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PlayStation Portable

King Kool writes: "Apparently, some guy decided it would be cool to try to take apart his PSX and make it portable - and it worked. It has about 2 hours of batterylife (with screen and everything) and runs on a Sony Lithium battery. Pictures and documentation are included. Cool."

184 comments

  1. wow by kochsr · · Score: 2, Interesting

    that is some awesome craftsmanship... i can't believe that the cd spinning in the open like that is stable enough to keep the game going!

    1. Re:wow by Snootch · · Score: 1

      I suspect that it isn't necessarily :-) - I bet someone's been fairly annoyed when he bumped it into something and he lost his game!

      That said, CD error recovery is so good that quite possibly you could have a brief slowdown or wobble and recover from it. Any CD gurus out there?

    2. Re:wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am a CD guru but I have better things to do than post on slashdot.

    3. Re:wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That was particularly ironic. And stupid.

    4. Re:wow by Brian+Feldman · · Score: 1

      PSXen don't fail as soon as they get some kind of error reading the CD, they just try again ad infinitum. As such, you can usually even remove the CD and put it back in while the game is going on and it will just pause while it is out. Besides, the drives are only 2x (are a PSOne's faster?, so it would take no time at all to spin back up.

      --
      Brian Fundakowski Feldman
    5. Re:wow by slashdot.org · · Score: 1

      In fact, the reason there is NO consumer device out there with a CD uncovered like that, is because it allows you to look straight into the laser when there is no CD in the drive.

      I hope the guy thought of that...

    6. Re:wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All this time I thought the covers were due to warning labels about radiation from the laser. Btw out of the 5 CD players I've owned (3 of which were Discmans and 2 mini stereos), all 5 had a warning label about radiation from the laser and to not play CDs with the lid open due to radiation.

    7. Re:wow by optize · · Score: 0

      I actually leave my cover open. I use a mod chip which allows me to play backup games, and I have to leave it open, to switch out the cds.

      Pretty nifty stuff people come up with ;)

  2. Dreamcast by Guillaume+Ross · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Hey! Someone glue a dreamcast keyboard, make a trackball out of the mouse and plug an LCD with the VGA adapter and we'd have a cool game Laptop! :)

  3. 32-bit system by SilentChris · · Score: 2

    Actually, I already have a 32-bit gaming system in the palm of my hand: the Game Boy Advance. :) Has no 3-D chip, but the majority of the rest of the hardware is equal or better than the original Playstation.

    1. Re:32-bit system by ekrout · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but what good is the hardware if you can't see the graphics...well, that is unless you're playing on the planet Mercury, which should have *just about* enough brightness to light-up the GBA's screen ;-)

      --

      If you celebrate Xmas, befriend me (538
    2. Re:32-bit system by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The GBA is supposedly equal to SNES power. This is a generation above that.

      I just cant wait for the portable Xbox.

    3. Re:32-bit system by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But it's still 2D hardware. I'm not an expert, but the PS1 could probably get away with crappy 2D chips, since almost every game was 3D and 3D use was minimal.

    4. Re:32-bit system by Snootch · · Score: 1

      I just cant wait for the portable Xbox.

      It's PC hardware, isn't it? Well, why not just attch an LCD to one of those CD-ROM sized PCs?

    5. Re:32-bit system by evilmonkey_666 · · Score: 1

      Even if that was true, which it isnt.

      I think you will find that there is way more content for the playstation. Plus the games are way better and more playable then any of the crap nintendo has produced.

      --


      - PS. This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R where eliminated.
    6. Re:32-bit system by Chemical · · Score: 1

      Not true, really. The PS1 had good 3D hardware for it's time, but you have to admit the 3D looks like crap by today's standards. And even for the time, full 3D games on PS1 were slow and grainy compared to N64. For that reason there were a LOT of pure 2D games or 2D with 3D sprites. In fact there were a lot more of those than pure 3D games. The PS1 was way more of a 2D system that had some 3D capibility.

    7. Re:32-bit system by Eil · · Score: 2


      One of the early suspicions of the Playstation (and even more for the Saturn) were that because so much effort went into creating a 3D console, that the 2D power of the console might be shoddy.

      As we know now, this isn't the case. (With either system.) In fact, a good many of my favourite games are 2D. (Final Fantasy Tactics (has a lot of 2D elements), all the Street Fighter games, Caslevania SoTN, etc)

      Even today, I would not want a video game console without decent 2D support. Although I am a little disapointed with the GBA, being that that appears to be *all* it supports. Not very "Advance," is it?

    8. Re:32-bit system by mike260 · · Score: 2

      Let's see: The GBA has a 16MHz ARM CPU, the PSX has a 33MHz MIPS. The GBA has 288Kb system RAM, the PSX has 2Mb. The PSX has a vector/matrix coprocessor, the GBA has none. The PSX can draw Gourad-shaded, textured polygons, the GBA can draw rotated/scales unshaded sprites. The PSX ships with an 8-button controller with 2 analogue sticks and a dpadas standard. The GBA has a dpad and 4 buttons. And so on.
      The GBA is a fantastic little system but it's nowhere near the playstation in terms of capabilities.

    9. Re:32-bit system by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course, I prefer PS1's "grainy" over N64's "so fucking blurry I can't tell what everything is". Nintendo seemed to have forgotten that the point of antialiasing is to make things look better, not to make it seem like you're squinting.

    10. Re:32-bit system by Xenex · · Score: 2

      However, the SNES wasn't a '3D console' either, yet it had games such as Starfox/wing, Stunt Race FX etc (SuperFX games).

      I'm sure with the superior hardware within the GBA they could do a game like Starwing without a special chip in the cart...

    11. Re:32-bit system by pallex · · Score: 1

      GBA will support 3d as well as 2d games:

      http://www.smallrockets.com/gba/offroaders/
      http://www.computerandvideogames.com/story.cfm?s id =3161

      If you think the GBA isnt very advanced...well, its the most advanced handheld console around. So not very advanced compared to what?

    12. Re:32-bit system by Eil · · Score: 2


      I suppose I stand semi-corrected then. I saw the screenshots for offroaders, but the second link just loaded up a news page.

      The 3D in offroaders doesn't look like "true 3D" as we know it. It looks more like Mode 7 with some sort of height map added. Which is cool, don't get me wrong, but it's still not *real* 3D.

      It looks nifty, but it's nothing that couldn't have been done 10 or more years ago. When I said the GBA doesn't look very advanced, I'm talking in terms of what the technology ought to be able to do today. So far, of all the GBA games I've seen, they hold only a slight advantage graphics-wise over the SNES. They don't resemble what a 32-bit system ought to be able to these days. (Even if it's handheld.)

    13. Re:32-bit system by pallex · · Score: 1

      I`ve seen movies of 4x4 (which you can download, possibly from that very site) and it IS 3d!

    14. Re:32-bit system by pallex · · Score: 1

      oh yeah, make sure you remove the space which slashdot helpfully adds to URLS. its just before the equals sign. anyway, there should be no spaces in it.

    15. Re:32-bit system by Eil · · Score: 2


      Well, I'll take a look if I can, but what I meant by "true 3D" was textured (or even flat-shaded) polygons. The SNES did this through an expensive chip in the cartridge, but the quality was very poor. (At least the games were fun! StarFox, Stunt RaceFX, etc)
      The GBA is an actual 32-bit system which *ought* to do polygon-based 3D reasonably well for a handheld based on the specifications I saw. Maybe they just aren't taking advantage of it yet? I dunno. You'd think Nintendo would have released at least one game just to show off the capability as they normally do with their new systems:

      SNES: Pilotwings, F-Zero
      N64: Mario 64

      Oh well. My friend says the Castlevania game rocks and that Square are supposed to be releasing some games for it in the future and that's good enough for me.

  4. Runs On a Sony Lithium Battery ?!? by tealover · · Score: 0, Interesting

    Is there something special about a Sony Lithium compared to other Lithium batteries? I know Sony likes to lock you into using their propiertary products (not that you could tell by the slashdot crowd who seem to look past those trangressions when it's not committed by Microsoft), but this is ridiculous.

    --
    -- You see, there would be these conclusions that you could jump to
    1. Re:Runs On a Sony Lithium Battery ?!? by ackthpt · · Score: 2

      I'd build a battery pack out of NiMH cells, myself, as they're light, withstand heavy current draws without a problem, and are CHEEP! I've got two sets of AA's that I rotate for digital camera (which kills alkalines just on the severe current draw alone) I've got a Sony VAIO laptop (typing on now) which has a pretty dead battery and the replacement is about $200. Screw them.

      --

      A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    2. Re:Runs On a Sony Lithium Battery ?!? by Bonker · · Score: 2

      Hmm... The Sony Info-lithium battery, which is what powers my camera, and *looked* like the battery he was using ran about $35 at BestBuy, the last time I checked, IIRC.

      --
      The next Slashdot story will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and slashdot the links early!
    3. Re:Runs On a Sony Lithium Battery ?!? by Zeno_1 · · Score: 1

      The Sony Lithium battery I have on my camcorder has some sort of computer chip inside that lets it talk to the camcorder to find out battery life and so on. Im fairly sure it said that someplace within the book I got with it..

  5. Why? by bryan1945 · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Really, why would you need this to be portable? You already have Gameboy, laptops, PDAs- what is PS1 going to give you that you need so badly? And where are you going to take it? In the car- power adapter. Plane- not real likely now. The train- they have power outlets in them. So that leaves the bathroom and foreign countries, I guess.

    I agree that it's cool, but has zero utility. I'm sure that serveral of you will come up with all kinds of arguments against this (why this IS usefull), but, I don't know, errrgg! Dumb, dumb...

    --
    Vote monkeys into Congress. They are cheaper and more trustworthy.
    1. Re:Why? by ekrout · · Score: 2

      I'm not sure why you'd ask that question on Slashdot. Most of us run an OS that we like to tinker with for practical reasons, or, yes, just for the hell of it.

      --

      If you celebrate Xmas, befriend me (538
    2. Re:Why? by Snootch · · Score: 1

      I don't think that anyone really thinks of this as useful, just very, very cool indeed :^)

      That said, doesn't one of the more famous quotes about the microship go something like "But what is it useful for?"

      We shall have to see...

    3. Re:Why? by listen · · Score: 1

      Why?

      The real question is, why do you care?
      People do what they want to do, not
      what you want them to do. Most people don't bother degrading other peoples lives, but you seem to like it. Good for you.

      Please realise that I do know this post is hypocritical, or self-parodying for the pretentious. That was the intention.

    4. Re:Why? by bryan1945 · · Score: 1

      Yes, but tinkering with an OS does something for you- faster printing, more grepping power, whatever. I could probably make my dancing monkey toy talk to me like a Furby doll, but why would I?

      --
      Vote monkeys into Congress. They are cheaper and more trustworthy.
    5. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Because we can... You are dumb, dumb.

    6. Re:Why? by bryan1945 · · Score: 1

      I am not degrading the guy, I think it's great that he has some hobby that he likes. Shit, I worked on my Mac for a week just to make it play a game from 1985 or so. I was just amazed that this guy did all this work for no reason I could fathom. Maybe he did have a good reason; maybe he just wanted to do it for the hell of it; the web page just seemed to make it look like it was the best thing since sliced cheese.

      I'm sorry if I came off sounding like a jerk, I really didn't mean to offend this guy, or you.

      --
      Vote monkeys into Congress. They are cheaper and more trustworthy.
    7. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well it's certainly more convenient that bringing a 9" CRT TV and a PS1 with on a long bus or car ride. Maybe this guy just wanted to play Playstation games while he's away from a TV. Lets face it, a Gameboy just can't run some of the larger 3D games that are so much fun on the Playstation.

    8. Re:Why? by bryan1945 · · Score: 1

      That is a good point. I regret the "dumb, dumb" remark now. Fingers typing faster than brain = do'h!

      --
      Vote monkeys into Congress. They are cheaper and more trustworthy.
    9. Re:Why? by jallen02 · · Score: 1

      He seemed pretty happy sitting on his couch playing his play station without a TV or controller or wires or anything :-P

      Jeremy

    10. Re:Why? by listen · · Score: 1

      I did the same thing... had a go at you for doing something I couldn't see the point in. I think its a natural human response, but probably not a good one.

    11. Re:Why? by ThymePuns · · Score: 1

      Ooooh, cool. Let me know how that project turns out!

      --

    12. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      because he can!

    13. Re:Why? by RESPAWN · · Score: 2

      Why? For the same reason that I bought a Sega Nomad back in the day. It's a portable system, but it plays all the old games that you already own. It has about the same utility as many portable systems out there. There's just something to be said for having an entire gaming system, screen and all, in the palm of your hand. This thing is just eminately(sp?) more portable then the PSOne and screen and controllers and...

      --

      If Murphy's Law can go wrong, it will.

    14. Re:Why? by Eil · · Score: 2


      The Nomad! I forgot all about that one. I think still want one...

    15. Re:Why? by sulli · · Score: 2

      Why NOT?

      --

      sulli
      RTFJ.
    16. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you have to ask.... then you wouldn't understand!

    17. Re:Why? by Brainboy · · Score: 1
      the web page just seemed to make it look like it was the best thing since sliced cheese.

      Well if the page did that it is better than most web pages i've seen.

      --
      Just a guy with an opinion
    18. Re:Why? by RESPAWN · · Score: 2

      Heh. I actually sold mine about a year and a half ago. It was just collecting dust, so I sold it to this guy who collects video game systems. I figured that he would get more use out of it then I was getting out of it.

      --

      If Murphy's Law can go wrong, it will.

    19. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But dude!! I've been looking for a way to play Final Fantasy 8 while i take a huge shit!!! With this thing, i can do that quite easily!!

  6. Awesome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I certainly want to buy this! Anybody know it's weight? And when (if?) it will ever be sold? I bet it would be a smash hit! I'm still amazed by it's beauty! Awesome work!

    1. Re:Awesome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Watch Sony sue this guys ass...

    2. Re:Awesome! by seann · · Score: 0

      can't you make one yourself?

      --
      I'm a big retard who forgot to log out of Slashdot on Mike's computer! LOOK AT ME.
    3. Re:Awesome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I doubt it would be sold. Sony would sue him to death if he did. The guy did it for fun, not to turn any profit, so the most he might do is send you plans to make your own.

      Besides, I'm not sure it would sell too well, considering the fairly low 1.45 hour battery life and non-AA battery (it uses a Sony lithium camcorder battery. I guess you could run it off AAs, but My guess is you'd get even less battery life than with a lithium). And the laser lens is uncovered and open to dust and scratches when there's no CD in the drive. And it looks a little heavy for a handheld system. It also cost him $400 to make, so the few that do sell (barring any lawsuits) would cost a lot.

    4. Re:Awesome! by Eil · · Score: 2

      Well, provided that he built the whole thing from scratch (doubtful) and that doing so wouldn't violate any of Sony's patents or copyrights (very doubtful), he sure could sell and market the thing any way he pleases.

      And even then, I don't think Sony would put up much of a hassle. I mean, it would prompt people to buy more games. IIRC, video game companies sell their consoles at a loss, because they depend on royalties from the games they've licensed for all their profits. Maybe Sony does things differently, but I know this was how Nintendo and Sega used to do their business. This was why Nintendo never put of much of a fight in the late 80's when about a half-dozen or so companies began producing clones of the Famicom.

    5. Re:Awesome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      see Connectix Virtual Game Station, sony put up a HUGE fuss about it until they bought it.

    6. Re:Awesome! by Gantoris · · Score: 0
      He states somwhere in there that he "pretty sure" he will get sued by Sony if he tries to sell it. (Somehow I think he'd certianly get his arse sued of if he did)

      However it would be cool if Sony licensed the tech to him so he could sell it.

  7. Is it just me, or .... by zensonic · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ... have everybody besides me been born without 10 thumbs? Every time I take something apart, I end up with just that: Parts. This guy not only took a PSOne apart, he turned it into lego and built something new with it! What a wonderfull way of saying: "I've got the skills, money and time to something totally cool, but utterly cool". Me too, gime powers :)

    --
    Thomas S. Iversen
    1. Re:Is it just me, or .... by zensonic · · Score: 1

      Should ofcourse have read "utterly useless" :/
      Well, now I know why there's a preview button.

      --
      Thomas S. Iversen
    2. Re:Is it just me, or .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you have trouble taking apart things, you'll probably want to look into changing your career path.

    3. Re:Is it just me, or .... by RatFink100 · · Score: 1

      Going by the sig - he's in Computer Science - which requires almost no hardware ability.

  8. Great! by ackthpt · · Score: 1
    I just hope he doesn't play games while driving.


    on the games periphary: I was checking out M.U.L.E. sites this morning and was stunned when I went over the eBay to see if anyone had an old copies for sale. See what some sell for here, here, and here.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  9. Power requirements? by ZaneMcAuley · · Score: 1

    Whats the lifetime of the batteries?

    Wonder what an XBox portable would be like.

    --
    ----- Whats wrong with this picture? http://www.revoh.org:1234/whatswrong
    1. Re:Power requirements? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      According to the article, about 1.7 hours using one of those Sony lithium-ion batts.

      Of course, he could try using a big-ass capacitor to hold charge temporarily, so you could swap batteries really quickly without having to quit your game...

    2. Re:Power requirements? by Eil · · Score: 2


      Wonder what an XBox portable would be like.

      Ah, I would wager it looks a lot like that IBM Thinkpad sitting over there at my other desk.

    3. Re:Power requirements? by mike260 · · Score: 2

      Wonder what an XBox portable would be like.

      Heh, if you'd ever tried to lift an actual XBox you wouldn't be asking that question. Remember the original 'mobile' phones, the brick-sized ones you had to carry a suitcase-sized battery around with? That's the ballpark a portable XBox would be in.

    4. Re:Power requirements? by ZaneMcAuley · · Score: 1

      Well since there is an HD in the XBox, cant that be replaced by laptop HDs for space saving and power reduction, same for the CD drive too.

      All this is based on the assumption that its comprised of common PC components. Except the XBox specific boards.

      What would be the potential market for portable versions of every console or a console form factor that has both functionality, plug it into the TV for home use and take it in the car and caravan for the kids on holiday.

      Surely it would be quite large.

      --
      ----- Whats wrong with this picture? http://www.revoh.org:1234/whatswrong
    5. Re:Power requirements? by iapetus · · Score: 2
      Whats the lifetime of the batteries?

      1 hour 45 minutes. Or, as the creator of the system puts it, long enough to cast two spells in Final Fantasy VII. :)

      Footnote for the anal: Yes, I am aware that FFVII's spells had relatively short animations. I'm sure he meant GFs.

      --
      ++ Say to Elrond "Hello.".
      Elrond says "No.". Elrond gives you some lunch.
  10. HOLY SWEET jESUS!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just think of the impact this will have on the gaming console market!! My GOD!!

    1. Re:HOLY SWEET jESUS!!! by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 1

      Just think what it'll do for the battery industry.

      --
      It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
  11. Cool, but... by BIGJIMSLATE · · Score: 2

    ...this is a geek with waaaay too much time on his hands. Then again, I'm posting at slashdot, so I guess we've both got the same problems. ;)

    Still trying to find a use for it though, playing PSX games on a screen that small. If he wanted to do something portable and cool, he could have tried rigging up a GBA with a back-lit screen. Now THAT would have been something useful.

    1. Re:Cool, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll assume you've been to www.portablemonopoly.com ?

  12. And the point of this is......? by nsafreak · · Score: 2, Informative

    The idea is all fine and dandy, but it's not very practical and I kindof wonder how long the system will last after being taken apart like that. For that matter you can make the system into a portable without taking it apart. Sony and some other third party vendors make a LCD screen that can be hooked up to the back of the PSOne (the two can be hooked up as well) and it also has speakers on it. Plus Sony is releasing, or has released, a rechargeable NiMH (could be Lithium Ion, not sure) battery that hooks up to the back of the PSOne as well. So if you wanted a cleaner looking PSOne portable that didn't void your warranty it would be the way to go.

    1. Re:And the point of this is......? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In other words, this guy is an idiot?

    2. Re:And the point of this is......? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about this guy has more hardware mojo than you'll ever have? It's like asking why the hell Linus decided to create a Unix clone if he could have dabbled with 386BSD and Xenix instead?

      Stop trying to put down this guy because he was interested in a challenge.

    3. Re:And the point of this is......? by MidoriKid · · Score: 1

      Well, if you want to lug around a PS1, screen, controller, batterypack and all the cables to hook them together then you're right. However, if you want it all in one compact, light package that you don't have to plug together every time you want to use use it... also, you don't need a table to put it all on.

  13. Reinventing the wheel ? by BorgDrone · · Score: 2

    Iirc the PSOne was designed to be portable, you can get an LCD screen for it which attaches to the back, and there probably is an external battery available.

    1. Re:Reinventing the wheel ? by suraklin · · Score: 1

      Interact has a LI battery that attaches to the bottom of the PS and powers the PS and their portable screen.

    2. Re:Reinventing the wheel ? by Bladesnitz · · Score: 1

      I think the concept of "handheld" wins the PSp in this case.. Sure u can load up the LCD TV and controllers and batter, but it takes a lot more space and lots more wires...

      I would take the handheld version done by this guy over the corporate sony releases anyday. (Who says that a corporate's way is the best way?? We'd all love microsoft if that was the case!)

    3. Re:Reinventing the wheel ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The controllers are still seperate units though. And a PS1+LCD is a bit big and heavy for a handheld (not that the PSp isn't, but it's a lot better in that regard).

  14. Any support for Beowulf clustering? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Or did the slacker stop short?

    1. Re:Any support for Beowulf clustering? by jinushaun · · Score: 1

      Haha that was hilarious! *wiping tears*

      Jinshaun

  15. Error by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That second 3D should be *2D*

  16. portable monopoly by yerricde · · Score: 1

    Really, why would you need this to be portable? You already have Gameboy, laptops, PDAs- what is PS1 going to give you that you need so badly?

    Squaresoft games, especially fighting games such as Tobal and Ehrgeiz. After the Mana 3 and Mario RPG debacles, nintendo and Square refuse to talk to each other. This portable PlayStation console is an attempt to break nintendo's portable monopoly.

    And where are you going to take it? In the car- power adapter.

    As if. The average family car doesn't have enough juice to power both a TV and a PS1 console. (No, I'm not talking the WB edition SUVs and vans with an integrated TV either.)

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
    1. Re:portable monopoly by PaxTech · · Score: 2

      This portable PlayStation console is an attempt to break nintendo's portable monopoly.

      Umm.. no it isn't. It's a guy who thought it would be cool to have a portable playstation. He has nothing to do with Sony. He's not going to produce the unit at all, mostly because he thinks Sony would sue him.

      The average family car doesn't have enough juice to power both a TV and a PS1 console.

      I ran a Dreamcast and a 19" TV off of a power inverter plugged into my car a few months ago. No problems at all, just had to start the car once in a while.

      --
      All movements for social change begin as missions, evolve into businesses, and end up as rackets.
    2. Re:portable monopoly by Hadlock · · Score: 1

      if you're going to go to the effort of installing a tv of any size, semi-permantly into your vehicle, it might be wise to look into a 100 amp alternator, avalible for all chevy/gmc cars, standard on any '72 caddy or newer, and all conversion vans (obviously). i'm sure ford sells them too, you can probably pull one off of a f250 of 350 in a junkyard for ~20 bucks. altenators are pretty interchangable. be sure to have your battery completely charged before replacing the alternator; as with alot of mechanical things that move, 90% of the damage done in the object's life is done in the first 2 seconds of operation

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
  17. cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    defintely a cool idea. im suprised the battery life even lasts that long. true craftsmanship :) http://www.newsgeek.net

  18. No disturbances? by Lynx0 · · Score: 1

    And if your mother/girlfriend/wife tries to get you to stop playing and to wash the dishes, you just turn towards her with the openly spinning CD and...well, go wash the dishes.

    1. Re:No disturbances? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aim for the back of the neck as sevoring the jugular vein would be very messy..

  19. How about cars? by unformed · · Score: 2

    When you're a parent taking your kids on a trip across the country to meet their grandparents or whatever you need to something to keep them occupied. Sure you have a car adapter, but car adapters
    1) get in the way (especially when the kids are in the back of a minivan)
    2) what happens when you've got two (or more) kids with discmans, portable game machines, or whatever...most cars don't have that many ciggarette lighter sockets, and additionally do you want that many wires around the car.

    Sure there's the Gameboy. But using that logic, you could say why would anyone make a new console machine since there's already a number of them.

    The parent could just buy a PSp (Playstation Portable) and use the same games for both the PS and PSp or possible even just hook the PSp up to the TV and use it as a normal gaming system. One thing I'm -really- wondering about is if Sony is willing to license the PSp to sell as an official item. Would be VERY cool if they did.

    1. Re:How about cars? by bryan1945 · · Score: 1

      This is probably gonna sound silly, but you could do what my parents did- "read your book and shut up!"

      And we did.

      --
      Vote monkeys into Congress. They are cheaper and more trustworthy.
    2. Re: How about cars? by Inthewire · · Score: 1

      This is probably gonna sound silly, but you could do what my parents did- "read your book and shut up!"

      That worked for me and my younger brother, but our older brother and sister couldn't...reading in the car makes them terribly carsick.
      I think they learned to sleep on demand, though.
      And I hate the idea of kids (people) having yet another piece of electronic garbage swallow every free moment.
      I realize we *must* constantly be entertained, but damn, get a grip. There's an actual world out there.

      --


      Writers imply. Readers infer.
  20. someone mirror the wallpaper please by truffle · · Score: 1

    I don't want to register with fileplanet =P

    --

    ---
    I support spreading santorum
    1. Re:someone mirror the wallpaper please by Osty · · Score: 1

      What's so hard about setting up a fake account? Like you have to give them a "valid" e-mail address. Pshaw. Just pick something, like me@you.com, and have at it.

    2. Re:someone mirror the wallpaper please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      takes too long

    3. Re:someone mirror the wallpaper please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it's faster than waiting for someone to mirror your lazy ass

  21. GBA .GT. SNES by yerricde · · Score: 4, Informative
    Sorry for the Fortran; Slashcode strips > and escapes & producing >.

    The GBA is supposedly equal to SNES power.

    No. Super NES had a 2.8/3.6 MHz 65816 processor (essentially a 65c02 with 16-bit registers, 8-bit data bus, little pipelining) connected to the graphics chip and a 2 MHz SPC700 processor (incompatible variant of 6502 core with some instructions able to treat registers X and Y as a single 16-bit integer) connected to the sound chip. The two CPUs were connected through four slow 8-bit ports; most of the "loading" on Super NES games was actually copying 64 KB worth of sound data from the 65C816 side (which could see the cart) to the SPC700 (which could see only its 64 KB of RAM and its 64-byte BIOS).

    GBA, on the other hand, has a 16.8 MHz ARM processor (32-bit registers, 32-bit bus to internal RAM, 16-bit external data bus, no hardware divide, lots of pipelining, C-friendly) connected to both the sound and graphics chips, making it much easier to code for. Its graphics chip also features hardware matrix transformation of sprite coordinates (allowing for 2D scaling and rotation of sprites) as well as four layers of straight background (vs. Super NES's 3) or two layers of "mode 7" 2 1/2-D transformation (vs. Super NES's 1), and a linear bitmap mode (allowing for easier porting of Wolf3d or Doom engines).

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
    1. Re:GBA .GT. SNES by Hadlock · · Score: 1

      i personally still own a SNES, and F-Zero, a game that uses the 'mode 7' function, and as i understand it, you had two layers of mode 7, the 'city' below you, and the track itself, not to mention the scrolling background & more or less static sprite of your 'car', or maybe the track was a dynamic sprite....i dunno. can you clear this up?

      also, has anyone ever looked inside a SNES? those seem pretty portable...

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
    2. Re:GBA .GT. SNES by RedCard · · Score: 1
      also, has anyone ever looked inside a SNES? those seem pretty portable...

      Actually, I have hacked up a SNES in an attempt to make it portable. Years and years ago, My friend and I got a hacksaw, a handheld TV, and some batteries and gave it a try.

      Upon opening the case, we found that the circuit board is literally as large as the case. There's really no conceivable way to cut it down and keep it working. (At least none that the two of us could finagle).

      The circuit board wound up in a shoebox with a slot in the top (for games) and liberal wrapping of duct tape.

      To sum up, the circuit board is really as big as the system. PLUS the sound card is on a seperate (smaller) board! If you rip off the sound board, games still function, but sound is gone.

      So portable-izing one of these would be quite a task.

      Good luck to you, though, if you try it.

      --R

  22. Combo light and screen cover by yerricde · · Score: 1

    but what good is the hardware if you can't see the graphics

    You mean you don't have the combo light and screen cover? One of those is pretty handy when you drop a CD-ROM drive on your GBA.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  23. Skipping? by clump · · Score: 1

    I do think this is really cool, but I never saw mention of how well it handles shocks. I can remember the PS1s skipping or halting every time the room shook even briefly. I imagine that the normal shakes and movements of your hands while playing a game are probably enough to make this handheld unreliable. CDs just aren't that great for movement, hence 'hacks' on protable CD players that amount to merely reading data ahead.

    1. Re:Skipping? by Eil · · Score: 4, Funny


      or halting every time the room shook even briefly

      What the hell? For the record, I've never had my room shake, even briefly. We don't all live in California, buddy. :P

      j/k, no terrible flames please. :)

      BTW, my PSX takes shocks rather well. If you bump it while it's loading, sometimes it takes a few seconds to recover, but rarely does a PSX game read the disc continuously for something like this to cause a huge problem. Also remember that under most circumstances, you aren't jamming buttons while the disc is being read... you're waiting for the game to load.

      The only time I can get a game to crash is to actually reach in and stop the disk from spinning. (No, not a good practice, I know. I've only done it twice.)

    2. Re:Skipping? by Happy+Monkey · · Score: 1

      A person's hands are one of the best shock absorbers available. If you jog with a portable CD player in your hands, it will hardly skip, even with ith anti-skip turned off. (This won't work if you strap it to your belt. That's why anti-skip was invented.) He should be fine.

      --
      __
      Do ya feel happy-go-lucky, punk?
  24. Free-spinning CD... by audacity242 · · Score: 1

    Just a thought, but if that CD isn't shielded by anything, what happens if you're the type who likes to set the portable down on a table/your legs/etc when you play? Seems like perhaps that CD shouldn't have been exposed, IMHO.

    1. Re:Free-spinning CD... by rummy · · Score: 1

      it looks cool though

  25. Switch the LCD with a Head Screen!! by Zergwyn · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Yes it is expensive, but they have head-mounted screens that either are two individual small screens(one for each eye) or project directly on to the retna in the eye. Either way, they can successfully simulate a 52 inch projection TV. If you hooked one of those up to the PSp, you could forget about the LCD(and the power it takes) and have a decent screen size to boot. I would love to be able to play Chrono Cross, Resident Evil, and others from the PS's vast library(1000s of games) on plane flights, car rides, other countries etc. The PS is a very mature platform with many great games. I hope Sony takes this into consideration, as they could suddenly have something that is a serious threat to the Gameboy Advance!

    1. Re:Switch the LCD with a Head Screen!! by GospelHead821 · · Score: 1

      Egad...Resident evil projected onto my retina. I'd really have to remember not to drink coffee before playing it at 2 in the morning, because I would certain wet myself.

      --
      Virtue finds and chooses the mean.
      Aristotle, Ethica Nichomachea
  26. c64 portable? by fraxinus · · Score: 1

    I'd love to see a similar device for the c64 (but I can run c64 games on my laptop...) with a built in joystick, and perhaps a ramdisk... or 5 1/4 floppy?

    --
    // Fraxinus
  27. Oooh... by MrSeb · · Score: 1

    Do you think he'd take requests for a Playsation 2 Portable?

    Now *that* I would like.

    I wonder what the consumption is like for the PS2's circuitry... :)

    1. Re:Oooh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Can you say "ups"?

    2. Re:Oooh... by Legion303 · · Score: 1
      I wonder what the consumption is like for the PS2's circuitry... :)

      "Wow, three minutes of Silent Hill 2!@#$" :)

      -Legion

  28. I integrated my psOne into my car... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't like tooting my own horn, but behind my headrest are 5" screens and the controllers. You can see pictures of it here: http://christopher.bergeron.com. Oh yeah, I also have a linux box in the trunk and a 6" touchscreen running Gnome in the dash. There's some good pictures on the site. Enjoy!

    1. Re:I integrated my psOne into my car... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So fucking what? You can buy a Car PSOne kit at Best Buy.

    2. Re:I integrated my psOne into my car... by jonistron · · Score: 1

      I guess on geocities you only exceed you data transfer allocation, not /. effect... Sorry dude, guess I put you over the limit. Got to see the pictures though.

  29. Fileplanet by MrBlue+VT · · Score: 1

    Is it just me or does anyone else get extremely annoyed with the stupid fileplanet download system. If I want to look at the video that guy has about his PS I shouldn't have to go make an account with those damn GameSpy/Fileplanet bastards. It annoys me because more and more gaming sites are moving to that crap.

    1. Re:Fileplanet by Sparr0 · · Score: 1

      Well if you can figure out how to provide what amounts to a 2GB/sec pipe without some sort of revenue generation then have at it, I'm sure we would all love the service. Registration brings them the combined benefits of targetted advertising and demographics, which happen to be two of the only 4 ways I know of to support a web site right now.

    2. Re:Fileplanet by perlyking · · Score: 1

      I hate fileplanet but I thought I would try it - the result was it crashed opera repeatedly until I gave up.

      --
      no sig.
  30. x-files look-a-like by xted · · Score: 1

    That guy in the photo looks like Langly from the Lone gunmen.

  31. Sure it's useless, but I bet it was fun to build by ColGraff · · Score: 2

    Building stuff like this is fun, man. It's that simple. Also, a portable PSX is a great way to pick up women. "Hey baby, I'm a guy who can squeeze a PSX into a chassis that will turn you one. Want me to...solder anything for you?"

    "Oh yes."

    Love is in the air...everytime spare parts lie around...

    --
    I'm the stranger...posting to /.
  32. All that and he calls it the *what*? by Cray+Flail · · Score: 1

    How could he miss out on the best name to call it?

    The "Playboy".

    (With apologies to Playstation and Gameboy lovers everywhere.)

    CF

    1. Re:All that and he calls it the *what*? by NickisGod.com · · Score: 0

      Sorry, that's a gameboy emulator http://www.squirrelsw.com/playboy.html

  33. Re:Why? FUN! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's a _game_. Utility: zero. Why do it? For _fun_. You understand fun, right? :)

  34. hmm... by Sarcasmooo! · · Score: 2

    I seem to be the only one with the immediate reaction of 'how long will it take Sony to sue this person?'

    1. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sue for what? Emotional Distress?

    2. Re:hmm... by jallen02 · · Score: 1

      Heh, There is nothing to sue him for. He took apart a playstation and put a couple of pictures on the web.

      Jeremy

    3. Re:hmm... by Gantoris · · Score: 0
      Since he's not selling the thing Sony doesn't have a leg to stand on as far as sueing him goes, the only thing he's done is void the waranty, (which has probably expired anyway) and you can't sue himn for that.

      Cam

  35. It's Already Portable by Shaheen · · Score: 1, Redundant

    There's a model called the PSOne. It is, in all due respect, a portable Playstation. Sony is even releasing a small LCD screen with speakers that attaches onto the PSOne, so you can actually play on the go. You can see the thing here.

    --
    You should never take life too seriously - You'll never get out of it alive.
    1. Re:It's Already Portable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're forgetting the external controllers and the battery (I think someone might make these, though). And the fact that while PSOnes are small, but they're not handheld. They're meant to be set on a table and plugged into an outlet. A PSOne is more like a cheaper to manufacture Playstation (smaller circuit board = less expensive to make) in a smaller case with a place to attach an LCD than an all-in-one Gameboy-type system, which the PSp is. The PSp is smaller and has those things built in. Techinically, the PSp is just a PSOne with a small portable TV, controller, and battery built into a more managable handheld case.

  36. mine has better battery life by option8 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    i already have a portable playstation, and mine has better battery life. plus, it can play SNES, NES, gameboy, genesis, hundreds of arcade games, just about any PC game, and, oh yeah, any game they make for linux or Mac.

    it can emulate just about anything you throw at it, since it has a spiffy, wicked fast processor inside (not the fastest in the world, but it'll do in a pinch), and it has enough keys and buttons in the built-in controller to bind to even the most complicated of game controllers - plus USB to connect additional players if you like. the best part, though, apart from the ~5 hour battery life - and only a little less under heavy load, even spinning CDs, i've found - is the amazing thin, small, high-definition LCD screen. it's a thing of beauty. another perk is that it has the ability to play games over the internet, wirelessly, with 802.11 (though the manufacturer refers to it as "airport")

    yep, it's an iBook.

    a little heavier (but not much!), and more general-purpose than the portable PS1, but infinitely more useful :) through the power of emulation, i have a completely portable machine that i can use to play more games than any other single platform.

    so take these stories about a portable this, a hacked up that, or a MAME the other, and stick them.. well, i don't care where you stick them.

    1. Re:mine has better battery life by mebob · · Score: 1

      Can it play Half-Life / Counter-Strike / DoD???
      I'll order one right off the apple site, right now, if it does... :)

      --
      =1000101
    2. Re:mine has better battery life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yup, VPC emulates Windows. :) Half Life is old enough so that it runs at playable FPS.

    3. Re:mine has better battery life by tswinzig · · Score: 2

      yep, it's an iBook.

      a little heavier (but not much!), and more general-purpose than the portable PS1, but infinitely more useful :) through the power of emulation, i have a completely portable machine that i can use to play more games than any other single platform.


      I think you mean any other platform, except the Windows platform, right?

      Ouch!

      --

      "And like that ... he's gone."
    4. Re:mine has better battery life by DrEldarion · · Score: 2

      Yes, and exactly how much more expensive was it?

      Right. That's what I thought.

      -- Dr. Eldarion --

    5. Re:mine has better battery life by starrmpic · · Score: 1

      I bet you yours has a better price too...better for the 'its for the rest of us..' anyway.

      --
      Slashdot looks deep within my heart and assigns me a number based on the order in which I join
    6. Re:mine has better battery life by mebob · · Score: 1

      But is there any 3d support!?

      OpenGL is what I'm looking for...
      No software mode for me!

      --
      =1000101
    7. Re:mine has better battery life by option8 · · Score: 2

      I think you mean any other platform, except the Windows platform, right?

      no. i mean any platform. my logic may be flawed, but it goes like this: i can play any game made for mac - ever (considering i can still play games made for OS 6.0.x, some of which need a mac plus emulator to run on a PPC), any game available via MAME, all the console emulators, and any title made for linux/unix as well (thanks virtualPC and darwin), and almost all the games ever made for DOS or Windows. sure, there are 3D games that are slow (but still play) and some recent titles i can't play in emulation, but those are almost all available in mac native form. so i add it up (of course, i have no actual numbers...) and come up with more games than you.

      this is the point where i stick out my tongue and walk away.

    8. Re:mine has better battery life by Legion303 · · Score: 1
      no. i mean any platform. my logic may be flawed, but it goes like this: i can play any game made for mac - ever (considering i can still play games made for OS 6.0.x, some of which need a mac plus emulator to run on a PPC), any game available via MAME, all the console emulators, and any title made for linux/unix as well (thanks virtualPC and darwin), and almost all the games ever made for DOS or Windows.

      With my PC and a dual-boot win/lin setup I can play all the console/arcade/other emu stuff (including a very good GBA emulator, which I believe the Mac still does not have), plus any linux-specific games, plus DX games, plus anything running on MacOS 8.0 or earlier (through the exceptional Fusion Mac emu). There really is no difference in the number of systems you can emulate between the Mac and PC platforms. Use whatever you like.

      -Legion

  37. price by jonistron · · Score: 1

    Its hard to get people to work for free, but he must since he didnt include labor in the cost.

  38. The thing which has been missing from every other by Lord+Bitman · · Score: 1

    I've never seen a handheld that had a mere port for a second player controller to plug in, And I say bravo!
    I wish other hand helds allowed for that, and I also love the concept of this thing in general. it looks great, and I think sony should sell them itself

    --
    -- 'The' Lord and Master Bitman On High, Master Of All
  39. battery life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There is no way your getting five hours playing 3d games. Nice try

    1. Re:battery life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, but you get 5 hours if you put it into standby!

  40. Help me find CD-single player (similar disc mount) by Kris_J · · Score: 2
    There were a couple of CD-single (8cm) players way back in the beginning of CDs. If you wanted to play a full sized CD it stuck out of the device much like the CD does on this PS project. Does anyone know any model numbers? I'd love to get hold of one.

    BTW: "Innovation" has both a larger-than-Sony LCD screen for the PSone and a battery pack. I just can't find any links at the moment.

  41. Junkyard Wars by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sign this guy up!

  42. Cool hack by Onyx+Primal · · Score: 0

    Now if you read the site, you'll see that he did use a PSone and not the PS. Now when comparing it to a GameBoy Colour, well does the GameBoy have Gran Turismo? Now to an iBook, it's cheeper.

    --


    -There is no .sig
  43. Umm, what's the point of doing this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The PSOne already has available a 5" LCD screen (much bigger than that crappy little Casio LCD screen) and battery pack (which is rechargeable.)

  44. What? by delmoi · · Score: 2

    What could sony sue him for

    --

    ReadThe ReflectionEngine, a cyberpunk style n
  45. Portable != Handheld by jinushaun · · Score: 1

    As others have already mentioned this, but this is cool because it's HANDHELD. Sure the standard psOne is portable, but I don't know how convenient it is to carry around controllers, batteries, AC adapter, etc--not to mention the extensive wires. Which one would you choose? I know what I want.

    Jinushaun

    1. Re:Portable != Handheld by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > I don't know how convenient it is to carry
      > around controllers, batteries, AC adapter, etc
      > --not to mention the extensive wires.

      What exrensive wires? The only wires you have to deal with if you have the battery are the wires hooked to the controller.

  46. Re:Obligatory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    he he he... Linux? on PS? Fun stuff...

  47. Re:Free-spinning CD...A warning by whiteranger99x · · Score: 1
    Good Point. We need some labels that say to the efect of...

    "Keep foreign objects away from the spinning cd....yes that includes your crotch, numbnuts!"

    --
    Join the TWIT army now!
  48. Im surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm surprised no one mentioned his portable atari project, which was also featured on here a while back. Those are actually being mass produced, and look quite nice. It's about time someone made a portable playstation, the PSOne as it stands right now just doesnt count. I think everyone is just cringing at the open air cd spinning away and 2 hour battery life. I still think its cool. I'm dissapointed Sony didnt do something like this themselves.

  49. where to get 5" or 4" lcd screens for pc by timboh · · Score: 1

    I'd love to get me a 4" or 5" lcd for custom projects, the prices i found for the ps lcd are around 130 - 140$ / piece but i'm not sure if i could connect em to an analog / pc output could any1 enlighten me on this?

  50. Re:The thing which has been missing from every oth by sh00z · · Score: 1

    The Sega Nomad (portable Genesis/MegaDrive) has a port for a second controller. AND a port to send the video signal to a TV screen, so that second player can actually see what's going on.

  51. You idiot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's not "some guy" you friggin moron King Kool, it's Ben Heckendorn's site, the man of the 2600 VCS fame. But I guess with a script kiddie name of King Kool, you have to be a goddamn idiot to have known better.

  52. Big Deal- anyone can do this by Lumpy · · Score: 2

    go to best buy
    Buy a PS-one
    Buy the screen for it
    Buy the battery pack for it
    Voila. I have it with spending 15 minutes putting things together and using plastic money.

    and the above combo is smaller and prettier.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  53. TWO words(and more) by huckda · · Score: 1

    After trying to get past 3 postercomment filters
    this is what I had to say =)

    Pimp!!! Very Pimp!!!

    (those in bold were the 'TWO' words)

    --
    "Just Smile and Nod." --Huck
  54. Explanation of F-Zero's layout by yerricde · · Score: 1

    F-Zero, a game that uses the 'mode 7' function, and as i understand it, you had two layers of mode 7, the 'city' below you, and the track itself

    Those were the same layer. Start your VCR, crash, and then play the tape back in slow motion; it should be obvious that the entire track + ground is one layer.

    not to mention the scrolling background

    Two layers of scrolling sky plus the status bar was actually a mode 1 strip. Super NES could change from mode 1 (three scrolling layers) to mode 7 (scaling and rotation) or back on any scanline.

    more or less static sprite of your 'car'

    That was a plain old sprite. The shadow under your car was actually an oval window that dimmed the palette, while the shadows under other cars were black sprites that flickered at half the display refresh rate.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  55. Yeah, everybody can do better them him! by albator69 · · Score: 1

    Yes, it seems like everybody can do better than him, since nobody have said something like: "Wow, that man is great, he have done this jsut for the fun of it, and the result isn't even a piece of shit!"

    Why when someone do something by himself, everybody says that they can have an emulator/hardware/anything that do the samething, but they have done anything... yeah, you're great!