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Author Topic: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?  (Read 6161 times)

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new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« on: April 06, 2003, 03:23:24 PM »
Just bought me a new toy - a little wonder known as a GP32.  Dunno if anyone has heard of them here, but they're a little handheld games thing that can do absolutely loads. They're supposedly the first open-source handheld, and they're mostly used as portanble emulators.  They can run everything from Speccy and C64 games to Sega master system and Megadrive (soon), NES, Super NES, MSX, PCengine (turbograx16), Gameboy, Gameboy colour, Gameboy Advance (soon) etc etc etc.  Can also play MP3s, display image files and play DivX movies!  :-o   All done via Smartmedia cards, with files transferred from PC via USB.    All for only £99+VAt!

Its based on a 166mhz ARM processor (RISC I think?), so should, in theory, be capable of running a ported Amiga emulaoor, for playing games... Would be absolutely cool if it could (pocket SWOS and Speedball 2!!!!! wahay!)!    What do people think?

for more details, take a look at www.gp32emu.com, www.gp32x.com and www.gbax.com.
 

Offline Unit21

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Re: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2003, 03:42:32 PM »
Yeah...
I've heard about it, and seen pics of it on Norwegian tech-sites. I didn't know that it had hit the stores yet, though.
Have you gotten round to playing any C64-classics yet??
If this thingy is as good as the producers claim it is, I am off to the closest dealer as soon as I get my paycheck... ;-)

For Amiga-gaming a UAE-port would do the trick.
Does anyone feel up to the task of porting it??
It already runs on the Zaurus which has an ARM-processor, so the task cannot be THAT hard... am I right?!  :-D  :-D  :-D

Keep us posted as you get to know how it works, Axeman...
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Offline Karlos

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Re: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2003, 03:44:12 PM »
Wahey, that sounds cool!
int p; // A
 

Offline Karlos

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Re: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2003, 03:48:26 PM »
Where can I get a dev kit for one of these gizmos?
I assume there are cross compilers and the like :-D
int p; // A
 

Offline Calen

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Re: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2003, 04:04:00 PM »
I just learned of this handheld a few days ago, a few  hours after i had ordered my GBA SP.
 I was actually thinking of cancelling my order in favour of the GP32 as it does sound like an impressive handheld, i'm just not sold on its design, but the emulation it can do and play movies and mp3's has got to be a big selling point for it.

Ah well all is not lost, it seems the GBA has a C64 emulator in the works and its close to release (i'd be suprised to if it runs full rate with it's 16mhz or so CPU) :-) and the wealth of Amiga games coming to it is whats sold me.

-EDIT
WOW! it does MAME  also, hmm

@Axeman

Did your order it from http://www.gbax.com, if so, did they sting you much for delivery?  so erm if i'm reading this correctly you get this GP32 for 99 UKP which Includes the link up cables to PC, you get a little smartmedia card in that price also ?
Sounds great if it does get all that cause on the GBA it doubles it price if you where to purchase link up cables/256Meg F2A Cart
 

Offline Crumpster

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Re: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2003, 04:41:17 PM »
Wow. that thing is cool!!!

I'd never heard of this before, where'd you order it from Axeman??


Smart Media Cards?!? Hmmmmmm, surely this would be an excellent product for AmigaDE/AmigaAnywhere to run on!!


Cheers,

Crumpster
A1-XE - G4 800MHz, 1GB RAM, 80GB HDD, Radeon 9250, OS 4.1
A1200T - PPC603 240MHz / 68040 50MHz, 128MB RAM, Mediator, OS 3.9 / 4.1
A1200 (No. 2) - M-TEC 68030 50MHz, 4GB CF, KS 3.0, OS 3.0
A500 - ACA500 with ACA1232.
CDTV - in Progress: SCSI, 9 pin joy/mouse connectors, KS switcher.

Non-CBM - Atari STe, Atari Falcon, Apple ][e, ZX Spectrum, CPC6128.
Gone but not forgotten (and slowly getting them back): CPC464, C64, Vic-20.

I may have a problem
 

Offline Crumpster

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Re: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2003, 04:43:17 PM »
Plus RF as standard!!!

DUDE this thing rocks! :-D  :-D
A1-XE - G4 800MHz, 1GB RAM, 80GB HDD, Radeon 9250, OS 4.1
A1200T - PPC603 240MHz / 68040 50MHz, 128MB RAM, Mediator, OS 3.9 / 4.1
A1200 (No. 2) - M-TEC 68030 50MHz, 4GB CF, KS 3.0, OS 3.0
A500 - ACA500 with ACA1232.
CDTV - in Progress: SCSI, 9 pin joy/mouse connectors, KS switcher.

Non-CBM - Atari STe, Atari Falcon, Apple ][e, ZX Spectrum, CPC6128.
Gone but not forgotten (and slowly getting them back): CPC464, C64, Vic-20.

I may have a problem
 

Offline lempkee

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Re: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2003, 05:04:18 PM »
april joke+? .. damn this sounds too good to be true.... are they available in norway?

please tell me more about this....

Whats up with all the hate!
 

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Re: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2003, 06:06:15 PM »
Right - one by one..... :-)

@ Unit21

Havent actually hot the thing yet, though I have read loads about it.  

[EDIT - Hehe - where have I heard this before :-)  Luckily, there's plenty of evidence to suggest there's plenty of these available, unlike a certain other computer system I could name.]

The C64 emulator is apparently fantastic, and with a back-catalogue of stuff like that, I'm sure I'll be happy for a fair while...  :-P  Worth it for the SID emulation alone :-)

Hasn't hit the stores as such.... got mine from an importer in Newcastle, Uk.  The console itself is actually Korean.  Seems like there MAY be an official UK release, but probably not for the American market, cos of Nintendo's suing power over there (sue now, look at the legal morality of it later!).

A UAE port would be perfect, and I reckon it's easily possible if someone's done an ARM port already....  Get over to the forum at www.gb32x.com and post about this.... the more people who do, the more likely someone is to get off their arse and do it :-D

@Karlos

There is LOADS of home-brew development going on in the GP32 community.  Try the sites in the first post for pointers, including the excellent forum on GP32x.com.  Its a developer's dream - the first hand-held that you can easily release beta versions for!

@Calen

The delivery is only 6 GBP, and that's next-day special UK delivery.  He'll ship worldwide though.  One thingh to add on is the VAT if you're in the UK.    I paid 123 GBP for mine, including VAT and delivery.  That includes the console, accessories and a CD of the emulators and various apps.  It doesnt include a Smartmedia card, but this didnt bother me, as I have loads for my digital camera already.  

If you need Smartmedia cards and you're in the UK, take a look at www.7dayshop.com.  You can get a 128Mb card for about £24 there.

Yep - MAME!!!!  Ghosts and Goblins here I come :-D

@Crumpster

Ordered it from www.gbax.com.  As mentioned above, it's in Newcastle upon tyne in the UK, but will ship worldwide.

As for AmigaDE, my sentiments entirely!  A more perfect platform has rarely presented it's pretty head! :-)

@Iempkee

I thought the same, but apparently not.  Just trawl through the forums at www.gp32x.com and you'll see the enthusiasm for it.   I've rarely come across a platform with more dedicated followers (apart from here, of course).  Looks like it's ghot a long life in it yet!.  Its one of the only other places where I've heard of a platform being referred to as "our pride and joy".  People seem to love it!

Man - I cant wait for the thing to come through.

Anyone with a fat pipe connection can get a vid of the thing running at

http://www.varovision.com/_data/videoclip/gp32.wmv.

EDIT - BTW - the guy who's doing it is Korean, so most of the demos and the built in OS are in Korean, but you can get an English version.

Anyway - I'll let all of you know what its like when I get it (24 hour delivery, but not sat or sun - I decided to order it friday night, so I'vce probably got to wait till tuesday! Waaaah!)

Cheers
 

Offline Calen

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Re: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2003, 09:03:20 PM »
Quote
If you need Smartmedia cards and you're in the UK, take a look at www.7dayshop.com. You can get a 128Mb card for about £24 there.

Axeman

Yeah that media has indeed come down alot over the past few years, it's a pity i use memory sticks for my cam.
Lets us know how you get along with it and your thoughts on this new and very interesting bit of kit.

Another quite interesting GP32 site i've just came across

gp32news
 

Offline MikeB

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Re: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2003, 09:30:50 PM »
 

Offline Calen

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Re: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2003, 09:42:17 PM »
I sure hope people shop around before even thinking of paying that, looks like he couldnt fully describe it emself either as his description looks alittle like that from the gbax.com review
 

Offline iamaboringperson

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Re: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« Reply #12 on: April 07, 2003, 01:50:54 AM »
 :-o  :-o  :-o  :-o wow! somebody has just invented the best thing in the world!!!!!  :-o  :-o  :-o
thats the coolest thing ive seen

 

Offline Dan

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Re: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« Reply #13 on: April 07, 2003, 03:00:19 AM »
I have checked it out, it has an 133Mhz ARM7 processor and there is players for divx,mp3,wma and ogg formats.
It has picture and text viewers. It even has a amigaprotracker player.  And some guy hacked the extport on his gp32 to have 2 serial ports, he also made a terminal program.
All it lacks is an amigaemulator, usbkeyboard driver and a htmlviewer.
Imagine playing speedball, sensible soccer and superfrog on that!!!
Apple did it right the first time, bring back the Newton!
 

Offline tumash

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Re: new toy!!!!! Anyone heard of a GP32?
« Reply #14 on: April 07, 2003, 03:54:22 AM »
as I'm involved in handheld game developing I've seen this console beginning and saw its end. It jumped out of nowhere some time ago with very very veeeryy promising specs but it turned out to be long range failure, similar to the SAM (anyone remember this computer?).
It has everything that is needed to be a HIT besides one thingy - it isn't Ninten'doh.

I've been on GP32-dev mailing list for few months.. besides few "Hi" not much going on there. In fact, there wasn't any new post in days.
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