telengard
Junior Member
Stuck in the 80s
Posts: 51
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Post by telengard on Dec 15, 2005 16:44:23 GMT -5
Hi everyone, The topic of a 'portable' retro computer like the MC-10 made me wonder if anyone uses a small portable device to run emulators on? I am (hopefully) getting a gp2x for christmas which so far is turning out to be a great emulation platform. This is probably geared more towards gaming though, I can't imagine coding or doing word processing on something like that. But it will be nice to be able sit on the couch and play or fire it up while waiting at the car registry etc. Here's a link to the gp2x: www.gbax.com/indexgp2x.htmlIt runs linux and supports SDL, and uses all open formats for audio/storage/video/power. It even has TV-out which is a great feature. Very nice little machine for under $200. I have also 'soft modded' my xbox so I can play old computer games on it while I wait for the gp2x. A wireless controller and the couch are all I need to play Atari, Apple, or C64 games! These things in no way replace the real thing for me but are a nice addition. Anyone else using something similar like a PSP, GP32, Nintendo DS, etc? Maybe someday I'll go really overboard and build an Atari 800 laptop like this fella did: www.engadget.com/entry/1234000310067951/happy hoildays everyone, ~telengard
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Post by Golan Klinger on Dec 15, 2005 20:34:04 GMT -5
Wow. You've hit upon my two interests with a single post. I'm very much into emulation and I'm a bit of a handheld computer junkie. I've got a GP32 and I recently got my GPX2 (which isn't quite ready for prime time) and I've also got an assortment of PalmOS-based handhelds, some of which are oriented specifically towards gaming like the Tapwave Zodiac (which, sadly, has been discontinued). The GPX2 does look quite promising though as the software support of the GP32 is starting to shift to the GP2X and once all the kinks have been worked out, I think it will be an excellent system. I love that I'll be able to play classic games (through emulation) and watch encoded TV and movies on a single handheld. I got into portable game machines with the original (monochrome) Gameboy and went on to buy every system that came along (a Sega Game Gear, a Sega Nomad, a NEC Turbo Express, and an Atari Lynx) but once I got a Palm I shifted my attention away from cartridge-based systems. Unfortunately, the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP have caught my eye. It's a never ending cycle and things are getting a little out of control. Mobile phone, digital camera, PDA, mp3 player, handheld gaming system etc. etc. Which does one take when they go out? I see the mobile phone as being the most important of the above and with convergence devices like the Treo becoming more affordable, the future is promising. Just to keep this on-topic for the PETSCII forums, let me point out that Frodo frodo.cebix.net/ is a free, open-source Commodore 64 emulator that has been ported to a variety of the systems I mentioned above.
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Post by thurstan on Dec 21, 2005 12:05:20 GMT -5
Portable emulation is something I have never quite got into, even though I love emulators and portable gaming. The number one problem i find to be the control method and input.
I've only ever dabbled with Frodo on my mobile phone and apart from things like Arkanoid or simple platform games, its impossible to play the game with the controls given. Without a full keyboard for computer emulation or a proper joy pad for console games, you dont get the full functionality.
I have a Nintendo DS and am hoping to try some emulators on it esp the wireless networking aspect.
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telengard
Junior Member
Stuck in the 80s
Posts: 51
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Post by telengard on Dec 27, 2005 15:24:41 GMT -5
Wow. You've hit upon my two interests with a single post. I'm very much into emulation and I'm a bit of a handheld computer junkie. I've got a GP32 and I recently got my GPX2 (which isn't quite ready for prime time) and I've also got an assortment of PalmOS-based handhelds, some of which are oriented specifically towards gaming like the Tapwave Zodiac (which, sadly, has been discontinued). The GPX2 does look quite promising though as the software support of the GP32 is starting to shift to the GP2X and once all the kinks have been worked out, I think it will be an excellent system. I love that I'll be able to play classic games (through emulation) and watch encoded TV and movies on a single handheld. I got into portable game machines with the original (monochrome) Gameboy and went on to buy every system that came along (a Sega Game Gear, a Sega Nomad, a NEC Turbo Express, and an Atari Lynx) but once I got a Palm I shifted my attention away from cartridge-based systems. Unfortunately, the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP have caught my eye. It's a never ending cycle and things are getting a little out of control. Mobile phone, digital camera, PDA, mp3 player, handheld gaming system etc. etc. Which does one take when they go out? I see the mobile phone as being the most important of the above and with convergence devices like the Treo becoming more affordable, the future is promising. Just to keep this on-topic for the PETSCII forums, let me point out that Frodo frodo.cebix.net/ is a free, open-source Commodore 64 emulator that has been ported to a variety of the systems I mentioned above. Hi there, Got my gp2x for xmas and am having a blast. As you said it's not 100% up to snuff (for me the joystick is just painful to use) but I am really enjoying the Atari 800 emulator. I can't stop playing MULE on it as well as One on One. I'm pretty into emulation too since sometimes using my old gear can be cumbersome, esp for gaming. Even with all the elaborate transferring mechanisms I have it can be a pain. Emulation is instant gratification sacrificing some of the nostaliga. I am almost finished with a settop box type thing I am putting in my living room. I wrote a frontend to launch emulators and have 2 wireless controllers. This is the first handheld I've ever bought. They never really caught my eye since I'm not into many newer games. For me newer is like anything older than 1985/6, heh. I wasn't really into NES/Sega etc so the handhelds didn't offer a lot for me. But now that I can play C64, Atari, etc on one I was very interested. I'd like to have an all in one device too but it seems they aren't very oriented towards gaming. I had a PPC PDA and while it was great for a lot of things, classic gaming wasn't one of them. I haven't tried Frodo out yet, but it seems someone ported Vice which is probably what I'll end up using since I'm familiar with that. Hope everyone had a great holiday and happy new year to all! ~telengard
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Post by miner2049er on Jan 17, 2006 5:51:20 GMT -5
I use my handhelds all the time for emulation.
I have a Sony Ericsson P900 phone which runs a C64 emulator (among other things) and that is good. I tried a lot of others such as Mame, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, but because of a lack on input buttons, using them with the touch screen was just too fiddly, and Frodo is the only computer emu that I find usable.
The best one though has to be Scumm which works just beautifully on the device as you can control the pointer with the stylus and it runs at full speed with sound. I have loads of fun with that.
I also have an xbox with a hardware mod and 80gig drive just full of emus and stuff that I use a lot. I emulate just about everything on it. It even has a browser that you can control with either the game controller (messy) or a usb keyboard and mouse.
Surfing on the TV!
I mainly use it as a media centre though and watch online tv, record Shoutcast to listen to on my MP3 player and stream stuff from around my house etc.
My main gaming device though is a Nintendo DS that I have modded and have a flash cart for.
I emulate loads of systems on that too, Gameboy, Gameboy Colour, Colecovision, NES, Sega Game Gear, Sega Master System, Scummvm, BBC Micro and homebrew software.
I even have it running Linux.
If anyone wants any info on flash carts, emus or homebrew apps on the Nintendo GBA or DS then just ask. I'm not saying I know the lot but I've really been playing around a lot with this thing and have it pretty much up to speed.
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Post by thurstan on Jan 17, 2006 11:18:46 GMT -5
Linux on the Nintendo DS? ?? tell me more! i LOVE my DS
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Post by Golan Klinger on Jan 17, 2006 12:49:32 GMT -5
Linux on the Nintendo DS? ?? tell me more! i LOVE my DS You need to visit www.dslinux.org/ right away. Everything you need to know can be found in the Wiki. It's early days yet (limited functionality) but it does work. With Linux and emulators it seems like anything can run everything else these days. Your PDA, your handheld game machine, your iPod, your phone, even your digital camera! [1] [1] Think I'm kidding? digita.mame.net/ Too funny.
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Post by miner2049er on Jan 17, 2006 12:52:32 GMT -5
Linux on the Nintendo DS? ?? tell me more! i LOVE my DS It's in quite early stages but is working. It has a few apps built in too such as graphical demos and a couple of text adventures. long term aim is to get the wifi functioning, then I'm hoping a browser will be the next step. There are no drivers for the Supercard SD which I woulod like then I could use it as a file manager too. Anyway it's here www.dslinux.org/login - root pwd - uClinux
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