32.
However I think that a circuit for charging batteries is missing.
It just need few discrete components; perhaps the company didn't it because they wanted to make it a bit cheaper and for preventing the explosion of non rechargable batteries. <_<
3) The Zodiac has an operating system, the GP32 doesn't.
The advantage for the Zodiac is that it can use many applications for that OS.
The advantege for the GP32 is that it can use the *full* processing power of the system and make things not possible with an OS.
4) The Zodiac has a bigger display.
In my opinion it could be a disadvantage, because it doesn't have any hardware acceleration.
It just doubles the number of pixels to calculate and draw on the screen by the CPU.
However, it could be also an advantage if you want to use it for watching movies, because it can use a more detailed resolution.
In addition, the Zodiac can use his DCT accelerator for improving the performance of the playback.
5) Both devices have a good number of accessories.
6) The Zodiac has more memory than the GP32 and better mass storage capacity.
About the ram size, some users upgraded their memory, althought it's surely difficult if not an impossible task if you aren't expert.
The mass storage could be improved too. I don't know how to do it, except some idea.
Conclusion: the topic asks what the best device is.
My vote is for the GP32.
It seems a normal sentence to put in a GP32 forum (eh eh :lol: ), however you must admit that these two consoles are almost aligned.
Each one has his advantages and disadvantages.
However, look the price: what's the best for your needs?
Don't forget that your needs are the first things you must consider before buying something.
So, if you want to be "entry level", go for a GP32.
Otherwise, if you want greater performance you can point your attention to some stronger devices like PSP or PocketPC with 3D acceleration (just wait a bit for lower prices on them too).
Sincerely,
LDChen
I don't own a GP32 nor a Zodiac.
These are just my impressions about these two systems:
1) Both devices have an ARMV4 CPU (urgh... :blink: ).
The MC9328MX1 into the Zodiac has also the MMA acceleration, useful for movies decoding and matrix algebra.
2) I think it's nice to have AA batteries like in the GP32.
However I think that a circuit for charging batteries is missing.
It just need few discrete components; perhaps the company didn't it because they wanted to make it a bit cheaper and for preventing the explosion of non rechargable batteries. <_<
3) The Zodiac has an operating system, the GP32 doesn't.
The advantage for the Zodiac is that it can use many applications for that OS.
The advantege for the GP32 is that it can use the *full* processing power of the system and make things not possible with an OS.
4) The Zodiac has a bigger display.
In my opinion it could be a disadvantage, because it doesn't have any hardware acceleration.
It just doubles the number of pixels to calculate and draw on the screen by the CPU.
However, it could be also an advantage if you want to use it for watching movies, because it can use a more detailed resolution.
In addition, the Zodiac can use his DCT accelerator for improving the performance of the playback.
5) Both devices have a good number of accessories.
6) The Zodiac has more memory than the GP32 and better mass storage capacity.
About the ram size, some users upgraded their memory, althought it's surely difficult if not an impossible task if you aren't expert.
The mass storage could be improved too. I don't know how to do it, except some idea.
Conclusion: the topic asks what the best device is.
My vote is for the GP32.
It seems a normal sentence to put in a GP32 forum (eh eh :lol: ), however you must admit that these two consoles are almost aligned.
Each one has his advantages and disadvantages.
However, look the price: what's the best for your needs?
Don't forget that your needs are the first things you must consider before buying something.
So, if you want to be "entry level", go for a GP32.
Otherwise, if you want greater performance you can point your attention to some stronger devices like PSP or PocketPC with 3D acceleration (just wait a bit for lower prices on them too).
Sincerely,
LDChen
This certainly does appear quite custom to me. I was mistaken about the solder part but I guess but this doesn't look to "off the shelf" to me. Where do you buy that? It certainly is no cellphone battery.
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