Well there was a post on gbax announcing that there was firmware 2.0, a new stick and comercial games.
Well anyway im very interested by all these things happening and was wondering if any one knew anything about all this. For example anything interesting with new firmware.
picture of new stick, how much it will cost for us early buyers.
and what are the commercial games???

If it ain't there, it probably ain't here. All the info we have can be found here. So far I haven't seen any pix of the stick or games, only rumours, and there are no updates past oddbot's/Open2x yet.

Firmware 2.0 will have Usb Host On - Off / USB Storage, Keyboard Mouse, Network On - Off) in settings menu.That means you don't need to run any script or drivers. It automatically recognizes the HDD, Mouse, Keyboard and mounts it. There's a new option next to SD Memory Card and NAND Memory in the GP2X's menu system. It's External Storage so you can easly access to your files in your external storage.

yoyoyoetc, you do mean usb via serial right? And how do you know this?

techFreak has posted all of this in the topic Gp2x Break Out Box (finished Product), that is how I know. He has the 2.0 beta to test with his breakout box.

Sounds like you might have your hands on the beta yoyo. Send a copy my way if you do.

no i just heard this from the Gp2x Break Out Box (finished Product) topic. I wish I did though that would be awesome.

I wonder what that so called "little surprise" is?

I hope the little surprise is that the scan lines are completely removed.

Surprise brigging....

Or inbuilt tetric-clone.

little surprise == 1gig NAND onboard? (since they can't get 64megs NAND no more..)

The autobrick is gone (they've updated U-Boot), the boot time is now 14 seconds, they're using yaffs, I've noticed no difference in the scan lines, they have a customisable bootup tune, menu sounds (you can switch these off), automatic EXT storage detection and access from menus, and they've fixed USB.

They've got rid of DignSys and got someone else to do it, and the improvements are showing.

The release of the new firmware will be a while yet - they've got problems to fix and they're re-porting mplayer. It'll probably be during May to coincide with the official GP2X release.

That's really good news, thanks. Do you know who the new contractors are now?

I haven't a clue.

There's also news that GPH are running out of 64MB NANDs in small quantities so will have to move up to 512MB or 1GB, meaning that the read-write NAND and USB NAND access are vital.

64mb -> 512mb? That's a big ass jump..

When people talk about an "official release" does that mean that gph are going to try sell the gp2x in game and gamestation?

Id they included 1gb or 512mb, wouldn't they just partition 64mb for the OS and leave the rest to for whatever the user would like.

I´m just curious where you got your information from...

Automount and customizeable bootup tune, maybe they finally make it to include a new GUI? I guess it was a good move to get rid of DignSys...

Sounds good!

Craigix, ED and the new firmware.

As for the official release, it will be in May, and there will be lots of PR.

Sounds like we might have to steel ourselves against a new influx of users (remembers one of Rico's quotes )

In storadge space yes, but in price...not so big , but damn, if they'll do that I will start to regret that I have bought it couple of weeks ago ><
BTW. Why is the link to the new BB topics not visible on www.gp32x.com? Isn't it that board is still beeing fixed but everyone is using it? Just curious :-)

Sounds interesting, I've only got 3 concerns.

1) I still haven't found an upgrade compatible sd card... will there be a way to update uboot via USB cable or mounted SD card?

2) I really hope that they don't get too carried away with the extra nand memory. I'd like to see it partitioned into a 64 meg read-only firmware section and the rest as writable user space.

3) That we get the source to the kernal, mplayer, other gpl components, etc. Menu source would be cool too, though unlikely.

Doubt it.


The entire thing is writable, but the firmware part is not visible over USB.


Well, we will at least get UBoot, kernel and mplayer.

Well as long as they don't get carried away with the system, writing new Firmware&OS packs they require NAND >64MB, as that will alienate everyone who alrteady bought a GP2X (ie us people here).

Heh - you mean the official release that happened in January and at the start of March too? Not that I'm holding it against them or anything, but they do seem to be having rather a lot of so-called official release dates that pass with few stunning changes...

I might hold upping the internal nand by too much against them, though... ok, maybe its because suppliers ran out, but I sure as anything hope no developers start to rely on it for large library storage and what have you.

Actually, that's probably fairly unlikely... most of the devs seem to have original version 2xes, so they'd be making something that wouldn't work for themselves if they did. Still, though...

wasnt the "official" release a long time ago?... ive heard that so many times, its just bullshit. its some marketing scam to get posted on news sites..."GP2X OFFICIALLY RELEASED!" then 2 months later... "GP2X OFFICIALY RELEASED TODAY!" more publicity.

im miffed about the increase in nand memory. 1gb is a hell of a lot more than 64mb.

Is the net over USB support available in the new firmware? I hope it can, when SD wifi driver is still a faraway dream...

At least, I wish I could have a Qtopia environment on GP2X which is __actually connected.

EDIT: I mean GP2X, of course.

Presumably we're going to get more XGP info in May, so maybe the timing has to do with countering that. It's going to take more than a bagful of new features to make the gp2x ready for "the masses" IMO. Most people getting one of these would turn it on and say "um, ok, now what?". If the nand is really increasing so much maybe GPH should contact the authors of the best apps, utilities, emulators, games, etc, and ask permission to include them on the NAND so people buying the gp2x can actually do something with it without doing a ton of research. I know the usual answer to this sort of thing is to say "anybody who buys one of these is a regular on this message board so they know exactly what to do", but I'd like to hope that someday the gp2x will have a larger market potential than that.

Why are you miffed that they would move to a large NAND? Products of all kinds improve over time.

I'm not too miffed abou the 512mb, it's only if the firmwares start going over 64meg my gp2x will be going back to gbax for an upgrade.l

i'm Happy about the new stick and firmware.

Yes, well you will see the GP2X for sale in a few more places, although it isn't essential to its survival for it to be a massive success at those stores, but it should add a few more thousand users which isn't bad.

The Nand is going to contain more apps (suggestions welcome) and the new firmware does make things much nicer, it pushes it over that line where the average computer user should be able to use it (mostly because of the easy usb link up via samba).

Basicly we think that in May it will be ready to roll for the masses and will be giving it a good push to get to 20,000 sales.

Vektar

frozen bobbles...definitely but with sound!

Actually, as a pack-in game that would be GREAT...

WTF?!!!!!!!!! I didn't know a new one was coming out!
Are they working on the battery life and stuff?
I think they should have a gbc and snes emu builtin and update it along with firmware.........in my opinion these are the some of the best consoles every conceived........
Also what about the processors and RAM, are they going to be renewed? What about the design?(can I help design it? I have some amazing ideas...)

p.s. You can be sure I will be back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey ppl,

I love my precious GP2X it's wonderfull,
I loved the classics from the day they even weren't classics
( think NES, SNES, GB, MD, etc etc )
I really like the movieplayer option as well, and the E-Book, MP3 player ( I think I've named all the functions lol ) hehe.

Just a few questions (more may follow):

If it is actually true that they're planning to build in higher capacity NAND chips does that mean that we will not enjoy some stuff in the future (most of us die-hards have the first edition off course), but if that means that we will not be able to enjoy all the fun.... .....
Will it be possible to let it be modded ( to change the nand chip ? or is it not neccesary ?

I mean as said before I really love it, provides me with all the needs my lady can't help me with ( vice versa as well off course ).

If someone can provide us with a good answer, feel free to do so

Thank you in advance for informing me, and thank you as well to read my entire preach

Regards,

Wes ( yeah yeah the same notorious Wes Vampire in many MSN communities )

Ciao

I have no official information but I highly doubt that they would do anything outrageous like that. All a bigger NAND does is give some more storage space on the device. The current amount of space is a lot more than is needed by the operating system itself, so the only thing they could use it for is "applications". Those of us with smaller NAND chips might have to run those apps from SD, but that's not a hardship.

I also would not expect a major hardware redesign, just minor component swaps.

If they started introducing compatibility issues the distributors and customers would scream very loudly.

The nand won't be bigger on this revision, it's more likely to be after summer and it is because the 64M chips are being phased out and they cost almost the same as a 512m chip (similar to the SD prices, 128m SD is about 8 pounds and a 512gig is about 12 pounds...).

samba is nice

and craig, where can I buy those 512gig cards for 12 pounds?

yeah Craig... gimme some of that 512Gb card goodness... saves me buying a new HD!

cant believe us early followers are getting duped with an inferior product

when are we going to get some real games anyways and a decent replacement for the crappy stick? come on Craig give us some dates

Hopefully those sticks will be distributed freely to current GP2x owners.

Hmm, have you ever bought anything before? Any company that hopes to be successful tweaks their product to improve it.

And when Nike puts stronger shoelaces on their flashy tennis shoes as part of the normal product tweaking and production cycle, they don't upgrade all the people who bought the shoe back when it had "crappy weak shoelaces"...

hey Craig X
how much will you sell the new sticks for you think? or if we bought of gbax a free replacement?

I doubt they'd give them out for free, but I'd hope that at least they would offer a discount for the new stuff for people with the older version (I'm using a ball of solder now that my stick fell off and was lost :-(. ) What I really would like to do is replace the NAND, especially if it's going to be 512mb+. That'd probably take a bit too much, though, so I don't think that they'd release the NAND chips only.

As long as there's a new movie player, I'll be happy. Hell, that USB news is a bonus. I'm psyched for May to come around.

i cant belive what crybabys you are....
jansport: are you stupid or just naive? did sony give you back 50$ after the psp price droped? or another 512mb memory stick after they upped to 1gb ones?
seriously, you guys are hilarious

Oh, right vlad, just buy yourself a 512mb nand chip for 40$, have fun soldering it in through...

Well, you could as well just buy a new 1gb sdcard for 30$, but hey, wouldnt that be tooo much work?

What's up with this guy?
I'm not afraid to admit the joystick is incredibly uncomfortable, I'd hate to go around breaking N64 controllers just to replace it I just think early adopters should get a replacement for a faulty part.

Why? As you said, just because the joystick is incredibly uncomfortable does NOT mean that is faulty. I agree with Vimacs. It's a hardware revision, same with any other product on the market (Xboxs with different DVD drives/ HDDs, PS2 merged two chips on the motherboard to one chip to save production costs, GBA SP (front lit/back lit) Live with it.

The replacement Caps will be 1UKP, but we will give them away free with the first commercial games.

Yay!

Sweet! Good on you Craigix!