Tapwave Helix now the Zodiac, Coming Sept?

Posted By: Ryan Wednesday, July 30, 2003 9:21:01 AM

Tapwave has changed the name of the Heilx to the Zodiac accorinding to a new article on CNN/Money. The article also claims the Zodiac will be available for pre-order in September in two versions for $299 and $399.

Tapwave's first product offering, code-named Helix now known as the Zodiac, will be available online in September. There will be two versions. A mainstream model with 32 MB of RAM, will cost $299 and a higher end, with 128 MB, will sell for $399 according to details furnished by CNN/Money.

Tapwave Zodiac Mock-upThe device will be based on Palm OS 5.2 and will feature a 3.8 inch diagonal 480 x 320 pixel screen, analog joystick navigation with integrated triggers and buttons, 3D graphics acceleration, stereo sound and Bluetooth for multiplayer wireless gaming. Internally it will run a i.MX1 Motorola ARM9 Processor, has ATI® Imageon graphics accelerator and Yamaha audio component. The unit will be powered by dual lithium batteries, said to last for 16 hours.

A teaser video on the website shows a mock up device running a 3D version of Spy Hunter. The CNN article also states 368 developers have signed up to support the Zodiac. It will launch with between 15-20 games optimized for it including, "Neverwinter Nights," "Tony Hawk" and "Doom II." Games will also be sold on SD cards for $29.95. The system will also be able to run most existing Palm OS games and software.

Tapwave's leadership team includes the original engineering executives from Palm (e.g., the first VP of Engineering from Palm and her successor), lead marketing strategist from Palm and HP (PCs), and an executive producer from Electronic Arts.

The final details and specifications will not be revealed until the product is officially introduced. Tapwave did not respond in time to comment for this article. The Tapwave corporate site lists the Demo Mobile Conference (September 17- 19) as the date of the product introduction.

Thanks to Gaurav and Mike Cane for the tips.

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Can't wait to see it... but the name?

maven @ 7/30/2003 10:20:57 AM #
Personally I liked "Helix" a hundred times better than "Zodiac" Then again, maybe it's just my derision for anything to do with astrology. Still, I hope against hope that is'nt the real name. It would personally turn me off against buying it.

"Hey! Whats that you got in your pocket!? A personal astrology chart computer?"

RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
LiveFaith @ 7/30/2003 10:55:39 AM #
Maybe it will come pre-loaded with Harry Potter's Sorcery Stone spell beaming game that allows you to beam curses on people within a 50' range?

Stick with Helix and drop the witchcraft Tapwave.

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
arielb @ 7/30/2003 11:28:36 AM #
maven what's your hangup over the name? had a bad experience when you were kidnapped by gypsies or something?
(btw my grandfather actually was kidnapped by gypsies)

RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
Isaiahp @ 7/30/2003 11:50:24 AM #
They probably didn't want to be confused with the recent addition to the Cigar world named Helix. I think that it could be kind of a cool themeing thing if they took the Zodiac signs and labeled games accesories, etc. But that's just me.

RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
Lucky Bob @ 7/30/2003 12:40:31 PM #
I liked Helix much better. Zodiac is a stupid name.

Oh, and why do they have the "prophet" kid in the teaser video swearing? That was stupid too.

"btw my grandfather actually was kidnapped by gypsies"

...seriously?

(Why do some people say you can kill two birds with one stone when it's hard enough killing one bird with two stones?)

RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
Miss Clie @ 7/30/2003 12:40:46 PM #
I'm thinking it's now an inflatable boat, which has been a brand name in use for many years.

Helix was much, much, cooler as a name.

RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
Lucky Bob @ 7/30/2003 12:43:06 PM #
Yes, it was...*sigh*...

(Why do some people say you can kill two birds with one stone when it's hard enough killing one bird with two stones?)
RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
painted_dog @ 7/30/2003 12:43:32 PM #
I agree that Helix is a much cooler name. I very much dislike "zodia" [to put it nicely]. But maybe Tapwave ran into naming issue since Real uses the name Helix for Real One [i think its the name of their code base or something like that..]

I think it'll be a sweet deck, blows the doors off of n-gage IMHO. much better screen, more usable. 2 expansion slots... lets say that again for all hear[palm, sony, hp, etc to listen too...] 2 EXPANSION SLOTS !!! [expandability & versitility is VERY important][especially when tech changes every day] (i can plug in a camera module & memory & not ever have to worry a/b swaping cards or missing a beat !)(or i could have a camera module & a wi-fi card)(.. or... [you get the idea])

Game boy advance/SP... SP is a much nicer form than its predicessor, but the screen still sucks. The screen is also VERY important. @ w/ 320x480 :-) i'm a happy camper. its nice to have a 3:4 ratio. also i hope its form is comfortable to the hands, for what ever the reason on my GBA, i'd cramp up after extended times of play..

I don't remember it mentioned, but if it could have replacable rechargable battery packs that would be so boss ! or even if they did an augmentation like the UX series i'd be lov'n life.

& if it had a usb port .... that would be awesome !

for me the UX-50 is nearing perfection, but the price... but the Helix also has almost hit it perfect for me, prior to the UX series i'd been pining [as most] for a palm w/ 320x480 & virtual graffiti. & the Helix delivers [& it can play games ?! drool !! ]

i say the drop the "zodiac" name [despite it being a real word, it reminds me of all the silly pharmacutical names "zantac", "propecia", etc] & go with something mythical like Pegasus. it'd be a good fit, a very versital creature a horse w/ wings good on land & in the air, a trusted companion ... just like the Helix will be to me, good @ work [scheduling, office docs, contacts] & good for me @ play [GAMES !] & i'll carry it w/ me every where i go [meetings ;-) ]

just my $1.05 (since i was verbos)

-painted dog

RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
statik @ 7/30/2003 1:43:00 PM #
>> its nice to have a 3:4 ratio. also i hope its form is comfortable to the hands, for what ever the reason on my GBA, i'd cramp up after extended times of play..

=============

Another great thing about the design is that we might just see some games taking advantage of the portriat layout instead of just the landscape format.

I'm thinking of some awesome pinball games or even klax and gauntlet from the Atari Lynx handheld era.

September is too late! I want this now!

RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
Konstantin @ 7/30/2003 3:52:55 PM #
As fas as the product name goes I dont care, it could be named "Angel tits" and it would be the same for me. But the games *hmmmmmmmmm* those look promising, now accelerated video and stereo sound sound with wireless gaming well that will be nice.

Do anyone remembers about that so called 'patent infrigiment' on wireless gaming? That israeli dude that sued Palm over wireless gaming patent infrigiment, what is the status on that?

RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
Palmary @ 7/30/2003 4:12:01 PM #
Are you guys only happy when you're miserable?

It has a 480 x320 screen, OS5, dual batteries, no slider, dual SD, and will even have a version with 128Mb RAM.

So what is the first thing people worry about? Its bloody name! Have you guys taken a look at YOUR handles recently?

Palmary aka Richard
Owner of a bizarrely named (but excellent) Tungsten T2

RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
maven @ 7/30/2003 6:46:55 PM #
>> So what is the first thing people worry about? Its bloody name! Have you guys taken a look at YOUR handles recently?

But I'm not trying to sell myself to a few million people either, am I? Besides, I like my handle. Much better than 'Zodiac' :)

Besides, of course we are going to gripe about the name. The name is what the whole news article was about, wasn't it?

RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
mikecane @ 7/30/2003 7:46:23 PM #
Man, I *love* that name. "Angel Tits." It'd be really great if they Japanized it: Enjeru Titsu.

Nah. That'd be ET and Spielberg would sue.

OK, let me drag out the meme to spread here too...

I can see the ad campaign now:

"Zodiac. It's not just a serial killer anymore."

Change the name!

RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
Galley_SimRacer @ 7/30/2003 11:08:21 PM #
There is actually a town in South Carolina called Sugar Tit. Apparently back in the 20's it used to be a real popular hangout for men. Folks said that they drawn to it like a sugar tit. A sugar tit was a sugar cube placed inside a piece of cloth, that babies would use as a pacifier a very long time ago.

--
"Life is what you experience between racing games"
Galley
RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
i_strad @ 8/1/2003 8:34:58 AM #
Maybe helix and zodiac are the names of the models,
the scale dawn model (32MB) : zodiac
and the scale up model (128MB) : helix

RE: Can't wait to see it... but the name?
atrizzah @ 8/2/2003 4:58:49 PM #
Just to let you know, the ratio is 2:3, not 3:4

Peace Out
Alan

I posted first!

boogie_doggie @ 7/30/2003 10:27:36 AM #
what no "thanks for the tips" to boogie_doggie, I posted last night in the forums, recognition pul-leaze!

RE: I posted first!
robrecht @ 7/30/2003 10:44:47 AM #
What's the big deal? CNNMoney had this story Monday morning and Brighthand had a story on yesterday morning.

Anyway, I'm actually encouraged by the higher price points and the apparent lack of camera on the high-end model, but the website has been hinting at a pretty dorky looking toy form factor for a few weeks now (contrary to some earlier hints). Key, for me anyway, will also be software integration to see if this will be a player in the nongaming business environment.

Thanks, robrecht

RE: I posted first!
Lucky Bob @ 7/30/2003 12:44:35 PM #
"what no "thanks for the tips" to boogie_doggie, I posted last night in the forums, recognition pul-leaze!"

If you look on the left-hand part of the page near the top, you'll see a link that says "Contribute News."

(Why do some people say you can kill two birds with one stone when it's hard enough killing one bird with two stones?)

RE: I posted first!
JKingGrim @ 7/30/2003 3:05:23 PM #
Key, for me anyway, will also be software integration to see if this will be a player in the nongaming business environment.

What are you talking about? It runs Palm OS. But perhaps in the 19,000 titles at PalmGear, you didn't come across any buisiness apps. And also, this device comes with WordSmith (who knows why not dtg).

RE: I posted first!
robrecht @ 7/30/2003 4:27:07 PM #
"What are you talking about? It runs Palm OS. But perhaps in the 19,000 titles at PalmGear, you didn't come across any buisiness apps. And also, this device comes with WordSmith (who knows why not dtg)."

Deja-vu all over again. I'm talking about how well the landscape and VG APIs work with Palm business software. For example, I am especially interested in using word processing and spreadsheet programs in landscape mode, which was done well by Handera but not by SONY. Also, the last I heard, it was not definite that keyboards would be supported even though there is a Palm Universal Connector on the bottom of the landscape orientation.

Thanks, robrecht

Cost of Games?

hkklife @ 7/30/2003 10:18:58 AM #
Right now, the main complaints i've heard from people as to why they've never bought any MM rom cards for their Palms are basically ones of cost and/or value:

1."Why pay $30-$40 for a MMC that has only a couple of MBs of its total capacity (usually 16mb) utilized?"

2. "Why don't they just consolidate all of the games (Rayman, PopCap, Game Essentials) onto a single card and sell it for $50?".

In the (much, much) more mature PC and console markets, publishers can flood the shelves with bargain $5 and $10 CD-ROMS chock full of many of the same titles you can get on a Palm (for example, the PSOne Rayman is $10 or less--yet the Palm version was $40 last time I checked).

Someone's (Tapwave, Activision etc) going to really lose their shirt and have a major flop on their hands (ala Virtual Boy/32X) unless they can somehow convince consumers that there's a better inherent value in using SD/MMC as a storage medium for portable gaming. It will be up to the publishers to make sure that, at least initially, this becomes a viable platform and will not just be an overpriced novelty. Anyone remember Tiger's "game.com" handheld a few years back? Higher-res than the monochrome Gameboy, built-in modem, but absolutely killed by poor marketing, poor software and the ugliest, cheapest hardware design I've seen in years. Selling them in the toy dept. of Wal Mart instead of in the electronics dept. didn't help matters either.

Instead of just doing a basic port to Palm OS, I'd hope that the developers would take a few chances with some of their titles to distinguish them:

1.Utilize a hybrid readable/writable card so that games can be saved directly onto the card, new level packs added, etc. Handmark has already IIRC on their "PDA Photo" card-which is basically just a cut-down version of SplashPhoto on an SD card with 4mb allocated to store whatever photos you desire. A similar idea like this was also discussed for years for a writable MO drive for the N64 as well as the original Famicon floppy drive in Japan (still going strong after 20+ years, from what I hear).

2. Tapwave platform games (as well as any major publisher's Palm titles in general) need to be optimized for BT/wireless connectivity. Imagine multi-player Doom/Duke Nukem over BT!

3. Will titles for the Helix be playable (with reduced bells and whistles, of course) on any other OS5 Palm?

4. It would be a grand gesture, in order to spice the market up a bit, for a major publisher (say, Activision) to include a Palm version of Doom 1 on the install CD for Doom III (whenever that is released). Additionally, the Tony Hawk 4 (or whatever) PC CD-ROM could contain a Palm version at no charge. I think Sierra tried this on their Hoyle card game series last year--bundling the Palm versions. It must not have done too well because I have not seen any of those boxes with the "Palm version inside!" sticker in months.

5. Do compilations of older "abandonware". For example, Doom I, II, and Final Doom ported to Palm would make for a great CD. Or all of the Dooms as well as the Heretic/Hexen series.....All of the Civilization titles, the list is endless. Just don't try to gouge people who admittedly are taking a big gamble on an unproven company/device!


RE: Cost of Games?
rsc1000 @ 7/30/2003 3:27:28 PM #
>>1."Why pay $30-$40 for a MMC that has only a couple of MBs of its total capacity (usually 16mb) utilized?"

It sounds like they are definitely developing games optimized for this that will take up more than a few mb of data. While i don't believe the videos represent the actual helix (errr... 'Zodiak' - such a dumb name) versions - they might be close. those who have seen it put the quality at at least PS1 - with lots of use of the new 3d engine. I would not expect to see cds loaded with 'abandonware' like doom 1 & 2 however - like you suggested - because its already been stated that there will be an official release of doom 2. im assuming this is better than just a straight port of the pc version (like PPC) because this could be done easily on OS 5 devices now - where-as the tapwave has this integrated 3d engine that im assuming they will take advantage of. who the heck knows though - it all a guess at this point.

RE: Cost of Games?
RhinoSteve @ 8/4/2003 5:25:07 PM #
I think you should quit your job and work for Tapwave. They are hiring now. You have the track record to make it past the lobby?

What happanned to the camera?

gfunkmagic @ 7/30/2003 10:40:57 AM #
I'm interested in what happenned to the rumor of the integrated camera? Even with out it, the specs of the device are pretty impressive.. But the camera would have been a nice touch...

Visit http://goodthatway.com/
-better living through better technology.
RE: What happanned to the camera?
helf @ 7/30/2003 5:12:44 PM #
umm..Why would you have wanted a camera?

RE: What happanned to the camera?
Lucky Bob @ 7/30/2003 9:30:26 PM #
Why would you not have wanted a camera?

(Why do some people say you can kill two birds with one stone when it's hard enough killing one bird with two stones?)
RE: What happanned to the camera?
IndyDave @ 7/31/2003 2:00:02 AM #
uh...1) 'cause the pictures are pretty crappy (unless you're 12 and still believe in "friends 4ever") 2)I don't need it and 3) I don't want to pay for it.

Helix, why cant palm do better

Tungstenman @ 7/30/2003 10:45:19 AM #
I simply wont buy any pda from any other brand than palm, becasue they are build very well, and palm is the name brand, the type of pda of choice. I wont buy this one, because I wont buy a childes toy, for a high end pda. I would rather wait for sont to be compatible with macs, without missing sync, or Ill just wait for palm to do something better in the tungsten series. what do you think?

A Palm in one hand is worth 2 Pocket PC Bricks
: )
-Steve
RE: Helix, why cant palm do better
sszhao @ 7/30/2003 12:47:42 PM #
You can hotsync on mac with sony using iSync software from Mac. It works perfectly and it's free.
RE: Helix, why cant palm do better
helf @ 7/30/2003 9:48:04 PM #
Dude.. childs toy? wtf? This is aimed more at the 20-30 age range it looks like.. and just sticking to one brand because it's the "name brand" is retarded. I've used trg/handera,handspring and palm.. If you just stick to one company then you miss out on a lot sometimes.

Bejeweled! Bejeweled!

arielb @ 7/30/2003 11:24:44 AM #
128 megs, dual SD slots, hi-res VG and REAL games -the Palm platform now has everything it needs to kick ***

RE: Bejeweled! Bejeweled!
JonAcheson @ 7/30/2003 12:18:48 PM #
You know, Bejeweled plays just fine on my Palm III.

I want Advance Wars. Advance Wars! Advance Wars!

Not likely, but I can dream (or suck it up and buy a game boy).

"All opinions posted are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled."

RE: Bejeweled! Bejeweled!
Konstantin @ 7/30/2003 4:14:25 PM #
"I want Advance Wars. Advance Wars! Advance Wars!"

I second that.
I want Advance Wars. Advance Wars! Advance Wars!
I want Advance Wars. Advance Wars! Advance Wars!
I want Advance Wars. Advance Wars! Advance Wars!

Best game ever wich I played on the GameBoy Advance. So much fun.

Speaking of games. Why do ne1 makes good games like Broken Sword for palm ? I think OS5 devices will handle that kind of grafics o.k.

the prophet..

cyruski @ 7/30/2003 1:00:08 PM #
he definetaly needs to look more intelligent :)

Great deal even without games

bobes @ 7/30/2003 3:04:30 PM #
Even if you do not buy any games on this unit, it's still an amazing deal. Just look at the specs.

128 Megs
dual expansion ports
VG

You can't buy anything near that now for $399.

RE: Great deal even without games
LiveFaith @ 7/30/2003 3:48:41 PM #
True, but it aint here yet. The Palm Zire may have those specs by the time it retails?

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com
RE: Great deal even without games
kevdo @ 7/30/2003 8:35:31 PM #
I'll bet anybody a million dollars there won't be a **Zire** model with 128 MB of RAM this year. Thus, if Tapwave does ship this year they'd beat Palm and Sony to the punch...

-Kevin Crossman
RE: Great deal even without games
antikryst @ 7/30/2003 10:00:15 PM #
dont forget bluetooth. zire wont have that. its for the tungsten t|tx series and the helix...uhhh zodiac! :)


mmmm...

helf @ 7/30/2003 9:50:38 PM #
This WILL be my next palm..

dual sd slots
480x320
bt
128megs of ram.

This palm will kickass. I wanna see what pocketPC users say after they see ps1 quality games coming out for a "lesser" OS :)

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