Sony exec on vid iPod: What, me worried?

[wraggster]

Source - Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000583063886/)

In a BBC TV interview last week, Sony Chief Executive Producer Phil Harrison put on a brave face and announced that Sony isn’t concerned about Apple’s new video iPod. Quote: “No, we’re not worried.”

If it weren’t just necessary bravado (executives aren’t allowed to admit to being afraid or needing their comfy blankies), we might be inclined to believe him. As it stands, though, the new iPod could put a serious crimp in Sony’s plans to sell the PSP as anything other than a portable gaming device.

Here’s a quick comparison of the two products from the video playback angle only:

Resolution: iPod 320x240; PSP 480x272 (advantage: PSP)
Storage: iPod 30GB and 60GB; PSP memory sticks up to 4GB (advantage: iPod)
Commerce: iPod video store uses familiar iTunes interface; PSP lacks video store or central video clearinghouse of any sort (advantage: iPod)
Usability: getting video onto iPod is part of the product design; PSP requires third-party compression software and technical know-how (advantage: iPod)
Portability: iPod weighs 4.8 and 5.5 ounces; PSP weighs 9.17 ounces (advantage: iPod)
Operation: iPod is made for one-hand operation; PSP requires two hands (advantage: iPod)
What we’re really hoping is that the iPod creates within Sony an urgency that will allow the PSP’s product designers to ditch technologies that are holding the console back and push through changes that have been shot down in the past for political reasons. The good folks at Sony know what’s required for the PSP to compete with the iPod, but political considerations and warring internal factions can result in compromises that cripple product popularity.

[Stocat]

The ideal solution would be to be able to use an ipod as a dumb hard drive for the psp...Has anyone ever tried something like that?

[scx0r]

psp has usb, mounting an ipod is very much like mounting a psp... if you can mount both a psp and a ipod on a linux operating system , which ive done in the past with a sodding ngage.. then in kernal-mode on a psp it should be in theory possible to mount a ipod to the psp itself.

Concept is: get a two way usb cable for ipod and psp... plug them both in, mount the ipod as a drive on the psp.

issues arise: usb speed limitation, external device look ugly , but maybe a future ipod and psp combining case goes on sale? hehe.... w00t

my belief is this is 100% possible.

[scx0r]

also take a ipod drive out of the case , psp supports up to 32gig win32, connect it to psp and off u go ... microdrive supported right? ipod= microdrives.

[shadowprophet]

Sony isnt worried.
And why would they be?
The new ipod is going to be spiffy.
But people get so cought up in tecno fantasy that they soon forget to use common sence.
The new ipod plays videos and music pics.
The psp plays videos. music.pics games.
The point here. is people complain enough about the psp controls
As far as that goes the ipod has less features.
unless they put some serious thought into designing a control sceme for it.
Nobody should be worried.

Fact of the matter is no matter how popular the ipod is it just cant compeat with the psp.
So its got a hard drive. Big whoop.
The psp is getting a hard drive.
And after much thought.
I dont see the reason in getting one of those either.
Sure its the newest gizmo for the psp.
And it comes with that x2 battery.
But the hard drive will see to it that you wont see much more battery life out of it then before.
realizeing it will be faster then a memstick.
I already have a one gig card. So why should I go spend 199.00 bucks for a psp hard drive only to profet three gigs.
And really not even three full gigs either.
No.
I can see myself haveing one tho once homebrew finds a praticle use for the hard drive tho. The faster load times will make many things possible.
So I will have one. But not untill I see there is a real use for it.
Im not gonna buy one just for the shiny new gizmo aspect of it.


Now back to the topic at hand:D

[Argon0]

Also the article fails to mention the size (not resolution) of the screen. And the fact that you can go into any video store and buy a movie for the PSP (i.e. UMD) - you can't do THAT with an ipod!