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[snapty00]

http://www.xgamestation.com/ (The site is having some problems right now, so it looks a bit awkward.)

I was a bit surprised that the kit be teaching about a processor called the "SX52" rather than the ARM7; originally, the specifications called for an ARM7 as the main processor. I've never heard of the SX52, and judging from the reactions of some of the demo programmers, not many other people have heard of it, either.

The kit is also a bit more expensive than I expected: $199. That's one hundred dollars more than I was expecting.

I think I'll pick one up nonetheless, though. It depends on how much time I can dedicate to it.

 

[tenchir]

I don't know what you can do with that kit that you couldn't with a GBASP+Flash Cartridge(or Link cables)+Visual HAM. It's also cheaper too.

 

[snapty00]

HAM sucks. It's a very newbie-friendly, cut-and-paste library.

So does the documentation. That's the main thing that separates the XGS from other hobbyist kits, in that the documentation is very, very thorough and explains the hardware from the ground up. It's more of a hardware kit than a software kit, although it's obvious that programmers work with it.

 

[tenchir]

HAM sucks. It's a very newbie-friendly, cut-and-paste library.

So does the documentation. That's the main thing that separates the XGS from other hobbyist kits, in that the documentation is very, very thorough and explains the hardware from the ground up. It's more of a hardware kit than a software kit, although it's obvious that programmers work with it.

If you want to learn somethings about hardware, the XGS is easiler since everything you need to know is in the documentation(keep in mind you won't find much on the net since the microprocessor isn't a common processor like the ARM7), but there are A LOT of informations on GBA hardware on the net, you just have to spend some time looking for them.

As for HAM being very newbie friendly and cut-and-paste library, I rather take it easy first than go for the sink or swim method of learning to program. I rather not try doing any programming from scratch since I believe I won't learn as much compared to learning from the code reference I can find in those "cut-and-paste" library. I guess this is just a matter of preference though.