converters to change the file into something more PSP-palatable. A US$10 image converter is among the many things Sony says is in the PSP pipeline.
Why the hassle? Sony would rather you stick to buying video content on their UMD format, of course, which they've priced the same as DVDs.
Listening to music is easier. And the fact that the PSP will play more than just Sony's ATRAC files is a relief. Just drag and drop your music from your computer to the PSP via USB cable and it shows up on the device. However, that's about the limit of the PSP's music-playing capabilities; no operable equalizer, no bells and whistles and, worst of all, no listening to Judas Priest's Turbo Lover and playing Ridge Runner at the same time. Equally abhorrent is the lack of volume you get from music files. Games play at a louder volume than music.
Sony says the PSP has up to five-and-a-half hours of battery life and Internet-based reviews support this claim. What's more, the company has outfitted the device with lithium-ion batteries that can be swapped out (if you have another battery), eliminating the need to plug in the device to charge it.
What may eventually be really cool is the "so much more" that Sony says the PSP is (read: may become). Much of this centers on the device's Wi-Fi capability. Currently, the PSP is only set up to game with other PSPs over a local wireless network, but already the device has been hacked to surf the Internet. The next logical step is for Sony to use this wireless capability for firmware upgrades or downloading music from their online music store Label Gate, or any number of other applications.
The hardware is there for the device to do a lot and even find an audience outside the gaming community. What remains to be seen is what direction Sony will take it.
Bottom line: Unless you're among the gotta-have-it crowd, hold onto your game tokens for the upgrade.
RSS