Sony PlayStation Portable
As I held the PSP, a strange feeling crept over me. So far, I had only read about it and seen pictures, but actually using the PSP in office and getting awestruck glances from colleagues made me feel great. Hey, I was in a world of my own. First thing I did was transfer songs (albeit only about 8 on the 32MB card) and check the playback. Rocking!
Day 3: All Else Is Second Fiddle
The weekend was finally here and I could now spend more time with the PSP. A fact my wife did not approve of much. But, to be totally honest, she too was smitten by the sleek black looks and the massive screen. Heh!
All along, I admired the quality and layout of the screen. It was magnificent. Every time I played a game (or watched videos), I had to wonder where I had ever seen such good quality…
Day 4: It Gets Better And Better
Guests at home and I could not help but show off the PSP. Soon enough, it was the talking point of the day. And then an interesting event happened. Children (aged 4) were soon smitten by the PSP and much to my amazement, could even handle the volume controls when I played some sample games for them. Their next request, though, was something I could not fulfil: “The cartoon channel” didn’t show on the PSP! That was it for them. Still, a brownie point to the PSP for being so user-friendly.
Day 10: Strutting My Stuff
By now, I was so used to having the PSP around, that I had stopped playing games on the PC and was hooked to Ridge Racer on the UMD (Universal Media Disc). I had to move to top spot and after ten days, I was closer than ever.
The controls on the PSP are feather touch and respond intuitively. It does need some getting used to. On my bus ride to work, the music on the PSP had taken over my world. I completely enjoyed the stares it induced. “WOW” was the most-heard exclamation.
Day 18: It Comes At A Cost
As the time to return the PSP approached, I actually contemplated buying one so I would never have to endure that empty feeling again. Once more, it was something the wife did not approve much of. In fact, when I found out that it cost Rs 19,000-plus, I started having second thoughts myself. Was it so good? Was I so smitten? Hmm…
Day 24: A Hard Decision
I realised that I wanted the PSP, but not at the current price. Why? Because there were more investments involved to use it the way intended. For instance, as a Portable Media Player. I would have to buy more memory card(s) and this would be a substantial investment. Moreover, it had no FM Tuner. I am a music aficionado but not much of a gamer. Of course, some peripheral features that the PSP offers are important. However, for now, I decided to invest that money in a phone that offered all these options. Maybe one day, I would save and buy the PSP.
Day 30: Love’s Labour Lost
Despite my decision to not buy the PSP, the farewell was particularly painful and I felt as if a part of me went missing that day. Not to get all misty eyed, I would certainly have liked to own it… but for the lack of internal memory (may be 4 GB would work, too) and the restrictive pricing. I think Rs 12,000 (which is what it costs in Japan) would have been ideal. Anyway, all good things must end sometime as did my life with the PSP.
For now!