Leapfrog Didj Portable Gaming Console

Right now, the portable gaming market is dominated by the Nintendo DS Lite and the Sony PSP, cell phones notwithstanding. Leapfrog might join the fray as a contender if its Didj learning/gaming system actually takes off. Retailing for just $89.99, this device targets the 6 to 10 year old age bracket that boasts some pretty advanced graphics for an educational tool. I wonder whether the Didj will actually be a hot ticket item come this holiday season, as everyone ought to have a Tickle-Me Elmo of some sort by now, right? The Didj’s strong point would be its ability to work with the LeapFrog Connect Application that allows kids to customize game content when connected to a PC or Mac via USB. Specifications of the Didj include :-

• Processor: 393 MHz Arm 9
• Display: 320 x 240 resolution
• One 24-bit 2D layer (no hardware acceleration)
• One 16-bit 3D layer
• One YUV video layer (no hardware acceleration)
• Graphics: API OpenGL ES 1.1–A reduced instruction set version of OpenGL for embedded systems
• Main RAM: 32 MB DDRI 131 MHz
• NAND Flash: 256MB for data storage/download content
• Media Cartridge: 64MB
• Screen LCD: 3.2″ 16.7 million colors TFT

Edwin Kee
Categories: Gadgets, Gaming