Worst Things About The Gp32?

[mrdark]

Well, as I now await my better new replacement GP32, I have all kinds of thoughts of battery/adaptor problems, and worries of eventual button replacement and all kinds of stuff like that. I'm sure it's just all the crap I've gone through these last few weeks waiting for my (broken) GP32, but the concerns remain.

So I started thinking- what about this system do you guys NOT like? I don't wanna start a flame war, or seem like I think the GP32 sucks (I quite DON'T). But I was just wondering, since I haven't heard many negative things about the system. SO what do you guys think? I guess I'm referring mainly to the latest machine, the BLU+, but problems across all versions will be interesting to hear.

So on the eve of the GP2X, what sucks about the GP32 that you're interested to see replaced in the new system?

 

[ratx]

The only thing that ever annoyed me about the gp32 was the clicking joystick, and the gpmanager application thing. Luckily you can get around the latter with a cardreader thank god.

 

[oneandoneis2]

The only things I dislike are the 128MB-limit on the cards, and the fact I still can't rip a DVD to a movie file that GPCinema will play

 

[Iorgy77]

The clicking of the joystick didn't bother me so much, just the fact that I could not hit diagonals nice until I did the cross paper fix. Also a non-issue for you but dust in the flu and Castaway gamma settings.

 

[mrdark]

Hmm, all interesting.

 

[Belgarath]

Yup being a fellow FLU owner, gotta agree with Iorgy on all 3 points there.
Still at least we can play Duke!

 

[barnesy]

Most things I can think of that are wrong with the GP32 are improved on by the GP2X. More fire buttons, better screen (I have a FLU, so have never known the quality of a BLU screen), memory card capacity, etc.

The biggest problem with the GP32 is the free launcher malarkey, particularly if you don't use windows. I'm hoping the GP2X won't have anything like that. But then I'll also be quite amused if the new linux console comes with software that only runs under windows!

 

[Eolair]

Not sure. I never had one

I was considering buying one but I put it off long enough for the GP2X to appear and then I was sold

I think the deciding factors for not getting a GP32 was:

- 128MB card limit. It's simply too little! I want it to double as an mp3 player.

- Design. Talk about an ugly geek device! I'd almost feel ashamed using one outside my home.

- It seemed to be on its dying stage by the time I discovered it. Zodiac and later PSP were stealing its developers.

- The clicky stick. I don't want to audio confirmation of my movements. Tactile confirmation is good though.

- No touch screen and no wifi. Unfortunately both of those are missing from the GP2X as well. But I can live with it.

 

[barnesy]

- It seemed to be on its dying stage by the time I discovered it. Zodiac and later PSP were stealing its developers.

​

The scene seems pretty healthy at the moment! I've been wondering if that's due to the GP2X? Maybe it isn't - programs were getting released quite regularly before the 2X was announced, but the recent increase in releases has surprised me.

- No touch screen and no wifi. Unfortunately both of those are missing from the GP2X as well. But I can live with it.

​

It's a PMP and a games device, not a PDA. It may be powerful and impressive, but it's basically a toy. If you start adding features like that it becomes a more expensive device, aimed at a different market. IMHO etc.

 

[Eolair]

Yeah I know. Wifi and touch screen would be too expensive and isn't really needed for the market the GP2X aims for. I can dream though, can't I?

The reason is I was also considering the Zodiac at the same time but never bought into that either. Quality problems, the analog stick and bad battery time with no possible replacement kept me away. And then unfortunately Tapwave went out of business.

 

[skeezix]

Big white case; to me, it just looks too 'cutesey' to be brought out in public ie: You couldn't pull itout at the office and get away with it. The Zodiac had it down for looks, though perhaps it was crampy. Making the GP32 matt-black would be nice (so gp2x, woot

jeff

 

[barnesy]

I'd probably still have gone for the 2x if it had been that more expensive device with wifi and a touchscreen. I don't think it would have been as popular though - people already seem to be complaining about the price!

 

[Tobriand]

What don't I like about the Gp32?

- Non-standard OC rates: it's really nice to be able to get to 166MHz, of course, but bearing in mind not everyone can, and some programs really only become full speed there, can be annoying. 156, however, is enough imo, and plenty for most things (inc snes if you don't mind not having sound). Thankfully, this doesn't *seem* to have caused the split in the community some predicted it might when 166 started to become the standard speed many ran emus at.
- Difficulties with diagonals after a couple of months (easily fixed with a bit of paper and some blu-tack, but annoying to have to fix in the first place)
- Screen ability to be scratched (hence the glass screens being sold all over the place... I never got around to replacing either of my screens though).

Other 'n that, and of course the standard stuff that is inevitable - i.e. would be much nicer with a faster processor or at least an FPU of some description, lack of ram, lack of storage space - all the things that the GP2x tries to address by being, well, newer hardware - I love the little wonder. Does everything I need (and a lot more)... just not quite everything I'd like it to.

Remarkably robust PCB though... my first unit managed to survive being soaked in mocha for an hour or two quite happily (by mistake, of course), although I did have to take it to pieces and change the rubber bit behind the buttons to get back a bit of responsiveness in my A button.

 

[jimgeruk]

The clicky D-pad annoys me, as does the method of turning off the backlight on the BLU - most progs use the Select button, and it doesn't take much to accidentally turn off the light. Why not have a dedicated switch for it?

BTW, what's this paper fix for the diagonals?

 

[god_at_hell]

Hm ... what sucks on the GP32 ... hmmm ....

1. 128MB limit as mentioned before
2. Dust (FLU) as mentioned before
3. i broke the clip on my battery-cover ... but Revell-Glue for these little plastic airplanes worked.
4. The antireflection-coating (? ... ist this right?) don't last to long ... i got scratches really fast and later, when i put my GP in my pocket while i was mowing the lawn ... my sweat DESTROYED ... the coating *G* ... it doesn't really matter
5. The Joystick sticks out too much ... this sucks when i try to put the GP in my pocket to mow the lawn ..
6. old original firmware sux because there's no buildin freelauncher
7. uhhhm... my GP can't go up to 166mhz ... 160 is the top :-(

but ... overall i love my GP...

 

[Julius]

- That stupid GPlink program (thank god for gpdrive).
- The 8 character name limit
- The clip on the battery cover (never broke it, but it has lost it's 'force')
- The easy to scrach plastic screen cover on my NLU
- The old original firmware and the annoying registering crap back than really sucked!

Luckiely all this has been fixed with the GP2X

 

[Tobriand]

The paper fix is essentially where you open the back of the GP32, take out the pcb, and attach a bit of paper to the cos that pushes the microswitches for directions that are unresponsive until they've evened out. I use blu-tack for this, others use other bits and pieces... but the method is basically the same.

 

[Alpha2]

-GP link; meant to save a lot of trouble but ultimately wastes time because it seems more like a Win 3.1 program than anything else. Indeed a card reader is a life saver, because--

-GP link USB cable; sucks to be you if you get a short in this, lose it or have WinXP suddenly NOT want to recognize your GP32 for no reason for a week like it did to me.

-The need for a Card Reader; They'd be great if you didn't have to buy them but unfortunatly it becomes an extra purchase you should make to cover your ass, just in case, and having a sowrd like that dangling over you head is a bit irking.

-128 SMC limit; Yeah I doubt there's anyone that wasn't annoyed at this but on the bright side atleast they're cheap

-The commercial games on the horizon that never came out; Sure the system is open and dev friendly but those were some really cool looking games!

-and finally having to share it with others! People love the stuff I have on it like BoR and the emulators and always want to play it!

Outside of that, I never had much problem with diagonals, the clicking isnt took loud on mine, SMCs are cheap, I still use the original Firmware just fine since there's nothing left to register, The screen coating has never really effected my game play so I've never had a desire to remove it for risk of possibly having to chuck the screen and risk scratching the LCD installing a new one.

 

[Jaw]

only the 2 *real* buttons. nuff said

 

[triksR4rabits]

-Poor build quality (my L/R buttons are a bit dodgy) and loose joystick
-Dust under the screen
-freelauncher (though this is no longer a problem, but my god was it annoying)
-the white color. it looks so damn korean
-the fact that it uses smc's, which are ancient (not to mention the 128b limit of the smc's)
-no battery life indicator!