Tapwave Zodiac Handheld Detailed

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to the PalmInfoCenter article revealing new details and pictures of the Tapwave Zodiac handheld gaming device, ahead of the official unveiling on September 17th. According to the article, "The Zodiac will be based on Palm OS 5.2 and will feature a 3.8 inch diagonal 480 x 320 pixel screen, analog joystick navigation with integrated triggers and buttons, 3D graphics acceleration... and Bluetooth for multiplayer wireless gaming." The handheld "will... be able to run the already vast library of Palm OS software", and furthermore, "it will launch with between 15-20 games optimized for it [each costing around $30 each], including 'Neverwinter Nights,' 'Tony Hawk', 'Spy Hunter', and 'Doom II'". GoodThatWay.com has a few more details on the Zodiac, of which "a 32MB model will cost $299 and a higher end model with 128 MB of RAM will sell for $399."

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They Have Done Some Things Right

[MBCook]

Well, they have done one thing right: they have games. This is the downfall of most consoles, IMHO. Many consoles seem to think that they can have one or two games and use that as a springboard to get into the market. Unless those two games are a Mario game and a Sonic game, you're in deep trouble. But these guys are promising up to 20 games, and if the rest of titles are like the ones that they've named, they have a good chance, game wise.

Some of the other features are good additions. I like that it's a Palm device, and that it uses bluetooth for multiplayer. The fact that it has TWO slots for games is also great (assuming they don't act like idiots and put them on the device like the NGauge. What in the WORLD where those people thinking? Did they even TEST the device?). Adding MP3 playing abilites is interesting too.

That said, the price still seems quite high to me. Considerig that it's a Palm, a video game machine, and can play MP3s, I guess it's not that bad, but I think it could take a little while for it to become big. The thing is still expensive.

What would be REALLY smart was if they released a SDK (free great, or for a nomial fee like $25 would be cool too) so people could develop for it too. I know it's Palm, but I'm guessing you'd need special code to access the 3D stuff. Handheld BZFlag, here we come?

Good luck guys. Of the consoles that I've heard of recently (Phantom, that Linux based one that died, the N-Gauge, etc) that aren't from big manufactures (like the PSP) this one seems to be the most well thought out of the bunch (Sony knows what they're doing too, I think).

Hmmm... games + productivity = profit?

[Txiasaeia]

The pics for the Zodiac look very impressive, but why would i pay $300-400 USD for such a machine when I can get a bottom-rung PalmPilot for $100 USD and a GBA SP for $100, and have access to the hundreds and hundreds of GBA/GBC/GB games? Also, when I buy a GBA game, I know that it will be compatible with Nintendo's next handheld -- what guarantee would I have that any game I bought for the Zodiac would be able to be used on any other platform? Too much risk.

What they *really* need to do is come up with some productivity software for my GBA, and skip the whole hybrid thing.

Re:Hmmm... games + productivity = profit?

[RevAaron]

I generally am pretty wary of new products like this which bank on the hope that most consumers are retarded, and willing yo buy into any new thing if it's sufficiently hyped enough- like the NGage. I don't think we have an example of that here.

You mention buying the lowest-end Palm model and a GBA, costing around $200 for both. Why would skip that and buy this $300 device?

The $100 Palm model is nothing compared to this Tapwave thing. I'll be using specs from the cheaper $300 version rather than the more expensive one. Let's do a comparison, Z denoting the Palm Zire and T the Tapwave, and in the categories pertaining to gaming, G for the GBA:

Screen:
Z: Relatively poor 160x160 monochrome (not even greyscale)
Z: Big (compared to what most people have on their PDA), sharp color 480x320 screen, backlit
G: Decent 240x160 screen, backlit
Winner? The Tapwave's screen would be awesome for games of all kinds, and definately a plus for most PDA activities- from web browsing (ever read a page on a 160x160 screen?) to checking the calendar. Call me nuts, but if I can play a pretty higher-res game I'll take that over something much smaller.

Memory
Z: 2 MB of RAM, and that's all you ever have.
T: 32 or 12 MB built-in depending on model, cheap expansion via SD cards.
Winner? Tapwave.

Expansion
Z: No expansion slots, at all.
T: Two SD card slots which also suppose SDIO.
Winner? Tapwave.

Networking
Z: Yeah, right... Unless you consider IrDA "networking." SLIP/PPP also a possibility over serial.
T: Built-in Bluetooth- great for multi-player games, but also giving you the ability to browse the web, irc, etc etc from the device if you've a bluetooth WAP. 802.11x, ethernet, analog modem via SD.
G: Multi-player cable. I've seen a Bluetooth chip embedded into a GBA cart that let's you browse the web, although simply, simple at best.
Winner? Tapwave.

Controls
Z: Hardware buttons suck for gaming.
T: Buttons designed with gaming in mind,
G: It's Nintendo, so iot's gotta be good.
Winner? I'm guessing Nintendo. I've not played with the Tapwave's, but it's Nintendo, so call it an educated guess.

CPU Speed
Z: 16 MHz DragonBall. Wow.
T: 200 MHz ARM.
G:16 MHz ARM.
Winner? Tapwave. A lot of new possbilities in handheld game quality that we never had with the original GameBoy line and the GBA. 3D, advanced AI, etc etc.

Don't get me wrong, I love the GBA. I have one, and it's swell. However, I don't use it anywhere near as much as my PDA. I'd probably use it more if I brought it with me more places, but I'm not going to leave my PDA at home, giving the GBA that valuable pocket space when there are plenty of things besides playing around I use the PDA for. I own a Sharp Zaurus C760, and just recently, a alpha of the GBA emulator was released... As soon as that matures, I may sell my GBA- why keep it when I can do it all on one device?

Of course, a lot of people don't want or need a PDA. I wouldn't buy a $300+ PDA/game deck for a 10 year old when a GBA would do the job admirally. Heck, they could even get a cart to let them do simple PDA stuff if they wanted an addressbook. But for those of us a little older who would want/have a PDA already, this would make a nice device.

Re:Hmmm... games + productivity = profit?

[Rimbo]

The prior response to your post pretty much says it all. The bottom-rung Palms don't have a color display, and can't also double as an MP3 player. Once you include MP3 playback abilities, you realize that the price is about right -- and what's more, you only have to carry the one device with you on those long plane trips (provided the batteries last).

Another thing that I really like about the idea behind the Tapwave is this: Not only do they have some great games for it, but you also gain access to the vast library of excellent Palm games and ports. And unlike the $99 Palm, you're getting to play them on a NICE screen.

Throw in the Bluetooth multiplayer, and you've got something I want to buy. No really, I want one of these -- I can ditch my GBA and my Palm and gain an MP3 player. This thing would never leave my side.

I realize I sound like a market-droid by saying stuff like this, but they've integrated where they ought to have integrated here.

i know what i want for x-mas ;-)

[Anonymous Coward]

i was reading about this device a while back and now that i see that its really happening i want it even more. im in the market for a pda and ive wanted one that would be decent for games but still be a fully functional PDA as well this fits the bill!

Hmmm...

[Tyrdium]

Anybody know what speed processor the thing uses? The Imageon would be great, though...

Damn... that's a "sexy" device...

[advocate_one]

and I've just bought myself a Zire 71... :(

never mind... wait a few months for it to come down a bit in price and ... you never know... some nice people may have ported a Linux to it :)

Imagine a Beowulf.... never mind... I like the idea of a wireless lan of them playing neverwinter nights together...

$400 = GBA SP and IPOD

[kninja]

The SP has a huge base of games, and a well established market, costs 1/3 as much. If you want audio, buy an IPOD. And at the price they want, you could buy both an IPOD and an SP.

The control better be tight on this thing. The GBA SP has some seriously tight control (IMHO), and it's comfortable. Battery life needs to be at least 10 hours to stand a chance, 20 would be competitive with the SP.

This is a matter of preference, but the D-PAD on this thing looks like one of those round things, where L could end up being UL, L, DL, or D. I hate those things.

At 300-400 USD, they'd better not be re-releasing SNES/Genesis/etc. games for this thing, as in the point here.

Re:$400 = GBA SP and IPOD

[Rimbo]

You can buy the GBA and the IPod, but you can't ALSO buy a Palm for that much.

I have a GBA, a Palm, and no iPod right now. Maybe instead of blowing $300-$400 an iPod so that I can have all 3, maybe instead I'll ditch my GBA and Palm and get one of these.

The more I read about it, the more I like.

First Macabre Post

[Anonymous Coward]

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Hum...

[JFMulder]

... this might be what finally pushes me to buy a Palm. I know they're more then portable calendars (a la Outlook) and note takers, but I've never seen them as anything more. If it turns out to be a little machine and has a few decent games, that might convinces me to buy one. So now I could put little electronic memos on the calendar to remind me to play a game on it. ;)

What do they mean with "Optimized for.."

[AltaMannen]

From the article: "It will launch with between 15-20 games optimized for it including, "Neverwinter Nights," "Tony Hawk", "Spyhunter" and "Doom II." "

They don't specify that these are new games (they are ports all right) but do they mean that they have regular palm games that already exist but comes with some added features for the device?

15-20 *new* games would make the device worth a second look but do they really expect people to buy a $300 device for old games? Especially with PSP coming and the GBA existing right now?

Also, considering that these titles are the first batch of games coming from various publishers taking the risk of the games not selling, would they start the second generation of games before the current slate has become profitable? And would they ever get profitable if players can only get a small subset of games at a higher price compared to the GBA even though the hardware specs are much better?

This just seem like it is going the way of the N-Gage. Neither have a substantial support from developers and publishers and the PDA functionality of the TapWave is not likely to bring in a lot of cross-market gaming-organizing consumers either.

Re:What do they mean with "Optimized for.."

[Rimbo]

"Neither have a substantial support from developers and publishers and the PDA functionality of the TapWave is not likely to bring in a lot of cross-market gaming-organizing consumers either."

Based on what evidence do you make this statement? You can make any statement you like, but back it up somehow.

anything original?

[subrama6]

i think the zodiac has a better shot than the n-gage or phantom, but as far as all three are concerned, where's the orginiality? of course there's going to be games that are available across consoles. But M$ wouldn't have been a major player if it didn't have Halo going out the gate. N-Gage and Tapwave seem content to release handheld versions of last years, and in the case of some N-gage titles, last generation's hits (see tomb raider). At 40 bucks a pop, I'd rather play those games on the consoles I have sitting at home, where I can play the copy I already have or pick up a used one for 10 dollars. I like gaming competition because it ups the quality across the board, and I don't mind supporting my habit with multiple consoles. But what's the point if they all play the same games?