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GP2X: First impressions with a new Linux-based mobile entertainment console
Fri, 06 Jan 2006

After much delay in shipping (thanks US Postal Service!) and subsequent re-shipping via FedEx, I now have a GP2x console to attack. Many thanks to jr2swiss for rescuing the shipping disaster, to Prophet for working out the details of getting a developer a unit, and to all the many people who kicked in to fund this for me. I'm posting this very quickly as I need to head out in just a bit so will write up more comprehensively later on, but for now -- thanks to everyone. It is appreciated, and I've got a little gift for everyone later on as a little payback.

Anyway, in my haste the best I can offer you is the photostill blow-by-blow. I must say that gp32z packaged the living hell out of the unit, so if this is how he normally operates.. no one need worry about shipping damage :P

Heres a box, presumably with a gp2x inside; this is after I'd already removed the heavy paper wrapping and the styofoam bits and the heaby FedEx carrier box.

Continue...

Ahh, the sleek Apple-like gp2x packaging; I do admire the total lack of useful information on the carton - clean, black, simple. You gotta know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em.

I dismembered the packaging and extracted the nugget within; the screen assembly was easy enough to perform. At first, the screen cover you pop in looked _nasty_, but it too had a very fine screen protector on it.. the Screen Protector Meta-Protector. Took awhile to get a fingernail under it, but as you can see.. the gp2x is a pretty good looking machine. Surprisingly light too -- I'd say they went out of their way to clone the Neo Geo Pocket as much as possible in the physical layout. The photo is for comparison to the Sony PSP -- similar in size, though the PSP has a larger screen and is heavier.. perhaps a little more awkward to hold as well. Really, I think shoulder buttons on all devices should be on the bottom corner, not the edge of the device.. but thats just me.

Heres the box contents, though I imagine most people don't get the serial connection adapter; gp32z threw that in for me, since everyone knows I'll need it after bricking my OS a few times ;) Notice the purple kleenex for cleaning off your friends drool.

An important test -- does it turn on? Is it pre-bricked? No, we get a menu!

Doesn't everyone have a first test they always inflict on a device? As a developer we always produce a Hello World program first, but for testing a unit.. first up against the yardstick is Parodius on a PC Engine / TG16 emulator. Heres sn00p shooting down the cat-pirate-ship. Notice the bone in the cats hair. Classy.

Finally, a really creepy picture of doll arms taken at a local surplus store. The real human arms are in an adjoining room.

While the gp2x is still in its infancy, the emu count is climbing and the homebrew is starting to show. Its a safe time for most people to jump in if thats the sort of device they want -- commercial games may arise in awhile, but if you want Tony Hawk.. get a PSP or Nintendo DS. This is for the real (wo)men.

I'll post more in-depth info later as I hack it up some, but for now.. its a Linux (kernel) based device running on a dual-core ARM CPU ranging from low (66?) to about 240-266 MHz speed, with a Magic Eyes chipset for doing video trickery. Theres no 3D-GPU like you might want so 3d games will be in software only, but it should be very good at flinging sprites around and doing video playing and such. Note that it features a huge amount of RAM by todays standards, which will be very handy indeed.

More later.

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