PSP Impressions

[London Geezer]

Well then change the number to 500k. My point is, maybe Sony knew that if they pre-ordered 500K psp, they would have had to be sure they'd have that much on launch day

Why?, as always the stores would tell people once they are past the launch shipment so they would know that they are not pre-ordering a launch system. 500,000 DS's were released at launch, 2 million were pre-ordered. So what's stopping Sony from allowing stores to take pre-orders? If they wanted they could even have told stores only to take pre-orders up to there initial launch number of 200,000. That would be exactly the same as just letting people go out and buy a PSP on launch day. The only difference is you wouldn't have everyone out on the same day and you wouldn't have press waiting to take pics..

I guess u're right. But hey, where would be the fun then?

 

[Guden Oden]

Here is a definite confirmation of the battery life of the two popular PSP games (one from Tokyopia, other from GA)

Rechargeable batteries don't reach their peak in capacity until they've been "broken in" with a couple full dis/recharge cycles, so these numbers should be counted as minimum figures.

...At least until the battery begins to degrade.

 

[loekf2]

Number of ICs in the PSP

After reading/seeing this:

I got a little bit confused, because this presentation:

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1639233,00.asp

seemed to indicate there would a single SoC (= nerd speak for system on a chip) in 90 nm doing pretty much everything. So CPU, GPU, H.264 (= MPEG4 AVC decode), this virtual mobile engine, which is nothing more (IMHO) than a vertex/geometry/matrix/vector cruncher etc into one single chip. Now I see two of these big ICs.. what happened ???

 

[Ty]

Nonesense, some people really fall for marketing hype hard don't they?...

I don't think it was marketing hype per se but it is silly imo.

Nintendo DS was pre-ordered in the millions, it sold over 500,000 in Japan in the first week (sold out).

Yep, apples to oranges comparison.

However DS was pre-orderable and was released early in the morning on the coldest day of the year so far in Japan. A lot of people would not want to get out of bed very early in the morning so they could stand in a queue in the freezing cold for something they already have pre-ordered.

Only thing is, this is Japan where people are super game crazy so inclement weather or not there would be a huge line imo.

PSP was not pre-orderable, no doubt to create a false image of the device being ultra popular vs the DS. So people liaterally had to stand in a queue or they would not get one.

I doubt this since pre-orders are handled by the retailers and have nothing to do with Sony directly. It was just more likely that retailers didn't know how many they were getting and thus couldn't/wouldn't take the chance of guessing how many orders they could fill with the first shipment.

Unless you think that Sony purposely are creating extra small shipments which forces the retailers to avoid pre-orders (i.e. Sony is INdirectly not using pre-orders).

Plus IGN reported stories of other stores having queue's of hundreds of people for DS, despite them already having a pre-order.

This I have no doubt of.

Why?, as always the stores would tell people once they are past the launch shipment so they would know that they are not pre-ordering a launch system. 500,000 DS's were released at launch, 2 million were pre-ordered. So what's stopping Sony from allowing stores to take pre-orders? If they wanted they could even have told stores only to take pre-orders up to there initial launch number of 200,000.

Well many retailers in America don't know. I knew a family that owned a few video game stores in Hawaii and when it came to actual shipments of new hardware during the launch window, they never ever knew how many they were getting. So they'd order a super inflated amount hoping to get a 10th of it but even then it was pure luck as to what they actually received. I really doubt Sony was directly keeping retailers from accepting pre-orders and we certainly haven't heard a word of this afaik.

loekf2 - your picture brings up something I was wondering (not specifically the # of SoCs though). The button battery seen in the top center of the picture. Is that user replaceable? Also seems because of the tab pictured, the battery can't be easily removed. I'll have to look at the devkits at work to see what this is about (if the kits even have this mind you).

Side note - Frankly I think PCE has been VERY VERY decent in his posts as of late. For the most part I don't think he was trolling and rather it was the other way around. Also he's been more calm and mature in his replies as well.

 

[Teasy]

London-boy

Yep, I've got no real problem with PR like this myself. As long as people don't try to use it to prove incorrect arguments (like one).

Ty

Yeah I'm sure weather wouldn't stop people from getting up out of bed early if they had to do that to guarentee getting a DS or PSP. But its a bit different when those people know they can go out and pick up there DS at any time of the day. BTW was the PSP released on a week day?

BTW retailers weren't sure how many DS's they would get at launch, but they all still took pre-orders. So it seems strange that the same places would decide on there own not to take pre-orders for PSP. Although I certainly won't say its impossible. I thought I had read somewhere that it was confirmed that Sony had told retailers not to take pre-orders. Now I can't find the quote so..

 

[Phil]

Regardless which system had a higher demand (we won't really find out soon) - the hype and media attention is in favour of PSP being the more seeked console which some may call good marketing, others silly hype. Assuming NDS had the higher demand, it will be interesting what the casual average consumer thinks that is yet to buy a handheld and sees all the media attention around PSP. I don't think it would be wrong to think PSP is more popular, despite hardware sales number painting a different picture (thanks to shortage on PSP side, we'll never know)

 

[wco81]

Anyone know if they're going to do preorders in the US?

There's going to be shortages and high prices on eBay even when it's released here.

And you're going to have accusations about Sony devising an "artificial" shortage to stoke demand.

Yeah Sony purposely wanted to sell far less than it could have.

 

[PC-Engine]

Notice how those PSP screens are dimmed down (actually dimmer than NDS) looking nowhere near those other previous glamour shots.

Oh please will you just stop trolling You know damn well, that LCD screen brightness and contrast depend on the viewing angle...

EDIT: same goes for the DS & PSP shots showing the DS at an unfortunate angle

That shot right there looks like it's using the AC adapter. Also notice how the AC adapter wire can conveniently ben hidden by the POV of this shot.

It's nice to compare the PSP using an AC adapter that allows even higher brightness adjustments vs NDS running on batteries, but it's hardly objective. Like I said NDS's screen is brighter than those previously posted pics demonstrate. I should know I have one.

Don't get me wrong. I think PSP is a very cool product with a bigger, brighter, higher resolution screen as expected and I plan on getting one fall of next year when hopefully the price drops and more games are available. I just pray that the games are not $50...

 

[Guden Oden]

Re: Number of ICs in the PSP

Now I see two of these big ICs.. what happened ???

I guess Sony chose to go a different route once they broke the main memory out of the chip. Maybe they felt it was better overall to split the processor up further still, who can say.

Besides, what type of memory is that? With so few traces attaching to it it looks rather a lot like a piece of RDRAM, but there's no Rambus logo on the chip...

Also, I would like to remind the people bickering over sales figures of these machines that several bajillion flies on this planet live on sh!t. Doesn't mean everybody should.

PSP is without a doubt far superior from a hardware point of view, DS has a few things going for it (the touchscreen novelty, pictochat and such), but mainly the gameboy name. (Though that did not save the GB VR... Edit: figures, as that wasn't labelled gameboy; d'oh! Forgot that monstrosity was called virtual-boy...)

 

[max-pain]

Re: Number of ICs in the PSP

Besides, what type of memory is that? With so few traces attaching to it it looks rather a lot like a piece of RDRAM, but there's no Rambus logo on the chip...

Look at here:

http://www.samsung.com/Products/Semiconductor/Support/Label_CodeInfo/MCP.pdf

 

[loekf2]

Re: Number of ICs in the PSP

Besides, what type of memory is that? With so few traces attaching to it it looks rather a lot like a piece of RDRAM, but there's no Rambus logo on the chip...

Look at here:

http://www.samsung.com/Products/Semiconductor/Support/Label_CodeInfo/MCP.pdf

Interesting... didn't know Samsung was selling these NAND flash + SDRAM "combo's". So 256 MB flash (8b wide) + ..... (I think it's 58) 256M x 32b = 1 GB DDR SDRAM ???

BTW.. they use 3.0V/2.5V SDRAM (= 3.0 V for I/O, 2.5V for the core ?). I would expect Samsung mobile DDR here, allowing lower signalling levels => lower power.

 

[Teasy]

PSP is without a doubt far superior from a hardware point of view, DS has a few things going for it (the touchscreen novelty, pictochat and such), but mainly the gameboy name.

The DS doesn't have the GameBoy name..

Clearly the touch screen is DS's main advantage over PSP. PSP's is of course graphics power. IMO DS has more going for it, which is why I chose it

 

[Apoc]

First Problems with PSP:

Button Blocked

Dead Pixels
http://up.haiiro.info/file/614.jpg
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/ayapu22/20041212
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/nakashi/20041212

Dust inside LCD screen

Dropped Bottons
http://v.isp.2ch.net/up/3c2417a24e9c.jpg

PSP turned on, but screen off

Error Reading UMD

UMD slot don't close

Source: PSP Spain

 

[version]

32MB ddr sdram, 8 MB flash
85ns, 70 ns

 

[one]

http://sungame.mods.jp/photos/PSP/PSP_DS_05.jpg

That shot right there looks like it's using the AC adapter. Also notice how the AC adapter wire can conveniently ben hidden by the POV of this shot.

Have you checked where it has its yellow DC IN jack at? You need hard bending of the cable to hide it from the POV. Also browse the pictures in this thread apparently by the same person.

 

[Guden Oden]

The DS doesn't have the GameBoy name.. So how you can claim that's its main advantage is beyond me.

Oh come on now. It plays gba games, of course it is a gameboy even though it isn't stamped on the case. Everybody knows it's a gameboy. I am fairly confident if you listen to people talking about the thing, you'd hear them calling it gameboy ds.

Of course, I know you'll just continue to argue that isn't its name, but who the fuck cares about such technicalities (other than you, I mean - duh)? It has the guts of a gba in it. It is for all intents and purposes a gameboy with two screens.

Clearly the touch screen is DS's main advantage over PSP.

I think most people, just like me, see the touchscreen mainly as a gimmick. Just like the two screens, really. Nifty idea, but not really the one reason to go out and buy a new handheld.

Nah. People see it as a new, more powerful gameboy. That's it. The touchscreen could have been dropped altogether by Nintendo, people would still be lapping up the thing like there's no tomorrow. You should know by now, technology and gimmicks isn't what drives the public to buy stuff - if it was, betamax would have conquered the world 20 years ago!

PSP's is of course graphics power (arguably its only real advantage other then the Playstation name).

Seems we're forgetting the much much larger and higher-quality screen, and - I believe - better sound. Not to mention, higher storage capacity here too, media playback, USB connectivity, memorystick slot etc... But yeah, I guess none of that matters because it's got the playstation brand attached to it!

Technical issues aside though, PSP isn't a gameboy, so that's why it isn't selling as quickly as the DS. It's not because it doesn't have a touchscreen...

 

[Fox5]

Oh school children don't carry backpacks these days?

They would only carry a handheld game player?

No notebooks, textbooks or the rest?

I think most schools have banned backpacks in schools by now, and kids wouldn't carry around a backpack outside of school. Besides, most kids aren't very studious, they won't even carry around books even if they do need them.

BTW, the screen on the DS is really good, but the screen on the PSP in those pictures looks incredible.

I think psp would be harder to pocket though, the ds will be more disible in your pocket, whereas the psp may be sticking out of it if you don't have deep pockets, plus since handhelds don't bend it could be uncomfortable while sitting down to have something so long in your pants.

Oh, and can someone list the good games coming out for PSP? DS has mario 64 ds and a few other games that interest me, but I'm not really sure what the psp has.

Some idiot posted this pic on my board:



Oh my ... he would have done better by selling it on ebay.

He's not actually stepping hard on it, he probably placed it on the ground and just put his foot over it.


BTW, is the difference between the nintendo ds the biggest gap there has ever been between two pieces of hardware released so close together?

The PSP is set to 75% max volume and brightness 3 (the highest
possible when using the battery).

So I'm guessing the PSP only gets that super bright screen it had over the DS when plugged into the wall...
Seems kind of misleading, the store displays will look really good, but it won't look as good on batteries. Why not let people waste their batteries if they want to and up the brightness to max?

BTW Apoc, all of those psp problems have also happened to nintendo systems.(and can't the button be popped out?)
The dead pixels wouldn't even be noticed on the real psp screen since it's not super blown up, and the nintendo ds has reports of dead pixels too.
I remember the GBA and GBA sp had dust in their screen, and I think the DS does too.

Early gamecube controllers had broken b buttons.

 

[Cryect]

I think most schools have banned backpacks in schools by now, and kids wouldn't carry around a backpack outside of school.

Ummm, no... At least not any place I've seen in the US, I know there are places where they aren't allowed but in general most schools allow backpacks (some require see through backpacks and such though but very few completely outlaw backpacks).

 

[Fox5]

I think most schools have banned backpacks in schools by now, and kids wouldn't carry around a backpack outside of school.

Ummm, no... At least not any place I've seen in the US, I know there are places where they aren't allowed but in general most schools allow backpacks (some require see through backpacks and such though but very few completely outlaw backpacks).

I know the school system I go to outlawed backpacks completely ever since columbine, and just recently allowed see through backpacks this year. I think others in my area are the same, and I've seen schools like that on the news, some even have metal detectors. You can bring a backpack to school, but if it's not see through it has to go in your locker at the start of the day and can't come out till the end. Strange that the reason they gave for banning backpacks was because they crowded the hallways, yet now they're allowing mesh backpacks and the school even actively sells their own mesh backpack with the school mascot on it.

 

[Phil]

http://sungame.mods.jp/photos/PSP/PSP_DS_05.jpg

That shot right there looks like it's using the AC adapter. Also notice how the AC adapter wire can conveniently ben hidden by the POV of this shot.

It's nice to compare the PSP using an AC adapter that allows even higher brightness adjustments vs NDS running on batteries, but it's hardly objective.

...and anyone in to photography knows that night pictures aren't indicative of how bright something would be.... which leaves me wondering what that picture should prove (or anyother pictures of x handheld in the dark) :?



and Fox:

There's more to the world than just a few/couple/hundreds of US schools that don't allow backpacks. Haven't seen any issues with backpacks anywhere in Europe (and aware of any) and Australia.

...besides, if they don't have a backpack, there's always some other place/bag/jacket pocket one could put it...