Sold on iPod gaming

(tags iPod, game, puzzle)

So far, so good with the iPod 80GB. I haven't yet gotten really good video onto it, but I did put a transcode of the Ever 17 promo video, mp4. Not great, but not bad.

iTunes

• - CD ripping is sometimes good, sometimes slow (dying DVD reader?)

iPod

• : A hassle to transcode my videos, one I haven't yet surmounted. Welcome to platform lock-in, level 2.
• - Notes/Memo still has the insane 4KB text limit. I can't believe this in the year 2006.
• - Text encoding needs to be UTF-16-LE (Windows Notepad output), not UTF-8, for Japanese.
• + OMG Cubis 2 (GamePro review, original PC version) is too addictive. This 2004 game, now ported to the iPod, has me believing that iPod gaming can take off. Control is tight and responsive. Game mechanic is forgiving. I didn't believe I would forgive the jumpy touch wheel, but I think I've already racked up 8 hours. The wheel is not a problem, even though sometimes it jumps away and I miss a shot. But that's like 1 time every hour. I already passed the two groups of puzzles (at rookie, though), one more set left.
• - Other games I bought like Vortex (Breakout/Arkanoid in a tube), Tetris just plain suck. I could bear with Bejeweled, but now that I have Cubis 2... As far as the other games, I haven't bought them. I'm not a poker fan, etc.
• - The "select button" is scratched up (only visible on reflected light) because of my gaming?
• + Battery lasts longer than 4 hours. Heh, my expectations are low.

Not bad at all.