To F200 Or Not F200....

[h3dge]

I am new to the handheld scene, but have been an avid computer gamer and more recently a console gamer. I am interested in the gp2x but I'm not sure which model to get. The f200 looks interesting, but i do have concerns...can anyone give their perspective on these issues:

1. I understand that the f200 is different enough from the f100 that it warrants coding changes in many applications. What is the general opinion of development community on this matter? Are these changes likely to happen, or is there not enough of a population of f200 users to warrant the work? Are there apps/games that are popular but no longer under active development that would leave them unsupported on the f200?

2. How big an issue is the missing stick-click?

3. Will there ever be a large f200 population of users or do you see the majority of users skipping the f200 and going to Pandora?

4. I have heard some grumblings of hardware failure on the f200s. Is there an issue or not?

5. What is the likelyhood that the model I recieve can be overclocked enough for emulation? I have heard 250 Mgz is ideal, but I have read that some people cannot overclock to this speed.

6. In light of these questions, does it make more sense to buy an f100 or f200?


Any other insights are welcome. Thanks for your help...

-h3dge

 

[slaanesh]

1. I understand that the f200 is different enough from the f100 that it warrants coding changes in many applications. What is the general opinion of development community on this matter? Are these changes likely to happen, or is there not enough of a population of f200 users to warrant the work? Are there apps/games that are popular but no longer under active development that would leave them unsupported on the f200?

It seems to be a sound sample number issue. The F-100 seems to support any arbitrary number of samples whereas the F-200 is fuzzy and likes even multiples of 11025.

2. How big an issue is the missing stick-click?

Virtually none.

3. Will there ever be a large f200 population of users or do you see the majority of users skipping the f200 and going to Pandora?

There will be enought F-200 users I believe.

4. I have heard some grumblings of hardware failure on the f200s. Is there an issue or not?

Mine is fine. But just like the F-100 there will be a fair share of issues. It's a bit of pot-luck as to whether you get a good one or not. I'd say that more than 95% would be ok.

5. What is the likelyhood that the model I recieve can be overclocked enough for emulation? I have heard 250 Mgz is ideal, but I have read that some people cannot overclock to this speed.

Seems that 280Mhz is commonly what F-200s overclock to which is more than ample.

6. In light of these questions, does it make more sense to buy an f100 or f200?

F-200 is the current model. If you want to develop go with the F-100. If you want to game, F-200

 

[DaveC]

3. Will there ever be a large f200 population of users or do you see the majority of users skipping the f200 and going to Pandora?
-h3dge

I would buy the GP2X for what you see now and not what MIGHT be comming out in the future. There is alot now that is good. Just DON'T buy one to emulate: PSX, PC-Engine, Amiga. Those emus are not very fast, and PSX will never be.

 

[hal9000]

6. In light of these questions, does it make more sense to buy an f100 or f200?

F-200 reads SDHC. On F-100 you need to update the kernel, which is not straightforward and slightly risky.
This is an important issue I think.