Nvidia shows off the Non-Gaming Power of Shield [Video]

Nvidia Shield handheld gaming console is expected to ship by the end of the month. The $349 device features a 5 inch, 720p display connected to an Xbox-style game controller. It runs Android, and it’s designed first and foremost to be a portable gaming system.

But you can also use it as a general-purpose Android device. The device will ship with Android Jelly Bean software and you can run  any app available from the Google Play Store on it

Take a look at Video showcased by Nvidia about the Shield:

The video doesn’t show how you would type on the Shield. That’s because the processor would involve trying to tap the button of the screen while it’s firmly attached to the top of the of the game controller. That’d be like trying to type on a laptop by gripping the edges of the keyboard and tapping your thumbs against the bottom of the screen. one of the limitations of it is that many will find as compared to an Android smartphone  the lack of constant connectivity. Needless to say, that should be something many are familiar with as we often see Android tablets with only WiFi connectivity. Basically, that just means you sometimes need a bit of pre-planning in terms of downloading content. Or as shown in the video, downloading your Gmail before you take off and lose access to the WiFi.

Cnet asked about the international availability of the shield to CEO of Nvidia Jen-Hsun Huang who said the company is trying to go as fast as it can, but will concentrate on getting things right in the U.S. first. No apparent date was given, so those in other parts of the world who want to get their hands on the Nvidia Shield will probably have to buy one through to their dear ones staying in the U.S.

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