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Page Two of Tapwave “Zodiac” Handheld Gaming PDA
Besides the standard Palm OS 5.2 applications, the Zodiac includes:

Tapwave MP3 Player
Tapwave Photo Viewing Application
Kinoma Player for viewing videos
WordSmith word processor
PowerOne graphing calculator
InkStorm chat and whiteboard application
Web internet browser
AcidSolitaire, the best Solitaire card game I have ever played
Stuntcar Extreme racing game

The Kinoma Producer is included for use on your desktop to convert MPEG1, MPEG4, QuickTime, and AVI files to the Kinoma format for play on the Zodiac. Unfortunately, only a limited function version is included. A full-function version can be purchased from Kinoma. A customized version of Palm Desktop for Windows is included. Unfortunately, no Outlook synchronization software is included. Intellisync can be purchased from the Tapwave web site.

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Tapwave continues to improve the Zodiac. An Update of the internal software (1.1) has been released as a response to requests made by Zodiac users. Previous owners can download the update from the Tapwave web site. The update includes many great improvements such as:

Background music play - allows music to play while running other applications
System-wide Quick Launch – provides Quick Launch button at all times
Open Home to Last View – Home button returns screen to last view instead of home screen
Wake to Music – play a complete MP3 as a wake up alarm
New alarm sounds and MIDI capabilities
Power does not turn on when Zodiac is inserted in cradle or connected to cable.
Plus many other enhancements.

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Any game system is only as good as the games available. Tapwave has signed a large number of developers and publishers to produce games for the Zodiac. Most of the early games do not really “push” the capabilities of the Zodiac, but as new games are released, they will continue to improve and take advantage of the hardware. In addition to the custom Zodiac games, the Zodiac can play almost any Palm OS 5 compatible game or application. Some of the currently available Zodiac games include:

Spyhunter, driving combat
FireHammer, space shooter
Galactic Realms, space combat
Atari 2600 Retro, collection of classic games
Duke Nukem, first-person shooter
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, skating stunt game
And many others.

Check out the Tapwave web site for the latest games. Previously available only on the Tapwave web site, now that the Zodiac can be purchased from CompUSA and other retailers, the number of game titles will hopefully expand quickly.

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The Zodiac is a well-designed, full-featured game system. But looking at it only as a game system would be “selling it short”. With its performance and features, it makes a great video, photo, music multimedia device as well as a high-performance Palm PDA. While a little expensive for a handheld game machine, if you are looking for an advanced game system with all the features of a multimedia player and the latest PDAs, then the Tapwave Zodiac is definitely worth the price.

Pros
Good quality
Dual SD Slots
Stereo Speakers
Fast Performance
Graphics Speed
Large display screen
Long battery life
Bluetooth Wireless Gaming (Look E.H. Bluethooth in not dead --- ?B!C)

Cons
Docking Cradle not included
Weight
Sync Cable Connector
Non-replaceable battery
No Preferences for joystick
No Outlook Sync included

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Stars.

Reviewed by Harvey Lee – Technology Editor


Manufacturer: Tapwave

Web Site: http://www.tapwave.com

Category: Palm / PDA Platform

Price: Zodiac 1 $299.95
Zodiac 2 $399.95

Availability: Now

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