March 24, woot!
So Sony has taken the wraps off its plans to release the PSP (PlayStation Portable) in the States -- it'll drop on March 24 for about $250, which nets you a "value pack" filled with goodness that you'll end up using.
I must say that I'm anxious to get my hands on one. I have been waiting with baited anticipation since I first saw one under glass at E3 in 2004. I'm not the biggest handheld gaming fan in the universe -- I've only a passing interest in the Game Boy Advance and don't use my own Tapwave Zodiac as much for games as I do for organization and the normal things you use a PDA for. There's just something about the PSP that seems incredibly appealing, though.
Part of it is the machine's versatility. It's already got Wi-Fi built-in. And it's got a lot more storage capability through its UMD media than the average PDA; support for Sony's Memory Stick Duo format should make it easy to store and transfer files as well. The thing supports H.264/AVC video, and the first million that ship in the U.S. will include a special UMD version of Spider-Man 2, that's kinda cool.
Sure, battery life sucks, but there's always something -- give them a year or two and I'm sure that Sony will release a PSP Advance or something similar that addresses some of the early issues.
So, now I gotta figure out if there's a way I can write off the PSP as a professional expense, being a game reviewer and all.