3. The Gizmondo In Action

Movie playback on the system works very well indeed, but due to not having a widescreen display its effectiveness is somewhat hampered. Both Mpeg-4 and Windows Media Player 9 are included, providing the opportunity to watch an array of downloadable video. However, unlike Sony's PSP, which has seen movie studios launching their wares on UMD, the Gizmondo has yet to see this kind of take up and - to be perfectly frank - this seems unlikely to happen in the near future.

It's a shame that Tiger Telematics Inc has been unable to persuade movie studios to get behind its system, but a successful US launch could well change all that.

The built-in digital camera is a standard affair, capable of taking photographs at 0.3 mega pixels. Its images are okay and it is a feature not built into the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP, but its quality is behind the majority of modern day mobile phones which can offer as much as 3.2 mega pixels.

Gizmondo's manufacturer claims the camera will one day affect gameplay, allowing you to look around in first-person shooters, for example, but this has yet to happen.

The messaging service built into the Gizmondo allows the user to send and receive standard SMS text messages and MMS using a proprietary system known as 'EZ Tap'. Photos taken with the camera can be sent or media rich video or music files.

This is an excellent idea and one not found in its rivals. It works well, is fairly easy to use and adds a great way of keeping in touch with friends' in-between gaming. What's more, the unit is also tri-band so can be used in most places around the world. However it cannot be used as a phone.

The Gizmondo's music functions are excellent and MP3 tracks can easily be downloaded in much the same way as Sony's PSP. Tracks can be played through the built-in speaker or via a headset and stored on the SD card.

But it's gaming that most potential buyers will be looking at and this is a department that the Gizmondo is certainly getting better at. Thanks to Bluetooth, multi-player entertainment can be enjoyed by two or more users and developers are beginning to get on board to release new titles.

The layout of the Gizmondo gives it a real PlayStation feel. There's a four-way paddle on the left, four PS2-style buttons on the right, two larger function buttons on the top edge and five quick-keys above the screen.

The control system works fine, though the five quick-keys are far too small and difficult to move. As you press and hold you're never really sure if the button has activated a response or not.

The Gizmondo's rear view illustrates the unit's array of buttons