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Sony Considering Music Downloads for PSP to Compete with iPhone?
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Sony seems to be lagging behind in the whole gaming department lately. I really don't think this idea is going to go anywhere and will probably just lose them money in the end. It does make sense though because they do have access to a lot of music but it wouldn't have taken a genius to think of adding movie and music downloads to psn a few years back. It's just to late.
There is ONLY "Approach Two". If you read their statements, they've clearly noted their biggest screw-up.
Don't take off the condom just yet.If they take approach two, then great! I'd love a new PSP
For a company that, lately, has been so "Ready, Go, Start" with things... Sony has a lot to answer for. The PSP already supports music downloaded from iTunes. Adding an application to acquire music, isn't anything of a stretch... the big question, is what their "value proposition" is. Will the music cost the same, or less, than Apple's iTunes? What open format will it be downloaded to? What added innovation are they bringing to the table?
I'm a little put off that you need to put your PSP in "USB Mode" to transfer music from your iMac. Sony needs to build in more "auto-sensing" technology, for its WiFi and USB-mode options. It's still very ugly out there.
~ CB
They are not competing with the iPhone they are competing with the Touch. The Touch is the funnest ipod ever
The PSP is a great game machine. Better specs in certain ways, bigger screen, traditional physical controls for traditional-style games where that's important.
The iPod Touch (and even better, the iPhone with GPS, vibrate and always-on Internet) is ALSO a great game machine. In different ways. Better specs in its own certain ways, FAR more portable, tilt control, multitouch, super-easy app shopping, super-easy app updating, mass numbers of games at low prices, and all the other benefits people know well.
Both are good choices for games--but for some KINDS of games one or the other has a clear benefit.
But for portable music (and Web browsing, email, maps, etc.) the iPod (and iTunes store) has the overwhelming advantage.
Meanwhile, some of the PSP's gaming advantages will go away with faster iPhone hardware (surely coming from Apple) and/or with physical control packs (surely coming from third parties).
New PSPs will likely evolve too... but they'd have to evolve astonishingly to catch up with the iPhone OS and platform as a whole, or even just for music.
The iPod Touch (and even better, the iPhone with GPS, vibrate and always-on Internet) is ALSO a great game machine. In different ways. Better specs in its own certain ways, FAR more portable, tilt control, multitouch, super-easy app shopping, super-easy app updating, mass numbers of games at low prices, and all the other benefits people know well.
Both are good choices for games--but for some KINDS of games one or the other has a clear benefit.
But for portable music (and Web browsing, email, maps, etc.) the iPod (and iTunes store) has the overwhelming advantage.
Meanwhile, some of the PSP's gaming advantages will go away with faster iPhone hardware (surely coming from Apple) and/or with physical control packs (surely coming from third parties).
New PSPs will likely evolve too... but they'd have to evolve astonishingly to catch up with the iPhone OS and platform as a whole, or even just for music.
Esp. given the announcement this week by scientists about the 1-10TB laser discs licensed to Samsung(?) that should be available commercially in 5 years or less.
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/253230/researchers-tout-10-terabyte-discs.html
Of course that's my own conclusion. I was refuting an earlier, also unscientific, claim to the contrary (that "hordes of people" were "clamoring" for Blu-Ray in their Macs). Do you have evidence for that? Apparently Apple agrees with me, for now.
Anecdotally I only know of one person who is "clamoring" for Blu-Ray, and he's a video editor. I know many dozens of people who own Macs, and a lot of video professionals, programmers, and gadget freaks. Several of those might be interested in Blu-Ray, but they're not clamoring for it. So my unscientific conclusion is that even among tech-oriented people and gadget freaks, only a few are interested, and none of who I would consider "normal" users are interested in (or even aware of) Blu-Ray at all. Again, I don't think boards like this one are a good representation of Apple's user base in recent years. You can find threads here with people excited about Blu-Ray, but it doesn't reflect the general population at all.
Personally I would like Blu-Ray and would use it, I just don't think it's a priority for Apple, and really, I can live without it.
Mmm, gothcha. To me it's not so much that Sony is worthless, but seem spread too thin nowadays that they've lost their focus. This could easily happen to Apple in the future too, if they reach too far and start making televisions, car stereos, game consoles, home automation networks, etc. So far they've kept the focus and remained shrewd with their decisions on what areas they want to go into, but the temptation to branch out and capitalize on their popular brand must be there.
One side of me wishes they wouldn't stray too far from their current lineup, another part of me is looking forward to the possible new directions apple's might take. I'm on the fence concerning this one.
The fact that casual games by virtue encompasses all genres by ways of a subset of each genre which is generally more accessable, means that you can't say a touch input would be better.
Adventures are also too wild a card to simply say touch screen is better than all games. Card games too, which generally have moves which limit it to a few options, so i would forward the propostion that both interfaces accomplish the task equally as well.
The iPod touch is useful for music. The PSP has a bigger screen which is better for movies, a better quality one (at least on the newer models), and expandabl storage for those large movie files. Too many of the good apps on the app store require a data connection, which is only constant on the iPhone, so the ipod touch is useless in that fact.
Have an iPhone, use itunes, hate itunes. Slow, crash prone, and slow.
Fit in jacket pocket, and expandable storage.
You are not seriously comparing the 99% POS apps like a tip calculator to the quality stuff put out on the PSN store. Quality not quantity.
Again i have an Iphone have looked, the only decent apps i use are the few games, or the information gathering ones (like rail times and tube journeys, or shazam, deliveries, flixster etc etc) which is useless on ipod touch)
Yes, but more big name game developers on the PSP.
I wasn't clear enough here. I meant freedom for the developers to do what they want with the hardware.
iPhone yes, ipod touch no.
tremendously is a strong word. There are soo many more games where a physical button is soo much better than a software button, or 10 physical buttons and a joystick.
Oh yes and its a shame for apple to say theres an app for every thing....
Not sure people think the PSP isn't fantastic in many ways. I know there are great games out there for it. But I do think a music store for it would be irrelevant, a surefire waste of resources and a failure.
Don't dismiss them so easily
Sony has made some mistakes, which we're all aware of. Apple has benefitted from those mistakes.
But if Sony is really willing to make fundamental changes to its product line, and the way it does business accordingly, they could take the market back. Seriously.
One thing that observing the tech industry has taught me is that nothing lasts forever. Apple's lead in mobile music certainly isn't set in stone.
Sony has made some mistakes, which we're all aware of. Apple has benefitted from those mistakes.
But if Sony is really willing to make fundamental changes to its product line, and the way it does business accordingly, they could take the market back. Seriously.
One thing that observing the tech industry has taught me is that nothing lasts forever. Apple's lead in mobile music certainly isn't set in stone.
First Sony needs to do something about the PS3. If the way they handled its marketing and dev cycle is any indication, Apple will have a ridiculously easy time.
Sony is losing the console wars. Hard. If they can't manage the PS3 amongst all the competition, you really think they'll do anything against Apple's momentum on Apple's own turf?
The PSP is yesterday's device. Sony has only a fraction of the mindhsare it used to have. Sony needs entirely new, visionary leadership, not some fool's errand to challenge Apple because it's bleeding like a stuck pig in the console wars and whatever other market they're half-assing it in.
I love my PSP. I truly do. It used to go everywhere with me. Now, with the I-phone, I hardly ever use it. A music store would be too little, too late for this device.
Actually the PS3 is doing pretty well in the console wars. The PS3 has sold more than the 360 on a month by month basis. The reason 360 is ahead of the PS3 is because it had a one year head start in sales. And this is all while the PS3 is more expensive than the 360. PS3 has averaged 742,000 units per month while 360 has only managed 719,000 per month. Pretty bad considering the PS3 is twice the price of the 360. The PS3 sales will explode once they get to the all-important $300 price point, most likely this year.
As for half-assing it in other markets, they make the best TV's in the market, along with Samsung. Their cameras aren't too shabby either. You might have a point in car and home audio however.
They USED to make the best TVs. Years ago. What, Sony Bravias?? C'mon, Samsung, LG, and Panasonic (especially Panasonic) have caught up and surpassed Sony. Sony is just another name in the TV biz. I suppose they still make good receievers, I have one myself, but really, Sony is just another member of the pack that happens to be more diversified than the rest.
Casual games are used by casual gamers, which get used to the touch in 5 seconds, want a pocketable device and a device which is good for many other things beside gameing.
I meant graphical adventures and I'm sure that in 99% touch is better.
I don't think so.
Sorry but this is BLASPHEMY. Ipod NANO is useful for music.
Ipod touch is a inexpensive FULLY FEATURED PALM-TOP COMPUTER which can be used to:
- comfortably open every kind of Office, XML and iWork document
- comfortably read pdf
- read ebooks with excellent applications like Stanza
- control your PC/MAC from everywhere using VNC or similar applications
- use complex and specific calculators and graphic calculators
- create spreadsheet on the go
- create text on the go
- manage COMPLEX email-situations like 10 gmail accounts in IMAP or you 3000-contacts Microsoft Exchange account
- use every possible instant messenger (MSN, gtalk, yahoo, AIM, ecc.)
- update your blog
- take around a database of drugs with side effects and so (handy if you're a nurse or medic)
- carry arround a complete dictionary with pronounce
- excellent clients for twitter and facebook
- excellent RSS feed readers
- specific application for a lot of specific things for phisicians, engeneers, ect
- and these are just the first apps that came in to my mind!!
YOUR PROBLEM IS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW APP STORE. Full stop.
We're talking about a fully featured handheld "palm", this kind of stuff was very appreciated a few years ago (you know, when pocketPCs HAD NOT phone connectivity).
So you can't compare it to a MONO-PURPOSE DEVICE which is good at gaming and crap at everything else, like psp.
1) not true, a lot of excellent apps work offline, so ipod touch can be unvaluable even when not under wifi
2) c'mon, i heard in USA wifi is in every mcdonald, starbuck and stuff like that....
3) but still, I repeat it can be fantastic even without connection, there are so many excellent apps that work offline
Mac or PC?
For Mac it is false.
For PC I don't know, I heard it got better in the last few releases.
"Is that a banana in there or you're just happy to see me??"
C'mon, PSP is NOT a portable device in everyday life....you must bring it "on purpose".....that's why most of us (I own one too) leave it to take the dust...
This is false, it's the typical anti-appstore propanganda, it's strange that you have not mentioned iFart, that's a classic in this kind of situation.
You got an iPhone but you don't know App Store very much...
There's plenty of useless sh*t but we're talking about FORTY THOUSAND (and counting..) apps....let's say that 90% is sh*t (but this is false), we've got FOUR THOUSAND good apps left...that's four thousand more things that an ipod touch can do more than a psp.....
This is false, search better. Of course there are a lot of specific stuff (medical, electronic, IT, flight, programming, navigation, ecc.) that maybe you don't even understand...so, from your limited needs/knowledge only a few apps appear decent...but I don't think you know and understand all the 40k apps...
"Freedom" is an abused concept...
Look at the APIs of the new iphone SDK....like the external accessories API....I prefer good results on the field than ideal freedom...
That's non-sense, PSP doesn't have phone connectivity...
"soo many" is a strong word.
I think it's 50-50.
Enigma, adventures, cards, table games, ecc: TOUCH BETTER
Beat'em'up, Racing, 3rd person, Sport, RPG, FPS: BUTTONS BETTER
But, think about this: somehow, the first geners are more "fit for mobility/small_screen playing" than the latter. I mean, if a mobile devices has to be good at one of those groups, it's better (IMHO) that it is good at the first group.
"Everything" is used in everyday life with the meaning "reasonably a lot of things". It's not as shameful as the Sony ads, which promise some NON-EXISTING functions...
Have you seen the list of upcoming sony exclusives?
Motorstorm, Little Big Planet, DiRT 2, Kingdom Hearts, and Dissida are coming to psp and the ps3 is gong to dominate with games like inFamous, GT5, God of War 3, Heavy Rain, Katamari Forever, Mag, Uncharted 2, Ratchet and Clank ACIT, and more in the next year.
Sony is still going strong in the gaming world.
Haha, I know right!
What ever happened to those stupid disc movies for PSPs?
iPhone rules! Just wait till the Tablet comes out now too Sony and Nintendo!
In case you haven't noticed computing and gaming even more are all moving away from physical buttons and onto new technology like multi-touch and spacial motion gesture technology. Even Microsoft is working on it for the XBOX.
It always turns that way... Well, most of the time.
(Personally, I like to watch the two sides duke it out)
Hmm, a store?
I hope Sony has fixed their typing then. The last time I used the PSP to browse the web in order to enter some text I had to use some ridiculous cellphone texting type scheme despite having the same a directional pad and an X button on the device that the games played on the PSP use for text entry.
I hope Sony has fixed their typing then. The last time I used the PSP to browse the web in order to enter some text I had to use some ridiculous cellphone texting type scheme despite having the same a directional pad and an X button on the device that the games played on the PSP use for text entry.
Umm yeah, Sony Bravia!! Notice I said along with Samsung. Those two have the best PQ and imo Sony's features slightly outweighed Samsung's, like adjustable picture settings in game mode unavailable in the comparable Sammy model. Sony and Sammy even use the same glass in some of their TV's. I didn't say LG, Panasonic and Toshiba don't compare, but Sony and Sammy have that little extra something.