#6199 - lohengryn - Mon May 19, 2003 3:14 pm
OK, I'm really new to the GBA universe, having only bought my GBA SP a few weeks ago, though I've had my try at programming in C/C++ for more conventional platforms...
I'm not really interested in developing games for the GBA, but being very fond of my SP (and wanting to carry it everywhere) I was wondering if anyone had developed or started developing some kind of PDA app for GameBoy Advance (very basic stuff, with something like a scheduler, and such...)
Having surfed around the forums and GBA sites a bit, it seems
1. that either gba developers don't find the project sexy/appropriate enough, or
2. that the whole thing is very difficult.
I'd love to be proven wrong.
So if anyone knows of PDA dev projects out there, or want to start one, please lemme know.
#6207 - Sweex - Mon May 19, 2003 9:53 pm
Most people buy a GBA because they like games, and so they want to make them!
Secondly, as there is no keyboard input it is not really easy to use. It doesn't have a auto switch-on capabilities or a realtime clock. So basically, it is not really convenient to use as a PDA...
Atleast that's my opinion about it...!
#6325 - sgeos - Fri May 23, 2003 5:21 am
| Sweex wrote: |
| It doesn't have a auto switch-on capabilities or a realtime clock. |
The "EZF ADVANCE 256MB" claims "realtime clock and calendar built-in ... ideal for third-party PDA-like applications".
I read about it on http://easybuy2000.com/
-Brendan
#6336 - lohengryn - Fri May 23, 2003 1:09 pm
| Quote: |
| The "EZF ADVANCE 256MB" claims "realtime clock and calendar built-in ... ideal for third-party PDA-like applications". |
Right, I checked that out, and it seems awesome. Wished I hadn't alreday bought my Flash2Advance kit before!!!
More pragmatically, what I had in mind (since I thought realtime clock and built-in calendar were not to be thought of) was something like a "planner"/"scheduler"/"notebook" (more paper-like, rather than PDA), with colour codes for example (for meetings, appointments, birthdays and what not). I've seen something a bit in that spirit, called Keeper, at:
http://snow.prohosting.com/~fearware/keeper/keeper.htm
but it's way too unorganized for an organizer...
Does anyone know of similar apps, that could maybe provide a starting-point for development?
#6340 - niltsair - Fri May 23, 2003 2:55 pm
Seems like a fun thing to work on. I might give it a try when i have the spare time. But i'm currently working on my SlideAdvance editor.
A way to track time, would be to export it when you create you Rom with your editor, on a Pc. Then you just keep track of the last date you were on.
Still, i doubt a lot of people would use that.
#6343 - lohengryn - Fri May 23, 2003 3:41 pm
| Quote: |
| A way to track time, would be to export it when you create you Rom with your editor, on a Pc. Then you just keep track of the last date you were on. Still, i doubt a lot of people would use that. |
True.
Yet, it would be worth the try, for deving's sake :)
Have any of you seen this:
http://www.playerschoicegames.com/gbapersonalorganizer.html
Hmm... I wonder how they got around the problem...
#6379 - darkcloud - Fri May 23, 2003 9:49 pm
| lohengryn wrote: |
Hmm... I wonder how they got around the problem... |
Seems like they have a custom cart that has a built-in clock.
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#6415 - darky - Sun May 25, 2003 12:16 am
i have seen somewhere a pda for the gameboy collor
but it wont work on a gba.
if you starting to create one count me in !!
but i like some graphics (window like) type of PDA
if you want i wil meke de graphics.
if you use a flash card with a battery you can create a time clock.
and data can then be saved from pc to pda (GB) trough de flash link.
so you have to make actual two programs i think.
#6420 - Malefactor - Sun May 25, 2003 3:06 am
I've been working on a notepad app that could be incorporated, I don't mind sharing my source if there is something specific in it that could help.
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#6456 - lohengryn - Mon May 26, 2003 11:41 am
Great. Thanx all for the response.
There are a couple of issues that should be discussed (like, should the GBA app be synced with a PC-based program, and what about real time clocks, and so on...)
I think I'd better start setting up a web page for the project, in order to gather people interested in the challenge (Ideas for a cool name, anyone?).
In the meantime, the forum is a cool place to discuss these issues, I think. The big question is: what exactly do we want the app to DO?
#6461 - niltsair - Mon May 26, 2003 1:43 pm
I think the major hurdle would be the clock. And i'm not sure you should develop a program that use one. Most people out there don't have a clock (actually i don't know someone having one). So it should be something that can do without it, or (annoyingly) ask for the current date/time upon start up.
Last edited by niltsair on Mon May 26, 2003 3:10 pm; edited 1 time in total
#6464 - lohengryn - Mon May 26, 2003 2:53 pm
| Quote: |
| I think the najor hurdle would be the clock. And i'm not sure you should develop a program that use one. Most people out there don't have a clock (actually i don't know someone have one). So it should be something that do without it, or (annoyingly) ask for the current date/time upon start up. |
Yeah, I think you're perfectly right.
Personally, I don't care about a clock.
I want a colour-coded interactive time-table, to know for example that today is my mother's birthday, and I'm having dinner with her at 8 p.m. and should not forget to bring some flowers.
I think I'm going to work on colour-coded categories (such as: to-do; birthday; appointment; meeting; lunch/dinner... and what have you.)
The most challenging part is, in my opinion, the formatting and space alloting for data (in the SRAM)...
And also, the calendar part... I've been reading about Conway's Doomsday algorithm. That sounds a pretty cool thing to code. Check it out:
http://rudy.ca/doomsday.html
I think I could definitely use that!!!
#6465 - Touchstone - Mon May 26, 2003 3:34 pm
| lohengryn wrote: |
| The most challenging part is, in my opinion, the formatting and space alloting for data (in the SRAM)... |
I've heard that you can write to flashcartridges from your GBA so you wouldn't have to fit everything in SRAM, you practially have the whole cartridge to store stuff in. Apparently it's extremely slow but I wouldn't know, I don't own a flashcart.
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#6722 - pmlabrier - Mon Jun 02, 2003 8:46 am
I am not a software developer, I am a WebMaster/Network Analyst but I would be happy to help out any way that I can.
I have a GBA and a GBA SP. I would love to have a PDA utility to my GBA SP so that I can justify having it with me at work. ;)
To me that most important tools would be Calenday, ToDo List, Notes & Contacts. It would also take some clever UI design to accomodate the lack of touchscreen and/or keyboard.
Support for an external keboard might be possible, but it would need to work without one also. There is a tutorial on adding an Ericsson Chatboard (small keyboard) to a GBA with sample test code at: http://www.hh.se/stud/d99tibr/index5.html .
I recently purchased Innovations GBA Personal Organizer that was mentioned above. I will report on what it is like as soon as it arrives.
While I am not a Software developer I have skills that could assist in the development of the project. I will help anyway that I can.
Paul[/url]
#6733 - Sweex - Mon Jun 02, 2003 12:42 pm
To insert text, perhaps using a mobile phone approach like how you type text messages. Twelve buttons to navigate with the dpad is faster than then a full 36 (26 + 10 numbers) alphabet (not including !@#$%^& etc) to navigate.
Additionally, it could have a dictionary and or remember common used words to have an auto-complete feature.
#6748 - lohengryn - Mon Jun 02, 2003 3:05 pm
| Quote: |
To insert text, perhaps using a mobile phone approach like how you type text messages. Twelve buttons to navigate with the dpad is faster than then a full 36 (26 + 10 numbers) alphabet (not including !@#$%^& etc) to navigate.
Additionally, it could have a dictionary and or remember common used words to have an auto-complete feature. |
Sweex, you are perfectly right. Those two things are exactly what I was considering: mobile phone approach for text input is a great idea; and a list of keywords is definitely a plus, like "dinner with", "call", "bring", etc.
It would be interesting to compile a little dictionary of such "commonly-used organizer expressions".
#6785 - niltsair - Mon Jun 02, 2003 7:43 pm
I just thought of somehting pretty basic, while fumbling for a cup of coffee ;-)
The GBA has a sleep mode, so let's use it. Instead of powering off, we could put it on sleep mode, having only the vsync interupt enabled. The vsync would be used as our timer. So, when we re-activate it, it would still have the right time. Plus, when the time of an appointement come, it could beep.
I'm not sure how long a GBA can last on sleep mode, with some minimal processing, but this could be interesting. I'm thinking that having the screen off would save most of the batteries.
When powering On, it could pick the last valid date/time with an easy access to update it when we want.
#6789 - Sweex - Mon Jun 02, 2003 10:14 pm
Nice one! I believe the GBA can last up to about 15 hours when playing. (Dunno if this was the SP or the normal one). It might just last up to 24 hours, and you can charge it each day without switching it off.
This way you can leave your GBA on for weeks! As I don't have a SP or charging pack I am not going to try this but if anyone did I would like to know how long it will last in "sleep mode"!
#6791 - niltsair - Mon Jun 02, 2003 10:26 pm
That would mean not using it.
I'd rather use it for now ;-)
#6811 - Malefactor - Tue Jun 03, 2003 2:07 am
| pmlabrier wrote: |
| To me that most important tools would be Calenday, ToDo List, Notes & Contacts. |
[url=keeper.fearware.net]Keeper[/url] does almost all of that.
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#6813 - niltsair - Tue Jun 03, 2003 2:38 am
I think what they had more in mind had more to do with an application that would get it's data from the Pc. No need to actually write lentghy text in it. More categorized, such as an organizer, and more graphical interface like Windows/Mac/Linux style.
Each application would be seprate. Calendar, Phone Book/Contact, Notes.
Of course, your code is an excellent start.
Well, I'm not even working on this project, so i'll shush and let other people speak out ;-)
#7051 - yaustar - Fri Jun 06, 2003 10:48 pm
On the offical XG Flash Cart site, there was a little english to chinese dictionary.
It inputted words by dividing a keypad into three sets of 11 keys and using buttons L and R to shift between the sets and the D pad, b and a is used to 'type the buttons. This is helped with on screen keyboard.
eg: one set of keys
q w e
a s d
z x c
button b: s
upleft: q
left: a
etc
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#7279 - Malefactor - Fri Jun 13, 2003 5:59 pm
| niltsair wrote: |
I just thought of somehting pretty basic, while fumbling for a cup of coffee ;-)
The GBA has a sleep mode, so let's use it. Instead of powering off, we could put it on sleep mode, having only the vsync interupt enabled. The vsync would be used as our timer. So, when we re-activate it, it would still have the right time. Plus, when the time of an appointement come, it could beep.
I'm not sure how long a GBA can last on sleep mode, with some minimal processing, but this could be interesting. I'm thinking that having the screen off would save most of the batteries.
When powering On, it could pick the last valid date/time with an easy access to update it when we want. |
Not a bad idea, but you won't be able to use your GBA for anything else! (Like playing games) What y'all are proposing would completetly take over the GBA, otherwise, when you wanted to play a game you would have to reset the time on the PDA app when you were done.
So you are paying almost $400 for a pda with very few buttons - GBA, Flash card, etc; when a true PDA can be had for much less.
I have a pocketwatch that I paid $10 for - it does all those things and has a stylus keyboard. (not to mention its less than one quarter the size of the GBA) I doubt this project could possibly beat that.
I'm not saying this project is sensless - just that a different approach might be better - though I don't have any suggestions at this time.
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#7324 - yaustar - Sun Jun 15, 2003 2:21 am
I guess it is more of a technical challenge then anything else then.
:)
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