Pocket (C.H.I.P.) CPC

[LambdaMikel]

Btw, there are still some (new) PocketCHIPs available on Ebay (~ 60 $) It is a fun little full-fledged Linux computer. Even though Caprice32 has its issues with it.  I believe with a little bit of support the emu developers could turn it into a nice fully fledged pocket CPC! It is almost there. 

[NaMcO]

This model is much cheaper and probably better for the purpose than the one with Windows 10:



https://www.amazon.es/GPD-XD-Plus-Touchscreen-Quad-Core/dp/B01AZ64QCQ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1537282390&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=GPD+XD&psc=1&smid=AEFNXE2MLQXYE


I selected amazon.es because it's the one nearer me, but it's widely available. I will probably get one for myself soon.

[LambdaMikel]

Don't like it - no keyboard... 

[LambdaMikel]

LambdaMikel,Most would probably try Raspberry Pi with WinAPE like emulator under linux installation.
This type of setup have been done for C64, ZX Spectrum, Gameboy, SNES and no doubt many others.
rpalmer

Right, RPI3 is more than fast enough, even for good Amiga emulation. I have RetroArch and EmulationStation setup that way.


However, I'd like solution which adds a screen and keyboard. So if there was a shell for the RPi like the Pocket CHIP (hopefully with better keyboard), that'll be perfect. Not sure about battery and power consumption of the RPi 3 though. Power has its energy price... Pocket CHIP runs 5 hours with one charge. RPi 3 will need a huge battery to come close to that I believe.


If somebody has built an RPi3 retro arch / emulation station setup with keyboard and TFT and battery I'd like to see it please. 

[LambdaMikel]

https://learn.adafruit.com/mini-raspberry-pi-handheld-notebook-palmtop/overview

Quite ugly though.

[LambdaMikel]

Tested

https://github.com/KaosOverride/CapriceRPI

on Pocket C.H.I.P., and has much nicer GUI etc! Really nice and compiles without any problems on CHIP. ALSA PCM underun is much more rare, but still happening unfortunately.


Next, I tried


https://github.com/kletellier/cpc4rpi

(where has the original English version been moved to?)


but wouldn't compile.

[LambdaMikel]

The ALSA PCM lib buffer underrun problem causing laggy emulation has been fixed!
Here is a video showing the 60 $ Pocket CPC in action:


https://youtu.be/qdx9Gc06Cv4

[genesis8]

Right, RPI3 is more than fast enough, even for good Amiga emulation. I have RetroArch and EmulationStation setup that way.


However, I'd like solution which adds a screen and keyboard. So if there was a shell for the RPi like the Pocket CHIP (hopefully with better keyboard), that'll be perfect. Not sure about battery and power consumption of the RPi 3 though. Power has its energy price... Pocket CHIP runs 5 hours with one charge. RPi 3 will need a huge battery to come close to that I believe.


If somebody has built an RPi3 retro arch / emulation station setup with keyboard and TFT and battery I'd like to see it please.

Call me Santa Claus (well use a bluetooth keyboard though), check https://www.waveshare.com/game-hat.htm (seen at https://www.minimachines.net/actu/gamehat-raspberry-pi-69289).

[LambdaMikel]

Thanks Santa - looks interesting indeed! Anybody using it? If so, please share your experiences.
Do they also have a shell / case for that?

[scruss]

There's also the PINEBOOK. I played with one last year at World of Commodore. Surprisingly okay for the money, but company support isn't great. Better than Pocket CHIP, tho 
The Raspberry Pi doesn't really do external power very well. There have been a few attempts at laptops, but they all end up bigger and more expensive than a refurb ThinkPad X-series

[LambdaMikel]

There's also the PINEBOOK. I played with one last year at World of Commodore. Surprisingly okay for the money, but company support isn't great. Better than Pocket CHIP, tho 

Hmm, just another Chrombook kind of thing. If I wanted that, I'd stick with the EEEPc or my Asus Chromebook and CPCBox in JavaScript.Better - for what, depends on your usecase, right?? The Pocket CHIP is a perfect CPC emulation plattform if you spend some time to configure it correctly. It is exactly what I was looking for. And has a built-in keyboard. So, thumbs up for Pocket CHIP - get one while there are still a couple available on Ebay (new), for about 80 $. 

[scruss]

I have a Pocket CHIP. It's pretty dire. The keyboard is useless. The screen is too low-resolution (480 x 272) to display the CPC's MODE 2. I had to hack in an amplifier and speakers, which barely fit in the case. When NTC were trading, they were pretty shady. Now it's just another abandoned machine running an old version of Debian Jessie on an obsolete single-core SoC (Allwinner R8), with a firmware you can't update because the nextthing.co repos are dead.
Or you could spend $80 on a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Kit + HDMI cable and still have change.
(disclosure: I used to work for the Canadian side of Chicago Distribution, linked above. We sold a lot of Raspberry Pis. Don't think we sold a single other ARM SBC the whole time I was there.)

[LambdaMikel]

I have a Pocket CHIP. It's pretty dire. The keyboard is useless. The screen is too low-resolution (480 x 272) to display the CPC's MODE 2. I had to hack in an amplifier and speakers, which barely fit in the case. When NTC were trading, they were pretty shady. Now it's just another abandoned machine running an old version of Debian Jessie on an obsolete single-core SoC (Allwinner R8), with a firmware you can't update because the nextthing.co repos are dead.
Or you could spend $80 on a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Kit + HDMI cable and still have change.
(disclosure: I used to work for the Canadian side of Chicago Distribution, linked above. We sold a lot of Raspberry Pis. Don't think we sold a single other ARM SBC the whole time I was there.)

Coudln't disagree more. The firmware is fine by now, no need for further updates. Debian ist getting updated. So what? Doesn't matter if the company is no longer around.

No offense of course. 
The keyboard is not good enough for programming session, but better than a touch screen Android screen keyboard on a phone for sure. Good enough to play basic games and enter basic commands for cat, run, etc. That's all a pocket CPC needs.

Screen resolution MODE 2 is hard too read, agreed, but who needs MODE 2 on a pocket CPC? Again, it depends on the use case. This is not a replacement for a "real" CPC, but a CPC which fits in your pocket. Hence the title  So, I consider all of your points irrelevant  I am not doing word processing or CP/M or other applications. This is for games and a "fun CPC to go" mainly. Not a replacement for my physical CPCs for sure (but no emulator could replace them anyway).

In general I would agree with the "no firmware update" is bad statement, in case it was security related or the like. But I guess I won't even update the Pocket CHIP anymore, in order to prevent it from breaking. It does everything it needs to do and I'll just keep it the way it is.

[LambdaMikel]

Or you could spend $80 on a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Kit + HDMI cable and still have change.
(disclosure: I used to work for the Canadian side of Chicago Distribution, linked above. We sold a lot of Raspberry Pis. Don't think we sold a single other ARM SBC the whole time I was there.)

Btw, I have a couple of RPi's, from the beginning.... my homepage is hosted on a RPi 3b.

[zhulien]

not sure if you have looked, unless you have used blackberries or are a blackberry fan, you might have missed the awesome CPC emulator for blackberry that works like dream on the blackberry passport with full physical keyboard - it is really like having a cpc in your pocket.

[scruss]

Whoa, I didn't know there were any Blackberry fans outside Canada. I know a few folks who are rabid about them still.

[LambdaMikel]

First time I heard about the blackberry CPC emulator!
What's its name? Screenshots? If blackberry also has
C64 and Atari 800 emulators, I might be in 
How about Amiga.... does it run fast enough? This is
where I believe the Pocket CHIP reaches its limit.
Haven't tried uae yet and the CHIP.

[zhulien]

If you can get a blackberry passport cheap, i would say it is pretty cool.  If it wasn't the fact blackberry suddenly dropped support for it, i'd say it is one of the best phones I've had.  Now just good for certain things, like CPC on the go.


I can't find the author of it, or even the proper name - it's called EMU-CPC on here.


I think it might be bb-cpc, but i cannot verify as it appears no longer on the bb store.


https://n4bb.com/bb-cpc-app-released-blackberry-10-playbook/

[LambdaMikel]

Cool... not sure about the keyboard though. Seems a couple of keys are missing? Is that a screen keyboard?
And how about other emulators (Atari 800, C64, ...)

[LambdaMikel]

I had to hack in an amplifier and speakers, which barely fit in the case.

Really? What kind of speaker did you use? I haven't applied the mod yet, but the suggested speaker and amp is this one. It should even be possible to fit 2 speakers without any problems for stereo:

[LambdaMikel]

Btw, RPi doesn't have a speaker either 

[scruss]

Really? What kind of speaker did you use?

Two of those, plus a stereo amp. It's pretty quiet from its default gain. I should really rewire it.
If you do it, make sure you put in a power isolation switch. These amps, though very low power, will drain the CHIP's battery when it's turned off.

[zhulien]

Cool... not sure about the keyboard though. Seems a couple of keys are missing? Is that a screen keyboard?
And how about other emulators (Atari 800, C64, ...)

on bb passport, it is half physical and half on screen, the top row on screen changes, and pops up to be more than 1 row as required.  not a lot of variety in emulators, the CPC was the only one i found.  But there is a SID player for it (which is somewhat an emulator)

[LambdaMikel]

Two of those, plus a stereo amp. It's pretty quiet from its default gain. I should really rewire it.
If you do it, make sure you put in a power isolation switch. These amps, though very low power, will drain the CHIP's battery when it's turned off.

Good hint, thanks! Will put in a little switch and drill a hole in the clear case for it.

[LambdaMikel]

I have an eeepc 900a and it is fine for most emulators but
Not fast enough for uae Amiga.

Actually, I have to revise my opinion / judgement. With the right settings the 900a is perfect for uae.