Yep, a new verb in the geek world "bricking". Turning one's mobile (in this case) device into a useless brick. Hunk of silicon that no longer does anything.
I recently bought a PSP-1000K - that's the Japanese version (Sharp screen rather than Samsung) of the PSP to play around with. I'm spending a lot of time on planes and I wanted a portable device that was a wee bit more capable than my venerable Palm.
The PSP seems to fit the bill. The latest firmware update gives me the ability to browse the Web (provides a browser) because it already has WiFi. It can store (and presumably display though I haven't tried yet) RSS feeds. It has an expansion slot for an up to 8Gb Memory Stick Duo, and it plays both video and games.
I bought the Japanese spec version because it came with the 1.50 version firmware. This has been considered the best because while feature-limited, it also allows one to relatively easily run homebrew software - older PSP games and games that have been emulated and will now run on the PSP (like older arcade games).
A very cool feature I thought.
Until I read all the disclaimers and through the procedures. Now, I'm pretty much a techno-geek. I open my Powerbook and replace components with nary a blink. I've built countless PCs from scratch components and overclocked them. I've flashed ROMs and tweaked BIOS settings for days on end in search of a few more hertz from the processor.
But I decided not to update my PSP with homebrew firmware. Perhaps it's a sign of getting older but I leave for vacation today for a couple of weeks. And I just didn't want to screw up the new device on the eve of leaving. There is a measurable risk inherent in upgrading/downgrading the PSP software that one will turn it into an inert lump of silicon.
I asked myself, "What is your objective, here?" I wanted to play some of the new first-tier games that Sony is putting out for the PSP - it should make my flights shorter. I wanted to play some movies on it (it supports high-res, widescreeen movies on its smallish screen) and I wanted to be able to load up a few tunes from iTunes. Well, it seems that Sony lets me do all those things with the current firmware.
True, I have to get a third-party app to transcode my DVD video and fit it onto the memory card - and I still haven't figured out a nice way to integrate the DVD chapters - but it works. And it appeals sufficiently to the inner geek that I get my little thrill without compromising the device's reliability or feature set.
I suppose I've matured as a geek. Or so I tell myself.
Posted by artandscience at March 21, 2007 05:22 AM