jammer dat Tapwave zelf zo klein is en ze niet een gigantische wereldwijde reclamecampagne kunnen starten vergelijkbaar met dat van Nokia dan vliegen die dingen de deur uit
voorlopig is het iig nog ff wachten, ik scoor iig gelijk Spy Hunter (ben ik nooit een fan van geweest maar goed er is nix anders) en je krijgt er Stunt Cars FX oid gratis bij dan kan ik wel ff vooruit tot begin volgend jaar het ding eindelijk in de winkels ligt en de games een beetje beginnen te lopen (dan komen ook Duke Nukem en Never Winter Nights uit).
en als het nix is ... dan koop ik 3kwart jaar later gewoon een psp 
(mits die niet gigantisch huge is wat ik wel verwacht).
Dat gaat me te diep sp3c, daar is het te laat voor.
quote:ja, ik hoop idd dat Zodiac meer succes heeft als de N-gage, ik had eigenlijk wel wat beters verwacht van de N-gage
Op donderdag 16 oktober 2003 15:14 schreef sp3c het volgende:
het ding heeft iig meer potentie als N-gagejammer dat Tapwave zelf zo klein is en ze niet een gigantische wereldwijde reclamecampagne kunnen starten vergelijkbaar met dat van Nokia dan vliegen die dingen de deur uit
voorlopig is het iig nog ff wachten, ik scoor iig gelijk Spy Hunter (ben ik nooit een fan van geweest maar goed er is nix anders) en je krijgt er Stunt Cars FX oid gratis bij dan kan ik wel ff vooruit tot begin volgend jaar het ding eindelijk in de winkels ligt en de games een beetje beginnen te lopen (dan komen ook Duke Nukem en Never Winter Nights uit).
en als het nix is ... dan koop ik 3kwart jaar later gewoon een psp
quote:Ja ik ook
Op vrijdag 17 oktober 2003 09:53 schreef err het volgende:
ik kijk inmiddels eigenlijk meer uit naar de dingen die het apparaat allemaal kan (films kijken, de organiser, de palm apps) dan de feitelijke games die erop uit gaan komen
Hoop dat er ook een toetsenbord en/of muis op kunnen
En misschien een TV-Out op een volgende versie
toetsenbord en muis zijn er al via palm enzo, kun je met de universal connector aansluiten of via blue tooth
Dat gaat me te diep sp3c, daar is het te laat voor.
quote:een dezer dagen, volgens Tapwave laat oktober.
Op zaterdag 18 oktober 2003 23:19 schreef Swetsenegger het volgende:
Wanneer worden die dingen dan daadwerkelijk uitgeleverd?
Kinoma Producer 2 is net uit en het schijnt dat die nog mee gebundled moet worden voor de boel verscheept.
Zoda ik m heb zal ik het hier breed uitmeten natuurlijk
quote:www.zodiacgamer.com
1) What is Tapwave?Tapwave is a new company located in Southern California, founded by Peng Lim, Byron Connell and many ex-Palm employees. Their goal was to create a new product that could fill a perceived market gap of young adults interested in PDA's with advanced gaming capability. Their project was initially called 'Helix,' but the final commercial product is now called the 'Zodiac.'
2) What is Zodiac?
Zodiac is the first true combination of state-of-the-art Personal Digital Assistant functionality and powerful next generation portable gaming technology. Breaking away from the common mould of run-of-the-mill Palms and Pocket PC's, the Zodiac features an ergonomically designed case with analog thumbpad, an SNES style button layout, and many other game-centric trimmings.
At the same time, it also includes top-of-the-line features for PDA's, including the latest Palm Operating System v5.2.6, a large high resolution color display, integrated blue tooth and SDIO functionality. The 128MB model includes the largest internal memory ever announced for a PalmOS device at the time.
The Tapwave Zodiac, along with other systems like the less powerful cell phone based Nokia N-Gage, represent the convergence of mobile productivity and gaming devices, testing new markets and boldly experimenting with new designs.
3) What are the Zodiac's specs?
200Mhz Motorola® i.MX1T ARM 9 CPU
32MB *or* 128MB internal DRAM (NOTE: 12MB is reserved for system stack)
ATI® Imageon W4200 2D Graphics Accelerator with 8MB VRAM, includes MPEG-4 & JPEG hardware decoding functions
3.8 inch 480x320 transflective backlit LCD display with touch screen and "Virtual Graffiti" functionality, 16-bit (65,536 colors)
Yamaha Sound Chip, with 16-channel polyphonic wavetable MIDI synthesiser
Built-in stereo speakers and standard 3.5mm headphone jack
Analog thumbstick with push button functionality
4 primary game buttons in SNES layout with 2 shoulder buttons
Power, Function & Home buttons
Built-in "rumble" effects for game feedback and vibration alarms
Built-in Bluetooth wireless functionality and Bluetooth communication button, allowing up to 8 Zodiacs to connect wirelessly with a 30 foot range, can also be used in conjunction with a Bluetooth enabled cell phone to surf the net
Infrared transceiver, capable of all typical Palm "beaming" applications
2 "hot swappable" SD card slots: one accepts MMC or SD, the other accepts SD or SDIO (for peripherals like cameras, radios etc.)
Custom USB connector; pin layout may or may not be PUC (Palm Universal Connector) compatible to some degree
Full PalmOS 5.2.6 functionality including portrait and landscape modes
Built-in MP3 player
Built-in JPEG viewer
Dual Lithium-Ion rechargeable batteries, total 1540 mAh, non-removable, supposedly able to deliver 16 hours usage per charge
Size/Weight: 5.6" (143mm) x 3.1" (79mm) x .55" (14mm) / 6.3 ounces
Power Supply: AC Adapter / Battery Charger (120 volt AC, 60 Hz)4) How much does it cost?
There are two basic models, the Zodiac1 with 32MB internal memory is $299 and Zodiac2 with 128MB internal memory is $399. The only other difference is color - Zodiac1 is "slate gray" and Zodiac2 is "charcoal gray."
5) What comes included with the Zodiac?
Both Zodiac models ship with instructions, stylus, Bonus Software CD, leather screen flip cover, leather wrist strap, "earbud" headphones, USB sync cable to connect to your home computer, power adapter to recharge the Li-Ion batteries. The Tapwave store also features other products and bundles, including a Zodiac cradle, extra styli, cases etc.
The following software is built-in or included on the bonus software CD:
Operating System: Tapwave enhanced Palm OS 5.2T
Writing Software: Graffiti 2
Games: Stunt Car Extreme, Acid Solitaire
Music: Tapwave MP3 player
Photos: Tapwave JPEG Photo Viewer
Video Playback: Kinoma Player
Video Creation: Kinoma Producer (Quickly and easily converts AVI, QuickTime, MPEG1, MPEG4 files for use on the Zodiac entertainment console). QuickTime software is required to use Kinoma Producer on PC
eBook Reader: PalmReader
Organizer/Productivity: Address Book, Date Book, To Do List, Memo Pad, Alarm Clock (Tapwave Alarm Clock with integrated stopwatch & MP3 music feature), Wireless-based chat & shared whiteboard (PhatPad by Trumpetsoft), Graphing Calculator (powerOne by Infinity SoftWorks), Microsoft® Word®-compatible Word Processor (WordSmith by Blue Nomad)
Connectivity: Web Browser and SMS client for use with compatible Bluetooth enabled phones6) Where do I buy one?
Tapwave officially launched the Zodiac on Wednesday, September 17th, 2003. Pre-orders began that day at www.tapwave.com, and until 2004, the only way to purchase Zodiac will be directly from Tapwave via their USA based online store. It is believed pre-ordered Zodiacs will begin shipping sometime in October, 2003. The state of international sales is yet to be clarified.
Tapwave hopes to sell Zodiac and Zodiac compatible games in traditional retail stores sometime in early 2004 as well. Games will be available as downloadable content purchased online, as well as on pre-installed dedicated SD cards, functionally similar to traditional game cartridges/cards. It should also be noted that games and applications designed for PalmOS will also work on Zodiac, including some 19,000 software titles, from games to serious business applications.
7) What games can it play?
Because the Zodiac has a rich hardware feature set, it is capable of presenting 2D/3D graphics and sound similar in quality to the original Playstation console. Amidst the tools available to Zodiac game developers is the Fathammer X-Forge 3D gaming API, allowing designers to create 3D characters and settings with relative ease. The built-in Bluetooth wireless will allow up to 8 players to join in multiplayer games within a 30 foot radius, and there has been talk of an online "high score conduit" so players can join internet based competitions.
Some of the Zodiac specific games include licensed franchises like "Spy Hunter," "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4," "Doom II," Neverwinter Nights," & "Duke Nukem" as well as original efforts like "Galactic Realms," "Phantom Strike," & "Warfare Incorporated." There are supposedly 15 - 20 Zodiac specific games planned for the system's launch period, beginning in October 2003 when hardware starts shipping. Take a look at our Zodiac Games page and see the Tapwave titles page for more info. If you'd like to see some of the Zodiac's most impressive in-game graphics, check out our Graphics Gallery. And finally, you might enjoy the various game/company previews available in our Articles section.
It's also worth noting many excellent games already exist for PalmOS devices, including some that support the Zodiac's "Hires+" resolution of 480x320. While these games might not support the Zodiac's special hardware (game controls, Imageon, Yamaha chip etc.) they still represent a great source of titles.
Lastly, but not least, the Zodiac will have its own selection of homebrew games and emulators. As most people know, sometimes free homebew titles can be tremendous fun and very high quality. And PalmOS already has a few emulators available like Xcade (arcade games), NESem (NES) & Liberty (Gameboy). Many more are bound to come, allowing the Zodiac to play favorite old retro-games on the go.
8) What is PalmOS?
Because the Zodiac will appeal to gamers as well as PDA users, it's understandable if some Zodiac fans are unfamiliar with PalmOS. Basically, PalmOS is an operating system created by Palm (now PalmSource) to facilitate the use of various mobile devices including PDA's & "smart" phones. PalmOS is considered to be stable, reliable and simple to use by its many fans. The Zodiac contains the latest current version of PalmOS, although a significant update is around the corner - PalmOS 6, which is rumored to support multitasking, a robust file system and more.
9) Can I upgrade the OS?
Initial reports say no, the Zodiac's OS ROM may not be flashable (rewriteable) and therefore current Tapwave devices may not be upgradeable to OS 6. HOWEVER - none of this is confirmed officially yet by the company. So consider our answer to be "we're not sure yet" until Tapwave releases a definite statement on the matter. But regardless, Palm OS 5.2 is still quite good.
10) How can I develop for the Zodiac?
PalmOS is open to development, and you don't have to be a bigtime game company to develop for the Zodiac! Compared to most other game consoles, this is a very refreshing change of pace. If you'd like to get the Zodiac SDK, which also includes the much lauded Fathammer X-Forge 3D Game API, just visit the Tapwave Developer's signup page and apply. Once accepted, you'll receive the SDK and you'll be added to the developer's mailing list.
11) What do the game icons at the Tapwave Store mean?
From left to right:
1) Tuned for Zodiac - Uses some Zodiac special features
2) Certified for Zodiac - Comprehensive Tapwave seal of approval
3) Fullscreen - game uses the entire Zodiac display
4) Multiplayer - at least 2 players can play, i.e. via Bluetooth
5) Analog control - game uses Zodiac's analog controller
6) Tournament Ready - game hiscores compatible with Tapwave hiscore conduit
7) Vibration - game uses vibration effects
8) Bluetooth - game uses Bluetooth in some way, usually for multiplayer12) How many hours do the batteries last per charge?
The Zodiac's non-removable dual Lithium-Ion batteries contain a charge of 1540 mAh, the most ever for such a device. The number of hours you get per charge depend on what programs you use, and how you use the Zodiac itself.
Reports I've read from Tapwave engineers indicate the absolute minimum is 4 - 5 hours when using the Zodiac to its absolute maximum capability, i.e. display backlight turned to maximum brightness, complex 3D processing, intense user input, bluetooth wireless, playing sound on highest volume via the stereo speakers, and heavily using the rumble feature. The average real world playtime per charge, in my estimation, will be more like 6 - 8 hours. Possibly more if the backlight is turned all the way down (if you're in a well lit environment for example, transflective displays don't need backlighting to be visible!), using headphones with low volume, not using bluetooth and playing graphically less intense games, i.e. 2D RPG or RTS.When using the Zodiac for MP3 music playback, the battery will last around 16 hours per charge. And if you only use the Zodiac for PDA functions, you'll probably get several days of usage before you'll need to recharge the batteries.
Recharge time is 2 hours.
13) How much internal memory is available to the user?
Both Zodiac models reserve 12MB for OS usage. Therefore the Zodiac1, which contains 32MB internal RAM, will have 20MB available to the user. And the Zodiac2, which contains 128MB internal RAM, will have 116MB available to the user.
14) How does the file system work with Zodiac's internal memory?
According to Tapwave engineer Bob Ebert:
"Briefly, the internal memory can be accessed either as a file system just like the one on SD/MMC cards, or as a pool of PalmOS databases like with other Palm devices. These are now just two different ways of using the same memory, and there's no need for partitioning, formatting, and so on.
Of course, you can't pull out the "internal" card and put it in a desktop card reader, camera, or other PalmOS device... :-) So we include software for installing music, photos, and game files directly, and of course you can always copy data between cards and internal memory using the device itself."
15) What are some of the 2D acceleration features of the ATI Imageon?
According to Tapwave engineer Bob Ebert:
"The ATI hardware supports several blitting operations that should make sprite-stlye emulation easy and fast: transparency, alpha blending, and fast transforms (rotate, mirror) and even scaling."
Essentially, it's a very capable 2D rendering chip, allowing the Zodiac to quickly perform complex 2D graphics effects without bogging down the CPU.
It also contains MPEG-4 & JPEG hardware decoding functions for high quality movie playback and fast image file viewing.
NOTE REGARDING 3D GRAPHICS: Contrary to what you may have heard from innacurate reports, the ATI Imageon is NOT a 3D accelerator. 3D graphics are done through software on the Zodiac, using the included Fathammer X-Forge 3D API. Software designers can also create their own 3D rendering engines when necessary. The overall 3D capability of the Zodiac is probably somewhere in the Sega Saturn or Sony Playstation level of quality, perhaps better in some respects, perhaps worse in others. But that is just speculation at this very early point in Zodiac history. Like any game system, the true graphical potential won't become apparent until the 2nd or 3rd generation of software. Time will tell...
16) How does the game copy protection work on Zodiac?
According to Tapwave engineer Bob Ebert:
"A protected game purchased for a software download will work only on the owner's device, regardless of whether the game is installed in main memory or on a card. (Or rather, "can be made to work" is probably more correct -- the game developers have a lot of freedom to implement other restrictions.)You should be able to freely move or copy the application to make backups or otherwise manage your storage needs.
A game purchased on a ROM card will work on any Tapwave device, as long as the ROM card is inserted. If you break or lose the ROM card, then you're out of luck."
17) Does Zodiac have a PUC (Palm Universal Connector)?
The PUC, present on many PalmOS devices, is compatible with various existing peripherals and add-ons, like keyboards, so people often wonder if Zodiac's connection port is a PUC.
It isn't.
However if you examine the comparison photo below, you'll notice they're very similar, aside from extra pins on the Zodiac's connector port. Could a PUC adapter be manufactured? Perhaps... We don't know yet.
18) What is the Zodiac's casing made of, plastic or metal?
The Zodiac casing is constructed of anodized aluminum, not plastic.
According to Anodizing.org, an industrial site about anodized metals:
"Anodizing successfully combines science with nature to create one of the world's best metal finishes. It is an electrochemical process that thickens and toughens the naturally occurring protective oxide. The resulting finish, depending on the process, is the second hardest substance known to man, second only to the diamond. The anodic coating is part of the metal, but has a porous structure which allows secondary infusions, (i.e. organic and inorganic coloring, lubricity aids, etc.)"
Translation: The Zodiac will be much sturdier than cheap plastic devices.
en deze ook niet, is van Tony Hawk en het lijkt meer op de gba port dan op de rest van de zodiac titels
niet echt lelijk maar totaal niet waar ik op zit te wachten, ik wil full 3d tony net als N-gage en anders moet ik het niet
Dat gaat me te diep sp3c, daar is het te laat voor.
quote:seconded.
Op maandag 20 oktober 2003 09:53 schreef sp3c het volgende:niet echt lelijk maar totaal niet waar ik op zit te wachten, ik wil full 3d tony net als N-gage en anders moet ik het niet
quote:nee, je kunt hem pre-orderen, ze kunnen ze nu elk moment gaan sturen. Pas volgend jaar in de winkel.
Op maandag 20 oktober 2003 16:15 schreef JorricK het volgende:
heeft iemand dit ding al of heeft er al iemand op gespeeld en wat gaat i kosten?
Ik zal m'n ervaringen uiteraard hier posten.
http://pocket.ign.com/articles/455/455702p1.html
review is lyrisch...dit had tapwave nodig =D
[Dit bericht is gewijzigd door err op 21-10-2003 10:50]
anyways coole shit 
Dat gaat me te diep sp3c, daar is het te laat voor.
Is er voor de Tapwave ook een Internetbrowser beschikbaar? of de mogelijkheid om ermee te internetten/chatten oid?
[Dit bericht is gewijzigd door kareltje_de_grote op 21-10-2003 11:08]
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Fiets
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quote:yep, geintegreerde browser, internet via bluetooth
Op dinsdag 21 oktober 2003 11:06 schreef kareltje_de_grote het volgende:
geinig apparaatje, keb echt sinds kort een GamePark 32. Dus laat deze maar even achterwege, ook omdat ie toch wel een stuk duurder is.Is er voor de Tapwave ook een Internetbrowser beschikbaar? of de mogelijkheid om ermee te internetten/chatten oid?
filmpjes moet ik wachten tot ik thuis ben (klote wmv formaat) is het wat?
Dat gaat me te diep sp3c, daar is het te laat voor.
quote:nee, helemaal kut
Op dinsdag 21 oktober 2003 11:20 schreef sp3c het volgende:
deze is ook impressivefilmpjes moet ik wachten tot ik thuis ben (klote wmv formaat) is het wat?
grapje
fps is behoorlijk snel, ziet er allemaal top uit. Beetje blocky textures in spyhunter. Vind stuntcar er het beste uitzien, voertuigen reageren echt netjes op de ondergrond enzo
Dat gaat me te diep sp3c, daar is het te laat voor.
Dat gaat me te diep sp3c, daar is het te laat voor.
nog meer filmpkes, 2 trailers (matrix en nemo) en de mp3 speler.
http://streamingmovies.ign.com/pocket....ree.wmv
http://streamingmovies.ign.com/pocket....ree.wmv
http://streamingmovies.ign.com/pocket....ree.wmv
en nogmaals spyhuntah en stuntcar
http://streamingmovies.ign.com/pocket/tapwavehandson_102003_04_free.wmv
http://streamingmovies.ign.com/pocket/tapwavehandson_102003_05_free.wmv
[Dit bericht is gewijzigd door err op 21-10-2003 13:16]
