GP2X-F200: linux based gaming handheld
 

http://gp2x.co.uk/
just for fun i think it isn`t that great because n8x0 > * :D
but perhaps we can port its apps (if some more come out) ;)

Re: GP2X-F200: linux based gaming handheld
 

It's much better a video playback (auto-scaling and no re-encoding needed) and the built in joystick is really good for emulation of old consoles ; which is the two thing it was mainly made for.....

P.S.
Yes this is the last time I'll go on about the GP2x but I didn't bring the topic up this time ;)

Re: GP2X-F200: linux based gaming handheld
 

I've got a F-100, and they're neat machines. It's primarily used for system emulation. The community has developed some very high quality emulators.

The F-200 adds a touchscreen and switches from the poor quality, digital joystick to a d-pad. It wasn't enough of a change to cause me to buy the new design. If it had faster hardware or a larger screen or both, I probably would have gotten one.

More interesting, however, is the OMAP based device that the owner of GP2X.co.uk is developing. It will run very similar hardware to the N8x0 series, but it will be designed more for game emulation. It will have the support of the great community of 2x coders. It should be officially announced before the end of the month, I believe.

Re: GP2X-F200: linux based gaming handheld
 

Any direct pointers to details about this piece hardware? OMAP is good but the DSP and IVA parts are quite unfriendly to open source developers (DSP currently hard to use with free software, IVA impossible). I wonder if they will do something with it or developers for this new hardware will have to deal with similar hurdles and will be stuck with great hardware sitting idle in their machines.

Re: GP2X-F200: linux based gaming handheld
 

oh, found it http://craiginator.bluwiki.com/

Re: GP2X-F200: linux based gaming handheld
 

This device uses the next generation OMAP processor. So yes, it will be a lot more powerful than the N800. The current GP2x F100 is not a very good device in my opinion. The linux software is a lot less finished than Maemo. The original device was useless (the mk-1), the software was buggy and unstable, you couldn't watch a whole movie, the battery life was bad (even if the software didn't crash, two hours was most likely the limit), and the joystick was so bad you couldn't correctly use it for games (not perfectly in one direction).
The MK-II had an improved digital stick, but the bundled mplayer still was unstable.

Only since firmware 3 was the media player somewhat usefull. It didn't crash, but it still had compatibility problems (it can play a lot more files than the N800, but it still isn't fast enough to play all downloaded video files). Also the screen of the F-100 isn't very good. It is low resolution, but that isn't the main problem. The MK-1 had interlace artifacts and the MK-2 had a bad viewing angle. Also the software didn't help: very bad brightness controll and options.

Don't get me wrong it has potential, but my experience with linux devices (GP2x, Nokia IT, Asus WL700 router) has been that the software just isn't finished, and even though the Nokia IT series may not be perfect, the software Nokia has released on these devices is in VERY VERY good "finished" state compared to Gp2x and my asus router.
That is why I'll wait until I see this new product, and am able to test it. (Just like the Asus EEE: I very much doubt Asus has improved quality testing)

Re: GP2X-F200: linux based gaming handheld
 

If Maemo gets ported, it would be very interesting.
Full powered usb host...

Re: GP2X-F200: linux based gaming handheld
 

I have a GP2X MK-I with the dpad mod (the default stick gets replaced with the pretty nice ngage QD dpad).

I think the gp2x and the n800 arent comparable due to the different focus.
the linux on the gp2x is very basic. no real applications apart from the included media player.

The big bonus is how much mature software there is. dozens of very good emulators (snes, megadrive, c64, amiga, neogeo, mame, atari st, etc.), many many native games good game ports (duke3d, gravity force, cave story, etc.).

thats what the gp2x is about. playing games/emulators. and its superb for this. it has a cheap plastic case, AA batteries and only 320x240, but it has superb free software.

Re: GP2X-F200: linux based gaming handheld
 

Oh, yes, I really enjoyed the specs. If they will manage to write 3-d drivers for maemo-like os.. To my mind this craiginator looks like an interpretation of n900. Some times I really think it's worth waiting for it. They expect it to hit the shelves in the spring of 2008.