Product Review: Chess Station
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Excalibur's PDA-style Handheld and desktop computer in one !
Reproduced with kind permission
of Chris Kantack
What is
Chess Station?
From all over the world, I frequently get emails from those of you
looking to purchase a new chess computer. Even though the popularity
of handheld LCD Chess is growing tremendously, there are many of you who
still desire to play with a more traditional tabletop chess computer. With
the debut of Excalibur
Electronics new Chess Station, you can have both a handheld and
tabletop chess computer with the purchase of a single product!
Chess Station actually consists of two
products. First, there is the new and very sleek handheld unit,
called "Pocket LCD Chess". This handheld
incorporates a connector that can plug in to what Excalibur calls the
"Docker Accessory unit". (Usually just
referred to as "the Docker"). The Docker is a pressure
sensitive chess board that enables the Pocket LCD Chess handheld to become
a compact tabletop chess computer.
Considering that Chess Station retails for only $39.95, (roughly half
the price of a typical tabletop chess computer), this new product appears
to be a real bargain! Indeed, based on the emails I've received over
the past several months, Chess Station has been definitely the "most
anticipated" of the new Excalibur offerings this year!. Read on
to see if Chess Station is for you.
Chess
Station's Physical Characteristics
Note: I've had the opportunity to play with two Chess
Station units. (A pre-production unit followed by one of the
first production units made.) My comments in this review will, of
course, primarily focus on my experiences with the production unit.
However, I may at times refer to the earlier unit when appropriate.
At all times I will try to ensure clarity as to which unit I'm referring
to.
The Docker
Photos alone often don't provide good
perspective on a product's actual size or durability. So I
often like to start my reviews with a good overall physical description of
the product. The chessboard and it's integrated docking cradle
(hereafter referred to as "the Docker"), consists of a
chessboard measuring 7 inches square (10" diagonal). The board
is quite thin measuring at most 1/4 of an inch deep. Squares
are silver-grey and black with each square measuring 7/8ths of an inch on
a side.
Typical of other Excalibur computer chessboards, in each square's lower
right hand corner is printed the square's algebraic coordinates. Note:
If you are recording your chess moves for later analyses or entry
into another computer, the coordinates provided by Excalibur are only
correct when white is playing on the near side of the chessboard.
(That is, when white's initial position is on the opposite side of the
docking cradle.)
Attached to the chessboard is the docking cradle where the handheld
unit is placed when Chess Station is used as a tabletop computer.
This cradle protrudes from the back side of the chessboard by an
additional 2 1/2 inches with a width of 3.25 inches. At its highest
point the docking bay stands 1.5 inches tall. Inside the
docking bay is a 16 pin male connector. This connector is, of
course, the means by which Pocket LCD Chess can interface with the
electronics of the chessboard. Overall the Docker weighs just 1/2
pound. It is extremely well balanced and is quite durable.
Even the 16 docking pins are quite strong and should last several years of
use with reasonable care.
There's nothing fancy about the chess
pieces you get with this unit (16 white and black plastic chessmen).
They are quite adequate however and are sized proportionally to the board.
(The King measures just over 1.5 inches in height.) Each piece
contains a small magnet at its base. This provide some additional
stability during play. But pieces can easily be slid or even
knocked off the board if the unit is suddenly jarred in anyway. As
Excalibur does not provide any other means for storing the pieces, you'll
either want to use the re-sealable bag that comes with the packaging or
obtain a small tote bag for piece storage.
Pocket LCD Chess
Pocket LCD Chess is Excalibur's "new
style" handheld that is designed to interface with the Docker.
However, it need not be used with the Docker at all. (In fact Pocket
LCD Chess will be offered as a separate product sometime in 2003.)
This thin new handheld weighs only 3 ounces.
Overall it is 5 inches long, 2 1/2 inches wide, and just 1/2 inch deep.
I'm happy to say that unlike the original LCD Chess design, Pocket LCD
Chess will easily fit in my shirt pocket.
The screen has an overall diagonal measurement of 2 1/2 inches.
The chessboard playing area measures 1 5/8" square (2 3/8"
diagonal). Screen has good clarity and contrast similar to the
original LCD Chess handheld. Ranks (1-8) are numbered along the left
of the chessboard with the files (a thru f) listed along the bottom.
Once again, if you are recording a game for later analysis either for
yourself or to enter into another computer, these labels should only be
used when white is being played on the near side of the board. (That
is, from the bottom of the LCD screen).
Compared with the original LCD Chess unit, (which for most people
usually fits better in the left hand), Pocket LCD Chess is symmetrical in
its design. It can be held equally well with either hand.
Pocket LCD Chess is powered by 3 LR44 (AG13) button batteries which are
included with the unit. I haven't had my Chess Station units for
very long but based on my prior Excalibur handheld experience, these
batteries will rarely need to be replaced. Fortunately, when the
time does come to replace the batteries, you'll find that purchasing
replacements won't cost much. Locally I can find LR44's at just over
$1 each.
Usability
Piece Selection and Movement
Besides for its slender design, the most notable difference between
Pocket LCD Chess and its LCD Chess predecessor is the change in control
layout. Gone is the 8 way directional control wheel. Instead
Pocket LCD Chess features 8 dedicated directional control buttons. I
find this new method to be much less error prone and a bit easier to use
than the 8 way directional wheel. To select a piece to move,
simply press the desired directional control buttons to highlight (flash)
the piece you wish to move. Pressing the "Go" key will
then confirm your selection. You then use the directional buttons
again to select your target square then press "Go" again to make
your move. It's not as easy as using Touch Chess but it's probably
as easy as push button controls will ever get.
Selecting Options
For those of us familiar with the earlier Excalibur handhelds, the
setting of game options on Pocket LCD Chess can sometimes be a bit
confusing. As with the earlier units, most options are toggled
via the -1/+1 "Level control" keys. However those options
found on the diagonal movement keys (accessible via the "2nd"
button), have their settings toggled by repeated pressings of that
particular key. For example, to toggle thru the various sound
options, you first press the "2nd" (Mode) button followed by
repeated pressings of the speaker key. When the desired sound option
is displayed, press the "2nd" key again to exit back to your
game. Being familiar with the older units, I often try instead to
press the +1 or -1 buttons after pressing the speaker key to toggle the
sound options. On Pocket LCD Chess, when you do try to toggle
an option not supported by the Level adjustment keys, you simply exit the
"2nd function" mode. The "Score" and
"Player" (number of players) options also work in the same way
as sound option.
Plugging in Pocket LCD Chess to the
Docker
Prior to docking Pocket LCD Chess to the Docker, you must remove a
small connector cover from the bottom of the unit. This will then
expose the "16 pin" female connector which can then mate with
the male Docker connector. Excalibur provides a slot on the back of
the Pocket LCD Chess unit for storage of the connector cover whenever it
is not being used as a connector cover. This slot works extremely
well at holding the connector cover in place as long as you use it
properly. I was unable to get this slot to work properly on my
production unit until Excalibur sent me some additional instructions on
how to use it. I'll reprint these instructions here:
Turn
the Pocket LCD Chess upside down so the cover is nearest you and the
batteries are furthest away. Remove the cover using your thumb nail to
pry off the cover. Now notice the central protruding tip in the middle
of one edge of the cover. Then locate the two small protruding
dimples on the other edge of the cover. Insert the protruding central
tip in the slot on the back of the Pocket LCD Chess with the edge having
the two dimples positioned next to the silver name plate. Now with one
hand, place your thumb where the protruding tip was inserted, and the
next two fingers on the two dimples. Pushing down with your thumb,
and use your two fingers to GENTLY pull the two dimples toward your
thumb a little. This will lock the cover into place. To remove the cover
from its storage slot, use your thumb and finger to work it out of
its locked position.
Personally, I'm not sure if a protective cover is needed with LCD
Chess. After all the connector is a female connector that runs quite
deep. The unit is normally facing flat (when stored) or with
the connector facing downward (when in operation). Thus
assuming you keep your Pocket LCD Chess unit reasonably clean, I don't
think you'll ever miss the cover even if you lose it. I've ran my
pre-production unit for weeks now without using the cover and I don't
believe I've experienced any problems due to "an exposed"
connector.
Sliding the Pocket LCD Chess unit into and out of the Docker is pretty
straightforward. It's best to make sure the unit is powered off
whenever you dock or un-dock the unit. Though my pre-production unit
had a very tight fit (which made it especially difficult to undock the
unit), I'm happy to say that my production unit requires considerably less
effort. Still, it isn't quite as easy to undock the handheld as I'd
like it to be. You'll definitely wish to use one hand to hold the
Docker in place while the other hand is removing the handheld from the
cradle.
Using the Chessboard
I like the look and size of Chess Station's board and pieces. It
makes for a compact unit which doesn't take up much table space. Yet
the pieces are still sufficiently large enough so that, unlike some other
compact portable chess computers, you won't confuse a bishop with a
pawn. There is a bit of deviation in the amount of pressure it takes
to register a move. On both my pre-production and production units,
the squares near the center of the board require a bit less pressure than
those near the edge of the board. I also wish the board was a
bit more sensitive overall. That is, it would be preferable if the
amount of pressure needed to register a move was a bit less.
Chess Station Features
and Options
"Flip" Function
This is a new option that I welcome. At any time before or during
a game, you can Flip the pieces around. That is, choose which side
is playing from the bottom (or near side) of the chessboard.
There are a number of different reasons why you may find this new function
useful.
First of all, during a tough game, some players find it helpful to look
at the chess pieces from the perspective of the opposing player.
With the new Flip function, you can "flip the board" back and
forth as many times as desired while studying the current position.
Secondly, the default setting, for human vs. computer games, is for the
computer to always play from the far side of the chessboard.
However, you may wish instead to have the computer play from the near side
of the board--especially if the computer has the white pieces. This
keeps your LCD screen consistent with standard chess positional
representation. That is, where black is always diagrammed as playing
from the top (or far side) of the board.
Also when the Docker is in use, if you wish the chess notation to be
correct (with respect to what the rest of the chess world uses), you'll
need to have the black pieces play from the far side of the chessboard.
This is especially important if you are recording your own games for
future study or for later entry into another computer for analysis.
Some of you may be aware of the "position setup workaround"
that I've used in prior models for keeping the black pieces at the top of
the screen. While this workaround does provide a means for ensuring
that the black army will play from the far side of the board, it is not
without its own drawback. I've recently learned that the computer
opponent's opening book is disabled whenever the Setup function is used.
(This is true even when playing from the initial position.) Thus
this new Flip function provides a method of flipping the board while still
allowing your computerized opponent access to the library of opening book
moves.
I'm hoping that one day, Excalibur will offer an even better
"Flip" function. One that truly flips the board
around and not just the pieces. On the chessboard, an additional set
of algebraic coordinates could easily be accommodated on each square.
For example, the "black near side" coordinates could be listed
in the upper left hand corner of each square with the black coordinates
printed using a different color such as dark red or blue. I don't
think I would have any problem focusing on the correct set of coordinates
for any given game.
Touch Option
Chess Station is very flexible in the ways you can use the unit for
playing chess. First, you might choose to use the handheld
unit alone--entering your moves via the handheld keypad. Secondly,
you can use the handheld combined with the Docker and pieces to provide
traditional tabletop chess computer play. Finally, via the Touch
option, you can use the chessboard for entering your moves with your
fingers (without the pieces)! The Touch option on Chess Station is
identical to that found on King Arthur. With Touch set to on, after
you've entered your move the computer will make its move on the LCD screen
without waiting for you to press on the from and to squares for its move.
Indeed I find the Touch option to be more natural with Chess Station than
with King Arthur as the screen is located above the sensory keyboard.
Sound Options
As with the Touch Chess, Pocket LCD Chess handheld comes with 3 sound
options:
2 - All sound on (beeps on
every keystroke and computer move)
1 - No sound on key
presses (beeps on computer move)
0 - No sound except for
error buzzes (error buzz on invalid key presses or when attempting an
illegal move)
An additional option to mute all sound would be nice.
Fortunately I don't make many errors with Pocket LCD Chess' 8 directional
key controls.
Thinking Options and Program
Strength
There are a total of 73 different strength levels.
Specifically levels 1 thru 4 are beginner levels. Level 73 is
an "infinite time" level which allows you to decide how long you
would like the unit to think on a move. There is a
"Fast" (selective search) option as well as a "Rand"
option which adds more variety to the play when the computer finds two
equally good moves. The "Info" option is also
available. This option allows you to observe the moves that
the computer is currently favoring while it goes thru its move selection
process. It also displays the number of ply "half moves"
that the computer is looking ahead.
Pocket LCD Chess is probably very similar in strength to Touch Chess.
That is, program strength is around 1600 to 1700 Elo. I'd guess that
85% of those who buy chess computers will find Pocket LCD Chess more than
enough of a challenge. Those of you who are serious club or
tournament players with ratings approaching or exceeding 1700 Elo will
want to look elsewhere for a challenging opponent.
Other Features and Options
As with the prior Excalibur handhelds, Chess Station's Pocket LCD Chess
unit offers a wealth of usability and other special functions.
Including:
- several modes/functions for beginning
players such as:
- Hint (computer displays a
recommended move)
- Book Opening Trainer (learn
one of 34 book openings)
- Help (displays all legal
moves for the piece selected)
- Train (provides 8 different
training positions including practice exercises for checkmating Black's
King)
- Threat Warning indicator with
Threat Key (for flashing a threatening move)
- other features that many players will appreciate
include:
- human vs. human (2 player),
human vs. computer, and computer vs. computer options
- Open (choose one of 34
different opening lines of play)
- Setup (set up a position for
further study or play)
- Undo (take back one or more
moves; you can play backwards up to 13 whole moves (26 ply), then replay
that portion of the game
or choose to
enter an alternate line of play)
- adjustable automatic shutoff
time (prevents you from accidentally draining batteries)
- screen contrast control
- 16 preprogrammed "great
games" from the history of chess
A Definite "Thumbs
Up" for Chess Station
Once again Excalibur Electronics comes thru with an exceptionally
economical chess computer. At $39.95 Chess Station is a great buy!
No one else has a product like this. At least not anywhere
near the low price of $39.95. This truly is two products for the
price of one! Next year Pocket LCD Chess will be available
separately for $29.95. The Docker (if bought separately) will
cost $19.95. If you have any inkling of wanting both units, no
need to wait. Buy it now and save yourself the extra cost of
getting these items separately.
Chess Station isn't perfect. I wish the board was a bit
more sensitive and wish it had a true "flip the board"
(not just the pieces) option. But all in all this is one excellent
product at a bargain of a price. You'll easily get your money's
worth from this one!
Product Code: 975 Normally
$49.95 Great Value at Only $39.99
ŠTheChessPiece.com, 2003
Reproduced with kind permission of Chris
Kantack.
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