New LINUX Based Console and Handheld Device COOL

Cool New Linux Console

Has anyone seen the new games/pda consoles that have come out of the ashes of the Korean GP2X hand held console

The first is the rather cool looking touch screen GP2X WIZ device, you can see it in action here

http://gp2x.co.uk/go.pl?A216

Also from the same company, they have the most coolest looking Linux base PDA called the Pandora

Its spec is amazing - a cpu that goes to 900MHZ with a dedicated graphics chip, in addition to they have x2 SD HC card slots - so imagine running running linux apps on a device whic looks like an NDS and has both normal and analouge joypads as well as a full keyboard -- seeing is believing

check it here

http://gp2x.co.uk/go.pl?A216

In theory if the Pandora can be flashed then you should be able to run any os onto to - i've ordered one and am currently tinkering with either using windows xp off a 16GB SD HC fast speed card or use ubuntu mobile on it

Will update this feed later with a review of this device - i am expecting it to be modern version of the sharp linux devices, what attracts me to the pandora is that it is a community designed device, which they got texas instruments to develop a new ARM chip for and its from a UK - yep UK company - really looking forward to running Amiga/BBC B apps on it as the worked on my old GP2X - with an OLED touchscreen - this has to be the device of 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Both Pandora and the GP2X WIZ use ARM CPUs, so you can't just load any OS you want onto it. XP is an OS for x86 and x64 processors, and "Ubuntu Mobile" is mainly focused on running on the x86-based Intel MID platform (at least initially, but I wouldn't hold my breath on waiting for a decent ARM port). You could possibly try something like Angstrom or maybe Debian, but as far as the Pandora goes, why would you want to replace the setup that it comes with? The initial Linux OS installation it would come with would have optimizations and such for the hardware inside, something you wouldn't have out-of-the-box with a vanilla ARM distribution.

Personally, I'm looking forward more towards the Pandora because it was created "by the users, for the users." So almost all of the important things that it would be used for would work pretty much flawlessly as one would expect out of the box (speed of applications such as firefox, emulators, videos, etc).

That's my two cents.

Edited by mscdex 2008-09-19 4:54 PM

FWIW, I took the plunge and pre-ordered a Pandora today....




Apparently, they got 2000 pre-orders in the first 6 hours...supposed to have been a max of 3000 in this first batch...some chance that they may bump that up to 4000 given the level of interest....

I thought about preordering one myself, but since my n810 does everything I need to do on a daily basis I had to refrain. It sounds like a promising device but I think if I were to convince myself to buy another gadget, it would have to be mass-tested first and all the major bugs and such out of the way.