As we said earlier, TapWave's proprietary MP3 player lets you do other things while listening to music. The company also bundles its own JPEG photo viewer and Kinoma Producer to convert and load videos as well as Kinoma Player to play them on the device.

MP3 Player

Photo Viewer

Other applications include PalmReader, PowerOne Graphing Calculator, an Alarm Clock, InkStorm for instant messaging drawings and notes, and the WordSmith word processor from Blue Nomad, which is, in our opinion, the best one available for the Palm OS.

Zodiac, being a Palm OS device, includes the standard Palm OS organizer applications, except they've been enhanced by TapWave for the unit's controls. These applications include DateBook, Address Book, To Do List, and Memo Pad. There is also a Web Browser and SMS client that are compatible with Bluetooth phones on the CD-ROM that also includes a modified version of the Palm Desktop.

TapWave has come out of the gate with a real winner. Zodiac includes a boatload of features that in terms of raw power surpasses the high-end Sony and PalmOne handhelds. While its missing a digital camera, which many of these other handhelds include, and it would be nice if there was a Wi-Fi solution currently available, it excels as a superior entertainment orientated PDA. Time will tell, however, how the Zodiac will perform at retail, as you currently can only buy one directly from TapWave. At CES last month, TapWave executives hinted that you'll be able to find Zodiac via other outlets, including stores in the near future. We'll keep you posted

The only other handheld that has been designed with gaming specifically in mind is Nokia's N-Gage smartphone, which is based on that company's Series 60 version of the Symbian operating system. N-Gage is nowhere near as powerful as Zodiac and it has a display that is relatively small with a resolution that doesn't make gaming on it any better than on a standard Series 60 handset. Its controls are what separates it from these other smartphones. As a phone, its taco shape makes it awkward to use. While the Zodiac doesn't have a phone feature, it is a superior entertainment device.