PSP vs. DS Part 1

A few rambling thoughts on the differences between the Sony PSP and
the Nintendo DS. I believe that they are gaming systems good for two
different purposes, both doing thing well and both with a few
problems. I have been asked which one should I get for Mr. X. My
answer is, "Well, what does MR. X want to use it for?" I have a DS
Lite (Black) and a old style (Black) PSP.

Comparisons:

Portability:
The DS is definitely more portable than the PSP, it is self enclosed
and more durable which makes it a better candidate for a younger
gamer. I have broken my PSP twice, both times it was in the Neoprene
sleeve that it is sold with. One time the power switch snapped and
the other time the screen cracked. The screen crack was just bad
luck, it fell and hit the exposed side fairly hard. The power switch
on the other hand was somewhat unlucky, but really the plastic
connection is pretty cheap. Both the PSP and the DS are easy to take
along anywhere. The DS Games are smaller and more portable than
Sony's UMDs. With the new addition of the PlayStation store, you can
buy games and store them on the memory card which is nice because you
always have a variety of games with you.

Multimedia:
Not much of a fair fight here, the PSP is amazing in this department,
music, movies, pictures, podcasts, internet radio, Location Free TV,
the DS has none of it. The ability to play movies from a UMD or from
a Memory stick is wonderful. I can watch TV or movies anywhere I can
get a WiFi connection with the Location Free Player. It automatically
can download you favorite podcasts for later listening.

Battery:
Both batteries last a long time, the PSP has the advantage of being
removable so you could swap it for a fresh one if you like. Even
using WiFi the batteries hold up very well in my experience.

Internet:
I have not used the Internet browser for the DS, I did not buy it
based of lots of reviews that said it was slow and barely usable. The
PSP Browser is fair, it works in a pinch but you won't want to do any
serious browsing sessions on it. I use it with mainly mobile sites.

Charger:
Both chargers are ok, the DS one is a little more portable.

Connectivity:
I am not sure there is any reason to connect the DS to a PC because
there is no internal storage/memory card. The PSP is easily connect
via USB, then you can transfer pictures, video, music, files... very,
very easy to do. I is nice to be able to backup the game saves!!!

Next post will be Controls followed by a post on Games... -later on-