Advertisement

Register for free to remove this ad

I was just thinking about the whole psp launch here in the US and after reading an article about WiFi at panera bread it struck me...

Why hasn't sony added a type of web browser to the PSP for the US launch? It's been said they are working on it, but this is a feature that is most interesting. It should also be easy since the PSP is WiFi compliant and had full 802.11b support. It should be as simple as adding an interpreter for the html.

I know the PSP is a gaming machine, but it can be so much more....

Imagine that anywhere you go, you can whip out your PSP and connect to the internet, much like a pda. Use the analog stick as a mouse and maybe have a displayed keyboard like some Palm Zires have.


And maybe they should have partially opened the memory stick program access so people could build their own applications.

Some things that immediatly come to mind :

- Streaming media player ( a la winamp )
- Various Emulators ( N64, Snes, Genesis, Mame, etc )
- Network tools (windows shares with mp4 files)

And so on...

Heck, I would try and port some things if I could have access to the PSP in that way when it comes out.... (Doom PSP or Quake PSP anyone? With multiplayer!)

I think the possibilities outside actual gaming are huge for the PSP, unfortunately, now we'll have to wait until someone figures out how to run their own apps on it ( Much like they figured out howto with the DS)

Well, I don't think I'd like to control the mouse with the analog stick, as that may be awkward, but I think your ideas are good. Some time down the road when I get a PSP, I'd like to browse CAG on it.

Good plan, and like you said, Sony is already looking into making a browser for it. Sadly, I bet that it will be very limited in quality. Something along the lines of the old versions of Netscape (shudder).

Limited Quality? Nah, they talked about having Java script on it and Flash games input because thy see the potential in the flash games itself. And the potential with Java script yet alone is tremendous, with Internet Radio, aim express, chat. Also have you heard of PSP Linux? That maybe possibly allow us to put Emulators onto the PSP and all sorts of stuff.

THere is an extremely simple answer to this. One that needed to be asked more often in the dot.bomb era:

How does this make money for Sony?

Sony sells each PSP at a significant loss. They don't see a penny in profit until you've around seven or eight games. The secondary applications for PSP are about revenue enhancement. Even if you don't buy music from Sony you will buy Memory Sticks to store it. Likewise, if you don't buy UMD videos but do watch video on the PSP you need a high capacity Memory Stick to make it happen.

Potentially one could use a web browser in the PSP to connect to a Sony store and buy stuff but really, how many people are going to do kind of high hassle without a keyboard shopping? The PSP comes with USB cable to plug it into your PC and use it as a Memory Stick read/write device. Any content you might purchase is much more easily done on your PC and transferred by that method.

Because it would be another added feature that would help win over consumers in the portable wars?

Originally Posted by Metang386 Limited Quality? Nah, they talked about having Java script on it and Flash games input because thy see the potential in the flash games itself. And the potential with Java script yet alone is tremendous, with Internet Radio, aim express, chat. Also have you heard of PSP Linux? That maybe possibly allow us to put Emulators onto the PSP and all sorts of stuff.

You're talking about an extremely limited environment for such activity. Only 32 MB of RAM and that includes loading the code for the browser and other functions. It'll also be fairly miserable without a keyboard, especialy since the PSP doesn't have a touchscreen as you'd find on a PDA to allow tapping on a virtual keyboard or even handwriting entry.

This stuff is already happening on the PDa side, or rather it's available and people aren't buying it. THe PDA business has been in a serious decline since it stopped being the yuppie toy of choice. People who need highly portable web access have found that ultalight notebook PCs are very reasonable to carry around and require little or no compromises when it comes to Internet activity.

There is a reason why Sony stopped trying to sell PDAs in the North American market but are still going strong in the portable PC market.

A web browser program for the PSP would be pretty cool, as long as it is a good program.

Just a few thoughts on this:

1) Sony making their profit on memory sticks - I almost think Sandisk will make for than Sony here. Sony's prices are so ridiculously inflated Sandisk is almost half the cost. I'm sure there is some sort of royalty fee Sony is collecting though.

2) Emulators and Homebrew on the PSP - Give it time...I'm sure it's possible. It sure would be nice if Sony made this easy though.

3) Web browser - I guess it would be nice but epobirs makes good points. It's something that everyone wants and no one wants to pay for. So why'd Sony spend it's money on developing it?

As long as it's not made by PlanetWeb...

Sony hasn't even given us a browser for the PS2, why on earth would they do it for the PSP ?

Originally Posted by bmulligan Sony hasn't even given us a browser for the PS2, why on earth would they do it for the PSP ?

And Sony actually has a PS2 browser I played with at E3 years ago. A version of Netscape Navigator as well as various AOL apps. This was when Sony was pushing the idea that the PS2 would become a home computer to displace the Windows PC. Reality set in before they even tried to market this beyond the handful of Linux kits they moved.

Part of the reason was likely the rapid decline of PC prices. Now that laptops can be had for as little as $400 the same is applicable to the portable market. If you want to do PC stuff, use a PC.

Originally Posted by bmulligan Sony hasn't even given us a browser for the PS2, why on earth would they do it for the PSP ?

why would we ever want a browser for ps2, when we could use a little thing called a computer instead. the purpose of a psp browser is for portability

What they should do is make the PSP screen touch sensitive so you can use a stylus which would make surfing the web a lot easier. They could then think up of new ways to incorporate the touch screen in the games.... nah, that's crazy talk...

Personally, I could really care less about being able to surf the web with my PSP. I've got my desktop and laptop to do that. I'm just happy that they put wireless into it so I can play on the internet anywhere in my apartment, laying in bed, sitting on the couch, sitting on the can... the possibilities are endless!

Originally Posted by cthcky33 why would we ever want a browser for ps2, when we could use a little thing called a computer instead. the purpose of a psp browser is for portability

Funny thing, we also have portable computers. Those things that look like huge GBA SPs? Thats them. Meanwhile, the market for web access on devices using screens of the size and resolution of the PSP has proven to be rather minor in most of the world while the laptop market keeps growing. That, along with the growth of 3G services for cellphones, doesn't leave much demand for a PSP browser.

I'm not saying that sony has to put alot of time in it. I bet they can code a browser from scratch in a few days.

However, if they would have made the memory stick access more open to user built programs, this would have solved everything. People could build their own apps from browsers to emulators to even homebrew games.

Your question is a valid one in this economical climate though, how does it profit Sony?

I would think it's in their best interest to get their system out to as many people as possible. Having a web browser or beeing able to code your own applications for it would be something extra.

Ofcourse the core of the PSP is still a gaming system and people will buy games, isn't that what sony wants?

Maybe this might be a moot point if by next month someone figures out how bypass the security to run your own apps.

While I agree that I use my laptop for wireless browsing, it's also way too big to take in your pocket anywhere you go.

Eg, you are on the road and need to look up directions or a phone number. It would be nice to take out your PSP and be able to do it.

why would we ever want a browser for ps2, when we could use a little thing called a computer instead.

Video game consoles are computers.

A software update that Sony was working on (includes a number of internet applications such as a web browser and email client, tools including a text-to-speech utility, calculator, word processor and spreadsheet) was actually leaked onto a Sony forum last month, but anyone who installed it risked damaging their PSP because it hasn't been finalized nor approved by Sony (Sony will repair the damaged units, but for a fee). My guess is that we'll see some type of web connectivity eventually via a firmware upgrade; the key is patience.

Sony, according to Gaming Horizons, is also working on an application for receiving television broadcasts via an internet connection; this will be accomplished through "place-shifting," which is accessing content stored from remote locations through high-speed web links.

The PSP has almost limitless potential as a convergence device, but we also need to keep our expectations in check.

if there were emulatores, who in their right mind would buy games?