Darn thing looks so good on paper... GPS, GPRS, SD card for content, etc. Why does it feel so unexciting? Perhaps it's the lack of location-based applications or my unsuccessful attempts so far to hack into it. Or maybe it's because the darn thing shuts off whenever it feels like it and/or doesn't appear to be able to keep a charge!

It uses Windows CE 5.0 and you get full access to the filesystem through the supplied ActiveSync. The SD-cards look simple too: There's an autorun.exe which must be the standard Windows CE autorun file. When I look at the SD Card for the Trailblazer game (which actually is really neat) on my desktop, I see a .hog file (a renamed CAB file?) Ok, I suck at this stuff -- I haven't been able to get regular Windows CE .Net apps to run on this thing -- tried a generic autorun.exe for example and it wouldn't have any of it...) Oh well... Plus there's a lit pixel that annoyingly blinks on/off at times.

I think my love affair with the Gizmondo may be very short-lived and I may be returning it when I'm in London next week.

The Gizmondo disappointment article by Aral Balkan, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 UK: England License.