SONY PSP : How They Eventually Got Me

Well this is an article of how I end up buying the Playstation Portable (PSP) about 3 months ago. It was on a day that I really got bored and decided to go out and buy a SONY Playstation2.

I called up a friend and told him how excited I was, and that I was on my way to pick him up. When we got to the store where they sold the consoles, I was surprised to find out that the prices were actually high for a console (PS2) that’s been around for 7 years. It is still selling at RM899 (USD$250) whereas you can get it at RM464.40 (USD$129.99) in America.

While I was browsing through the inventories, I notice that the store placed its PSP consoles right beside its PS2 consoles. That got my attention and I started to think about how easy it was to carry it around since I travel a lot. The other thing I thought about was that I didn’t have to share it with anyone. Yes it is selfish of me but at that point all I thought about was “me”.

The store was offering 2 different package for its PSP, the first being the “Value Pack” which includes a Black PSP, 512MB memory stick, original battery and charger, pouch, earphone with remote control at RM1030 (USD$286). I Opted for the second package known as the “Giga Pack” which includes a Ceramic White PSP, 2GB memory stick, original battery and charger, pouch, one original UMD game of your choice, earphone with remote control at RM1499 (USD$416). The thing is, I got the second package for only RM790 (USD$219). It is wonderful how prices drop if the store you are buying gadgets from is owned by a relative.

Some features included in the PSP (taken off the playstation website)

• “The PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system is the first truly integrated portable entertainment system designed to handle multiple applications – music, video, photo, internet, and wireless connectivity, with games as its key feature. The PSP® system features an unmatched library of entertainment content, combining more than 135 games and more than 430 feature films, TV programs, and videos on UMD™ from major studios and record labels, as well as downloadable content from the internet.”

• “The PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system offers two great ways to play games with multiple players — with no wires to get in your way. Even better, some games support both modes, giving you infinite possibilities for multiplayer gaming.”

• “Carry your favorite digital pictures with you wherever you go. Thanks to the vibrant high-resolution screen, your memories will always be sharp and clear—it’s almost as good as being there.”

• “It’s easy to save and view your favorite photos on the PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system with a Memory Stick Duo™. Save your photo and image files to a Memory Stick Duo™ or download new favorites. Then view on your PSP® wherever and whenever you want.”

• “Take all your tunes to go! It’s easy to play your favorite music on the PSP® system with a Memory Stick Duo™. Save your MP3, MP4, ATRAC3plus™, ATRAC3™, WAV and WMA music files to a Memory Stick Duo™ or download new favorites. Then play on your PSP® wherever and whenever you want.”

• “All the excitement of the big screen—now small enough to take anywhere! With an extraordinarily vivid widescreen LCD, the PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system is the perfect device for movies and videos, on the move. Watch videos on the go. Watching videos on the PSP® is easy with a Memory Stick Duo™. Save your MP4 and other format videos to a Memory Stick Duo™ or download new favorites. Then play on your PSP® wherever and whenever you want.”

• “The PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system is totally portable so you can play anywhere. Wireless connectivity makes for slick, no-hassles multiplayer gaming. The dazzling widescreen LCD and incredibly vibrant and crisp graphics bring gaming to life. The PSP® has a game for everyone – over 135 game titles available including Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2, NBA 07, Need for Speed™: Carbon, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, LocoRoco™, and more!”

• “Experience the freedom of Wi-fi functionality and communicate with other PSP® systems, download content, and compete against other players by connection to a wireless local area network (WLAN). Free yourself from wires and you’ll be free to use your PSP® network features anywhere, anytime.”
  

Some technical specifications

• Dimensions – Approximately 6.7 in (W) x 2.9 in (H) x .9 in (D)
  
• Weight – Approximately 280g / .62 lbs (including battery)
  
• Display – 4.3 inch, 16:9 Wide screen TFT LCD, 480 x 272 pixel, 16.77 million colors, Maximum luminance 180 / 130 / 80cd/m2 (when using battery pack), Maximum luminance 200 / 180 / 130 / 80cd/m2 (when using AC adaptor)
  
• The PSP runs on a PSP CPU (System clock frequency 1 – 333MHz) with an embedded DRAM of 4MB and a main memory of 32MB.
• Sound – Built-in stereo speakers
  
• Follow this link for more technical specifications