hehe... ever since the day I made the order, I've been calling my dad from work just to ask, "Is it there yet???"
Partially to annoy him, partially out of hope that it would be waiting for me till I got back.
Must admit I'm a bit scared though... all the reports of bad hardware/firmware make me imagine quite a bit of frustration ahead... >_<
Dude, it's not THAT bad. Are there problems? Yes. Are they really that much of a downer to the fun that you will have with the thing? Hell no. Here it is in a nutshell...
Joystick doesn't read correctly, registers diagnals, doesn't read right/left correctly: It's not perfect, but truth be told, once I got used to it I was good to go. Is it really a firmware/software issue? No. I really don't think that it is, but you can deal with it. Get used to it and you'll be fine. If not then make a new joystick mod that will wow us all or order one from Dave C!
Headphone jack is a POS: Well, um.. Yeah.. It kinda is. Mine didn't fall in like some folk's did, though mine too is a First Edition, but I'll be damned if I can find a set of headphones that actually fit the jack! Either I push em in all the way and hear jack-shit, or I pull em half way out and can hear on the phone and from the speakers too! Damn. Not perfect, but not really that important as long as I don't give a shit about inflicting my music on everyone else, which, you might guess, I don't.
Screen is shite/scanlines/too bright, etc.: Firmware issue. Download the CPU Tweaker and fix it yourself. I could care. I think the screen is fine and I have, as I mentioned above, one of the first editions. Mine has some weird light and dark zones on the screen. Couldn't care less! I'm an early adopter and couldn't be happier.
A,B,X,Y, buttons too small: This is an old complaint, and to it I say. Fuck ya. They're fine.
Firmware is shite/they haven't released the source/the update bricked my GP2X etc.: To this I say, if you had the balls to be an early adopter and also had the balls to try to update your firmware and further had the balls not to figure out how to go about it without fucking up your unit then you deserve every damn thing you got. Bricked unit? Sux2BU! As far as the firmware updates or lack thereof, deal with it. GPH is a little slow, but I'll bet that in the end they get their shit together and all will be well and all will be well and all manner of thing they will be well. Personally, I dig firmware 1.2.1. It's all good in the neighborhood as far as I'm concerned. To the people whining about the goddam GPL license crap and how GPH hasn't released the source, you need to listen to some people who have a clue, like CraigIX and sit back and wait. Again, Sux2BU. It's not killing you that they haven't released yet, is it? Nope, you're still playing MAME and DRDMX and SQUIDGESNES and every other damn thing out there, aren't you? Yes, you are. Shut up already. It'll be out when it's out and the world will keep turning and the sun will keep shining and we'll keep playing kick ass old school games and emu and all the rest. Love.
No USB to PC transfer without a cardreader: Newsflash, some people have it and some people don't. Oh well. It's faster with my cardreader anyway! Go figure. Again, this is a firmware issue and it should eventually (I say eventually as it's not that bloody important) resolved. 'Nuff said.
Enough. I can't think of anything else.
TKF15Hz: Fear not, brother. It's all little nit-pickie shit that will be resolved eventually. You made the right choice. You'll love your GP2X. When you get it slide me a quick PM and I'll help you with anything you need.
BTW: In the above rant I repeatedly used the term "You" and "Ya" and other words as if I was speaking to or of a specific person. I was not. Instead I was speaking to a group of people at large. Who, you might ask? I was speaking to the doomsayers, the naysayers, and the smack-talkers. If you fall into this catagory then you deserve to feel put upon, slighted and slandered, because that was exactly my intention. Does it hurt to be you? I hope so. If you aren't one of these people, i.e. one of the helpful people like CraigIX, DaveC (some say you are negative but I hear you preachin' the truth) Squidge, Franxis, and other devers, and other random posters that aren't jerks, then you are not who I am talking to/about and you should feel good about yourself, because you have done a lot to help this community. Thanks!
That's it.
Have a great night all, and enjoy your GP2Xs.
Peace.
Pariah B)