Introducing the Nintendo DSi
The launch date of the new Nintendo DSi has been confirmed! The new system will be the newest member to the Nintendo DS family, and will be released to Japanese fans in November. North American markets can expect to have the system on their shelves no sooner than April 2009.
Nintendo’s DS was originally released to eager gamers in 2004. The hugely popular system introduced an intuitive touchscreen, a built-in microphone, and a wide range of titles for almost every genre. In 2006, Nintendo released the DS Lite, a sleeker repackaging of the original DS.
So will the DSi be just another repackaging of the same system?
The answer is, thankfully, no. Although the DS Lite did present gamers with a fancy new case and packaging, the product itself did not do much, component-wise, to really stand apart from its predecessor. With the DSi, however, Nintendo has already solidified several key changes and additions that will certainly separate it from the previous DS systems.
Cosmetically, Nintendo has made some slight modifications. Like the DS Lite, the DSi will have some slight physical changes to the design, including bigger screens (3.25 inches) and matte colors for the casing (versus the glossy DS Lite).
Like the DS Lite, the DSi will also see a reduction in size. Nintendo has announced that the DSi will be 2.6mm thinner than its predecessor (that’s a 12% reduction). The bad news for some gamers is that Nintendo sacrificed the DS’ backwards compatibility; in other words, the DSi will not be able to play Game Boy Advance titles.
But perhaps the biggest cosmetic change to the system is the addition of both an external camera and a VGA camera (which is located on the hinge). Users will be able to capture 640×480 pictures, and edit them using the touchscreen.
The DSi will also include an SD-card slot, as well as on-board memory. Nintendo is hoping to expand the role of the DSi into the realm of multimedia devices, allowing owners to utilize their DSi as a media player. Unfortunately, the device will not support the MP3 format, but only AAC files.
The DSi will include a Nintendo DS web browser, and the ability to download games using Nintendo points. Users will be able to purchase Points and use them to buy games offered through Nintendo’s DS Wares.
Based on Nintendo’s announcements, the DSi seems to be a revolutionizing of the DS line of products. Nintendo fans, gamers and technophiles alike are eagerly awaiting the release, but will it meet their expectations? Only time will tell.
Filed under: Computers & Technology