For sale: Tapwave Zodiac2 First Edition
Now, I know most people here are going to be saving for a PSP. Maybe someone will want a Zod enough to take it off my hands.
The Zodiac2 is a gaming PDA - i.e. it is a PalmOS 5-based system with controls suited to gaming. For the few games that are customized for it, gameplay is pretty good. It's powerful enough to handle virtually every PalmOS-based game and application out right now. It can play movies, MP3s, browse the web (with a SD Wifi card, not included), etc - it's a true multimedia handheld.
Q: What are the specs?
A:
http://www.tapwave.com/zodiac_specs.html
Q: Battery life?
A: About 4-5 hours, depending on usage. Some people say they can get up to 8 hours with the screen off and only playing MP3s.
Q: This is the Z2 right? The 128MB model?
A: Yep.
Q: First Edition? What?
A: This model is from the first run of the Z. It has a flash ROM BIOS, meaning you can flash it to upgrade the OS. Every unit since the first run does not have the flash ROM, so you can't upgrade them. If Tapwave releases any new updates, you can download and flash this Z to take advantage of them. It is currently flashed to version 1.1 of Tapwave's edition of PalmOS 5.
Q: Why is it 200Mhz slower than a Palm Tungsten T3?
A: As I understand it, the Motorola ARM9 chip in the Z is a bit different than the one in the T3. They're supposed to run at about the same speed.
Q: Can it handle emulators?
A: Yes. There are several great emulators customized for the Z: LJZ (NES, SNES, Genesis, NES, others), NesEm (NES), Gizmo Ultra (SMS, Game Gear), DreamEngine (TG16), etc. Find more at
http://www.zodiacgamer.com.
Q: Then why are you selling it?
A: It's more than just an emulation thingy. It's a full-fledged PalmOS PDA, with a touch screen and everything. I've discovered that I don't have a need for one. I did during school, but my professional life thus far hasn't required it. I have a Powerbook, an iPod, a GBA and a few other gadgets - the Zodiac puts me into tech overload. I think someone else could put this to better use than myself. Plus, I'd like to use the money for something else, like a PSP.
Q: Tell me about the games.
A: Tapwave's been slow about getting exclusive games for the Z. This is probably because the fractured Palm market can't support a device-exclusive game. Still, they've been able to get stuff like Madden, Tony Hawk, Duke Nukem (really not very good...), and supposedly some other high profile titles are coming soon (like Neverwinter Nights, Tomb Raider - ok Tapwave, sure). You can check out the titles here:
http://www.tapwave.com/titles.html
Q: What about non-exclusive Palm games?
A: It handles those very well. You'll find that the majority are puzzle, card and point-n-click games. There are also some good RPGs and such. Check out
http://www.palmgear.com to see what's out there. They may not be customized to the Z's controls, but they'll still run nicely.
Q: This doesn't paint a rosy picture, Josh.
A: Yeah, I know. You shouldn't be buying this for the games. You should be buying it because it's a great PDA that will help you organize yourself.
Games should be a secondary consideration. I cannot emphasize that enough. I won't be responsible if you decide you don't like it because the official gaming support sucks (which it does - I will not hide that fact).
So, on to the details.
Stuff that's included:
- Tapwave Zodiac2, 128MB of RAM
- Original box, manuals, accessories, even the original plastic baggies
- AC adaptoid and sync cable
- Tapwave Install CD v1.0 (NOT the new one with PocketMirror - sorry, Tapwave won't give that out)
- Nylon (I think - not leather) case
- Panasonic SD card, 256MB, speedy for good file transfers
Condition of the stuff:
- Zodiac2: A little over a year old, bought at the end of December 2003. Near mint. No scratches on the screen, no dead pixels. The casing is metal, so it should stand some abuse. The flap covering the screen has a few white marks on it, not too noticeable though. You'll probably end up taking that off anyway. The analog stick and controls work fine. The speakers sound good as well. There are some velcro pads on the backside for attaching to the inside of the case. The Z is in good shape - it doesn't look its age.
- Case: Mint condition. Not much to say here.
- Accessories and box: Also mint. Everything's intact.
- SD card: Mint. Any data I still have on it should be erased by the time you get it.
Asking price: $300
All sales final.
Acceptable payment: Paypal, money order, check by mail, cash (in person).
Location: Austin, Texas. I'll meet someone within an hour of Austin. San Antonio's OK.