Nintendo unveils new DS model: The DSi

From an article found here: http://adjix.com/j63q

In a world where every electronic device purchase would be potentially obsolete in a few months, Nintendo just made the Nintendo DS you bought for your kids last Christmas obsolete. Boasting new features and trade-offs, the DSi would be available for US consumers on April 5. New features such as larger screens, two built-in cameras, upgraded hardware and memory, and SD memory card support. Also in the mix, the expanded wireless support and features. Users can now connect wirelessly with a free web browser, go online, and purchase item through the Nintendo online store similar to the Wii Shop feature on the Nintendo Wii.

Now the trade-offs. The new Nintendo DSi would no longer support Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance game library. Developers would take time to take advantage of the camera feature. In addition, the steeper price tag of $170 (The current models run up to $129) would make consumers hesitate a bit given the current economic environment.

So how will this affect the gaming world? In my opinion, not much… at least for a while until developers take full advantage of the new camera features. While the added camera feature would be fun, paying $170 for a cell-phone quality camera does not seem like a great use of hard-earned cash. The gaming community only had a few titles that used a built-in camera in the game play. Titles like Eye-Toy and In the Movies never really took off and made profits for developers. Let us not forget the competition. While the PSP never really put up a real fight, the iPod Touch/ iPhone can give the DSi a run for its money.

Although I expect the DSi to sell very well, I am not inclined to buy the new model for two reasons: the Trade-offs mentioned above and I already have a Nintendo DS Lite. I am sure that I am wrong about developers not utilizing the camera function. I was wrong about the touch screen feature and thought that developers would not buy it. I was a PSP proponent back then. Nintendo had managed to pull off a success with the touch screen and wii-mote feature of their products and I would not be surprised if I eat my words in a few months. However, in today’s economic uncertainty, I am sure kids would have a hard time convincing their parents to take the plunge especially if a) they already have a DS b) the price point of $170 + tax would scare off lay-off worried parents. That I bet would determine whether the DSi would make a huge impact in the gaming industry.

Pros

• Larger screen size and thinner design

• Two built-in cameras

• Expanded Wireless features

• Upgraded hardware and SD card support

• Cheaper than the PSP and iTouch/ iPhone

• More gaming titles than PSP

Cons

• $170 price tag (An Xbox 360 now sells for $199)

• $30 average for game titles while cheaper than PSP (around $40), it is more expensive than iPhone/ iTouch apps that are mostly below $10

• Would not play old Game Boy Advance games (Why not Nintendo?)

• Not an iPhone/ iTouch killer.

• Untested camera features in gaming titles

Filed under: Opinion, 2 cents, 2009, apps, April 5, article, camera, Canon Powershot camera, Christmas, Con, device, DS, DSi, economy, electronic, eye-toy, family, Game boy Advance SP, games, iPhone, iTouch, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, obsolete, photo, pictures, pink slip. recession, Pro, PSP, SD Memory card, titles, wireless

Year-end post… (if I’m that lazy in the next few days)

Whew! 2008 is finally over.  It has been a tough rough and tumble year for me personally (more on that later). However, I had some bright spots during the year that I would call the TOP 10 BEST MOMENTS of 2008!

 

 

 

10. I noticed a drop of telemarketing calls for refinancing and loans. (Yehey!)

9.  My best friend Chubax visited me on my birthday. (and I got to visit him and Jong in Vegas on August 2008 – plus a Zappos Tour)

8.  I discovered Twitter! (and social networking is never the same… for me at least)

7.  I lost 15 lbs so far from the lifetime high of 240 lbs (more on the weight gain)

6.  I read more books this year than the books I read from 2003-2006 combined.

5.  Comic book movies did not suck (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Dark Knight, etc)

4.  I paid off my credit card bills (and I have a few month’s worth of expenses in the bank)

3. My financial misery of 2007 was over

2. Barack Obama won the US Presidential elections

1. My personal and love life survived a year’s worth of ups and downs.

 

I’m sure I left out tons of great moments but what is a list if it is not exclusive?  Perhaps I will tackle more of that as soon as I remember them.  Now, with every New Year, most people tend to make New Year’s resolutions.  I’d rather make New Year goals.  At least with goals, I’ll fight harder to achieve them than resolutions.  In addition, having a deadline can add more pressure to complete these goals.

 

TOP 10 GOALS for 2009:

 

 1) Pay Off Car Loan – I’ll be done by Feb 2009

 2) Open a ROTH IRA account – I should do this before 2008 ends

 3) Increase emergency savings to at least 18 months of expenses by 12/31/2009

 4) Clean up and organize my feeds, links and bookmarks by June 2009

 5) Read 20 new books by 12/31/2009

 6) Organize photos, videos and music files by 06/01/2009

 7) Save for an iMac (yeah, I already have 2 linux pcs and 2 windows pcs but an iMac would complete the circle)

 8) Weigh 200 lbs by 04/01/2009 – and be healthier

 9) Organize and clean up the Apartment once and for all – get rid of boxes and junk

 10) Make major life changes by 12/31/2009 – Academic, professional and personal

 

These are my best moments of 2008 and goals for 2009.  It may not be as grand and challenging as President-elect Barack Obama but personally, I have a huge challenge on my hands come 2009.

 

Stay tuned for updates.

Filed under: About me, 2008, 2009, apartment, Barack Obama, best friend, Canon Powershot camera, chubax, clean-up, clutter, color, comic book movies, dark knoght, deadline, Disorder, election, emergency fund, exercise, exercise ball pump, family, financial, fitness, games, goals, health, hulk, imac, iron man, jong, lazy, linux, loans, movies, multiply, new year, Obama, personal, photo, pictures, President-elect, refinancing, resolutions, roth ira, savings, social networking, telemarketing, tour, twitter, vanguard, windows, year end, Zappos, zappos.com

De-cluttering the clutter in my very cluttered apartment

I was compelled to do some clean-up yesterday.  It’s one of those rare days when I woke up early on a Sunday and then just went to work.  Maybe it was the need to find my old Gameboy Advance SP and some games. Or maybe it was about time to do some cleaning.  You see, my gf and I moved in our current apartment over a year ago.  13 months is enough time to finish unpacking… not really.  I blame this on simple laziness.  Also, since we have an extra room (which functions as her office), we never really had the urgency to organize our (mainly my) stuff.

 

However, last Friday (Black Friday), I bought a new Nintendo DS.  The gf kinda wants one too and I figured if I could trade in my old GBA SP, I could get the DS a little cheaper.  So the search began.  I ended up, organizing and moving her books (which were scattered and buried under piles of paper) to their new home on our hallway console.  I was able to clear out empty paper and plastic bags (which we plan to recycle) and added more stuff in our “clothes to give away” bin. 

 

Here are a list of things I  “recovered”:

• Exercise Ball air pump
• Canon Powershot Camera (Which my gf “lost” a year ago)
• GBA SP and games
• My old class pictures (High school)
• Some really old important mail

Although I’m not exactly done.  I was impressed with the items I found.  Most important of all, some space to walk on…

 

more to come…

Filed under: About me, apartment, black Friday, books, Canon Powershot camera, clean-up, clutter, DS, exercise ball pump, Game boy Advance SP, games, GBA SP, high school, laziness, Nintendo DS, recycle