Best Cheap Pocket PC For Emulators?

[Valium]

As for configuring the emulators for actually buttons, I haven't used an emulator that doesn't allow it. The problem is that there aren't that many buttons on it. I think... 5 and a directional pad. And the 5 is including the button in the middle of the directional pad. So, it's fine for NES, but SNES could be a problem, unless you get a keyboard, but even then, I don't think wiring buttons to a keyboard is easy, with that whole membrane thing.

The whole membrane thing is exactly like the buttons in our controllers, they're actually fairly easy to hack up in the way you're talking about.

[megabite]

Be careful, though. Some PDAs only allow one button to be pushed at a time, especially on keyboard. Something to keep in mind.

[Exdeath]

Compared to a PSP, how well does a pocket pc emulate nes/gb/snes? And how "PC-like" are they?

[tom61]

Compared to a PSP, how well does a pocket pc emulate nes/gb/snes? And how "PC-like" are they?

NES and GB are full speed even on antique Pocket PCs. The X30 that he has should emulate SNES and GBA at full speed.

As for how PC they are, think "PC Lite". The main limitation is that most applications and games require you to have it tethered to a PC to install. That and you can't use regular PC programs, except in a very slow emulator. However, these are multi-tasking machines that you can install things on. You can browse the web, listen to music, do basic word processing and spreadsheets, even at the same time. The main issue is that for some unknown reason Microsoft didn't want you to close programs on your own (likely so you'd just hit power and could resume right where you left off, instead of closing all apps and then hitting power,) so you have to add an app for that.

[CronoTriggerfan]

As for configuring the emulators for actually buttons, I haven't used an emulator that doesn't allow it. The problem is that there aren't that many buttons on it. I think... 5 and a directional pad. And the 5 is including the button in the middle of the directional pad. So, it's fine for NES, but SNES could be a problem, unless you get a keyboard, but even then, I don't think wiring buttons to a keyboard is easy, with that whole membrane thing.

Yeah, I just got mine in the mail, and there are five face buttons. But there's also a WiFi button and what looks to be a button for pulling up a media player; can those be mapped to for emulators? If so, then I may have to re-think my design, as this would certainly allow for SNES emulation all around.

[tom61]

Yeah, I just got mine in the mail, and there are five face buttons. But there's also a WiFi button and what looks to be a button for pulling up a media player; can those be mapped to for emulators? If so, then I may have to re-think my design, as this would certainly allow for SNES emulation all around.

If WiFi is a soft button you can remap it, and the media player button is certainly remappable. Try it with an emulator and remap it's controller, usually that is under 'options' or 'settings'.

Have you considered making it easy to use the controls when the orientation changes? Some games, like GFDoom, allow you to use it in landscape mode, and it'd be interesting to have a PPC mod that is able to take advantage of that.

[CronoTriggerfan]

Actually, I very well may have to go back to the drawing board as far as a case is concerned; originally, my plan was to make the thing operate in landscape mode for gaming controls, only switching over to portrait when necessary. However, during some testing, I've noticed a severe framerate dip in some games like Quake, as well as the fact that there are some PPC games that just don't support landscape. For the sake of design simplicity, I really would like to pick one or the other, I just don't know which it'll be yet. Leaning a bit towards keeping it portrait, though.

[tom61]

Actually, I very well may have to go back to the drawing board as far as a case is concerned; originally, my plan was to make the thing operate in landscape mode for gaming controls, only switching over to portrait when necessary. However, during some testing, I've noticed a severe framerate dip in some games like Quake, as well as the fact that there are some PPC games that just don't support landscape. For the sake of design simplicity, I really would like to pick one or the other, I just don't know which it'll be yet. Leaning a bit towards keeping it portrait, though.

If you go portrait for the primary, you could keep a couple of small buttons near the top for the times when you want to use it landscape. That wouldn't be as complex as having four or more buttons, and keep the design fairly gameboy (orginal/SP) like, while retaining some flexibility.

Also, in case you didn't know, your PPC is of the generation with battery backed RAM. So, if both primary and backup batteries run out of juice, you lose all your settings and any programs installed to the main memory. Also, there are times when a program goes nuts and soft-reset won't work (equivalent of a reboot on a normal PC), and you have to do what is known as a hard-reset that will completely clear the internal memory. I recommend doing a backup as soon as you get the configuration to your liking, using the built-in utility, to a SD card.

[CronoTriggerfan]

Ouch, that sucks, thanks for the advice. Is the backup battery like a coin/CMOS battery of some sort? I think the one in here is dead, because I've already lost my settings once...

[Super Cameraman]

It is possible to install some games to an SD card, or at least keep the installer files on the card.

The problem with mapping the Wireless (Wifi and Bluetooth) button and the Notes button (that's what it is) is that you have to go into the settings and somehow tell it not the bring up the notes or enable wireless when you press the buttons. You can probably map the emulator buttons to them, but unless you go to the actual settings of the PocketPC, the notes and wifi will also come up.

ANOTHER problem... Have you tried playing PocketSNES? It works great, but I noticed that with using the buttons on the face, there is a tiny delay, making games like Super Mario World not very fun because Mario doesn't jump right when you tell him...

I know you can buy a Bluetooth controller that clamps on to the PocketPC, but the Dell Axim is just a little too big. Maybe get that and use the guts for the buttons and have the whole thing in one case... I actually did see somewhere someone wired a SNES controller to the USB port at the bottom of the PocketPC... I don't know how to do it or where to buy it though.

If all else fails, at least you have a good PocketPC for a good price, even if the buttons aren't great for gaming. (There is a mobile version of Linerider, the demo is awesome.)

[CronoTriggerfan]

Yeah, I haven't tried much of anything yet, as I don't have a sync cable for it yet, just ordered one. As far as the button delay goes, I've heard of that problem before; if it's only on one or two emulators, I'm fine, really. I didn't expect SNES outta this thing anyways, so no big. People have said all iterations of the GameBoy line run fine with their emulators on these, so perhaps there's still hope.

[tom61]

Ouch, that sucks, thanks for the advice. Is the backup battery like a coin/CMOS battery of some sort? I think the one in here is dead, because I've already lost my settings once...

Apparently, it's an internal rechargable.

The problem with mapping the Wireless (Wifi and Bluetooth) button and the Notes button (that's what it is) is that you have to go into the settings and somehow tell it not the bring up the notes or enable wireless when you press the buttons. You can probably map the emulator buttons to them, but unless you go to the actual settings of the PocketPC, the notes and wifi will also come up.

Settings -> Buttons should have options for that.

ANOTHER problem... Have you tried playing PocketSNES? It works great, but I noticed that with using the buttons on the face, there is a tiny delay, making games like Super Mario World not very fun because Mario doesn't jump right when you tell him...

Sounds like a GAPI issue. There should be answers somewhere on www.mobilitysite.com on how to fix it, or at least I'd think it has been resolved somehow in the four years this handheld has been out.

You might try Morphgear's SNES emulation. http://www.spicypixel.com/web/page/morphgear/Home.aspx

I know you can buy a Bluetooth controller that clamps on to the PocketPC, but the Dell Axim is just a little too big. Maybe get that and use the guts for the buttons and have the whole thing in one case... I actually did see somewhere someone wired a SNES controller to the USB port at the bottom of the PocketPC... I don't know how to do it or where to buy it though.

The SNES like controller you're likely thinking about plugs into only certain iPaq PDAs. No pre-made solution that I know of for Axim. Unfortunately Dell didn't see it fit to include the hardware to enable USB host, so you can't plug in a normal USB pad. There was a mod to that bluetooth gamepad you're talking into a PS gamepad and wrapped around the Axim(unfortunately, the detailed pictures are now gone): http://palmtops.about.com/b/2006/01/25/ ... m-x50v.htm

[ShockSlayer]

I vouch for the x50v! Remember my mod? It works great for me.

[CronoTriggerfan]

I looked into the X50 range Axims, and while they would be ideal, it's just a bit more than what I expected to spend. I ended up going with the X30, it's a generation back but it's got enough kick to run what I want.

I've settled on a final design. It keeps the PDA in portrait, but switching over to landscape for watching movies and web browsing should be no problem. Making it exclusively landscape would have been just about as easy as what I'm doing here, but the framerate drop on many games was simply too much to make it justifiable. I tried to work out a way where it could be used either way, but then the sync port would need to be relocated, and these solder contacts are WAY too minute for any human to do. Well, maybe some humans could, but I'm not one of them.

Anyways, I'll post design mockups when I get the chance. School starts Wednesday, so I'll see how much free time I've got after that. Oh, and I settled on using DS Phat buttons as the face stuff, if anyone cares.

EDIT: Speaking of Bluetooth, could any Bluetooth controller be paired with this thing and mapped to emulators for, say, multiplayer? Just a thought.

[eurddrue]

so what all emulators did you decide to run in the end?

and why does your post say edit and below it doesn't say that youve edited at all...