iSmart premium 1.03 kernel 26th October 2010

[FAST6191]

iSmart premium 1.03 kernel 26th October 2010
Special mode added

The iSmart DS team have released kernel 1.03 for the iSmart premium. The main addition to the kernel is special mode as seen on several recent devices- a mode that runs with minimal patching which coupled with other features means AP checks are bypassed. It comes at the cost of no cheats and things like that.

Spoiler: release notes

Special mode turned on in this release.

If you run into error message about the size, please format your TF in DOS command as following:
format x: /FS:FAT32 /A:32K
where x: is the drive for your tf memory card

 iSmart SVN

 iSmartDS.com downloads section

 iSmartDS.com download

 Filetrip download

Those that frequent the ismart support forums and the like might have seen fishshell being developed. Based on moonshell it started out as something of a Chinese localisation of moonshell but in this case has since grown into a kernel/shell replacement for the iSmart premium. It is not quite at full release yet but well worth a look.

 Fishshell's iSmartDS.com forums discussion thread

 Discuss

 

[shakirmoledina]

nobody seems to be commenting here either bcz not too many ppl hv a iSmart OR the trailer threads have got ppl's (full) attention

 

[Mbmax]

Yeah, GBAtemp review has done a really good job to kill this flashcart.

No comment.

 

[Another World]

Yeah, GBAtemp review has done a really good job to kill this flashcart.

No comment.

the buggy software killed the cart, my review was honest and non-biased. teams should not release software before it is ready. unless you feel i should have said it was a great product from the start, when it wasn't yet ready for such a review? because that’s all your attitude portrays to me. your making it like its my fault and that i gave it a bad review on purpose. frankly that really pisses me off, because i didn't do anyhing like that.

when they fix all the important problems i'd be happy to add to the review stating that the card is fixed.

i know you are a beta tester for the ismart mm, mbmax, perhaps you should do your job and make sure the next software is without bugs. i'd love nothing more than for it to have a good review.

-another world

 

[RoMee]

I think the cart killed it self
it's mediocre at best, it's an EZ Flash clone..and the acekard 2i is still the better choice in budget cart

I expect the same from the iplayer clone aka iSmart MM

 

[iFish]

Yeah, GBAtemp review has done a really good job to kill this flashcart.

No comment.

the buggy software killed the cart, my review was honest and non-biased. teams should not release software before it is ready. unless you feel i should have said it was a great product from the start, when it wasn't yet ready for such a review? because that’s all your attitude portrays to me. your making it like its my fault and that i gave it a bad review on purpose. frankly that really pisses me off, because i didn't nothing like that.

when they fix all the important problems i'd be happy to add to the review stating that the card is fixed.

i know you are a beta tester for the ismart mm, mbmax, perhaps you should do your job and make sure the next software is without bugs. i'd love nothing more than for it to have a good review.

-another world

Releasing a cart with unfinished software

the DSTWO did that. look at it now.

Not all carts are good from day one AnotherWorld

 

[Xoo00o0o0o]

I think the cart killed it self
it's mediocre at best, it's an EZ Flash clone..and the acekard 2i is still the better choice in budget cart

I expect the same from the iplayer clone aka iSmart MM

Hate to tell you it's not a "clone" as it was authorized by the E-Z Flash Team

EDIT: Also iPlayer was proven to be made by Supercard

 

[Pliskron]

It's an interesting cart but they still haven't given me one reason to buy. They need to have at least a few unique features or something that this card does better than the others.

 

[Ryukouki]

Yeah, GBAtemp review has done a really good job to kill this flashcart.

No comment.

the buggy software killed the cart, my review was honest and non-biased. teams should not release software before it is ready. unless you feel i should have said it was a great product from the start, when it wasn't yet ready for such a review? because that’s all your attitude portrays to me. your making it like its my fault and that i gave it a bad review on purpose. frankly that really pisses me off, because i didn't nothing like that.

when they fix all the important problems i'd be happy to add to the review stating that the card is fixed.

i know you are a beta tester for the ismart mm, mbmax, perhaps you should do your job and make sure the next software is without bugs. i'd love nothing more than for it to have a good review.

-another world

Releasing a cart with unfinished software

the DSTWO did that. look at it now.

Not all carts are good from day one AnotherWorld

I think that's what Another World is trying to prove... it's not anyone's fault but the team for making a buggy software.

 

[Another World]

Releasing a cart with unfinished software

the DSTWO did that. look at it now.

ifish: have you even used the ismart premium yet? i can compare the two and the scds2 had far less problems on launch day. also scds2 fixed a majority of the issues i had with the software during their first update. when the scds2 review is complete (snes/video plugin supplements added) i will post a comment stating that “the following issues have been fixed since the writing of this review.”

i've said this in more than one spot on this forum.... if ismartds wants an update added to the review stating that the cart is an affordable alternative to other dsi flash kits, then they need to fix homebrew/rom compatibility (there is no excuse for homebrew not being at 100%), AP bypass working correctly so that it does what it says it does on the back of the box, the huge soft-reset bug fixed, in-game menu hanging fixed, etc. once those issues are addressed properly i would be happy to paint the cart into a better light to appease the likes of you and your comrades.

Not all carts are good from day one AnotherWorld

if you didn't have me to show you that then you would have just wasted money on a cart you would not be using. if you think otherwise then you aren't using flash kits as a hobby you are using them to blatantly pirate roms, so 1 or 2 rom fixes made for the 1 or 2 games *you* want would appease your opinions and in turn make you biased for the claimed "compatibilities" of a flash kit. you would be making statements like “well its not perfect but it plays all the roms i like.” something like that is a very unfair attitude to have when you are reviewing a product.

i refuse to back down and say something is better than it is, or leave out something from a review because its "mean" or whatever the hell you people think i did to be the sole responsible party and president of the poor ismart premium sales club.

i'm really sick of defending my reviews. this is the last public statement i'll make about that review.

let the team fix the bugs as i said in the review....

QUOTE

The problems appear to be software related, meaning that the iSmart Premium could be worth picking up if and when compatibility is increased, AP patching is corrected, options are added, bugs are addressed, etc.

i can't force feed you information in a particular order that makes it all fall into place in your head. you are educated and you should take what i write, think about it, and then draw your own conclusions. if your conclusion is that you will give the card a shot, then by all means pick it up and play around with it. but stop ripping me on the forum or making comparisons to a different team who released a different product with a different level of experience.

-another world

 

[SylvWolf]

Yeah, GBAtemp review has done a really good job to kill this flashcart.

No comment.

I'm curious to know why you're so concerned about this flashcard. I know you're heavily involved with EZFlash and that the iSmart Premium is an OEM, but give it a rest already and stop bitching about AW's review. If the cart has problems, then they must be listed. If the cart hasn't sold very well, then the makers should've expected it. The market's cramped right now, but amongst knowledgeable users, it's stabilized to basically two carts: AK2i and SCDS2. To release something now (that isn't very good) is an incredibly risky venture.

@AW: I know it's frustrating when people like Mbmax constantly hound you, but don't worry, the majority of us really appreciate these reviews. It's pretty sweet that someone extensively tests these new products and will reliably say whether they're good or have faults.

 

[Rydian]

If the cart has problems, then they must be listed.

This. If you think otherwise, you're NOT doing your job as a reviewer.
Another World's always done a fair review job.


The DSTwo was released with a few bugs. These were minor and mostly related to the GUI.

The iSmart was released with a common and confirmed BRICKING issue in addition to the other problems.
http://gbatemp.net/t255576-ismart-ds-pokemon-fix

DSTwo Launch > iSmart Launch.

 

[Mbmax]

Yeah, kill me guys. You don't even know who i am and what i'm doing.

I respect Another World work, i know very well what he has done and the time he has passed on it.

What i think is George, from iSmartDS shouldn't have compared his product to the AK one which is greatly supported by Normmatt but not by the team. Another World's review is the boomerang he launched to my opinion.

AW, you compared a perfect kernel to a brand new and i repeat, brand new kernel. Kernel 1.0 was not finished and the special mode has just been added to improve games compatibility.
Your comments were right but as i said, i found your conclusion a little harsh.

This flashcart is open source, everyone who wish to improve it is welcome.

There is already a great guy working on an alternative kernel and another one based on Woopsi GUI in early stage.

Enough said. I'm tired to fight for nothing ...

 

[Another World]

AW, you compared a perfect kernel to a brand new and i repeat, brand new kernel. Kernel 1.0 was not finished and the special mode has just been added to improve games compatibility.
Your comments were right but as i said, i found your conclusion a little harsh.

any comparisons to the acekard were made because i was asked to do so. gbatemp was originally going to do two reviews; one for the ismart and one for the ismart vs. the acekard. i refused to do this and instead settled a little by adding in the comparison paragraph. could you imagine the shit i would have to take if i had compared it (option for option, game for game, file for file) to the acekard and akaio? i was reluctant to do any comparisons because the cards are not the same (i said as much in the conclusion). the bit about the comparison in the conclusion was to show that they should not be compared, which is why i wrote “I find it very difficult to compare these Flash Kits, companies, and their firmware/software, when their current states of development exist to contrast each other. “ i thought that everyone could understand what i was writing, yet i am starting to see that many users who really enjoy the ismart premium saw any comparisons as a chance to attack the product. in the future should i dumb down my writing?

my conclusion was that the card is not yet worth owning until the software is fixed. i don't see how that is harsh? i know you think it was harsh because it was a 1st release software, so please read on…

the hardware is pretty nice and does a few nice things other cards in its class do not do on a hardware level. the card might be great for 3rd party software, and while we are all debating that fact lets remember that none of the software was ready at the time of the review. the sdk is designed for shell replacements only, so 3rd party software will be using the same loaders, correct? even if a better shell replacement existed they would have the same compatibility problems. if the sdk had been ready at the time of the review and the shell replacements had been available, i still would have come to the same conclusion. with that said please remember the review was written based on the v1.0 software that was publically offered. i was in constant contact with both teams and if they had asked me to hold off on the review until the “final” version of the software was ready i would have done so.

a flash kit should play homebrew 1st and roms 2nd. anything else is a bonus that can only be compared to other kits in its class. yet at the time of the review the card did not perform, it simply failed to offer the 1st and 2nd most important and fundamental aspects of nds slot-1 gaming.

i wrote good things about the hardware, on multiple occasions i’ve expressed my opinion that the problems are all software based. the conclusion of the review was not a reflection of george, ismartds, the ez flash team, or their business plan. it was a reflection of the software which was at fault for everything that went wrong during the review.

future teams should take note, don't send your flash kits to be reviewed by gbatemp if your software isn't ready. i was told to review the kit and the only software was the v1.0. the review was published AFTER the card was available to the public. it took me almost 4 weeks to complete the review due to personal issues in real life. at any point the team could have said "hey hold up, we have a better software with some fixes we would like used in the review" so again, i don't see how i could have come to any other conclusions. they were obviously happy with the current state of the software or they wouldn't have gone to market with it.

Mbmax, i’m more sick of arguing about my review conclusions then you are, trust me! =)

-another world

 

[AlmightyHeretic]

I applaud AW on his review. I only wish that I had had a chance to read it before I wasted money on the iSP. It's funny, right after iSP came out I bought it and within a month or so they were selling iSMM. And the only "support" they've had for iSP since October is some (just as) buggy Fish Shell program. That's actually how I stumbled on to AW's review and this topic: I'm still having trouble with the iSP. I ended up buying an AK2i after the lack of support I received and haven't been disappointed since. All-in-all the iSP is nothing more than a paperweight.