dev kit
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VIA offers a cheapo gPC "dev kit" motherboard
Been dying to cobble together some code for one of those high-falutin', big-ticket Everex gPCs, but just couldn't scrape together the $199? Well friends, fear not -- your spot in the poor house won't keep you from writing that killer app, thanks to VIA's generous offering of the $60 "dev board." What can you expect from this package? Well first off, it's not a package, it's a mediocre motherboard with a "bundled" CD of the gOS. The Linux-based gOS addition isn't really too impressive, considering it's open source, free, and available for download from Everex's site... but hey, who's keeping score? Slap on a case, power supply, hard drive, optical drive, memory, keyboard, and mouse, and you've got yourself a real honey of a system. If you can do it for less than $200 -- you've made out like a bandit.[Via LinuxDevices]
OpenMoko Neo 1973 developer kits available July 9
End users still have a while to wait for a final, finished product -- October's the current estimate -- but developers looking to get cracking on OpenMoko's open-source handset need only wait a few more days. July 9 is the chosen date for pushing Neo 1973 dev kits out the door in two configurations: Neo Base for $300 and Neo Advanced for $450. Neo Base will include the first-gen handset plus garden variety accessories you'd expect to find in a retail package (headset, stylus, pouch, USB cable, and the like), while the Advanced package adds in some additional hardware for really ripping the phone to shreds and tricking it out. The goal is to make sure devs have a healthy catalog of apps ready by the time Joe Consumer gets his hands on one in a few months, at which point the hardware will be even better with the addition WiFi, 256MB of onboard Flash, two onboard accelerometers, and a faster core. We're countin' on ya, code heads![Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
eBay features PSP devkit for sale
PS3s aren't the only thing ending up on eBay. It appears that someone posted a PSP devkit on eBay (pictured above). These plain looking gray boxes are used to develop and test PSP games, and in the wrong hands, could possibly compromise PSP security quite swimmingly. The bids got up to $329 before the auction was closed, most likely by an angered Sony lawyer. According to PSP3D, these kits are contractually licensed to developers, meaning some developer somewhere is probably going to be in a whole world of legal pain very soon.[Via digg]
Final PlayStation 3 dev kit has arrived
Although the first PlayStation3 dev kits were nothing short of gigantic (similar to those PSP dev kits), it looks like Sony has released a "final" version -- one which doesn't exhale winds kin to a tropical storm and whine like a jet engine -- that's been tracked down and posterized. As expected, the juicy details here are few and far between, but at first glance it does seem to sport the obligatory optical Blu-ray drive, and on-hand reports stated that an alpha build of Full Auto 2 was among the data housed on the 80GB hard drive. Initial reactions were relatively positive, garnering praise for its sleek menus and "lag-free" play while connected to the PlayStation Network. The lucky few who wound up handling the not-yet-finalized controller dug the lightweight feel (thanks to the omission of a rumble feature), and noted that switching from wired to wireless modes was much snappier than the versions at (the final) E3. Unfortunately, no new information was leaked about titles in development, and no substantial secrets were unearthed, but hopefully that'll change pretty soon once these start making the rounds.[Via Game Informer]
PS3 dev kits given the official thumbs-up [Update 1]
The fellows at IGN took it upon themselves to give a review of the PS3 dev kits that were delivered to, well, developers. Not surprisingly, they gave an overwhelmingly positive review of the things (although they didn't comment on the physical attractiveness of them). Let's look at a brief overview of the positive points spoken of: They ran quietly and did not let off a lot of heat, contrary to rumor. They were extremely easy to program for (Pseudo dropped in the wireless support program in two days prior to the review). The controllers were light and easily switched between wired and wireless play. The controllers were also smart, able to discern what system they were connected to and which player they were associated with. As for LAN play, eight PS3's were connected over the PlayStation Network in real time and lag was nonexistant. The PS3 menu was easy to manage and was similar to the one on the PSP, but cleaner and sharper. Basically, a lot of good news and nothing bad. This bodes well for the PS3, especially if it runs as smoothly and heat-free as the dev kit counterparts. We all know how annoying a system that runs like a jet engine and has overheating issues can be...[Update: After recovering from a case of dyslexia, changed the second bullet from "tilt sensitivity" to "wireless support"... sorry for the confusion!]
MS to offer cheap 360 dev kits?
The lastest rumor at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose claims that Microsoft will announce a developers kit Wednesday costing about $100. Theoretically, this would open the door to the more Mom & Pop-type development shops and offer intriguing possibilities for low-cost online games and the XBL Arcade. Overall, it could just mean more games for the 360. Plus it makes Sony look overly corporate and out of touch with the little guy, no small feat when you're Microsoft.MS isn't talking, but this could have cool implications. We'll see if it pans out over the next 24 hours.[Thanks DJphatjive]
