Slashdot Mirror
Handheld Gaming / Media-player Gadget Runs Linux
An anonymous reader writes "LinuxDevices has profiled a new portable game- and media-player based on embedded Linux. The GPX2-F100 features dual ARM9 processors, USB 2.0, a 3.5-inch color LCD, and support for both native and emulated games. A Linux SDK (software development kit) will be available when the device ships. Hmmm... I wonder how hard it'll be to get GPE and OPIE running on it?"
Yes, but does it run l-- oh, crap, it does... right then.... i'll be going now..
If you just took anything I said seriously, read it again.
Will it run Windows?
I believe that Linux will make more significant inroads into the user community via embedded devices than it ever could as a more general-purpose operating system.
As a parallel, take the electric motor. When the electric motor first became commercially available, it was sold in catalogs as a general-purpose unit, along with various belts and pulleys to adapt it for specific tasks. Nowadays, electric motors come in all shapes and sizes, each customized for their specific tasks. Many household appliances contain electric motors that we don't think twice about. When's the last time you performed maintennce on the electric motor in your toothbrush?
I believe computers are moving along the same route, progressing from general-purpose systems to smaller, more ubiquitous installations. I also believe Linux is suited for such a move in a way that the other OSes are not.
____
~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
It'll not bomb like a leadweight and will see a European release this time, too....
My Mind Is Rewired. Is Yours?
i'm a gp32 owner (predecessor of this handheld), and an other gp32 owner pointed me to this post.
...
he had also submitted the arrival of this handheld a week ago, but now it only got posted here cause it was on that linuxdevices? he probably didn't mention linux so it doesn't get posted?
this is the successor of the gp32, the machine that relies on things made by the community, open for any developper since it started and most progs are completely open source (emus for a lot of systems , up to snes and sega genesis, which are about as much as the gp32 can handle, so not perfect, most others are) and has beaten the psp by a few years in playing divx, mp3, ogg,
and only cause it's linked to linux it gets posted here, this really doesn't seem right....
Got to respect a company that lists emulators among the highlights of their game system! Who else would dare to?
Circumcision is child abuse.
When are companies going to realize this type of device (Video, MP3, Gaming) needs a fucking HARD DRIVE?
I mean it's not like tiny hard drives don't exist.
At LEAST make it an option!
Consumers want their consoles to have open development platforms whether they know it or not. Imagine the kinds of things people would have done with the PSP right now if Sony actually allowed it. It's understandable why they don't: they make money off of games sales that go through them, whereas some indie developer selling games off his website would get them nothing. The sad truth is that you'll never get such a nice piece of hardware as the PSP for a good price with an open development platform. This device looks nice, but it's missing WiFi. Instead it has a radio that only communicates with other units. I'm sure the other PSP specs are better than this device as well, but it'll be interesting to see what people can do with it when it comes out since they won't have to waste time working around firmware upgrades and the like.
I believe that Linux will make more significant inroads into the user community via embedded devices than it ever could as a more general-purpose operating system.
Yep.
Or, more to the point, Linux will shine in areas where it can shed the various Windows-replacements that slow it down. Linux works great on servers because the average user doesn't ever even notice the OS that hands them their website.
Similiarly, Linux has chances for great growth in areas where people don't mind sudden and dramatic UI changes--such as when buying a new dedicated video machine, new cell phone, or (to a much lesser extent) a new PDA.
This device is not made by gamepark, former gamepark of gp32 fame splited in two companies, one called gamepark and the other called gamepark holdings. Most of the original gp32 team moved to the new GP Holdings company, only one of the engineers stayed on the "other" gamepark which is yet to deliver its new device. So GPX2 is the successor of G32 but is made from a different company populated by the original gp32 crew with a name much like the old company... just check any of the cool gp32 foruns like gp32x.com and check the history.
-- Por mais que eu ande no vale das trevas e da morte, meu PowerMac G4 Não Travará!!!
The best part is that the company is trying to get the final versions out for $100. I doubt that it will end up that low, but I appreciate the effort
Robert Bindler
A Computer Science student's views on technology.
Looks as though the games for this thing will be based around SDL. With a bit of luck, we might see games developed for this being ported to Linux. The only thing stopping me from ditching windows completly is games.
The specs do look very impressive too. Over 8 hours of video playback is far better than a PSP, plus it supports Xvid, so I can rip my DVDs to an SD card for when I'm on the train.
Just hope it gets a european release.
"I realise this is not a very popular opinion but it's the truth, and there for needs to be said" -Bill Hicks
I've noticed a trend in recent stories upon slashdot.
9 /2121223) where the write up on slashdot only links to Joystiq's site, where the actual content (what the post was about) was hosted on entirely different servers. It would have been okay to link the source Joystiq, but linking the content is necessary so I don't have to jump through hoops to see what the news post is actually about.
It's becoming popular to link to a seperate site that the user has to click through in order to get to the site the post mentions. For example this post here doesn't even mention who or what makes the device, only that linux devices is running a profile on it. In order to get any information about the device, the user must go to linux devices and use a link they provide. This could have been avoided by hotlinking GPX with the manufacturer's page.
While this is relatively minor compared to Friday's post (http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/07/2
Thanks a lot,
-a slashdot user
Hey, it's my OPINION that dogs have eight legs and make a sound like a car horn every time they take a piss.
cheap labor conservatives - they want to keep you hungry enough to be thankful for minimum wage.
Then you're on the wrong website, pilgrim.
affirmed
The predecessor (GP32) was mostly used for an emulator handheld. There were a number of games released, but pretty much everyone ran NES, Sega, Commodore 64 and other emulators on it.
The difference is unlike Sony which keeps enforcing the PSP lockdown through bios updates, the GP32 and this new system are designed to make homebrew and emulation easy.
Sometimes my arms bend back.
I realize this is a bit off-topic, but today I was at Target and saw them selling a PSP version of the movie Kill Bill 2.
Thing is, it was selling for $29.99.
Did their market research really show them that people would be willing to pay thirty bucks for that? Will those things even play in normal DVD players?
Even at Amazon, I see PSP movies priced at $20 and up. What's the logic here?
-David
Well, if it's the same horrible job that Open Zaurus has done getting them done working on the Zaurus, why bother?
Seriously. When OZ posts packages that "just need a little work" in order to run on their latest version, what chance is there of having ANY interest from the greater public, i.e. those people whose use is going to be necessary to move OZ from an interesting toy to something with mass acceptance?
And no, this isn't a flame or a troll. It's a statement of fact. However, when I posted much the same thoughts on the OZ mailing list, I was attacked with such vitriol you'd have thought I was buggering the pope. And I've been using Linux in exhibits for a lot of years. OZ is simply not ready for prime time. And neither, sadly, I think, will be any port to this device.
The biggest reason that Linux is going to take over in the embedded space is because you don't have to pay the Microsoft Tax.
I believe that is only the second or third reason. The number one reason is that there are no restrictions whatsoever on how you use or modify the code, other than the high-minded requirement to share your changes as others have shared theirs. Another leading reason is that the code is just darn good and packed with an amazing number of options. Yet another reason is that you do not have to accept any stripsearch-type contract with Microsoft. Yet another reason is that you can be sure that your code platform will never be end-of-lifed on you, there will never be a forced upgrade.
Saving the license fees is just the icing on the cake.
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?
You can't expect people to buy a device based on some possible future device. You need to design for accessories that are available _now_.
Try telling that to PSP fanboys who recommend the PSP, despite their admission that the current titles are largely poorly designed *cough*Smart Bomb*cough* or poorly engineered *cough*Midnight Club 3 and its 70 seconds to load a 150 second racetrack*cough*, on the basis that future titles will be more enjoyable.
Otherwise the customer will simply hold off on buying the device until the required accessories come out.
They don't just hold off on buying it; they often buy the competitor's product instead. For instance, to continue the analogy to the PSP, the Nintendo DS is handily outselling the PSP worldwide.
This device should have a CF slot. It does not add much to the cost
Yes it does. At least the rubberized grip on the bottom of the unit (where the GBA games go on a Nintendo DS) would be more expensive to make with a hole in it for CF.
The GP32, the massively successful underground gaming device from Korea, already has hunreds upon hundreds of public domain game engines (like King of Fighters and DOOM) with games using them, as well as many programs that play DivX, WMA, OGG, MP3, display images, and emulate different systems.
Currently SNES emulation for the 160+mHz-modded systems is full-speed without sound, and half-speed with sound (based off of snes9x). NES, Genesis and Master System emulatiors now run at FULL SPEED with sound and no frame skip. There are also emulators for other systems such as CPC, MAME, Atari, ColecoVision, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, Commodore, MSX, PC-Engine, Spectrum, Vectrex, Wonderswan, and many more. Additionally, LucasArts SCUMMVM games, many linux games, and other linux programs can be made to run on the system.
This is all on the GP32. Just imagine what the GPX2 will do! Also, word on many sites is that the GPX2 will easily go for less than 100 pounds (not dollars; about $185USD). Furthermore, wi-fi dongles and keyboards have been available for the GP32 for some time.
With the way that the GP32 has unexpectedly blasted off in the underground open source and emulation scenes, the GPX2 is sure to be supported further by their makers in order to make it a strong competitor against other portable media players and gaming systems.
I'm getting one for sure -- are you?
Bonus link: development site. Prepare to be amazed. http://www.gp32x.de/cgi-bin/cfiles.cgi
Because PortalPlayer knows that if they piss Apple off bad enough Apple can either buy them or develop their own in house solution. And if you don't think Apple has this kind of software talent then you haven't been paying attention to the fact that they've been keeping MacOSX running on multiple hardware platforms for years in case they wanted to change.
cheap labor conservatives - they want to keep you hungry enough to be thankful for minimum wage.