Novag Aqua

Does anyone have the Novag Star Opal chess computer?  Would you recommend it?  What other travel chess computers do people like?

I have a little hand-held Excaliber that plays just okay now. After a while of playing it, I started to realize I could predict almost everything it would do, so it's pretty easy to beat now. I would recommend it for people that are something like 13-1400?

I just got the Star Opal last week.  As a medium level player I am enjoying it so far.  It seems very unpredictable and challenging to me at the lowest level.  The pieces are a little small for those of us with larger hands, but a fun affordable unit I think.

Bonjour avez-vous un avis sur un jeu d'echecs electronique Novag aquamarine premier plus et un Novag Beryl ?

Bonsoir, ce sont deux petites machines (programmes 4Ko) d'initiation qui peuvent convenir à un joueur débutant ou occasionnel. Ce sont des clones, je recommande plutôt l'Aquamarine Premier Plus que le Beryl (vraiment basique, notamment au niveau de son clavier).

The Novag Star Opal is a "cult" object for many enthusiasts/collectors, but it must be evaluated in the right contest. Today it's drastically inferior to any free chess app on a smartphone. If you are a player looking to improve, then I don't recommend it. As a training tool, it's been surpassed by decades of tech progress. If you are a nostalgic enthusiast, then buy it as a collectible. For the price you might pay for a used Star Opal, you could buy a modern electronic board (like the Millennium ChessGenius Pro or the ChessChampion 2.0 or the Chessnut Go) or simply a very high-quality traditional tournament set.

@SearchingForRuyLopez