The Tapwave Zodiac 2 (£330 inc. VAT) makes no apologies for hijacking the Palm operating system (Version 5.2) and using it to turn the device into as much a gaming console as it is a work tool. The most noticeable thing about the Zodiac 2 is that the 3.8-inch screen is in landscape mode. The OS will readily support being switched to portrait mode, so that documents and those applications that need to make the most of it can do so. A new interface, which is clean and simple to use, has been adopted so that uses can make the most of the landscape setting.
Taking into account the screen, the styling of the body is what you would expect form a gaming machine. An analogue controller can be found on the left-hand side of the device and four action buttons on the right. Hidden away in the top of the device are trigger buttons. As with many consoles, the Zodiac also makes the most of a rumblepack, so should you crash or fall when playing, the device will vibrate.
The Tapwave Zodiac 2 is one of a host of handheld gaming devices expected over the coming months. By taking an established OS, Tapwave has managed to combine the best of productivity tools with a feature set that is more than impressive. These changes bode well for the future. Battery life aside, this is one device that will prove successfully very quickly.
FOR THE FULL REVIEW OF THIS LAPTOP, PLEASE SEE THE DECEMBER ISSUE OF WL – on sale 10th November 2004
