Pocketfactory Reviews Zodiac 2

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pocketfactory.com/archives/000149.html#more' target='_blank'>http://www.pocketfactory.com/archiv...00149.html#more</a><br /><br /></div>Wondering how the Tapwave Zodiac fares in real life? This is an interesting product niche to watch, because there's a Windows CE-based product close on its heels, so seeing how well the Zodiac does will likely serve as a baseline for the potential success of the new Windows CE-based gaming product.<br /><br />"As a long time gadget freak, I'm always on the lookout for the "perfect" mobile device. Something genuinely innovative in design and functionality, or just something that suits my needs better than my previous PDA du jour. When Tapwave announced its new gaming handheld, the Zodiac, I was extremely skeptical about it's usefulness as a PDA. Since I'm not really interested in handheld gaming, I thought the Zodiac's landscape design and button layout would make it awkward for mobile productivity purposes. After all, I don't want to blast alien space invaders, I just want to blast through my email and read online/offline web content, ebooks, or listen to a few digital audio tracks. How easy would it be to use standard PIM functionality?"

[SandersP]

No game, no sale.

[guinness]

Only problem with the Zodiac is that people are going to think it's going to compete against Nintendo, whereas it's really a POS PDA that can do games + multimedia.

[Thinkingmandavid]

It sounds interesting to me, but I of course want a windows version. They offer two versions, one with 32megs and one with 128, however, I think they should have offerd a 64 meg and a 128 meg unit.

[Foo Fighter]

No game, no sale.

Yep! And that is why I don't believe Zodiac is going to make it, as a gaming device. Even Microsoft learned this hard lesson with the xBox. Everyone loved it, but without a broad array of gaming titles to back it up, there wasn't a compelling reason to own one. That's changing now as more game developers get behind the platform.

Whether this will happen with Tapwave or not remains to be seen. Tapwave will face even more insurmountable odds next year when Sony unveils the PSP. Even though Zodiac won't directly compete with this product, or the GameBoy Advance SP, there will be less reason to choose Zodiac. Which is a shame because the Zodiac really is a spectacular product.

[Foo Fighter]

...people are going to think it's going to compete against Nintendo, whereas it's really a POS PDA that can do games + multimedia.

It may not directly compete with the Gameboy, but Zodiac is a gaming device. So naturally it's going to be compared to gaming gear and compete loosely in that market.

[hopeful797]

zodiac is going to make a win ce device? or someone else?

[Scott R]

Frankly, I'm still amazed that MS and its licensees haven't gotten a PPC-based gaming-optimized device in this form-factor out there yet. There are a ton of landscape arcade games out there for the PPC, but the physical controls on all of the PPCs are absolutely horrible in comparison to the Zodiac's. Perhaps this will wake up MS (if it hasn't already) and we'll see something similar on the PPC front. And, no, that recent Windows CE-based gaming device doesn't count, because AFAIK it can't make use of the existing crop of PPC productivity apps or games.

Scott

[ctmagnus]

At least it has an integrated flip cover ;)

[bjornkeizers]

Zodiac failed before it was released.

- As a PDA, we all know there are better devices - and cheaper ones. You even have to pay extra for a cradle!

- True gamers won't know there is such a thing as the Zodiac.. and most of them probably aren't interested in PDA functionality, or simply can't afford it.

- It's up against some strong competition. We have the GameCube [which, over here, is cheaper then a Game Boy!] then there's Nintendo's gameboy itself, and Sony's PSP. Without having seen the PSP, I'd be willing to pay for one up front, just because it is a sony. Zodiac doesn't do that for me.

- Games. No matter how marketing spins this, it's meant for gaming at heart and is marketed as such. But there are only a few titles out at the moment - I think only o ne is an exclusive. Do I want to pay $50 for a ****ty version of Tony Hawk or Sonic, when I can get great games for Game Cube at that same price, and most of the time less then that?

Zodiac is screwed no matter how you look at it.

[Foo Fighter]

- As a PDA, we all know there are better devices - and cheaper ones.

I don't believe that is a fair statement. "Better" is in the eye of the beholder. You haven't even seen or held a Zodiac, so how would you know how good it is? You can ponder Tapwave's fate all you like, personally I think they will be crushed by the preeminent gaming players. But to attack the Zodiac itself as being "inferior" or un-compelling (without even seeing it) is just short sighted. Zodiac may not be for everyone, but it's one of the most solid and well built handhelds on the market right now. Hell, I challenge you to find a Pocket PC this well built, because I haven't found one since the old Jornada 540 series. Toshiba comes close, maybe, but not nearly close enough.

It breaks my heart that more mobile device vendors don't use this same high quality aluminum in PDA housings. The difference between the Zodiac's metal "feel" and most other PDAs which have plastic housings, is like comparing a Rolex watch to a Dollar General store trinket.

[Scott R]

- As a PDA, we all know there are better devices - and cheaper ones. You even have to pay extra for a cradle!Cradles are overrated. It's a nice to have option, but I prefer to be able to travel light to and from work and prefer to carry around a simple sync cable. Better and cheaper PDAs? Pick one. You can have better or you can have cheaper, but you'll be hard pressed to find many that are both better and cheaper. The Zodiac holds its own quite nicely against other PDAs.

- True gamers won't know there is such a thing as the Zodiac.. and most of them probably aren't interested in PDA functionality, or simply can't afford it.I'm not a true gamer so I can't say for sure. But if "true gamers" read gaming magazines, they'll likely have seen a Zodiac ad or article. This certainly doesn't compare to the buzz provided by Nokia's TV commercials or in-store availability at Target and EBGames, but the N-Gage has gotten pretty lousy reviews, so I'm not sure that they're at much of an advantage.

- It's up against some strong competition. We have the GameCube [which, over here, is cheaper then a Game Boy!] then there's Nintendo's gameboy itself, and Sony's PSP. Without having seen the PSP, I'd be willing to pay for one up front, just because it is a sony. Zodiac doesn't do that for me.The PSP is a definite threat to Tapwave, but not yet. The thing won't be available for sale for a long while yet. I don't think the target market here is the kind to put off a purchase for 6+ months if they want something now.

- Games. No matter how marketing spins this, it's meant for gaming at heart and is marketed as such. But there are only a few titles out at the moment - I think only o ne is an exclusive. Do I want to pay $50 for a s****y version of Tony Hawk or Sonic, when I can get great games for Game Cube at that same price, and most of the time less then that?No doubt about it, the library of Tapwave-optimized games is extremely weak. That's its biggest weakness from a gaming perspective. But you can't compare this to a Game Cube. That's apples and oranges. You aren't going to take your Game Cube on the subway commute.

Scott

[bjornkeizers]

I don't believe that is a fair statement. "Better" is in the eye of the beholder. You haven't even seen or held a Zodiac, so how would you know how good it is?


True, true. Some people can be content with just a 2mb no-backlight Palm Zire. Still, there are cheaper and ** IMHO ** better PDA's out there - like a Tungsten E or an Ipaq 1915. They're cheaper, they're smaller, they are supported by big name companys, you'll be able to get a ton of off the shelf accesoiries and software for them.

In my book, that's better then Zodiac. It's not as good as most dedicated PDA's, and it's certainly not as good as a Game Boy - but it costs as much as both of these devices put together.

You won't attract the PDA crowd, and you won't lure gamers with that big pricetag and half-a-dozen game library.. so who would buy such a thing?


Cradles are overrated.


I actually agree with you on that Scott - I have a half a dozen PDA's, and since I actually use three, four of them on occasion, I have quite a few cradles, cables etc. and I actually prefer cables to cradles these days.

Still, I know some people prefer a good, sturdy cradle, and you'd think they could add a cradle [or offer it as an opional package instead of with a cable] - after all, you are paying 399 for a Zodiac 2.


I'm not a true gamer so I can't say for sure. But if "true gamers" read gaming magazines, they'll likely have seen a Zodiac ad or article. This certainly doesn't compare to the buzz provided by Nokia's TV commercials or in-store availability at Target and EBGames, but the N-Gage has gotten pretty lousy reviews, so I'm not sure that they're at much of an advantage.


If it wasn't for Pocketmatrix [and specifcally, JADAM] I wouldn't know such a thing existed. And I do read mags [dutch ones] and visit a lot of gaming sites. And even if I knew of its existence, I'd be put off by the 299 or 399 price tag. We PDA adapts see the value of a Palm in addition to gaming, but does the average gamer? All he sees is the 299 price tag and half a dozen games. And since you can get 3 gamecubes for the price of one Zodiac.. well, I don't think many of them would buy one, or get one for christmas for that matter. Same thing with the Nokia. It's not a very good phone, and it's a horrible gaming device. The phone crowd don't want it, the game crowd can't afford nor want it, so nobody's buying.


The PSP is a definite threat to Tapwave, but not yet. The thing won't be available for sale for a long while yet. I don't think the target market here is the kind to put off a purchase for 6+ months if they want something now.


We're not talking 12 year olds here, and this isnt the sort of price range for impulse buys. I'm more then willing to wait 6+ months for a PSP. I think if anyone can dethrone the mighty gameboy, it's going to be the PSP. Even if it has a 299 pricetag, I'm getting one. Why? Because it's a Sony, and sony is a proven player in the games and electronics industry. They're a good name. I know and love Sony [well, some parts at least] The people making the Zodiac simply don't have the budget or the right product to conquer the mobile gaming market [or any market]


But you can't compare this to a Game Cube


I know. I wasn't comparing them as such. Just saying there are other ways, cheaper and better ways, to get your gaming fix. If I wanted to buy a good gaming system, I'd buy a Game Cube, PS2 or XBOX [well, I already have the last two, and my bro has a GC but.. you know what I mean] There really isn't any direct competition, since the gameboy doesn't have PDA functionality. PSP might come a bit closer, but still not a PDA. If anything, it's up against the N-gage - and even a big player like Nokia couldn't pull that one off.

[Magellan]

I am a true gamer, and believe me, we all know about it. I have a Zodiac2, a Tungsten T2, an iPAQ 4350, and a gameboy. If I could only take one device with me it would be the Zodiac. There aren't many Zodiac specific games, but there are hundreds of Palm OS games that work just fine. I have about 30 games on my Zod now. True the GBA has more games, but unless you are 12 yrs old, not many are very interesting. Also, the PDA functionality equals that of the other devices I have, and since it has built in Bluetooth, I can use it with my bluetooth phone to do email and web browsing. I am not saying it the perfect device, it hasn't been invented yet, but unless you have tried it, don't knock it!!