Entered CNET Catalog: 09/25/2003
SKU: T2907US
Manufacturer: Tapwave
Manufacturer description
Take the fun of a gaming console, cross it with the power of a high-end PDA, integrate with MP3 player, photo viewer and videos and you've got Zodiac. It's the perfect combination of functionality, technology and portability in a sleek package you'll want to take everywhere. The charcoal gray Zodiac2 mobile entertainment console comes with 128MB of RAM, a USB/power cable, earbuds, wrist strap and a flip cover. Also included is a CD containing Palm Desktop Software, applications for Personal Information Management, MP3 playback, video playback, image viewing, word processing, graphing calculator and web browsing (requires compatible mobile phone with data service). And, of course, games. Stunt Car Extreme and AcidSolitaire are included to get you started.Product summary
The good: Palm OS 5.2; sleek design; impressive screen; ATI graphics accelerator; Bluetooth; MP3 support; dual SD expansion slots; healthy battery life.
The bad: Limited number of launch titles; no included conduit for Outlook synchronization; no built-in Wi-Fi.
The bottom line: The Zodiac is a slick multimedia Palm and portable gaming device, but its success will depend on its game library.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 11/24/2003
However, with any gaming platform, what really counts is the software, and as of this writing, the list of compelling Zodiac-enhanced Palm titles is pretty short. Ideally, that will change with time and give deep-pocketed gamers a reason to make the Zodiac2 their next handheld--assuming they're not holding out for the early-2005 release of Sony's PSP. While slim, the 5.6-by-3.1-by-0.55-inch Zodiac is a bit oversize compared with most Palms. But it's definitely one of the slickest-looking PDAs out there, and it makes Nintendo's Game Boy Advance SP look like a toy. The carbon-colored exterior and the gaming-oriented buttons will compete for your attention, but the first thing that'll catch your eye is the sharp transflective display, which offers a high resolution of 480x320 pixels and 65,536 colors.
We didn't have any serious complaints about the device's gaming ergonomics: the analog joystick, the trigger buttons, and the gaming pad were all very tactile. One significant feature is the ability to view images horizontally or vertically. But at 6.3 ounces, the Zodiac is heavier than a Game Boy Advance SP, so you'll have to give your hands a break every so often.
 The Zodiac ships with an AC adapter, a USB cable, headphones, a wrist strap, and a flip cover. |
The dedicated Home button calls up the Zodiac-customized main Palm screen, where you can easily navigate among the usual Palm organizer features; launch various software, including multimedia programs for playing games, listening to music, viewing photos and video, and reading e-books; and access other data. All in all, we've probably never seen a better modified Palm interface; it's superior to that of Sony's CLIEs. This excellent functionality is fortunate because there are no standard quick-launch keys for the address book, the calendar, and the to-do list.
We liked having a back-panel clip for the stylus, but it pops out a little too easily, and you'll very likely lose it. We're also unconvinced that you could make do with just the included detachable flip cover; a $400 device merits a full protective sleeve. Rest assured that Tapwave is separately selling a case, along with a wireless keyboard and several other Zodiac accessories. In the box, you'll find a USB syncing/power cable, earbuds, and a wrist strap. Also note that you can add a Wi-Fi card, a plug-in digital camera, or another SDIO peripheral (a number are under development) via one of the SD/MMC expansion slots.
The Zodiac has a sealed-case design. As always, we would have preferred the ability to replace the rechargeable battery--just in case. Also, the recessed audio jack may be a tight squeeze for headphones with a wider than average plug. Running on a zippy 200MHz ARM processor and a modified version of Palm OS 5.2, the Zodiac2 ships with a whopping 128MB of onboard memory, 12MB of which are reserved for system use. As you'd expect with a device called an entertainment console, the Zodiac is loaded with multimedia applications. Along with the classic Address Book, Date Book, and To Do List Palm OS PDA features, you get Kinoma Video Player and Producer for video with sound, Graffiti 2.0, and Palm Reader. The Zodiac also accepts most existing Palm programs.
In place of RealOne Mobile Player is Tapwave's own nicely designed MP3 player. And the company created equally pleasing image-viewing applications that take over for Palm Photo. Also here are the WordSmith Word-document viewer and Inkstorm, a Bluetooth wireless chat/whiteboard program. In addition, Tapwave throws in the Power One graphing calculator and a nifty clock/alarm. The MP3 file of your choice wakes you up, blaring loudly enough from the built-in Yamaha stereo speakers.
Among the Zodiac's gaming features are the X-Forge 3D Game Engine, which is powered by ATI's Imageon graphics accelerator, and vibration. The device shows off both in Stuntcar Extreme, which Tapwave preinstalled along with AcidSolitaire. We also checked out a handful of demos: Spy Hunter was probably the best of the bunch, though Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 and Doom II will be the early must-have titles. We came away generally impressed with the games, though some took better advantage of the hardware than others. We didn't have a second Zodiac with which to test head-to-head wireless gaming via Bluetooth, but many Zodiac-enhanced titles will support this feature. You'll find a full list of available and upcoming games at Tapwave's Web site.
We're sad to report that two items are missing from the Zodiac's feature list. Windows users don't get a conduit for synchronizing with Microsoft Outlook; they have to buy an Intellisync conduit from Tapwave's online store. And there's no Mac support at all. That's a bummer. The 200MHz processor and the ATI Imageon graphics accelerator kept games and movies running smoothly. The video is highly compressed, so you shouldn't expect broadcast quality, but the Matrix Reloaded trailer looked pretty good and sounded excellent. Audio, in fact, is one of the Zodiac's strong points. It's louder than on other handhelds, through both the internal stereo speakers and our reference headphones. Again, the full-color, half-VGA display was impressive, offering a bright, sharp image down to the smallest icons. That said, glare was sometimes a bit of a problem during our gameplay; to get a better view, we had to adjust the angle at which we held the device.
 Spy Hunter showcases the Zodiac's superior 3D graphics. |
For our graphics tests, we played premium games such as Spy Hunter, which retails for around $30. The Zodiac's large, high-resolution horizontal screen is ideal for handheld gaming, and the device turned in a performance clearly superior to that of the lower-resolution Game Boy Advance and Nokia N-Gage. But how many quality games will be created for the Zodiac platform? Tapwave has lined up a bevy of developers to adapt such familiar titles as Duke Nukem, Tomb Raider, and Neverwinter Nights, but few of these are scheduled for release before next year.
The Zodiac2 uses a high-capacity 1,540mAh lithium rechargeable battery. The same cell powers HP's Wi-Fi-oriented iPaq H4350, so we expected good battery life, and we got it. While not a match for the 10 hours of gameplay we got from the Game Boy Advance running on a single charge with the backlight on, the Zodiac's 4.5-hour video playback was almost twice as long as that of most Palm handhelds.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80out of 80 user reviews
I can't understand why these didn't sell
Pros: A Palm PDA that plays games reasonably well
Cons: No Mac software and few games
Underneath it's just a Palm PDA, so it does everything a Palm does, but on top of that it plays games and is a nice design.
I just can't understand why these never sold. The only thing I can think of is that the PSP and Nintendo DS were considered the leaders in the handheld market and as a result the Zodiac was overlooked as a curiosity.
If you see one of these going cheap, then buy it! It still functions as an excellent PDA and can work with all the Palm software out there. Just be warned though, it doesn't work with the Mac out of the box(you can buy the MissingSync though if you really want to use it).
out of 80 user reviews
Seems perfect
Pros: Does it all in one
Cons: Not fopund any yet
out of 80 user reviews
Long-term problems
Pros: great graphics, uncomparable memory, games are awesome with the joystick
Cons: HORRIBLE support, shape awkward, malfunction after 1 year
out of 80 user reviews
Wow...Awesome
Pros: Everything
Cons: could use longer battery life, and wifi
out of 80 user reviews
Handles everything you throw at it
Pros: Stable and supports wide range of uses - productivity to games
Cons: Tapwave Inc rather quiet
The Zodiac, on the other hand, is as important as my cellphone. I carry it everywhere and use it for just about everything one needs a PDA for:
1. Organiser & productivity
2. Reference
3. Ebook reading
4. Music & video
5. Games
6. Writing & idea generation
With its long battery life, I hardly ever have to worry about running out of juice at that critical moment - a frequent occurence with my T3.
I greatly lamented the demise of the Newton (S. Jobs how could you!) but the Zodiac has made it possible to have a real PDA again.
For those who have had faulty units, it is rather unfortunate. I've never had a problem with mine (touch wood) and I look forward to a long life with it. I'm looking to purchase at least 2 more as backup machines - I once owned 5 newton 2100s. Once I find a PDA I love, I need those backups as I can't bear to be without the PDA for a day. Such is life. Enjoy!
out of 80 user reviews
Excellent PDA for Business and Pleasure
Pros: Great Screen; Great Sound; 128MB of Memory; Very Fast; Durable Case; Great Controls; Very Economic
Cons: No Wi-Fi; Loose Power Connection
Out of the box I could not believe how much sturdier the Zodiac 2 was than the I-PAQ because of its aluminum shell. I was also amazed at the size of the screen and the clarity of the text and graphics. I have to admit at 40+ years old it is much easier to work for extended periods of time on the Zodiac compared to the I-PAQ.
The specialize Palm interface is very appealing to look at and intuitive to use. This is my first experience with the Palm interface and it seems much more intuitive than Windows. The applications included with the device are appealing and easy to use, I especially enjoy the MP3 player and photo viewer. Since the Zodiac has a standard head phone jack I enjoy listening to music on my favorite headphones even though the included ear buds are darn good. The Acid Solitaire is by far the most addictive solitaire game I have come across. The Stunt Car game is fun and runs smoothly. I have had some problems running some old Palm applications.
The only real downside on the unit is the lack of WiFi connectivity. Thanks to the SDIO slot this problem can be cured with a new SD WiFi card.
Once I purchase a 1GB SD card for MP3s and an SD WiFi card for networking, I’ll have a PDA, Gameboy and IPOD in one device for <$400.
out of 80 user reviews
Not perfect, but close...
Pros: ATI Imageon graphics card; 2 SD slots (1 is SDIO); analog joystick w/trigger buttons; huge battery (1540 mAh); beautiful 3.8" 480x320 display
Cons: would've liked cradle and Doc2Go software to be included
- The Zod has an onboard ATI Imageon 2D graphics card with 3D software acceleration. That makes a huge difference because the benchmarks for the Zod's "200 MHz" processor put it close to other PDAs with processors twice as fast.
- The package includes USB hotsync cradle and charger.
- The OS requirements are off because there are lots of people who use it with Macs.
- One of the 2 SD slots accepts SDIO cards so you can add on WiFi, 256Mb+WiFi, pocket radio, GPS, etc.
It's my first PDA and I love it (so does my friend with a T3). Found it easy to use without any problems. I was nervous about Tapwave being pretty new to the scene, but they are doing great with ongoing support. They added some new accessories recently and they just released new drivers to support the combo WiFi + 256 Mb memory SD cards.
Want more info about this AWESOME device? There's a great user commmunity at tapland.com. They can answer all of your questions like they did for me.
P.S. Beware of the CNET 'Competing Products' comparison below because again they don't know what they're talking about. It's main points are it's too big, display is gray, and price is higher than others. I admit the price is higher, but you get a lot more for your money. (Go to Harmony Computers and you can get the Zod2 for $309 and add on several nice accessories for a bundle price of $10 each.) The display is COLOR, not gray! And it's sad if you're only other argument is it's bigger. Trust me, the analog joystick is worth it.
Meant to say the package includes USB hotsync cable, not cradle.
A little dyslexia there...out of 80 user reviews
DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE!!!!
Pros: Great screen. Nice shape. Plays Doom and some other good games.
Cons: The support sucks and there is NO QUALITY CONTROL!!! I have had to return FOUR (4) units in the 9 months since my first purchase. Each time my "new" unit is either a) defective upon arrival or b) quickly picks up a major defect. The customer support peopl
out of 80 user reviews
The Best Handheld Device
Pros: MP3 Playback better than Ipod. Movie playback TWO SD slots. 4GB expansion. SDIO with 802.11b options. True ANALOG controller. Insane user community support. Emulators for MANY platforms.
Cons: Startup company. Limited official support. User community makes up for it.
out of 80 user reviews
Great for the mobile professional!
Pros: Great battery life, incredible screen, does about everything...read books, play games, listen to music, watch movies....
Cons: Still waiting on some 3rd party support, primarily, a form-fit metal case and car-charger.
out of 80 user reviews
Update- Now Ships with Outlook Synch
Pros: Can't say enough good things. Solidly built, better features than competition... Look and you will see for yourself. Just wanted to post and let everybody know it now ships Outlook Compatible
Cons:
out of 80 user reviews
Power for the future
Pros: Technology is above anything else, so it will last awhile. Awesome screen. Movies! Exceptional res... Tapwave keeps thinking of new useful add ons. Works extremely well as PDA.
Cons: No built in WiFi. Add on card here though!
out of 80 user reviews
#1 PDA out there
Pros: BETTER THEN ANY POCKET PC OR OTHER PALM!!
Cons: Bad stlyus holder and not enough Zodiac Games "yet".
out of 80 user reviews
Good look, good feel, lots of features
Pros: *SCREEN! (hard to find better) *Design! (Smooth METAL case feels great) *Features/Stats! (Compare to any other in this price range: 128mb, 2 SD slots, graphic accelerator, yamaha stereo sound, bluetooth, IR, vibe for quiet alert or game feedback.. and muc
Cons: Included screen protector worthless and annoying. E-mail program available, but not included.
out of 80 user reviews
More than what you think!!!
Pros: I love Zodiac!! I think lots of people have talked about its full multimedia functions and console-quality 3D gaming capacity... but they missed out the emulators! Check out Little John Z! It is a free emulator for GB, GBC, NES, SNES, Genesis, TG16, NGP,
Cons: No HDD ... but good that SD card price is dropping everyday ...
out of 80 user reviews
Best Handheld to do it all!!!
Pros: NintendoDS not 1st device w/touchscreen & stylus.... Zodiac does it all and then some.WiFi is out.Check Tapwave site for Free Email & browser apps.lOT'S OF GAMES OUT,
Cons: Wish it was simpler to play movies.
out of 80 user reviews
Expensive, but worth every penny...
Pros: Controls made for gaming with functionality of a PDA. No other can claim SD + SDIO slot, meaning tons of room for expansion. You can get a WiFi SD card for a faster connection to the Internet now that they've released free driver updates. Then use the
Cons: Small library that's slowly growing. At least you can download emulators for NES, SNES, GameBoy, GameGear, etc. for now. Go get the new all-in-one emulator known as Little John Z. Also, I'd prefer a silo to a slot for holding the stylus.
out of 80 user reviews
Best device available
Pros: Hardware Video, Hardware Audio, 300MHz processor, long battery life, large library of games, large internal memory, designed for gaming.
Cons: playing a recorded TV show in full screen looks bad because the device's screen is 320x480, and TV is 320x240. Also, you may never play on a gameboy again(unless you count the gameboy advance emulator)
out of 80 user reviews
time-killer + kick butt PDA
Pros: Have ordered one as soon as it came out, I've been playing with it since. whoever said that there's no support ofr this is braindead, not only is the company great, but there's a pretty big support group providing plenty of peer and software support. Exc
Cons: charger cable needs to have a better connetion to the unit, needs a bluetooth off button as well as an on button, better battery life, but I like my toys to run for a week which might be unrealistic.
out of 80 user reviews
The Ultimate PDA (for now)
Pros: Slick, well-made, feature rich. Great screen, good controls, fun gaming, nice MP3 and photo viewer. Dual SD (one I/O)!! I love the whole palm universe. Best PDA gaming out there.
Cons: Comparing to GBA is kin to apples vs oranges (I still play my GBA, not replacing it). The Zodiac is way more than a game machine and should have been marketed so. Email sync and Mac compatibility a must for Zodiac3. Waiting for Zodiac titles to be rele
out of 80 user reviews
Like the the T3, but better!
Pros: Cool shape, amazing screen, good battery life, bluetooth, vibe alert (force feedback for games), mp3, video, 2 SD slots, runs all palm apps. Almost everything you'd want in a pda built in. Not cheap at $400, but compare to T3. The ATI accelerator makes
Cons: No built in wi-fi, and no support for a wi-fi card. Thin, but not otherwise very compact. Poor sylus placement (get a case and use the holder in it!) No included e-mail conduit, though I'd recommend Snapper. It's not expensive and is better than any
out of 80 user reviews
Tapwave who?
Pros: hmm
Cons: sounds cool but how many games can you really expect? Won't companies put their money into the sure thing (PSP or DS). Remember sega saturn tried to keep up with playstation.....
out of 80 user reviews
GB SP for the big kids
Pros: Lot's of features Emulations galore, tons of games (plays GBA, Genesis, NES and SNES games) It does several things great: pda, handheld game console, movie and MP3 player. Awesome, just plan terrific
Cons: Support was outsourced to India. It's ok, but let's keep the jobs here, ya' know. My kid wants to play with it all the time and he leaves smudges on the screen.
out of 80 user reviews
***, No voice notes???
Pros: Good quality, smooth navagation, great for gaming (obviously), and super nice screen -- a great portable game system with some added PDA functionality, but unfortunately not the other way around.
Cons: Am I the only one who believes that the ability to record voice notes is a must for any PDA? Seems like such a simple thing that would be included in all PDAs in this price range, but I was amazed to learn that this highly acclaimed super PDA does not ha
out of 80 user reviews
Game machine morphs into PDA .
Pros: Product design, killer screen, superior controls, two sd slots, lots of memory. Quickly turns into 'serious' PDA when the boss comes around. :)Lack of camera allows access into Federal buildings.
Cons: NO WI FI SUPPORT!!! First model I bought had sticky key and defective sync cable. Buy the extended warranty. Subpar support. Games are 'pricey' at $30 a pop, and SD games do not copy into system memory.
out of 80 user reviews
Review is not updated
Pros: The retail launch does have conduit for Outlook synchronization bundled free and number of titles has increased to ~60 now ... including Duke Nukem Mobile!!!
Cons: no built-in Wi-Fi, but heard that SDIO wifi will be ready in 1-2 months :)
out of 80 user reviews
Best. Handheld. Period.
Pros: Huge screen,powerful processor, easily adjusable backlighting,dedicated graphics chip,stereo speakers,well thought out design,durable metal casing,bluetooth,works with thousands of Palm applications & games
Cons: sometimes hard to see screen in bright light,non user replaceable batteries,not a lot of exclucive games,not a lot of good exclusive games,hotsync cable fits loosly
out of 80 user reviews
Be Carefull....
Pros: Product itself is ok, some issues with battery life
Cons: Support from Tapwave... Oh Boy! I really hope I never need to contact the company again; order management, tech support and issue resolution really below any standart.
out of 80 user reviews
No other PDA like it.
Pros: Great games (3d graphics)Original one with both portrait and landscape vies. Great battery life.
Cons: Linited Game library. WI-FI!!
out of 80 user reviews
Negitive comments? Must not own one...
Pros: Every negitive comment I've seen posted here leads me to belive the person posting it has never even touched a Zodiac. I've had mine for 3 and half months now. I can't find falt with anything except the stylus. Screen is the best I've ever seen (I've owne
Cons: None whatsoever. The few posts here that are all negitive are obvious heckling from the peanut gallery. It's obvious to anyone who has ever held one that the Zodiac is the current champion of PDA's!
out of 80 user reviews
the Greatest thing since sliced bread!
Pros: all that memory on the Zodiac2(128mg) and 2 card slots. All the emulators that i have seen work full speed and that includes snes,gba,nes,genesis,gamegear /sms and arcade games
Cons: So what they dont have lots of games made for use on the Zodiac just give em time baby. Soon they'll have a strong following until then just use the emulators and the other 10,000 palm os applications!
out of 80 user reviews
Not quite perfect, but as close as you'll find.
Pros: I purchased a Zodiac 1 (The 32M model) last week at CompUSA and have been quite impressed with what I got. The build quality is excellent, the controls feel sturdy and well placed, and the native launcher interface, while being less configurable than I m
Cons: Downsides to the unit are small, but there are some. The cable/cradle connector is designed with just enough differences from a "Standard Palm" form factor that most if not all Palm accessories will not work with it. It is curved with the form of the de
out of 80 user reviews
Great PIM with tons of features
Pros: * Joystick makes for great one handed use. * Default landscape mode makes for better browsing, gaming, and multimedia * Palm powered guarantees huge software base.
Cons: * A bit expensive, but understand able for an enthusiast product. * No compatible Wi-Fi card... yet.
out of 80 user reviews
The Zodiac is the best!
Pros: A full-featured Palm OS 5.2T pda, with an excellent ergonomic design and specs to handle gaming and multimedia functions!
Cons: Battery isn't removable.
out of 80 user reviews
If you are going to buy a PDA get this
Pros: Games, Emulaters, MP3s, Midis, Videos, Photos, Palm PDA, wireless internet and text messaging over bluetooth via Bluetooth cell phone, and wifi soon to come
Cons: None I have had mone since Jan 4 04 no problems
out of 80 user reviews
What a device!! It does all of the thing that I need it to do and alot more.
Pros: Everything about it!! MP3, Gaming, Palm, Camera capebility and expansion!! Allthat you need and want.
Cons: NONE!
out of 80 user reviews
If you have money for only one product, buy this. If you don't have the money, borrow and buy this!
Pros: This is the 1st PDA that I have decided to buy immediately after I seen it. Games - Extremely Perfect. The graphic, sound and feel is great. Battery - Extremely perfect. I love it. Display - Perfect Bluetooth - Works perfectly well with my BT phone for we
Cons: Size - slightly longer. But is not too big either. Even if is shorten by another 0.5", it won't make a big different to me.
out of 80 user reviews
The Gameboy Advance can go pack up.
Pros: Best PDA on the market and the added 3D Game features are fantastic for the gamer on the go.
Cons: Not big game library.
out of 80 user reviews
Best handheld out there!
Pros: amazing tech support! amazing crisp bright wide screen! far better graphics then ANY handheld gamming or not! best web browser i have ever seen working with both bluetooth and a WiFi add-on card! beyond long lasting battery... i get about 20-25 hours full
Cons: not in retail stores till mid summer 2004 :(
out of 80 user reviews
Brilliant, very few flaws
Pros: Brilliant design, great screen and aplications, built in mp3 player, graphing calculator, photo viewer, an much much more.
Cons: Some analouge stick issues(most have been fixed) Some issues with support and games, as well as release dates, most minor.
out of 80 user reviews
Best PDA available!
Pros: Gaming Controls Wonderful, clear screen GREAT MP3 sound Two SD slots And on and on. The longer I have this (going on three months now) the better I like it. I'm a PDA Geek and this takes the cake. Is there room for improvement, sure. Is there a better h
Cons: Would like removable batteries Better stylus The hotsync/power connector is the worst I have ever seen. Bad form Tapwave.
out of 80 user reviews
Get a GP32
Pros: Many features, slick design, Palm OS.
Cons: Expensive $400! No wireless support. Get a GP32 for $160, it is light, compact, and does have wireless support. It can hold 128 MBs with an optional smart media card, and it has a fairly fast 166mhz processor.
out of 80 user reviews
zodiac puts a gameboy to shame!!
Pros: Great screen, huge memory. lots of great programs for pda and lots of awesome game. Definately worth the $$
Cons: not alot of special tapwave software although normal programs work
out of 80 user reviews
Zodiac: Coolest gaming device
Pros: I love the modified Palm OS 5 menu features. The included software is awsome. Best portable gaming system avalible on the market.alot of memory for more games, videos, music, and more. Sleek design and wide screen format for traditional handheld gamepla
Cons: This product is full of features for "gamers" and "workers" If you are not both, then this product is not for you. Many people have encountered problems with the hardware features like the joy stick but the pros completely outweigh the cons
out of 80 user reviews
first PDA i ever bought, and i dont intend on buying another till tapwave strikes again
Pros: great product nice screen good battery the few games that it has are good
Cons: not many games BAD TECH SUPPORT
out of 80 user reviews
Tapwave put a lot of love into this baby
Pros: This is by far the best PDA I have ever used. I have owned many of the recent iPAQs, tried out many other PocketPC devices, and extensively played around with my girlfriend's Sony Clie UX50, and the Zodiac comes out, without a doubt, on top. Customer s
Cons: My only qualm is that the Zodiac has no voice memo ability. I'm willing to do without since every thing built into the unit works so extremely well and better than most if not all of the competition.
out of 80 user reviews
Definitely the best in its league
Pros: Looks cool. Very thin and slim body. Screen is killer. Joystick better than most I owned.
Cons: None.
out of 80 user reviews
Kick-butt "Swiss Army knife" of handhelds
Pros: Amazing hardware for the price, runs on Palm OS 5.2 (very stable and there's a wide assortment of additional software that you can run on it), the company really cares about making its customers happy.
Cons: First version of anything can be less polished than later versions (but this is darn close to perfection).
out of 80 user reviews
An amazing Game Boy alternative.
Pros: Great screen, great feel, tons of functionality, and amazing visuals, all in a small unit.
Cons: Some joystick problems and current software lineup is somewhat lacking.
out of 80 user reviews
Excellent PDA, just needs some games!
Pros: Best build quality I have seen since the Palm Vx. Very solid, made of metal, with a giant screen but still smooth to slide in your pocket.
Cons: The stylus sticks on the back, which takes some getting used to. Also, some people have had analog controller problems. There aren't many games available yet, either.
out of 80 user reviews
Its good.
Pros: What can I say? Its an mp3 player, a gaming handheld console, a PDA, and you can equip it with a digital camera, and download/buy the Kinoma ,ovie player, it's a graphing calculator (similar in techology to the TI-83), and more. The possobilities are virt
Cons: They aren't telling the consumers how many games will evntually be compatible with the Zodiac. That's the only reason I haven't bought mine yet. Oh, and the fact that I want to see what the Sony PSP is going to be like
out of 80 user reviews
Best all-around PDA
Pros: Does everything pretty well (mP3s, games, and PDa organizer). If you dont own an iPod and a PDA, this is the best bang for your buck. Palm OS5, 128 MB RAM!! More than most PDAs this price. I love the duel expansion too. Bluetooth. Giant beautiful Scr
Cons: I hate Graffiti 2, they should allow you to choose the old graffiti if you like. If you already own an iPod and a PDA there is no big reason to get this. This PDA is mostly landscape layout, which take some getting used too, but works well eventually. I
out of 80 user reviews
In my opinion, the best palm out there.
Pros: Let's face it, this is an awesome palm. It has amazing hardware for a palm (the video card is better than my computer's video card). The only palms that are better than it include things like a 400 MHz processor, which you will don't need in a palm anyw
Cons: The only problem I have with this product is that when I show it off, no one every wants to give it back (lol).
out of 80 user reviews
Fantastic-worth every penny
Pros: Easy to use applications. The included mp3 and video player are excelent. Gaming experience is like no other, graphics are superior to any other handheld out there.
Cons: no wi-fi. button layout is great, but there is no address and memo shortcut button which most palm ap games use.
out of 80 user reviews
Can't Believe I'm Considering This
Pros: So I'm a 50 Year old guy with 2,000 business contacts but this thing is so cool. Got my hands on one here in NY and it feels so great in the hand. Display is fabulous but I need to figure out WiFi solution. Recently have been sampling cellphone games on t
Cons: Not real psyched to pull this out in a meeting but maybe BlackBerry boys need to get a life anyway.
out of 80 user reviews
"Best PDA Yet"
Pros: Great gaming and lots of applications.
Cons: Analog controller needs a recalibration frequently
out of 80 user reviews
Even without game features, an excellent PDA!
Pros: Outstanding hardware specs. The 128 MB model comes with at least twice the memory of any other Palm device out right now. The suite of software that comes with it is excellent - PowerOneGraph is worth $49.99 alone! Battery life leaves all other Palm devic
Cons: The unit I saw had a defective pixel. However, the company has a no dead pixel policy and will exchange any units that have dead pixels.
out of 80 user reviews
Superb handheld for gaming and more
Pros: Multimedia capabilities, good (not perfect) bundled apps for music, photos, video, and ebooks. Bundled games are great, several good titles already available. Excellent screen, speakers, headphone volume. Dual SD card slots.
Cons: Game library is not extensive at this time. Tapwave is a new company so they have support issues. Incompatible with some PalmOS software.
out of 80 user reviews
Best PDA Ever
Pros: absolutely amazing screen, fantastic performance, terrific built in launcher
Cons: joystick gets twitchy and needs frequent alignment
out of 80 user reviews
mmm mmm good :D
Pros: This is by far the best hand held devise known to mand kinda. Screw the "PSP," this is WIN :D
Cons: The very few cons are unsignifigant, and aren't major: Stylis pops out easily Slippery
out of 80 user reviews
A good try, but need a newer model
Pros: 3D graphics, big screen, good games, bluetooth, all-in-one handheld, good for the money
Cons: Too big to take to school in your pocket, The battery life is not that good when you are playing games because if you have the screen at half brightness, you cant see well and glare gets in the way, so when you bring it on up to 100% to solve the problem,
out of 80 user reviews
GET ONE NOW
Pros: Look at the tapwave website-just about everything there is a pro
Cons: no wifi cards with it yet, but that is the fault of the companies that make those. Some people are having joystick problems, but those are only minor and easy to solve.
out of 80 user reviews
AlphaGeeks Gotta-Have
Pros: 3.8" 65K color screen Landscape or Portrait Collapsible Graffiti area 32MB RAM for the price of 16, or 128MB RAM for that of 64
Cons: No bundled VersaMail or IntelliSync, but Chapura PocketMirror 2.0.5 or greater works just fine No discounters/resellers YET
out of 80 user reviews
Best Value in a PDA
Pros: This is an awesome PDA, even if you are not going to play games on it. Just as a multimedia device, and a Palm PDA it excels. Best screen I have seen on a PDA, and for only 299$ No other PDA can match it. And you can play games on it too! Great emula
Cons: Of course the major con right now is the lack of games, but if you are willing to play some OS5 games, or games on an emulator, while you wait for new ones, this isn't so bad.
out of 80 user reviews
Good piece of hardware, all the PDA functions I need and it plays games
Pros: Best graphics in a handheld that I've seen. Palm OS supports all software I need. Big name software support. Very good overall.
Cons: A little too large just to slip in your pocket. Doesn't allow music to be played in the background
out of 80 user reviews
Finally, someone got it right!
Pros: Display and sound are tops! The capabilities have all handhelds beat, and yes, a directional pad that's actually made with gaming in mind
Cons: Software made exclusively for the Zodiac is lacking right now - but give it time (or download thousands of Palm programs in the interim).
out of 80 user reviews
Easily the best Palm device I've owned, and best handheld gaming device too!
Pros: Awesome value for the features (128 meg RAM for Palm OS?! Wow!), screen is one of the best on a handheld I've seen. Games look great so far!
Cons: Not enough games yet, problems with some Palm apps due to non-standard buttons.
out of 80 user reviews
Wickedly cool.
Pros: I bought a 'z2' and it exceeded my expectations. Solid, elegant design - looks very 'high-end', very comfortable to hold, slim for pocket-ability; excellent control layout and feel; fan-TAS-tic big, bright screen (video looks crisp and smooth); MP3 come t
Cons: Nit-picks mostly: the stylus isn't easy to stow away; no microphone (guess I'll get a Bt-hedaset); um... Showing it off is a problem because nobody wants to give it back. <g> Not all Palm applications / games are optimized for the Zodiac yet.
out of 80 user reviews
Great as a PDA and Gaming Handheld
Pros: Side by side comparison just blows away my GBA sp.Top end PDA with lots of memory,awesome screen, great sound and room for expansion.
Cons: Not much.Needs camera integration and voice recorder in the future. Needs more big game designers involvement before retail launch
out of 80 user reviews
Wow what a screen.
Pros: Great Screen. Wonderful audio. Blue tooth. NO stinky wi-fi to suck battery life. The analog stick is great. Best e-book reader on the market. Not that game fans like to read much.
Cons: no e-mail program. They should have bundled the Palm e-mail program and conduit at least.
out of 80 user reviews
Top of the heap
Pros: The cheapest of similarly specced palm PDA's, with the addition of great gaming capabilities. Good emulators, mp3, movies, bluetooth for multiplayer and internet, sdio to add a camera or WiFi, and a second slot for memory. If you want the top mobile enter
Cons: Not many. Still remains to be seen how many games will come, but there's a good start and even if there aren't a lot, you still got a great bargain on a palm PDA.
out of 80 user reviews
Fast, lot's of memory, solid build, all at a fair price.
Pros: Palm OS 5.2, solid metal shell, fast graphics via the ATi video processor, good battery life, dual expansion slots, bluetooth, and much better response than the 200MHz processor would lead you to believe. Much faster than the Palms and Sonys I have compa
Cons: Not all Palm applications work well, lack of built in 802.11 Wi-Fi, and third party hardware has not hit the streets yet.
out of 80 user reviews
amazing system, great price
Pros: amazing price for what you get great specs best screen in the business amazing game quality - true game boy killer
Cons: heard about some analog stick problems, but they're all solveable
out of 80 user reviews
State-of-the-art in handheld gaming
Pros: Palm OS (tens of thousands of programs work on it), compact and lightweight, amazing screen, dual expansion, looks cool
Cons: Not enough game titles specifically for the Zodiac yet (you can, however, choose from thousands of Palm OS games), but they *are* coming
out of 80 user reviews
Extremely pleased customer
Pros: With dual 512 Mb SD cards in my Z2, I have well ofver 1 Gb of memory to play with. The device works great as an MP3 player (although I purchased Aeroplayer so as to be able to play mp3's while doing other tasks - it plays them in the background), games a
Cons: Picture Viewer takes too long to boot up. As mentioned above, the standard mp3 player doesn't play in the background (so if you wanted to look up a contact, you'd have to stop your music -ugh- so use Aeroplayer. These are minor quibbles. For every mino
out of 80 user reviews
Superior PDA even if you don't game
Pros: With the high resolution and extended battery, Yamaha sound chip and 3D graphics engine, Zodiac is far above any PDA out there in the $300-$400 range. Oh yeah, and it's got better potential for games than any mobile device out there. I've had mine for a
Cons: A bit on the large side compared to other PDAs. Difficult to understand support as Enlish is not their first language. Game library is currently small but there are already emulators that allow running hundreds of retro Atari, NES, MAME games, etc. And
out of 80 user reviews
True GameBoy Killer!
Pros: Heh, so far the 1 negative "review" of it is some gameboy fanboy that hasn't touched the Zodiac. Anyways, the Zodiac is amazing - great graphics everything else... and the fact that its a fully functioning PDA with the Palm OS only adds to the unit... o
Cons: Not many launch titles.
out of 80 user reviews
Incredible value for the money!
Pros: Amazing screen; Loud, rich stereo speakers; Playstation quality games; Built-in Bluetooth
Cons: No Outlook syncing or Mac support (yet).
out of 80 user reviews
Nokia, you might want to be taking notes
Pros: The large, beautiful screen Slim case that feels cool to the touch Analog controller Rumble effects that are great 3D graphics Wireless multiplayer Everything else it does, watching movies, listening to MP3's, maybe even a PDA if I feel like getting some
Cons: Really, there's not many cons. The price might seem a bit high but it's really worth it. The PDA aspect doesn't take away from the gaming, and with games like (a new) Duke Nukem and Neverwinter Nights coming out, this thing is sure to please.
out of 80 user reviews
All your eggs in one basket
Pros: It's got lots of stuff
Cons: It's got lots of stuff... which means not one arena of the device will be a strength = which means it will have subpar support across the entire platform. I'll take my Gameboy AdvanceSP and Wizard Organizer over this anyday; oh, and the 300 bucks in chang
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