Apple vs. Sony?
The Sony PSP and Apple's iPhone are great little devices, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Apple is starting to tout the gaming capabilities of its portable device, and although there is no direct competition between the two, people are beginning to question the need for a dedicated portable gaming device.
We all know that the iPhone has a lot of features, but does it do them all well? I still carry around several gadgets, simply because they all do their specific tasks better than any all-in-one device. Now the Apple Advertising Phalus is trying to make me believe that the iPhone is a worthy gaming device?
It is my belief that the PSP is the most superior portable gaming device, across all markets. Here are my Top 8 Reasons why every self-respecting gamer should have a PSP, regardless of what other portable devices you have.
 
8. The PSP is cheaper
It can be argued that a PSP with extended battery and huge Memory Stick can cost more than the iPhone, but that is simply not true.
In actuality the PSP ($169) with 16GB memory cards($100) is still cheaper than a 16GB iPod Touch ($299).
The 8GB iPhone 3G ($199) may appear a good value at first, but becomes exhorbitantly more expensive when you consider the additional charges you pay just to keep the iPhone running. You can pay nearly $100 a month for Voice and Data service, costing you over $1,000 in the first year alone. Even if you found the best deal in the world, you're still essentially "leasing" your iPhone from Apple (or AT&T, however you choose to look at it).
7. The PSP's storage is upgradable
The maximum capacity of the iPhone is currently 16 Gigabytes, but most people will opt for the cheaper 8GB version (there is no way that 8GB of flash memory is worth $100). That may seem like a lot of space, unless you actually use the iPhone's capabilities. If you use this device for music, videos, and games, then you'll have to manage which entertainment gets priority... you ONLY have a maximum of 16GB so you can either have a lot of MP3s and a few videos, or a lot of TV shows and a handful of MP3s. And then you have to make some space for your documents and downloaded applications... and the storage isn't upgradable.
With the PSP you can upgrade your storage capacity with removable Memory Stick cards. They can be purchased rather cheaply (I bought an 8GB card online for $30, and 16GB can be had for $100). You can have a 16GB card for large games, another card for your music, another for emulators... and 32GB sticks are coming.
6. PSP batteries are replaceable, upgradable
The PSP comes with an 1800mAh battery, which allows for 4-6 hours of nonstop playtime (or up to 11 hours of audio). Upgrading to the 2200mAh battery allows for up to 8 hours of gaming. Assuming you could actually stomach playing an iPhone game for that long, you'll only be able to do that for a few hours (especially if you have a battery-sucking 3G)... and then you lose the use of your phone until you can find an outlet.
If your PSP dies, you can simply throw in another battery. You can't do that with Apple's devices.
5. Overclockability
Even with a CPU and GPU designed for gaming, a modern PSP game can sometimes slow down to choppy framerates. The Solution: Overclock the processor. The chip in the PSP is rated for 333Mhz and a 166Mhz bus, but is underclocked to 222Mhz by default. Once running at its full potential, you'll never experience a slowdown. You can overclock on-the-fly with some specialized software, or upgrade to Sony's 3.5 BIOS, which releases any underclocks. Continued on next page...
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