ONE FOR ALL
Tiger Telematics calls its Gizmondo the ultimate portable entertainment device …
a must-own for multimedia junkies. But in reality, the gadget—a gaming system
with music, movie, GPS, online multiplayer, digital camera, and PDA
capabilities—is long on promise, short on delivery. Stacked against quirky
competitors such as Nintendo’s dual-screened DS or even more potent rivals like
Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP), the unit seems technically superior on paper.
Actual executions are nowhere near as brilliant, however. Instead of a Swiss
Army knife-style accessory, you get an odd jack-of-all-trades that’s less
describable in terms of fun than feature creep.
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| Resembling a martian’s antennas, the “shoulder” buttons protrude from
the top of the rubberized black casing. Scott wasn’t so impressed with the
smallish screen when compared with Sony’s PlayStation Portable. |
Installation alone is a
bear. The bizarre need to install custom drivers and Microsoft ActiveSync
(included on the setup disk) before your PC will recognize the machine isn’t
even referenced in the quick-start guide. An on-disk manual doesn’t help matters
either, nor do 20-second load times whenever you boot the console. SIM card
configuration and, if you’ve acquired the cheaper $229 three times a day
advertising-enabled edition, a Smart Adds opt-in are also
required.
Communicating with the unit requires a USB 1.1 connection—users can
dump files on the handheld itself or on an SD card and synchronize contacts,
addresses, and calendars with one’s desktop—as well. Still, it’s a bit much for
the average enthusiast who’d prefer just jumping right into Sticky Balls,
Fathammer Classics, or any of the other 89 total digital diversions slated for
release by the end of the year.
Naturally, we couldn’t wait to see how
today’s top television programs looked on the machine’s 2.8-inch LCD screen,
which is capable of displaying 65,000 colors. The picture is merely decent, and
not necessarily worth the effort of transferring over content from your Six Feet
Under or Arrested Development boxed sets.
