Gizmondo handheld console
- Reviewer
- Charlie Brewer
- Review Date
- 6 April 2005
- Manufacturer
- Gizmondo
- Price as reviewed
- £230
- Latest price
- compare
Reader review
User: Steve, Bedford
Date Posted: 19 January 2006
Review: I read the spec of the GM and thought wow, lots of goodies, all of which are poor in the extreme. Nothing on the GM feels or works wells. The camera is only VGA, You must have a Sim inserted even if you just want to play games, when playing games the speaker is obscured intermittently when pressing buttons. It crashed several times and I had to remove the battery and replace it to resolve the problem. The GPS was useless and it took ages to boot and shutdown. Lucky for me it was on sale or return. It lasted one day!
Rating:
3 people have rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Jason C, UK
Date Posted: 12 January 2006
Review: The Gizmondo is the best handheld console I have ever owned, I have both the Nintendo DS and the PSP and none of them even compare. It has much better features than my DS and it even has more than my PSP. For me the only let down was the GPS, it is no different to that on a 3g phone but I have just purchased the Satnav upgrade and longer lasting battery. Now it has great working GPS and can last me all the way from Leeds to London with the voice instructions on full volume and probably a bit further.
Rating:
2 people have rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Jess Man, UK
Date Posted: 20 October 2005
Review: I think the Gizmondo is outstanding with its PDA like functions, the videos aren't better than the PSP but its still worth the money. One word to sum it up, Immaculate.
Rating:
3 people have rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: James, West London
Date Posted: 25 September 2005
Review: I bought mine about two months ago as a complete impulse buy, I was sold on the GPS functions, and video etc and I have to say what a complete load of rubbish this thing is. The OS is awful and takes ages to load anything; I had to take the battery out twice because it hanged. Then I spent an hour sorting out the sim card registration thingy online, then receive text, then send text, then go online. Gees what a pain - all combined with a stupidly slow interface. The camera worked okay and I sent a picture message okay but hold on - isn't that why I've got a phone?!?! Next onto GPS! It worked okay and I had a signal so I thought okay show me where I am and guess what?!? It has to send me the map as a text message, can you imagine how long that took – it’s a joke. It’s the same with any location based service, its all 20p a go text service garbage. So anyway I took mine back and luckily got a refund. I then went and bought a PSP with Ridge Racer and Wipeout and it’s amazing. My girlfriend wants one and I can't stop playing it, that’s how cool it is. I'm sorry guys but Gizmondo is rubbish and will go under. I am a gaming fan and at the least thought I would keep my Gizmondo as part of gaming history, but I couldn't bring myself to keep it. It's THAT BAD!
Rating:
3 people have rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Leigh, UK
Date Posted: 19 August 2005
Review: Good points are that the mp3 player is fine, messaging is fine too, photos are good for a 0.3, movie quality is spot on, the trailblazer game is brilliant, excellent 3d from Nvidia and the build is ok. Things I hate about it, it sucks all my credit and I have hardly done anything with it, be prepared to spend a fortune just to get used to the thing. The battery life for me is the killer, I have had loads of machines and this gizmo is the worst ever for battery life, do not rely on it for long journeys. All in all I will hang in and see if it will get any better, as any new machine with specs as good as this it deserves a chance. I say bring Tom Tom in on the Gizmondo then we may have the last laugh at doubters. I have ordered a PSP so the Gizmondo is eating no meat at least Sega are bringing Sonic to it.
Rating:
4 people have rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Synthesizer Patel, Glasgow
Date Posted: 14 April 2005
Review: I've had one for a while now, and it's a beautiful little thing, but the build quality is questionable. The software support is lacking, the battery life is ABYSMAL, especially when using the backlight. WMV only? MP3/WMA only? The messaging is next to useless. The input method is laborious and stupid. The Bluetooth will only see other Gizmondo’s, so you can't transfer ringtones from other phones. GPS has NEVER worked, it just won't see satellites. I've stood in freezing parks for literally an hour at a time, more sky than you can shake a stick at, and plenty of sticks to shake and nothing. <br>The GM has so much potential it’s just a shame Tiger are rubbish. They had a potentially fantastic product, but it's failing before their eyes. I have no sympathy, they had every opportunity to make it better. If I'd spent my own hard-earned money on a GM, I'd have been very annoyed. I'll keep it though, along with my Atari lynx, my Amstrad GX4000 and my Sam Coupe, as another wasted opportunity/absolute shambles in gaming.
Rating:
6 people have rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Unknown, UK
Date Posted: 11 April 2005
Review: I got my Gizmondo a few weeks ago, I’ve had time to play around with it and I got bored...very bored. I have all the games available, and they are both rubbish, there just like tweaked mobile phone games. The customer support is rubbish, the battery life is awful (I have had to buy a new battery and charger, but it made no difference!) and credit just seems to evaporate. I sold my Gizmondo to some poor fool, who will have the same thoughts as I have after the initial “ooh, but its got GPS, and future games are going to be great" phase. With the money I made I got a Sony PSP with ridgeracer and wipeout, and let me tell you this, it wipes the floor with the competition. It is amazing, and I can’t put it down!!! So go buy your Gizmondo, but when you realise the mistake you have made, sell it quick and buy a PSP instead…...Just my 50 pence worth.
Rating:
5 people have rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Jensonb, Peterborough, UK
Date Posted: 11 April 2005
Review: For those of you that don't know, Gizmondo is a handheld games console that packs a punch. With built in GPRS, GPS, camera, Windows Media Player 9, Bluetooth and SMS/MMC functions. It runs on a 400MHZ ARM9 processor with an NVIDIA GoForce (Mobile version of GeForce) 4500 graphics accelerator. The software and the dashboard (or suite if you like) are a modified Windows CE.Net operating system and the unit has a port for both MMC and SD cards, as well as USB port for linking to other hardware. It also has support for games built with the Mophun system. I told you it packed a punch. Reports from within the community have informed us that the texture of the nit is not far removed from rubber and feels much less fragile than the PSP, but without feeling as cheap as the DS. In fact it feels quite luxurious. The software is easy to use and looks superb. Audio playback is 20% better than the popular iPod system. Movie playback, whilst apparently not quite as good as the PSP, is very good. The camera takes adequate pictures and the GPS is fine, once you get a signal. The GPRS access to the maps is good, when available and we have reports that the more reliable TomTom system will be available in the next 2 months, providing more detailed maps and a wealth of other options. The GPRS WAP browsing is adequate, though limits you to Gizmondo specific sites, much like 02 Active or Vodafone Live. Rumours abound that in a coming Firmware upgrade, XHTML browsing will be added. So, all in all Gizmondo pretty much lives up to expectations and all who own it are pretty satisfied. Some units had minor battery faults, but they are being/have been dealt with by Gizmondo Europe. No Wi-Fi, what does the PSP and DS Wi-Fi have over Gizmondo Bluetooth?
Rating:
6 people have rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Tim, London
Date Posted: 8 April 2005
Review: I agree with the official review. How crazy is it to make a game machine that requires constant credit on your SIM card? I bet "Jonathan from London" is an employee! In my view they managed all gizmos EXCEPT the most important wifi (present on PSP and DS). No doubt because the phone companies would rather you download your maps every time via chargeable GPRS. Hopefully sense will prevail and version 2 will come out with wifi and web browsing before the product dies.
Rating:
4 people have rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Dave Goodman, Manchester
Date Posted: 8 April 2005
Review: I was surprised by Charlie Brewer's score because it sounded like he really liked the Gizmondo. I bought one at the weekend and have been having a lot of fun with all the functions. The battery life is great. I stick mine on charge every night and it hasn't run out of juice yet. The games are fun, and the guy in the store showed me the catalogue of what's coming through. I heard this week that there's 89 titles coming out this year! The GPS does its job. I've downloaded a few maps, but I don't suppose we will really be able to get the most from that until the sat nav. software is available. I don't think I'll be using the messaging much. I've put £20 worth of credit (got an extra £2 from Vodaphone free bonus), and I reckon that's going to be enough to tide me over for GPRS downloads, and for messaging - which incidentally I find quicker and easier than my phone. Still, for now I'll be using that side of things as a back up to my mobile which is always running out before the end of the day. Right now I would give the Gizmondo 9/10, but if the Sat Nav. software is any good, this big boy's toy will be going everywhere with me and ranking a solid 10/10.
Rating:
4 people have rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Jonathan, London UK
Date Posted: 6 April 2005
Review: This device shouldn't be compared like-for-like with its 'competitors'. This is a true innovation and offers much more than just a mobile gaming device. But let's start with gaming. Yes, Tiger needs to get more games out, and quickly, but the screen quality is clear and crisp and the graphics superb. Every teenager I know who's laid their hands on it is immediately hooked, but more than that, what really knocks people out are all the other functions it offers. What other machine offers text messaging, email, a camera, movies, Bluetooth music GPRS and GPS? The resolution of the screen is the same as the PSP more-or-less, but without the extended width which distorts the picture. This may not be so important when gaming but can seriously effect your enjoyment when viewing a movie as everything is stretched. However, Tiger hasn't left it at that. They have used these additional facilities to further boost its gaming potential - offering GPS & GPRS with certain games so mobile gamers can compete with each other making every game a whole new interactive experience. Design-wise it is tactile, easy to handle while robust and stylish - perfect for its target market, and the most portable machine yet. Compare it to the iPod and it's only slightly larger with a 20bit improvement on sound. This is a highly competitive marketplace and in this day and age it is not enough to replicate a desktop device, making it portable. The market demands more. For me and those I know who have also tried it, it's a winner.
Rating:
4 people have rated this review helpful
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Tiger Telematics Gizmondo Console
(Handheld, 400 MHz Processor, 2.8 in. Screen, Gaming Type(s): Multiplayer Gaming, Wireless Standards: Bluetooth, Optical Drive: C...)
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£50.00 (inc. VAT) |  |
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