Wikipad : an Hybrid Transformer style gaming console/tablet.


scaramouche

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Jan 14, 2009
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Montevideo, URUGUAY
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I get this one just thinking " i need a tablet, it will probably will be a good tablet but as a game console will be a torture". 

Once the box was in my hands my mind start changing ... and continue changing with every thing i discover on that gem.

Open box reveals a very well designed, high quality and proffesional presentation:

img_20131002_015645.jpg



Now, the "joystick attachment" is not like a Moga style accesory... it is full ergonomic (lt feels comfortable as a WII-U gamepad) also it has 2 extra batteries and a nice pair of speaker under the screen, so it is more like a FULL HANDHELD you will feel as an UNITY . So wen you want to play , you have all what you need to play and this includes a TEGRA 3 , an IPS HD screen (gorilla glass military technology, i rush it with a coin and as you can see you can t noticed is impossible to mark that crystal) , 2 analogue triggers, 2 analogue sticks, 2 digital triggers and 4 action buttons.

It is compatible with all the ANDROID TEGRA games, also is the only no-sony gaming device with official PLAY STATION MOBILE STORE integration so you can play gems like SIXTY SECOND SHOOTER on it on a bigger screen than the VITA and with better controls.
img_20131002_021618.jpg

It has bluetooth 4, a real GPS with GLONAS constellation support  and a frontal 2 mp camera perfect to make some video chats. Because wen you need to work.. you dont need to keep the game console.. you can use the MORPHING function, and deatach all the gaming sh.. all the gaming stuff and turn this console into an innocent and cool tablet smaller than a Nexus.

The concept of  HARDWARE MORPHING is the same like in the XPERIA PLAY: you can see an innocent cell phone.. then you move pieces and turn it on some kind of PSP GO. Here you have the same idea: an innocent tablet, you attach the second half and you have a WII-U gamepad but with a very long battery life and the freedom to play everywere.
img_20131002_021211.jpg

It is a different concept than the Nvidia Shield but can be compared in terms of quality. Keep in mind Shield is a CONSOLE ONLY device, and this one is an Hybrid same way as Zodiac, Nokia Ngage or Xperia Play r800i are...

To keep it simple: it is a GREAT game console with great emulation (same level as the Shield) , great commercial games (most Shield games can be played here as well, plus the Mobile Store and the Onlive cloud gaming integration)  and an interesting deal signed with the GAIKAI streaming cloud gaming service.. .now bought by SONY. That means in near future WIKIPAD will have compatibility with the announced PS3 and PS4 streaming services announced by Sony trough GAIKAI.

As a Tablet it is a GREAT TABLET, a high end one, at same level as any Samsung tablet around and probably better than Nexus (micro SD slot, larger battery life, smaller...)

I love it and want to share with the community these exclusive photos. :)

More info about the wikipad on the official site : http://wikipad.com

img_20131002_023739.jpg
 
Nice device, sadly no Tegra 4. D-Pad + Buttons made out of metal or just painted plastic? Looks cool but I had this Idea already years ago for the Pandora, I knew I should have patented it.   :D "Scratch-resistant military-grade IPS screen", another thing I would like to see onto the Pandora too. B)
 
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Outdated hardware and way overpriced was a good idea in 2011 but has taken to long to get to market £265  best of luck selling that in the current market
 
Outdated hardware and way overpriced was a good idea in 2011 but has taken to long to get to market £265  best of luck selling that in the current market

Sadly, it suffers the same faith like the Pandora.
 
Nice device, sadly no Tegra 4. D-Pad + Buttons made out of metal or just painted plastic? Looks cool but I had this Idea already years ago for the Pandora, I knew I should have patented it.   :D "Scratch-resistant military-grade IPS screen", another thing I would like to see onto the Pandora too. B)
I full agree with all what you mention. The triggers and DPAD feels like metal... if there is plastic, it is covered by metal. I am not same sure about action buttons, but let me check further. It is not a PERFECT item, but it is a COOL item and concept: to put work appart from games, and do both things well. Anyway, TEGRA 3 is powerful enough to run all today... it is the SHIELD that turned ALL the gaming consoles outdated because the SHIELD is 5 years advanced on current market, in same sense the Gizmondo and the Zodiac were. Imagine the Gizmondo... GPS , camera, GSM and AR on a console on that years????  Of course we all know most portable consoles were a commercial failure. And the best ones included. 


At this moment the WIKIPAD is doing well, launched in UK some days ago  after a moderate success in the US (it is a LOCAL console remember) , they made a good move joining a deal with GAIKAI. If the SONY streaming service is good enough, WIKIPAD will be the best way for cloud gaming. Also the MOBILE STORE was a good move.. sharing a full catalogue with the VITA and XPERIA PLAY is not something any other console can show as an argument... btw , if you want to play MOBILE STORE games on your TV with real buttons, the WIKIPAD is the only options as long the others don´t have tv out and the tablets supporting MOBILE STORE don´t have physical controls.


The price,... ok try to buy a Nexus and a Moga controller... make numbers... and compare quality. Then talk me if the price is reasonable or not. ;)
 
From my perspective wikipad should have just concentrated on the controller + software and made it so it could be used with existing 7" / 8" tablets.

Not sure you can consider the Shield 5 years ahead of the game, let's see what sort of hardware is being used 5 years from now.

Looks like a neat device though, good to hear that build quality is up to scratch.
 
From my perspective wikipad should have just concentrated on the controller + software and made it so it could be used with existing 7" / 8" tablets.


Not sure you can consider the Shield 5 years ahead of the game, let's see what sort of hardware is being used 5 years from now.


Looks like a neat device though, good to hear that build quality is up to scratch.
Good point, but this sector of the market is already taken by NYKO and MOGA... a game controller is not something new, the cool thing about the wikipad is in fact it is a FULL CONSOLE you can split in 2 parts. So they ensure it is optimized for some titles. Not every tablet can run games like BURN ZOMBIE BURN, DEAD TRIGGER, DEAD ON ARRIVAL or SHADOWGUN (i mean on the THD versions of course) . 


I am not sure if the SHield is 5 years ahead, but is exactly the idea wen it was developed: to launch a console that will be not outdated at least for 5 years. (this is specifically mentioned by SHIELD team) Wen i play games like ARMA TACTICS on the SHIELD, and see that kind of graphics, right now... not even pushing the TEGRA 4 chip,...i believe yes, it will take a while before an Android game can be TOO MUCH for the shield. I don´t know if 5 years, but consider this: only the game KILLZONE MERCENARY (recently launched) pushes the VITA up to its posibillies... how longer was the VITA in the Market?  Now the Shield come and is capable to share titles with VITA and PS3 without any concerns...  DEAD TRIGGER 2 is on the corner with breathtaking graphics and a full new concept (global online zombie survival) and is just the first game we can consider "developed from 0 with the Shield in mind" (at least with TEGRA 4 in mind)


In terms of emulation: WII and GAMECUBE is near playable on the Shield from ports based on previous devices. Now the Shield is playing the emu is turning more and more playable (GPL 3 will be supported by the Shield) . It may take 2 years, 3 years for an emu to put a new platform on the portable gaming orbit, It will be the first time we have WII/GAMECUBE emulation.. i see no problem about Shield emulating DREAMCAST as long it runs a lot of SEGA NAOMI titles... come on it has quadcore + 1 with a real active cooler on the back , like a gamer PC! And at this moment you need to use it more than 24 hs to listen the small cooler starting. 


Wikipad is PRESENT, it has all the options a good tablet has today. It is the best among the gaming tablets (ARCHOS 1, BITT QWARE, JXD S7100, JXD S7300, YINLIPS and his clones and even the WIIU GAMEPAD if you consider it a Gametablet) in terms of quality , catalogue and emulation power.  Also is the answer for a common dilema "i like to play , i like an hybrid but i don´t want to mix things...". ZOdiac failure was about nobody liked a Palm that looks like a GBA. NGAGE QD for same reasons... the first smart answer to this problem (the MR JEKYLL and MR HYDE GAMER dilema) was the Xperia Play. And WIKIPAD is the second smart answer: i love to play, i want to use same device for working, but i don´t want to go at work with an EVIDENT CONSOLE. 


Ok , now.. we have the SHIELD. The SHield is present and FUTURE, and the advantage if you have a wikipad is you can buy titles and share in both devices. Personally i feel the WIKIPAD like the SHIELD XL and together makes a good combo to play same titles on a different way(by now, in one year or 2 SHield will playt titles no other console will be able to play.. this is real now about titles like ARMA TACTICS, BLOOD SWORD, etc) 


Now: what i feel can be fixed on WIKIPAD?


- a mapper (is coming).. yes there are some very cool titles (GUNSLINGER, RAVENSWORD , D.A.R.K.) that don´t give a rat ass about put effort in physical controls support. So a mapper is needed for these titles and for the "Android retro titles" this means the cool titles for Android from past years that will never have physical keys support ( THE DARK KNIGHT, DEAD SPACE, etc)


- the eternal internal memory problem , we found at every Android console... a SWAP is needed right now. With some Android games about 2, or 3 gb in size (BARD´S TALE, N.O.V.A., MC 4, etc) of course 12 gb is not enough.... Shield has the same problem, they fixed it but only partially , Wikipad still working on it. 


- the MICRO USB port on the back center is a pain if you want to use a keyboard... of course you can turn your WIKIPAD 180 but then you usually have the USB KEYBOARD holder on the top as well.. is a minor problem, but i think they should put an additional micro USB port on the top or in one of the sides. 


- thumbsticks are great, triggers are great,,... i am not full comfortable with the D-PAD but is my own opinion. 


Regards


(i will try to make a video soon and i am bench marking to let you know REAL numbers in terms of autonomy etc .  be patient  , i have too much consoles to give my love to ... : :p   ) 
 
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If only I had my iCP2, then I wouldn't find this interesting.

It's a nice tablet, it has a superior gpu and battery life for gaming... but I prefer mine. (digitizer trumps gaming muscle).

Guess I'm not the target market for this... If I didn't draw, then I would be keen.
 
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