Zodiac Vs GP32

[Ramzy]

The PlayStation Portable cannot run any applications directly from the Internet, which is dissapointing.

Zodiac is not worth your money simply due to the fact that it's Palm based and Tapwave is an American company so it makes shipping/repair harder for us European people.

 

[EdZ]

I would very much like to buy a Zodiac, but ill stick with my GP32 until I get enough money for one. And by that time the PSP will probably be out, and I would still buy that even if it does not have a homebrew capability. Mainly because a big corporation like sony can afford to throw money into it to make games, whereas smaller companys like gamepark and tapwave may have some commercial games, but will eventually have to rely on homebrews to keep going.

 

[skeezix]

Compare the GP32 to the zodiac what it actually can run now.

The GP32 can run most classic consoles at decent speed. While the zodiac can ONLY run atari st at a decent speed (and that much slower than the gp32, even though it is the same emulator, castaway). One of the reasons is that the Zodiac must keep the OS running at all times as well as the emulator, which, naturally, is much slower. The GP32 has no OS draining CPU while an emulator is running.

It is possible that in a few years the Zodiac will run emulated consoles better than the gp32. But in a few years there is bound to be something better than the zodiac on the market any how. The way I see it, the Zodiac is pretty much a flop.

First off, you're way wrong; CaSTaway on the Zodiac runs full speed, with sound, zero frameskip; that puts it about 20% faster than the GP32 version right there, which makes sense, given the relative speed jump from 150MHz to 200MHz, and its 100% processor in that emu.

Second.. don't go bashing the Zodiac just because you have a GP32; it makes you look like chidlren. The GP32 is a great unit, and fairly mature (been around awhile); the Zodiac is a better unit. But so what? That doesn't make your GP32 any less useful. It just means the Zodiac is newer hardware. Its like.. you can buy a porsche, or you can buy a GGeneral Motors. So what? Buy whatever you think fits your needs on your budget

The Zodiac is actually very wlel priced, as well; given its a very high end PDA as well, its actually cheaper than comaprtable PDAs (compare the price to the Palm Tungsten T|T3, for instance). And it is a game machine.

So its pricey for a game machine, and cheap for a PDA. Thats exactly their market.

Course, the GP32 *is not* cheap either; I'm in Canada, and shipping the thing to me was very pricey; ie: Lik Sang charged max dollar (a year ago), and the gov't slapped another $75 or so onto it for duty, not to mention shipping. It cost like $300 CDN or more when I got it (I've forgotten), and thats twice the GBA's cost

So anyway, of course the GP32 has more software for it now.. its been around longer. Yes, Tapwave is goign to charge for game sales, and yes, emulatords are also free for the device, and coming out. The GP32 will always be the tops for free emulators, since thats about *all* it has. If you want emulators, you get a GP32. ITs 99% homegrown, and thats all its got. The Zodiac is trying to make a run for a real handheld machine.. try try and take its part of the mobile marketplace, something the GP32 failed to do.

So I wish folks woudl get off their high horse; love the GP32, and love the Zodiac. Both are small players battling hard to take their small place.

jeff

 

[pip]

Who says I don't have a Zodiac?

skeezix, perhaps it has changed now. It was slower when I tried it though.

As I said, the Zodiac may be good in some future. But it you want something great right now (in terms of emulation), go for the gp32.

 

[skeezix]

Who says I don't have a Zodiac?

skeezix, perhaps it has changed now. It was slower when I tried it though.

As I said, the Zodiac may be good in some future. But it you want something great right now (in terms of emulation), go for the gp32.

I didnt' say you didn't have a Zodiac

It is much faster now; don't compare "in progress" development with "long finished" development; I wrapped up CaStaway/GP a good 6mo or more back I think, while the Zodiac version has only been in play a month, since we didnt' even get the Zodiac in our hands till a month ago

By the same token, you can't jump down a devices through when its only been out a month

So yes, if you want an emu device right now, the GP32 is superior. But the other crap peopel are spouting is silly.. (I check in here every day and its sickening to see peopel whinnig; I say, just love your GP32, dont' go making up crap

jeff

 

[pip]

Personally, I'm looking forward to the handheld gaming device that lets me emulate the Amiga (500/600) and GBA perfectly. Then I will be completely happy It will probably take a while though, GP64 or Zodiac 3 mayhaps. As a coder skeezix, how powerful of a processor do you think it would take to emulate the amiga and the GBA flawlessly (IE, as well as Little John emulates NES on the GP32)? Not considering that the handheld had any special processor for graphics or alike.

 

[skeezix]

Its a tricky question since it necessarily depends on how much work the devver puts into it...

ie: The Zodiac *does* have a 2d processor to do some cool stuff; so without it, its just another aggressive 200Mhz machine, so emulating an Amiga or GBA would be rough (the GBA being rougher, due to hardware scaling and rotation which the Amiga didn't even have).

It also depends on the Amiga support; ie: Does it handle some crazy Amiga stuff, or just the core simpler Amiga stuff?

Does the devver write any of it in assemble, or with the exact platform in mind, or a generic emu?

That said.. I doubt GBA is doable halfwya usefullly on GP32, since its a software only machine. Is it doable on the Zodiac? Well, its certainly much more possible than on the GP32, but it woudl require using the hardware to do a lot of the tricks, and the emu likely needs lots of work to support this.. ie: Existing GBA emus all do their own scaling and rotation in software, so the devver woudl have to make it use the hardware instead. Is the hardware generalized to do scaling from memory to memory, or only from memory to screen? I haven't looked that closely.. so can the Zodiac do GBA? I dunno. Not likely, but its in the realm of possibility if the hardware is used well.

Amiga? Should be an easy test;l most people use UAE for their Amiga fix, and writing a new Amiga emu for core Amiga fucntions is possible (like CaSTaway is for the ST), but a lot of work (mroe than CaSTaway). So assuming the dev audience is small, it woudl likely be a UAE port.

Anyone got a 200MHz PC around that can run UAE and see how it performs?

Thats the trial by fire

But we're certainly getting there; the Palm T|C and T|T3 both clock in at 400Mz, and I've overclocked my T|T3 to 678Mhz successfully (in software, just like the GP32).

400MHz is getting "there" to the sweet spot for emulation, and 678MHz is crazy ass.. shoudl be able to do mos things there.

So even if Amiga and GBA are out for now, their time is coming VERY soon. Maybe on the Zodiac, but it'll be awhile until we get some "devoted" people. (ie: Like me for the ST.. I never had an Amiga, so I doubt I have the energy to get that much into it

jeff

 

[BenRoshi]

Well personally, a system only for emulation would be a waste to me. I asked for the gp32 for xmas, and I can't wait for it not because I can play classic games on it at decent speeds, but because of much more. First off, the actual games for it seem really nice to me. There is easily 5-6 games I want that look pretty nice to me (and the reviewers seem to agree). Also, the ports and the community games look awesome too.
Zodiac might have superior hardware, but gaming wise it just doesn't seem as appealing to me.

 

[pip]

Its a tricky question since it necessarily depends on how much work the devver puts into it...

ie: The Zodiac *does* have a 2d processor to do some cool stuff; so without it, its just another aggressive 200Mhz machine, so emulating an Amiga or GBA would be rough (the GBA being rougher, due to hardware scaling and rotation which the Amiga didn't even have).

It also depends on the Amiga support; ie: Does it handle some crazy Amiga stuff, or just the core simpler Amiga stuff?

Does the devver write any of it in assemble, or with the exact platform in mind, or a generic emu?

That said.. I doubt GBA is doable halfwya usefullly on GP32, since its a software only machine. Is it doable on the Zodiac? Well, its certainly much more possible than on the GP32, but it woudl require using the hardware to do a lot of the tricks, and the emu likely needs lots of work to support this.. ie: Existing GBA emus all do their own scaling and rotation in software, so the devver woudl have to make it use the hardware instead. Is the hardware generalized to do scaling from memory to memory, or only from memory to screen? I haven't looked that closely.. so can the Zodiac do GBA? I dunno. Not likely, but its in the realm of possibility if the hardware is used well.

Amiga? Should be an easy test;l most people use UAE for their Amiga fix, and writing a new Amiga emu for core Amiga fucntions is possible (like CaSTaway is for the ST), but a lot of work (mroe than CaSTaway). So assuming the dev audience is small, it woudl likely be a UAE port.

Anyone got a 200MHz PC around that can run UAE and see how it performs?

Thats the trial by fire

But we're certainly getting there; the Palm T|C and T|T3 both clock in at 400Mz, and I've overclocked my T|T3 to 678Mhz successfully (in software, just like the GP32).

400MHz is getting "there" to the sweet spot for emulation, and 678MHz is crazy ass.. shoudl be able to do mos things there.

So even if Amiga and GBA are out for now, their time is coming VERY soon. Maybe on the Zodiac, but it'll be awhile until we get some "devoted" people. (ie: Like me for the ST.. I never had an Amiga, so I doubt I have the energy to get that much into it

jeff

Thank you for that well put reply.

My own experience and knowledge made me guess that 400Mhz would be required for great Amiga and GBA emulation. This is quite a lot for a handheld system though, considering the Gamecube is running at 485MHz and the PS2 at 295Mhz. So we cannot expect the same performance from a small handheld console for a quite a while, at least not if we want the price to be at the same level as the gp32.

 

[coolgpguy]

o0o does any one think that they will have full speed free emulators for the zodiac?

 

[BenRoshi]

Probably eventually.

 

[fasttimes]

You wouldn't buy something simply because it has a power source you don't like? You're a pretty poor consumer.

Huh? Amazing, that you would buy a portable device without evaluating what powers it! :huh: Good luck getting a replacment (and costly) LiIon battery pack, once the company deems your toy "obsolete", and no longer supported.

LiIon is a dog. :angry: Good thing that the GP32 didn't try to stick us with it. B)

 

[BenRoshi]

Hm... I never thought of that. The sp uses an ion battery, but I figured that nintnedo would use the same design for their next portable (battery that is). But with zodiac you can't be sure I suppose. Hm...
well anyways *hugs his xmas list* yay for gp32 ^^.

 

[fasttimes]

Hm... I never thought of that. The sp uses an ion battery, but I figured that nintnedo would use the same design for their next portable (battery that is). But with zodiac you can't be sure I suppose. Hm...
well anyways *hugs his xmas list* yay for gp32 ^^.

The GBA SP has such a huge markershare, that there are probably already 3rd party sources for cheap(er) replacement LiIon packs. But eventually, even the SP will be hard to find packs for, some day.

Nintendo went with LiIon becasue they could make the battery any size or shape they chose (the biggest advantage of LiIon.) That's what sucks about LiIon, they are all custom to each deice, and expensive and hard to get long-term because of it. With 2300mAh NiMH AAs, LiIon does not even "out-capacity" NiMh anymore, by much.

Rechargable AA batteries will be with us 'till the end of time, and are cheap, and can be found anyewhere, and can be used in any device that will take AA batteries.

 

[jot2b]

But eventually, even the SP will be hard to find packs for, some day.

That day is a long way away. Surprisingly, I can still buy ink cartridges for my old electronic Typestar 5 typewriter, from several online dealers and ebay. By the time SP battery packs become a rare commodity, you will not want your SP anymore anyway, as it will be at least twice removed in the Nintendo handheld console line. Besides, there's no reason Gameboys of the future won't be backwards compatible with Advance and original catridges.

Concerning LiIon vs. AA, yeah man, AA rechargeables all the way!