ipod
10/17/2005, 10:55am, EDT
Monday, October 17th
iPod is biggest threat to Sony PlayStation Portable
Apple's iPod may be the single biggest threat to the PlayStation Portable's ascendance as the handheld media system of choice, according to a to capture online contact data and then access, manipulate and report GameIndustry columnist. Rob Fahey says that the software behind Apple's new video iPod--including iTunes 6--, not the hardware itself, poses the largest threat: "....Sony faces a major struggle in ensuring that its device remains the platform of choice for mobile video. Right now, it has the hardware advantage - but the hardware advantage can evaporate overnight. What the firm needs to do, and what the games industry must hope and pray that it succeeds at, is to create a software and service platform that rivals Apple's, and build a user experience for acquiring and watching video content that is painless and simple."
Filed under: iPod
,
, 10
,
,
,
,
,

subscribe to comments
for this article
However, that PSP screen is awfully gorgeous and I will miss it.
I think there are some major titles being release Real Soon Now™, so hold on just a while longer. (CMR2005, GTA, etc.)
Though, I'm feeling the same way…
I think a lot of people are hoping Apple would create something like the PSP and put all their innovation and engineering into it. I think the PSP is a great product but would just like to see Apple partner with them and have iTunes built in and a simple way to interface with the Mac. However, it's Sony and Apple so that would never happen.
and as mentioned by the previous poster, IT DOESN'T HAVE A HARD DRIVE! so the only hardware advantage is a 4.3" screen. otherwise, it's bigger so i can't throw it in my pocket, which means i've gotta carry a bag; the lack of hard drive means you're constantly syncing it for new content, which becomes a pain; oh wait, unless i've overlooked something, it doesn't come with sync software so that's an extra step/hassle.
sony tried a half-assed attempt at video content with the release of the PSP where they provided 1-2 minute video clips. they started to provide some interesting content, THEN THEY STOPPED!
sony's gotta provide easy to use video content for the general public otherwise the PSP will become one of the many PVR players like the Creative Zen, which I'm sure is doing fine, but it doesn't have any iPod like marketshare or buzz for that matter.
(and on top of that, the games have been, shall we say, lacking ever since the release. i use my psp alot but only while traveling because it's too big to carry around and it's a huge hassle to get new content for it.)
That said I don't think much about the new iPod display. The display is too small and battery life sucks. I think Apple should have made it the same thickness as previous models and given it a bigger battery.
Jobs has said that they don't really know what the video market looks like and that's reflected in the tiny steps they made towards a portable video device. For a serious device the screen needs to be bigger and we need several hours of battery life, which means a large heavy device...I just don't see that getting anywhere near as big as audio.
I'm not a gamer and the high cost of the PSP has kept me from looking at it, but I'll agree with some previous posters that I think the PSP is targeted at an entirely different market. Video requires far more attention and I think the portable video market is fairly small in comparison. I guess I'll be finding out soon if I'm wrong! :)
Apple has done this well. They go out and buy other companies that have done something right and then fold that technology into their own. Apple also makes the whole process simple - even for those that only recently understood the difference between a single and double click. It's the ease of use and making that technology available to a larger audience that has done them so well.
Wait - who am I kidding? They've got genius advertising and marketing campaigns that make you want one even if you don't need one. Sony's PlayStation had amazing ad campaigns that were distinct and had a *very cool* factor. I have yet to see the PSP being pushed in the same way the iPod is. Then again the two units are not exactly the same piece of hardware. Really - the PSP is a gaming device with more potential and the iPod is an audio player with more potential. They both overlap into each others realms and some that belong to neither while remaining very distinct in their intended use. The PSP is for the gamers. The extras and the *what-else-can-it-do's?* are really for a very narrow range of user. The iPod is your portable media device. When a real video iPod is released a more distinct gaming unit vs media player will be defined.
And on that long winded rambling note...
I don't know if I will ever download TV shows from iTunes unless it is a series that is no longer shown. I am just glad Apple made adding your own video content as easy as audio content.
Until ipod can play Lumines my PSP is safe from Ebay :D
Seriously that is probably the biggest reason that I bought the thing and about the only reason I see to keep it. I hardly ever use any of the video options (watched spiderman on a plane once) and its not about to replace my ipod for music. It just happens to have the best puzzle game ever.