Nintendo DSi

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Features

The DSi sports a new, improved menu system, reminiscent of Apple's Cover Flow interface on the iPod touch and iPhone. The lower display shows a series of horizontally grouped icons--each representing an application--and a speech bubble above the centre-most icon, explaining its function. Icons can be browsed by swiping a finger, or the stylus, horizontally across the display.

The status LEDs have been repositioned to the far left-hand side of the hinge.

The most useful icon will probably be the one for running whatever game you've inserted into the console's main slot, but other applications--specifically designed for and pre-installed on the DSi--will catch your eye long before you've launched any games.

The first of these, DSi Sound, allows you to record audio with the built-in microphone and then--if it pleases you--modify the speed and pitch of the recording until it either sounds like a chipmunk or a Dalek with a sore throat. It's utterly pointless.

More usefully, DSi Sound doubles as an audio player for your digital music collection. The system is capable of playing files encoded in the AAC format--the same format used by Apple for its iPods. As a result, it's compatible with DRM-free iTunes Plus tracks, which is commendable. But it lacks compatibility with MP3 files, which--from our perspective--makes the application almost redundant, unless you're willing to convert your MP3 collection to the AAC format. The amount of music you can store depends entirely on the size of the SD/SDHC card you've bought to go with the console.

Here we see "Slot-1", for connecting your games; the stylus; and the SD-card reader, for storing music, images and so on.

The DSi Camera application allows users to take snaps with either of the DSi's cameras. It's also possible to use up to 11 different "lenses", or effects, including "graffiti", which applies speech bubbles to your pictures, and "mischief", which superimposes a cartoon pig's nose, a moustache or comedy eyes onto your own features. It's fairly pointless, but kids might like it. For a few minutes.

The DSi can be connected to the Internet via its integrated Wi-Fi module. To do this, users must access the DSi Shop menu, which gives you the option of downloading free and paid-for software upgrades--known as DSiWare--including a Web browser. DSi Browser, as it is known, was co-developed by Nintendo and Opera, and fine-tuned specifically for the DSi hardware. Further applications--simple games and such--will appear over time.

PictoChat, the instant-messaging software bundled with the original DS, makes an appearance on the DSi. Unfortunately, Nintendo seems to have missed a trick by not enabling videoconferencing--the application is as basic as ever, and only allows communication via text, smilies and simple drawings.

Tags: Lid, Hinge, Camera, Nintendo GameBoy, SD card

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