Oops, oh, it’s not that kind of Public Display of Affection–“PDA.” It’s, Personal Digital Assistant–PDA. And in this case, this is a sweet handheld device that is able to handle every media challenge that you encounter each day.
This PDA, remember, that’s Personal Digital Assistant and not Public Display of Affection, is unlike anything you’ll find in a photographer’s bag. You see, that’s because it’s masquerading as a retro game-emulation machine. Huh? How can a game machine even be considered a PDA, let alone an essential device for EVERY photographer?
That’s a good question and the easy answer is that this device is much, much more than just a game machine. More specifically, this palm-sized, handheld console is able to play MP4 videos, read PDFs, listen to MP3 music, read TXT e-Books (Please note: an undocumented feature enables image-rich .EPUB e-book files to be read on this device), view JPEGs (Please note: this is another undocumented feature), and also play over 5,000 nostalgic video games. Even more remarkable than this Swiss-Army-Knife-like multimedia capability is that you’ve probably never heard of the company that designs, builds, and sells it.
Welcome to the wonderful and very playful world of Anbernic.
And it plays games, too
Started in 2017, Anbernic has done one thing and only one thing–make super powerful, open-source handheld game machines. In just eight short years of operation, Anbernic has designed, built, and marketed approximately 30 unique, inventive retro-gaming devices. Ranging from plastic one-hand models and gorgeous two-handed metal consoles to Android, Linux, and Windows equipped systems, each Anbernic device is high on a robust feature set, yet low, almost ridiculously low, on price.
Inside this vast catalog of Anbernic products, one device stands out as the premier product for photographers. The Anbernic RG CubeXX is hands down the best multimedia pocketable choice that’ll quickly become your goto device.
You’ll also love how friendly the RG CubeXX is to your pocketbook. The Suggested “list” pricing ranges from the basic $66.99 model to the whole hog model for $96.99.
[Please note: Anbernic has constant sales/discounts/special offers on all of their products. For example, a recent discount + sale reduced the base model RG CubeXX price from $66.99 to $59.64.]
Your new best friend
Just what separates each of these models into different pricing levels? Whoa, I’m glad you asked; hold on to your hat, now. The four different pricing tiers of the RG CubeXX are determined based on storage capacity. While that distinction sounds superficially trivial, the incredible value is hidden in the details.
You see this device uses two microSD cards for holding the operating system and storing your content (e.g., ROMs, PDFs, MP3s, MP4s, etc.). One card has a 32GB capacity and contains the RG CubeXX open-source Linux operating system. The second microSD card varies in capacity which, in turn, governs the product’s price. There are 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB capacity versions. But that’s not the whole story. Stored on each of these microSD cards is a dizzying number of FREE retro-vintage video games! That’s right; these games or ROMs are complete playable titles that serve as an awesome value-added benefit for buying the RG CubeXX.
Based on the above stated capacities, the 64GB version holds approximately 5,000 playable game titles. Similarly, the 128GB features 8,000 games, while the 256GB contains over 11,000 fully-functional games! Couple these games with the fact that you’re able to add your own PDFs, e-books, music, videos, and photographs and you’ll probably agree that the RG CubeXX is one of the best photographer’s tools NEVER to appear on any list of must-have photographer tools.
If you’re still sitting on the fence about purchasing the RG CubeXX, please consider this “one more thing.” Ringing the two joysticks on the lower half of the device’s front panel are a set of RGB lights. These lights are fully customizable for color, action, and speed. Just imagine the soothing visual effect of these RGB lights pulsing in a rainbow of colors as you scroll through 5,000 games looking for Tetris.
Just to recap here with a great real-life scenario: imagine handing your next client an Anbernic RG CubeXX chock full of JPEGs, PDFs, and/or videos that are pending the client’s proof/review along with the “extra” fun factor of enabling her/him to play over 5,000 video games on the same device. Couple this “win-win” with the minimal price point for the CubeXX which allows you to let the client keep the device. Yes, that’s right, you just scored a major win-win-win with your client. Likewise, you just endeared yourself to the client for potential nomination as, “gives great PDA ;” remember, that’s Personal Digital Assistant.
Enjoy.
