Sony is a well known brand when it comes to computer entertainment or multimedia devices. The company has been developing such devices for years and remains among the most respected brands out there.



The entertainment section is mostly represented by the PlayStation series. A name that is known to every gamer and IT enthusiast in the world. The series is composed of 4 gaming consoles which are: the PS One, the PS2, the PS3 and the PSP. If you are wondering why where there is a P where a 4 should be, well the answer is simple: there is no 4 (not yet anyway). The “P” stands for portable as in the PlayStation Portable. This is Sony`s first and only portable handheld gaming console. In time it`s popularity exceeded the firms expectations, with 41 million sold as of August 2008.



The console has seen it`s share of retouches. The first PSP was only sold in black with a silver trim around the side. At E3 2007 Sony announced a new and improved version of the PSP named the the PSP Slim & Lite (or the PSP 2000). The new console was 33% lighter and 19% thinner. It also had an additional 32MB (64MB in total) of ram for shorter loading times.



The new model would be available in 3 themes: the standard black theme, the ceramic white and an ice silver version. As an interesting upgrade, the PSP 2000 could also output audio and video to a TV using composite cables. Games could also pe played on TVs, but there where limited by the PSP`s native resolution.



One of the most advertised (and appreciated) features of the PSP is the 4.3” wide display. This was far superior to it`s direct competitor the Nintendo DS. Such a screen allowed gamers to enjoy graphics that rivaled the PS2 and watch entire movies without stressing out their eyes.



On the multimedia side, the PSP could play movies purchased in Sony proprietary UMD disc and MP3s, it could connect to the Internet using the integrated Wifi module amd browse pages just like a normal PC and later on Sony even added Skype capabilities to the device.

sony psp wiki

The control scheme used by the PSP was in close resemblance to the PS2 controller: the 4 main action buttons on the right, two analog triggers on the top, one Sony Dpad on the left and an analog stick situated under the Dpad.



The PSP ships with an 1800 mAh battery which provides 4 to 6 hours of gameplay, or 8-11 hours of audio playback.



The device is based on MIPS R4000 processor clocked at 333 MHz and uses Sony`s Memory Stick Pro Duo for storing mp3`s and other media. PSPs can sync with the PC by using an USB port. The infrared port was removed from the slim&lite due to the fact that it offered no benefits to the previous generation.



Lately Sony announced a new and improved PSP model called the PSP 3000. Sony says the new device will come when an improved display and a few cosmetic changes. The product is scheduled for release sometime at the end of October 2008.



The PSP 2000 is available at around 269$.