TAPWAVE ZODIAC the first true mobile entertainment console

[hey69]

http://www.tapwave.com/

The Motorola® i.MX1 ARM9 processor provides uncompromised performance in a very power-efficient design. What’s more, the i.MX1 processor is optimized for multimedia and Bluetooth functions, making it the ideal engine for Zodiac.

The ATI® Imageon™ graphics accelerator delivers advanced 2D hardware graphics performance. And the FatHammer X-Forge™ 3D graphics engine expands on that performance to deliver advanced console-quality 3D games and other rich 3D content.

Between these smart power-saving technologies and high-capacity batteries, you’ll be able to go, do and play longer between charges. It all adds up to a potent platform for mobile entertainment.


From where did this come?

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[Clashman]

Extremetech did a pretty thorough review awhile back. Seems like it still needs some work in the games department.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,1366074,00.asp

By the way, I found this to be pretty impressive for GBA:
http://www.wcnews.com/wcpgba.shtml

Isn't up to those levels on the tapwave, but more than I thought the machine could do.

 

[hey69]

it's a souped up PDA actually ..

 

[Fox5]

So wait, it has 2d acceleration, and 3d graphics are software rendered? Sigh, I was hoping the ATi chip would provide at least basic 3d support.
Strangely, spy hunter on this looks better(and probably runs better) than spy hunter on gamecube.

 

[cthellis42]

At least it's a few billion times better than the N-Gage. The Zodiac looks interesting. Doubt I'd want one, but it's still interesting.

 

[keegdsb]

I want one just for the wireless Doom II & Duke Nukem fragmatch possibilities.

 

[cthellis42]

Say, isn't Duke Nukem Forever supposed to be coming out soon?

 

[Clashman]

BTW, I like the Zodiac's button design. I wish they had a little bit more size in the area where the hands are going, but as far as button design I think PSP should look into imitating them instead of the current flat-button system we saw in the mock-up.

 

[Tagrineth]

Zodiac looks like it might be GBA's first serious competition... it has one thing the GBA really REALLY should've had - four face buttons.

And... it still doesn't have the power to do a fully 3D Tony Hawk on a handheld, guess that's just N-GAGE for now.

 

[Fox5]

I'm sure zodiac could do a fully 3d psone quality tony hawk, but why would you want it? A well done 2d version would probably be better than a half ass 3d version.
But I'm sure zodiac has the specs to do it, far more memory than ngage, and isn't its processor like 200 or 300 mhz, while the ngage's is 100 mhz?(and doesn't seem to be that powerful, as it can barely keep up with the gba in 2d)

Zodiac could be serious competition...for other PDAs. It's great, and if I had the money to spend on this(even if it didn't have a single game made specifically for it) I'd get it, but it is no where close to the gba in price or game library. On the plus side, it barely resembles a child's toy at all, and would be great for impressing people with all its functions.(music, movies, games, data managment!)

 

[StefanS]

I don't know apart from the fact that the design is ripped of GP32, I like the Korean product a lot more...
http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=7&products_id=3059&

It is open source, it plays emus, DivX, Mp3s, etc... Thinking of it it's kinda sounds like the prototype of Sony's PSP

 

[Fox5]

Eh....the tapwave looks like a tablet thing, the GP32 looks like a normal handheld. And wow, has the price gone up on it, unless that is just the cost for the backlit unit and there is a cheaper non backlit one.
Anyhow, it's only because the GP32 is open source that it can play all those things, but it is approximately gba in power.(something like 30 mhz compared to gba's 17, but it lacks the dedicated 2d hardware)
The Tapwave Zodiac can play emus, and probably mp3s and divx if there is a player for those for pocketpcs.

 

[MfA]

AFAICS default clock is 66 MHz, and it will safely do 133.

 

[Fox5]

Interesting, more powerful than I thought. It still seems to have trouble with some things gba can do though, and at $200 for the gp32, $200 for the ngage, and $300 for the tapwave..well if I was going to waste money on any it would be the tapwave, as I'm sure it can do everything the gp32 can, and probably better.(I maybe wrong about that though, but I'd hope newer and more fully featured hardware can outdo something that I think came out within a year of the gba)

 

[StefanS]

Eh....the tapwave looks like a tablet thing, the GP32 looks like a normal handheld. And wow, has the price gone up on it, unless that is just the cost for the backlit unit and there is a cheaper non backlit one.
Anyhow, it's only because the GP32 is open source that it can play all those things, but it is approximately gba in power.(something like 30 mhz compared to gba's 17, but it lacks the dedicated 2d hardware)
The Tapwave Zodiac can play emus, and probably mp3s and divx if there is a player for those for pocketpcs.

Well, as far I can see the GP32 seems to be visibly stronger than GBA. There's also a non back-lit one costing about 120$...