GP2X
Everyone has heard of the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP, but less will have heard of the GP2X, the latest portable console to come from Gamepark Holdings (GPH) in Korea. Unlike its mainstream competitors the GP2X is aimed at giving the gamer far more freedom than they could ever expect from the likes of Nintendo and Sony. The community-friendly GP2X uses a Linux-based operating system, providing a framework for you to do activities typically associated with desktop computing, such as playing emulators, view photos, listen to music and watch videos. It currently has very few commercial games but the home-brew scene is going strong.
A software development kit is available and users are free to develop their own programs. The main component of the SDK is its implementation of the SDL library, allowing for cross-compatibility with a variety of platforms including X86 PCs, PowerPC and X86-based Macintosh computers, the Sega Dreamcast, etc.) and easy access to the GP2X's blitter for 2D graphics acceleration. Also, because of the system's Linux base, it can be easier to port programs to the GP2X than it was to the original GP32.
Additionally, a second development kit with a less steep learning curve than SDL is available, called Allegro. Allegro allows for rapid development of games for beginners.
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