In what can only be considered a major victory for the open source gaming scene the fabled Pandora handheld is finally shipping. After almost two years of sneak peeks and disappointing setbacks the first batch of units are finally being massed produced and sent out to paying customers. The end product is the polar opposite of the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP in just about every respect.

This is kind of exciting - in a geeky sort of way. The open source Pandora handheld is just about ready to launch judging by the latest demo videos posted on the project's blog.

The long-awaited Pandora open-source handheld has inched one step closer to completion, as the OpenPandora team has put on display the nearly finalized case design. We review what we know about Pandora to date, and what the project is hoping to accomplish.

GamePark Holdings (GPH) is readying a new version of its GP2X handheld game console running open source Linux games.

Based on Linux, the GP2X Wiz (nice name!) is a completely open multi-functional handheld entertainment device. The makers, GamePark Holding from Korea, say it's different than other shanzhai video game consoles in that it uses a completely "open source" approach.

Heard about the console Pandora? Made by computer geeks who want the ultimate portable gaming console. This hobby project has just begun mass-producing and the dream is becoming real.

A stealth-mode startup is readying a Linux-based handheld gaming device with WiFi, USB, and a 4.3-inch 800x480 touchscreen. The "Pandora," headquartered at OpenPandora.org for now, runs Linux on a next-generation ARM SoC with integrated OpenGL 2.0 compliant graphics processor.

Spotted at Amiga's Pepcom booth, the GP2X handheld, from Korea's Gamepark holdings, made for a whiplash double-take: the best computer of the 1980s emulated on a portable? Alas, no, but it was nice to see this thing in the flesh, after it being out for ages but all-too-rare on these shores.

Envizions announced that it is taking orders for an open-source Linux gaming system, and will start shipping beta units to game developers, resellers, and software partners on April 10.