X-bit labs

E3 Show in Los Angeles: All About Gaming (page 6)

Category: Editorial

by Anna Filatova

[ 05/17/2004 | 05:28 PM ]

Speaking about hardware I have to particularly dwell on a very interesting solution displayed by VIA: the so-called Eve Mobile Gaming console.

This small gaming device with a 4” TFT VGA display supporting 640x480 resolution is supposed to become a competitor to such gaming consoles as Sony PSP or the like, but in terms of functionality this new guy is expected to be almost as attractive as a value laptop. Have a look yourselves:

• 533MHz VIA Eden processor (fanless)
• 133MHz system bus
• VIA CN400 chipset with the integrated Chromotion graphics engine
• Up to 256MB DDR266 SDRAM
• 20GB (or even 30GB) HDD
• 2 mini USB 2.0 ports, in the future Bluetooth support can also be integrated
• 6-channel VIA Vinyl sound
• 2 lithium batteries (hot swappable) providing up to 4 hours of battery life
• Onboard card reader

I have already said that this is not the finalized design and the solution will definitely look more attractive and stylish when it hits the streets. It may even acquire a pull-out screen so that you could use it as an MP3 player for instance.

A remarkable thing about this device is that it will be equipped with a special SIM-card from GameDweller, which will ensure that you regularly get all security updates for the games your Eve system contains. The SIM card will have a collection of public and private keys allowing you to download the games and updates freely. However, you may want to install some games on your own, and this way you might want to get an unlocked SIM card for your system. Yes, it gives you more freedom of choice, and lets you do whatever you like, but at the same time, it deprives you of the technical support you will be getting from Game Dweller in case of failure. Well, you have to choose what is more valuable for you in this case.

The Eve system will be priced within the sub-$500 category and we will hopefully see it working at Computex.