11-30-2003, 12:21 AM
|
|
Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
|
|
Pocketfactory Reviews Zodiac 2
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.
"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?"
|
| |
|
|
|
11-30-2003, 01:08 AM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 153
|
|
No game, no sale.
|
| |
|
|
|
11-30-2003, 01:28 AM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 238
|
|
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.
|
| |
|
|
|
11-30-2003, 02:32 AM
|
|
Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,049
|
|
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.
__________________
"Do not try. Do or Do Not. There is no try"Yoda, Empire Strikes Back
|
| |
|
|
|
11-30-2003, 03:55 AM
|
|
Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,466
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by SandersP
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.
|
| |
|
|
|
11-30-2003, 03:59 AM
|
|
Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,466
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by guinness
...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.
|
| |
|
|
|
11-30-2003, 05:10 AM
|
|
Pupil
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 36
|
|
zodiac is going to make a win ce device? or someone else?
|
| |
|
|
|
11-30-2003, 05:31 AM
|
|
Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 516
|
|
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
__________________
Tapland
|
| |
|
|
|
12-01-2003, 07:12 AM
|
|
5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,616
|
|
At least it has an integrated flip cover 
__________________
iPhone 4! ☠☠☠ Mid-2010 15" MacBook Pro! ☠☠☠ Gateway LT2102h! ☠☠☠ Dell XPS M1210!
|
| |
|
|
|
12-01-2003, 09:56 AM
|
|
Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 734
|
|
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.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
