Tapwave, a company formed in May 2001, held a press conference to unveil a new handheld gaming device named Helix. Tapwave spent a lot of time attempting to understand the current demands of the handheld market and felt that there was no suitable portable gaming device for the 18- to 30-year-old crowd, or the "Game Boy graduates," as the company put it. Tapwave polled Game Boy Advance users to find out what they didn't like about the device. In addition, the company went to several developers to ask what they would want in terms of hardware and performance.

　　The result is a device based on the Palm platform that has quite a few interesting hardware features. The CPU consists of an MX1 ARM9 processor manufactured by Motorola, a graphics chip from ATI, and new audio chips from Yamaha. Helix also features Bluetooth technology support for wireless gaming, dual SD card slots, dual embedded speakers, headphone support, two rechargeable lithium batteries, USB support, rumble support, and a 6.97-square-inch screen with support for 64,000 colors. As far as the actual look of the device, it seems to resemble the GP32 with its analog stick and shoulder buttons, but the Helix also features four face buttons.

　　After the basic information on the device was revealed, a demonstration featuring 3D engine technology created by Fathammer was shown on the screen. This particular demo didn't show all that much other than a mech walking around a city landscape and occasionally firing a missile or two. However, the demo did show that the device is capable of delivering at least PlayStation-quality 3D environments and models with some smoother textures and better special effects.

　　The demonstration then gave way to a rundown of the device's other features. Helix is capable of playing MP3s and a variety of different video formats (such as MPEG and possibly even Divx), and it can also be used to view pictures. In addition, since the Helix is based on the Palm platform, it can run any Palm application. Representatives from Tapwave would not answer questions about the battery life of a device with so much functionality, but they did say that the batteries are currently being tested and that the device's power demands are in the process of being optimized.

　　As far as developer support goes, the board of directors at Tapwave is made up of several industry veterans from companies like Activision, Electronic Arts, and Midway. The company has managed to partner with these companies, as well as Infogrames, but it remains to be seen as to what kind of software will actually be released for the handheld.

　　Pricing is still a mystery as well. Tapwave wouldn't give any specifics in regard to the price of the Helix, but it did say that the handheld will cost around the same amount as a new console, leading many to believe that it will be in the $200-to-$300 range at release. The Helix is currently scheduled for release later this year. We'll have more on the device in the coming months.