BostonPocketPC

Hey, I know Skype wasn't added to the standard PSP (1000 Series) with this update and its only available on the newer slim PSP aka 2000 Series that you will get this option to Skype from your PSP. Its not really worth it to me to purchase another PSP just for the feature, that was announced at CES, nor is the video out option, since I use the PSP for watching movies locally ripped. I do have a Zune, but the screen on the PSP and the expanded battery make it perfect for watching movies on coast to coast flights when I am not partaking in some mobile gaming. The update does add some features if you like me haven't updated your PSP in a while.

The PSP is still one of the best mobile devices I have bought, Don and Eric also picked one up a year and a half ago in a bundle package when we were doing some contract work for Microsoft at Frys. I would love it if Microsoft came up with a similar device (once on a flight home from SEATAC I sat next to a XBOX hardware engineer and the possibility was discussed-fingers crossed) with a touch screen and hand controls, WiFi, Bluetooth, an SSD drive that downloads game titles, music, video from the 360 or computer from Xbox Live, Zune, Amazon Unbox, etc. No Discs, no proprietary format for movies that cost as much as DVDs. Added functionality is great, but make it a great portable gaming platform first and supplemental entertainment device second. We can only dream...OK back to the update.

Here are some of the other features added to the PSP from the update:

• (Skype™) has been added as a feature under [Network] for the 2000 Series only
• Support for PLAYSTATION®Network titles has been expanded.

If you haven't upgraded to 3.8 you will also get their updates as well:

• Network
  • (Internet Radio) has been added as a feature under [Network]. You can now play programs (audio content) distributed by Internet radio stations.
• Settings
  • Version 1.2.0.0 of the theme creation tool is now available here. You must use this version to create a theme for a PSP® system with system software version 3.80 or later.
    * A theme that was created using version 1.2.0.0 of the theme creation tool cannot be displayed on a PSP® system with system software earlier than version 3.80.
• Video
  • You can now preview each scene of a video using the [Scene Search] feature. (Note this is just awesome. Like chapters on a DVD you can skip forward or backward to video converted to the PSP.)
• Music
  • The number of visual player types that can be used has been increased.
• Network
  • You can now import OPML files under (RSS Channel). Yes this works with your Bloglines feeds Virginia...
  • You can now view photos displayed on a PSP® system that is connected to the Internet under (RSS Channel). (Flikr feed support)

The PSP has done some nice things over the years and is still in my book the top portable gaming platform out there, they get the ability to add functionality via software and have provided numerous updates over the years supporting a better browsing experience, music(if they would only add album art support for that nice screen) Video playback is awesome once you get used to the controls. Remote Play is great too if you have a PS3, which may be a next purchase for me if the price drops and the number of gaming titles make it worth it. (Right now the 360 is my top gaming platform, but a Wii may be in our family's future since the kids love playing at their friends house, but at a recent sleep over the 360 got a work out by some 10 year old girls playing Fusion Frenzy 2, Guitar Hero 2 & 3)

Online instruction Manuals, how cool is that, Microsoft and Nintendo should take note on that. Location Free Player, meh I have a Slingbox and love it and it works with so many more devices not just the PSP, too bad Sony won't allow Sling to offer a client for the PSP. TiVoToGo allows you to watch recorded TV content (downloaded to your Memory Stick Duo™) from your TiVo.

The RSS Channels have a very nice UX (User Experience) granted when you now first launch it. Sony is pimping their content for the PSP which is fine with videos of popular titles updated daily. The RSS feeds even have a Media Finder for PSP Games, Game Demos, UMD Media, Videos, Images, Music, and RSS. I really like the ability to download demos via the PlayStation Underground (which is much easier to sign up for online rather than on the PSP) very similar to the Xbox Live experience on the 360. Here you can download content to your Sony Memory stick. The nice added feature is OPML import support.

The Internet Radio Player is a JavaScript plug-in saved to your Sony Memory stick that allows you to listen to SHOUTcast radio streams, which you can already do on Windows Mobile devices with GSPlayer or Resco's Pocket Radio. It is a great replacement for those who don't have satellite radio and do have a WiFi connection.

The controls are kind of hard to use. My kids figured it out fairly easily, how ever both my mother and wife thought it was cool it was hard for them to operate . They both agreed it would be nice if there was better use of the buttons on the device, but there is a help screen to give you directions on how to use the player. My daughter really liked it and wished her Zune had a similar functionality, I told her maybe in the future...

Overall Sony keeps pushing out updates fairly regularly on a pretty old platform to make it current and I appreciate it and best of all it is free.

To learn more about this update and how to perform the update head here.