Zodiac 2 or a top of the line PocketPC? I know the top of the line Pocket PC has like a 600MHZ processor compared to Zodiac's 200MHz. But the design and layout of Zodiac is so much nicer. I can't decide between the two. If only Zodiac had the fastest processor:S Any pocketPC gamers have any suggestions? PocketPC's (ex dell axim) don't seem solid enough for gaming/emulation and they seem like they'd be difficult to play on (ie controls).

I have an Asus A620 and from my own experience games are very playable, but you need to choose a PDA that has a nice "control stick" (the round middle part". Mine works like an analog pad (though I doubt it is really analog; it's just that it tilts smoothly) so it's easy to play with.

There's not many buttons but I can play games with 2 buttonns rather easily. Some games will show the pad on the screen, but my PDA slows down a lot whenever you use that input method. It's a shame because it would have made the games very easy to play; hopefully that's not an issue with other PDAs.

I'd really like to get one of those SVGA PDAs, but I have to get much more "mileage" out of mine first, since I bought it not too long ago. But one of those can probably run DOSBOX comfortably.




[download a life]

> Zodiac 2 or a top of the line PocketPC? I know the top of the line Pocket PC
> has like a 600MHZ processor compared to Zodiac's 200MHz. But the design and
> layout of Zodiac is so much nicer. I can't decide between the two. If only
> Zodiac had the fastest processor:S Any pocketPC gamers have any suggestions?
> PocketPC's (ex dell axim) don't seem solid enough for gaming/emulation and they
> seem like they'd be difficult to play on (ie controls).
>

Peronsally I would say Zodiac, though I take your point about cpu speed.

You have no idea how dispairingly uncomfotable Microsoft have managed to make these damn Pocket PCs - to be honest it's more about the fact that when you hold the Pocket PC it's too top heavy (think about where the buttons were on the original Gameboy to see what I mean...) :-(


The worst is the one I just bought. Lovely piece of kit, emulators run dead fast on it. Thumb would be scarred for life if you actually tried to play one :-/



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Pocket PC's are really uncomfortable when playing games that require a dpad. The Zodiac would be a better bet for gaming, but you should check out what emulators run at full speed. AFAIK, SNES runs very slowly. I dont know about other emus though. If only a Zodiac-like PocketPC device would be released, then I would be happy.

> Zodiac 2 or a top of the line PocketPC? I know the top of the line Pocket PC
> has like a 600MHZ processor compared to Zodiac's 200MHz. But the design and
> layout of Zodiac is so much nicer. I can't decide between the two. If only
> Zodiac had the fastest processor:S Any pocketPC gamers have any suggestions?
> PocketPC's (ex dell axim) don't seem solid enough for gaming/emulation and they
> seem like they'd be difficult to play on (ie controls).
>


-------------------------------------------------

> Zodiac 2 or a top of the line PocketPC? I know the top of the line Pocket PC
> has like a 600MHZ processor compared to Zodiac's 200MHz. But the design and
> layout of Zodiac is so much nicer. I can't decide between the two. If only
> Zodiac had the fastest processor:S Any pocketPC gamers have any suggestions?
> PocketPC's (ex dell axim) don't seem solid enough for gaming/emulation and they
> seem like they'd be difficult to play on (ie controls).
>

Both have extreme tradeoffs. And I'm speaking as someone who's owned both. Basically:

PPC: great speed, crap controls
Zodiac: decent speed, decent controls

Neither is ideal to be honest, but the Zodiac does have an edge due to the gameing layout. But the analog pad is not ideal for controlling emulated games intended for 8way dpads. Speed is decent, 8bit systems are pretty much 60fps full speed with sound. 16bit systems are full speed without sound, and playable with sound using some frameskips. PocketPC destroys the Zodiac in speed - an Asus620 can do SNES full speed 60fps with full sound. But most PPC's have terrible controls - after a while you realize that good controls are every bit as important as speed, screen quality etc. PPC also has more emulators available, but PalmOS is catching up recently. Both have all the major systems emulated tho.

The perfect gaming PDA has not yet been created. Maybe someday. But the Zodiac is quite decent.

-Prophet-
www.retrogames.com

Don't do a Zodiac, SNES gaming is too slow and Genesis is iffy at best. I got an Axim X50v and it works pretty good. SNES runs almost full spped with 16bit sound. Genesis does not. TurboGrafix16 runs full w/sound. I can even play PS1 games on it, not full speed, but some games do run almost full with sound! Like Einhander and some others.

MegamameCE on an X50v is where it is really at as I play some of my most fav arcade games on it. Like:
Asteriods, Berzerk, Congo Bongo, Centipede, Donkey Kong1,JR, and 3, Dig-Dug, Frogger, Galaga, Joust, Defender, Jungle Hunt/King, Kangaroo, Moon Patrol, Pacman/Ms pacman/Super Pacman, Q*bert, Star Wars, Tempest, Zaxxon...all good stuff. All run nearly full speed with sound (sound varies by game).

Controls are good and responsive. The VGA screen is awesome. Price is good. Stay with a PDA. No handheld has got the speed yet unless someone cracks the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP.

> Don't do a Zodiac, SNES gaming is too slow and Genesis is iffy at best. I got an
> Axim X50v and it works pretty good. SNES runs almost full spped with 16bit
> sound. Genesis does not. TurboGrafix16 runs full w/sound. I can even play PS1
> games on it, not full speed, but some games do run almost full with sound! Like
> Einhander and some others.
>
> MegamameCE on an X50v is where it is really at as I play some of my most fav
> arcade games on it. Like:
> Asteriods, Berzerk, Congo Bongo, Centipede, Donkey Kong1,JR, and 3, Dig-Dug,
> Frogger, Galaga, Joust, Defender, Jungle Hunt/King, Kangaroo, Moon Patrol,
> Pacman/Ms pacman/Super Pacman, Q*bert, Star Wars, Tempest, Zaxxon...all good
> stuff. All run nearly full speed with sound (sound varies by game).
>
> Controls are good and responsive. The VGA screen is awesome. Price is good. Stay
> with a PDA. No handheld has got the speed yet unless someone cracks the Nintendo
> DS or Sony PSP.

What about the GP32 though?

I can't see how I would ever play games on my PDA yet :-(
Are there any with a good joypad (e.g. old Dell Axim is the best I can think of...)

And compound that with the PDA battery problem. Yesterday I went into my car, booted upmy Mitac Mio to find it had reverted to factory settings!!!!!!!!! I'm sorry but that's shit... it can't even sit in my glove compartment for 3 weeks without losing ALL it's landmarks addresses and even the TIME?

Even my crap GPS system from 5 years ago could do that :-P

[/rant]

GP32 however, I play quite a lot, and I understand DrMD is really good. (Okay it doesn't do SNES yet)


Hopes are higher for DS than PSP I reckon!



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