Slashdot Mirror
Inside the PSP
fogez writes "We have seen numerous hacks for the PSP in the last couple days, but have you see what is inside this marvel? This might scare off many new PSP owners, but if you are curious and want some direction, this article is a good place to start. See the PSP laid bare, from LCD to wireless network card. BTW, any attempt to imitate will result in a void warranty :)"
"Sony explicitly outlaws any modifications to their PSP. If you don't believe me, check out page 15 of the manual where they state, "No authorization for the analysis or modification of the system, or the analysis and use of circuit configurations, is provided.""
Not much of a legal threat. I take it this simply mean the obvious - that Sony voids the warranty if we start moding. Outlaws might of been a bit strong in this context, prohibits would of been a bit better. Not that Sony will have a black van show up in front of a teenager hackers door...
Nice pice of technology, all things considered. Next all we need is for someone to tinker with the buttons to increase the sensitivity of the leftmost button on the right side, which I hear from many is significantly less sensitive then the rest, which adversely affects game-play.
3 degrees of separation from Vladimir Putin
The PSP has redefined handheld gaming.
Uh...it has? Because it plays movies/music and browses pictures?
What aspect of handheld gaming has been "redefined" because of this?
Not only have these things been done before, but the PSP hasn't redefined anything other than the idea of selling PS1 games I already own. I'm sure it's a nice system. But it's not redefining handheld gaming, other than redefining the phrase "customer service" (Sony says you're shit out of luck over dead pixels, unlike Nintendo who will happily fix your unit).
I heard these same overhyped comments about the DS, which actually does do some pretty cool things (which also had been done before).
I doubt it will ever be illegal. We're a nation of tinkerers. Your dad and mine took apart their cars. Our grandfathers took apart their houses. We take apart our computers.
People will be able to convince the old timers that reverse engineering code ("you mean like spies?") is criminal and they'll be able to convince our dads that copying and selling a patended machine is criminal, but our dads and grandpas wont stand still for a law the won't let them take the cover off of something they own. They may not understand electronics, but they understand ownership. They may not want to take the cover off of their TV but they'll be damned if someone trys to tell them they can't.
TW
How long is a piece of string?
Knowing Sony they will probably release 4 different types of batteries and 3 revisions of the PSP itself. All with incremental changes and all costing a pretty penny, while locking you further into a proprietary hardware scheme.
This comment is probably doomed to "Troll" status, but I am merely trying to start civilized discourse.
I feel that the PSP continues Sony's trend of focusing on the wrong things when designing a game console. Sure, the PSP is complicated inside, and draws "Ooohs" from people that see the big screen, but that isn't what gaming is about. From an engineering standpoint, Sony made several stupid decisions, starting with the whole idea of using the PSP as a launching point for the UMD. Developers are already complaining about the slow transfer rates, and the load times are VERY long compared to other handhelds. The physical placement of the square button sacrifices gameplay for aesthetics, something which former-sony-head Ken Kutaragi admitted. Thirdly, the short battery life is a major downside, which is related to the UMD itself. Finally, the system spits out the UMD when you slightly twist the console, so be careful in public places or anywhere there is a distance between the system and the ground. Obviously, the design team focused on the system's aesthetics at the great expense of gameplay, usability, and battery life.
A console is made popular by its games, and so far all the PSP games are just watered-down ports of PS2 games. They're fun to play, but designed for a TV-console setting. Whereas the DS and GBA already have many games perfect for on the subway or between meetings/classes when you only have 10-15 minutes, none of the current or announced PSP games have shown any innovation at all or any design choices aimed at handheld gaming other than "we'll let you save and pause wherever you want to."
While the PSP is destined to be more of a nerd status symbol because of its sleek metal case and high price (the article mentions $200, but they aren't available outside of $250 bundles around here in the LA area), I don't think that Sony is going to attract and new gamers or fulfill any serious gamers' desires, and I think they made several design flaws that will keep the system from ever feeling completely natural.
Very funny. Fortunately, as we all know, Sony does not have the right to make, much less enforce, this request. "Authorization" for opening and/or modifying the machine is embodied in the receipt from the retailer. Sony can void your warranty, of course, but you knew that when you started unscrewing the thing.
Let us not take such histrionics seriously; it gives people the wrong idea.
Schwab
Editor, A1-AAA AmeriCaptions
Wireless is potentially a real change - if it's doing things with multiplayer games that you couldn't do before in the handheld space, that's somewhat new, though they've been done with console/pc-based games, so the main new feature is that you can play them from somewhere other than at home, as long as there's a WiFi connection you can use. I assume it's supporting downloadable games as opposed to just cartridges, though they could do things with Memory Stick if they wanted, and that's a bit of a change, but as long as the prices are similar, it's not really much change.
Cell-phone wireless data standards would be more revolutionary (if less compatible) - you could do game things like EA's Majestic or whatever it was that have location-dependent clues or interaction, or could do things with nearby people or provide portable games that let you talk to the people you're fragging\\\\\\\\cooperating with the way wired games let you do, or you could exchange pictures of where you are when you're somewhere other than your basement.
But building tools that can be used for cool games is one problem - writing games that actually turn out to be cool, or turn out to be popular, is a much different skill, and can be a lot harder to get right.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
Disassembling somebody *else's* PSP is criminal. Disassembling your own is merely art. Or Boredom in Action.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
Unfortulately we are much more a nation that is electing "representatives" that are wholly owned and operated by various corporate interests, and have showm more than once tht they're willing to throw away individial rights, innovation and anything else that comes in the way of corporate profits.
yeah, according to the DMCA, it is almost criminal.
Reverse engineering. Maybe not, but I'm sure they could claim it as "intent to reverse engineer."
If it cuts into the handheld DVD market then it will be a genre redefiner.
Considering the PSP can't play DVD's this will be difficult.
I don't know how many people are going to repurchase all of their DVD movies again in some proprietary format with inferior picture quality just to watch them on a PSP.
No one has a right to their *own* opinion. They have a right to the TRUTH.
Dude, as long as your not making any money with it, don't lose any sleep over it. Adobe is just asking for it to be heavily pirated when they charge 700 bucks for it. They make plenty of money off of the people who have to pay for it.
That's how it works with all high-cost apps (e.g. 3D Studio MAX), let the amateurs pirate it and make them prefer it, once they become profesionals someone will buy them the software legally.
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
Pretty dissappointed to see Corel has bought [them|it]. I hate it when productive small companies get absorbed into corporate monstrosities who then try to pretend that it was their product all along. (Connectix VPC would be another)
For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert. - Arthur C. Clarke
Your logic is a bit flawed. No design company would request "Experience with GIMP". Most expect/require you to know how to use Photoshop. Hence your work doesn't have to be 'good' to justify the use of Photoshop; you can think of it as training ;).
Well, if you are doing training in order to get a career using a certain product maybe you should shell out for a licensed copy. You've decided to put your livelyhood into something that requires a specific program. $US 649 (From Adobe's Website) isn't that much when you look at it. I've spent that much on single semester's worth of textbooks. Some CASE tools cost $2000 or more. I didn't ever pay for a CASE tool like this, but my school had a bunch of licenses that I could use, but then again, I wasn't planning on using these CASE tools in my future career.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.