Why Wait For Gp3x? Great $ Making Opportunity - Let Us Invest In

[A_SN]

The only reason we use fixed point now instead of float is simply because floating point is so slow (due to no dedicated FPU). However, if the new hardware had built in 3D hardware, then would become less of an issue.

My point exactly

I'm with Squidge - the number one things people will want out of a new platform is a much faster CPU (with FPU would definitely be good, VFPU even better), fast RAM, sophisticated/useful accelerated video hardware (audio doesn't hurt either) and then basically something with as few obvious design flaws as possible.

While I agree with all of this, I think there's something about as crucial as performance that you've left out, it's the screen resolution. There's a world of differences between what you can do with 320x240 and what you can do with 640x480. I mean it, it's huge, I can't stress this enough.

A lot of people also don't want to run AA batteries on a handheld device, and I'm sure whatever succeeds GP2X will be using a more modern solution. AA's are a pain, you have to constantly swap them out and charge them. Unless the device has a charger, of course.

I for one like AA's. I think the perfect solution would be, as you mentionned, a built-in charger. Nothing can top that, it combines the versatility of AA batteries with the convenience of just pluging the whole thing without opening or anything. The only annoying thing left is the shape of such batteries which are far from flat.

 

[Exophase]

UMMM guys there is a thing called a dell axim v51. It has a 600mhz processor and 3d card touchscreen and can you can many mods for controllers and etc and has usb. You can also flash linux on it or you can leave windows mobile on it. It has camera gps mic and much more. to bad dell is not selling them anymore but you can buy them anywhere online. :]
also does anyone know anythng about the chinese company shanda whic makes one station.

I don't see a camera, microphone, GPS, or a standard USB controller on my x50v (and x51 is just x50 with a newer version of Windows Mobile and more ROM). I also haven't seen any controller solutions that are even the slightest bit respectable save for an expensive bluetooth controller. Even that still plays with the thing in portrait mode. What would be nice is a solution that pretty much appends a square controller beneath it, with a cradle that lets you tilt the unit itself. And possibly the ability to do this in portrait or landscape mode (include two cradle addons?) But I don't see anyone doing such a thing, so until then most PocketPCs will have awful controls.

I haven't done any coding on it yet, but I fear that the high processing speeds will be crippled by the slow RAM.

 

[Alex.]

I mean it, it's huge.

The price difference, right?

And how is swapping AA's more inconvenient than having to wait a whole cycle for the built-in battery to charge without being able to use the unit, unless perhaps tethered to a wall? Unless of course you could have detachable batteries, but then you might as well go with an established standard (AA).

 

[Exophase]

While I agree with all of this, I think there's something about as crucial as performance that you've left out, it's the screen resolution. There's a world of differences between what you can do with 320x240 and what you can do with 640x480. I mean it, it's huge.

Fair enough, but I think the machine needs to be able to do 320x240 in hardware without a speed penalty (unlike some platforms out there). If there is hardware scaling then this becomes a non-issue anyway. For many 2D games and emulators people will probably want to continue using 320x240. For 3D 640x480 is a given, unless it's too slow.

 

[A_SN]

I mean it, it's huge.

The price difference, right?


Also, unfortunately. But I think 320x240 would be an awful choice for a circa 2009 handheld console, and 640x480 would be fabulous.

Fair enough, but I think the machine needs to be able to do 320x240 in hardware without a speed penalty (unlike some platforms out there). If there is hardware scaling then this becomes a non-issue anyway. For many 2D games and emulators people will probably want to continue using 320x240. For 3D 640x480 is a given, unless it's too slow.

I do not imagine an hypothetical GP3X with a 640x480 screen with anything short of something at least as powerful as the MMSP2 we have here which can easily scale in hardware. If we have such a thing then the 320x240 question will be a non-issue.

 

[Exophase]

I mean it, it's huge.

The price difference, right?

And how is swapping AA's more inconvenient than having to wait a whole cycle for the built-in battery to charge without being able to use the unit, unless perhaps tethered to a wall? Unless of course you could have detachable batteries, but then you might as well go with an established standard (AA).


Of course the batteries should be detatchable. It should also be possible to charge it from an external pack (solutions like this are available for PSP, some of them are very convenient). It's not swapping AA's that's inconvenient, it's that you have to have a charger with you. The device itself should be doing the charging. The other benefit of this is that it ensures you actually get an AC adapter with the unit too.

Using AA packs for this may be okay, but then you have complications, like if the user tries to stick non-rechargeable AAs into the unit. And with all of the crappy AA batteries out there users would probably benefit overall from just having a standard battery to use. Standard doesn't have to mean proprietary, but it'd be best if the battery specs were at least somewhat fixed.

Besides, you implied that AAs would give you inferior charge over other solutions anyway, so that'd be an obvious disadvantage.

 

[craigix]

You should consider that it isn't just a case of saying we want a 640*480 screen and assuming you can have one.

It is very unlikely you would ever get sharp to let you use their screen, and they are the only (well known) manufacturer of such a screen.

Sharp only deal with approved 3rd parties, and they will not sell to people making what they see as unknown devices.

480*272 will probably be as high as you can go at the moment.

 

[A_SN]

You should consider that it isn't just a case of saying we want a 640*480 screen and assuming you can have one.

It is very unlikely you would ever get sharp to let you use their screen, and they are the only (well known) manufacturer of such a screen.

Sharp only deal with approved 3rd parties, and they will not sell to people making what they see as unknown devices.

480*272 will probably be as high as you can go at the moment.

Insightful. However, as I think it would be foolish to try making such a console in 2007, and wiser in 2009-2010, by then Sharp most likely won't be the only one to do that.

 

[craigix]

By 2009 I doubt you will be able to get any hires screens in anything other than widescreen, most likely the standard will be 800*480, even now all the manufacturers are moving over to wide screen.

Which brings up a difficult situation for emulation fans.

 

[Julius]

Well 640x480 is a perfect subset of 800x480 so that should be just fine.

 

[craigix]

Introducing DaveC ...

 

[g8rpal]

It's nice to see some real discussion going on here! I thought this post would die quickly after seeing some of the negative comments at first. Ok, so great $ making opportunity may have not been the best title.

I think the Virtual COGS project looks very promising and I am leaning towards agreeing with one of the posters about keeping it Linux instead of X86. I also agree that trying to do too much (touchscreen, gps, etc.) are more likely to cause the project to be too ambitious and fail. That being said, I still believe an integrated keyboard is essential.

I think that 320x240 is just fine (for now) unless there was a way to easily switch resolutions so the emulators don't have to scale.

(I wonder if this post has caught the attention of GPH.)

 

[A_SN]

and I am leaning towards agreeing with one of the posters about keeping it Linux instead of X86.

Do you realise how senseless this claim sounds? Linux instead of x86? I don't have the courage to try to figure out what you could possibly mean nor to explain to you why this claim is invalid, I only hope you'll figure out on your own actually .

By 2009 I doubt you will be able to get any hires screens in anything other than widescreen, most likely the standard will be 800*480, even now all the manufacturers are moving over to wide screen.

Which brings up a difficult situation for emulation fans.

Well that's interesting, although a bit weird, it's not such a huge problem, considered that you can easily have 640x480 on a 800x480 screen. The only shameful thing is that we might not necessarily want an elongated console just like the PSP.. Oh well, keep 60 pixels on each side of the screen under the plastic, and only use 640x480

 

[rememberthe8bit]

Oh well, keep 60 pixels on each side of the screen under the plastic, and only use 640x480

Yeah, use them for a jury-rigged Ambilight, like on those LCD televisions. :lol:

 

[TelcoLou]

>>snip<<

(I wonder if this post has caught the attention of GPH.)

Here's the problem as I see it ... NOTHING catches their attention. They still have no clue what we use this device for, nor do they care. We still have to rely on user-invented mods and updates to improve what we already have (poor joystick design, cradle case needs 'dremeling' to access ports) ... the only thing GPH had going for it was capital so they could buy parts in bulk

 

[A_SN]

Oh well, keep 60 pixels on each side of the screen under the plastic, and only use 640x480

Yeah, use them for a jury-rigged Ambilight, like on those LCD televisions. :lol:


Haha yeah, if you have a half transparent case, using some simple algorithm you could achieve such an effect. Might lead to cool stuff actually

 

[scientist]

as long as it can emulate PSP2, I'm happy :rolleyes:

 

[fargo]

I think there is no hope after Sony price the new PSP (w/TV-out) at $169

Good luck.

 

[Exophase]

as long as it can emulate PSP2, I'm happy :rolleyes:

Actually thought you might have been serious for a second.

 

[StarG]

Using a x86 system to build a handheld? Seriously, guys you have to be kidding.

Have you ever considered the energy consumption? Even if the CPU would consume as low as 6-8watts (which is fairly realistial for lower clocked VIA cpus)

STFU n00b

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geode_(processor)



For those too lazy to read that, it's more like 0.8W



I'm sure you're not talking about the Geode NX. Real world tests have yielded in like 50-60 watts consumption with different components active (hdd's for example).

About Geode LX which appears to be one you are adressing (my memory slipped those low clocked brethren) it really seems to be in battery acceptable range. So far so good. Btw don't you let you fool by the "@x.xW" tag. The maximal power is higher than AMD might want you to fool into...

QUOTE

LX 700@0.8W: clock speed: 433 MHz, with power consumption: 1.3 watts. (TDP 3.1 W)



An interesting point is that the OLPC mini-notebooks uses this kind of cpu. But those use a good heavy accu pack as you need in a notebook. (i think it was planned to have it run on 14 aa cells too - anyone can confirm this?)

Btw... next time be a bit less rude. Thx