ResearchThe Sony PlayStation Portable - Page 2
Sony has also addressed data storage and transfer, sort of. There's a USB jack, a memory stick plug-in, and it's own Universal Memory Disk system. The UMDs, as they're called, are like miniature CDs encased in a tiny cartridge which pop into the unit. They also pop out with a press of the eject mechanism, which is more of a UMD-launcher suitable for close-quarter ranged combat. UMDs boast a hefty 1.8 Gigabytes of storage, so there's another way that the PlayStation Portable thinks it's a laptop PC. Now, officially, Sony, like any electronic hardware manufacturer, would frown on deliberately hacking their device to do anything they didn't intend it to do, like, say, run Linux. Nevertheless, if you buy one just to take it apart and modify it, they still make money, don't they? The increasing demand for features that resemble those of a full-blown computer have made the portable console market increasingly enticing for those who fiddle with this sort of thing. Sony has made some disapproving noises and patched some holes, but users will continue to crack around these measures.
The Sony PlayStation Portable has perhaps been bitten by it's own ambition. Because they sought to offer something more than a game console, it's game-playing functionality has been pushed further and further down the list of considerations. It has instead become a multi-media toy and cracked box for the tech-geeks. It's video and sound capabilities have set a new standard, but also led to more cracking to release movies and music from proprietary format and even has created a small black market in pirated media. Thus, the PSP has started a new chapter in the conflict between what electronics manufacturers think we want, and what we really want.