Nintendo's Press Site

Earlier in the year, on April 5th, 2009, the newest handheld toy came out of Nintendo; the DSi. This is the one that you, as a parent has to hide from your child. It's just that good.

Out of the box, unlike many electronic devices that contain rechargeable batteries, it came almost completely charged. So, in other words, out of the box, it was ready to play. Like its predecessors before it, the DS lite and the DS, it was a breeze to get started. The graphics are top notch. This high level of graphics though, was expected from the gaming pioneer.

Sound quality was another plus. The realistic sounds and voices of the games, really put you as a first person as if you are in a true arcade with the stereo sounds.

Nintendo decided to kick it up a notch though with the DSi. There are many attractive features that were not seen in the DS Lite or in the DS. These features make it sought after by parents, not just for their kids, but for themselves. HighSchool and College aged kids and adults can also appreciate some of the newest features, as will baby boomers and GenX'ers.

WiFi compatibility is greatly improved in the DSi, and the WiFi capability can connect with all wireless points, whether secured or not secured. This means that if you are at a public WiFi spot that is unsecured, or that of your home which should be secured, you will be able to access it seamlessly. For testing purposes, the DSi was connected to the writers home wireless network which is secured by a WEP key. The only caveat is that you must know your key or have access to the router admin software. Another realm of testing consisted of driving around to known WiFi spots in the area. Whether it was at a fast food establishment, cafe or a laundromat, the WiFi of the DSi picked up on it and connected to it with speed and ease. The WiFi is great for playing games online like Mario Kart which is WiFi compatible on the DSi.

Another great feature, are cameraS. Notice the upper case "S" at the end of camera. Yes, there are two. One facing the user which is the "inner" camera, and the other is on the opposite side of the upper LCD screen. You can take pictures with either camera and edit them with many tools including colorizing, morphing and adding on facial accessories; noses, ears, glasses, etc. You can even write on the photos as well. A calendar will show you all the pics you have taken on a certain day. A memo area within the calendar can let you take notes on that day. You can take those photos and upload them to a well known social networking site which will be mentioned shortly. You can see an example of an actual DSi photo on my Facebook page HERE.

The DSi comes standard with a browser that is powered by the award winning Opera, which is much like its big cousin the Wii and its internet channel. In actuality, you might call this a "Web Enabled Gaming Device with cameras that is really cool." DSi, however is a shorter and easier to remember name. It does not have the large memory that a PDA or even even Web Enabled Phone may have, so using Opera to view full sites such as Ebay or Myspace, etc may give you low memory errors. This is not a problem though, as the writer has a perfect solution. All you need to do, is utilize a web sites "mobile" address. So for instance, instead of www.paypal.com, you would use m.paypal.com (or what ever it says on their site for mobile access). By using a mobile site which might even be what your Web Enabled Phone uses, you cut down on needed memory and still get the great surfing on the go.

Ok, so the DSi, is a great step up from the DS and DS Lite, but there is one feature that I might even call the coup de gras. It is why it was mentioned that this could be a "toy" of interest for baby boomers and genx'ers, not just the kids.

Ready ? Wait for it ! Three words..."Seamless Facebook Integration". You read it right. Any photo you take can be uploaded to your Facebook via any WiFi connection. You were given a link to the writers Facebook page where the profile photo was actually taken from his DSi.

You can also play music/sound files on the DSi. It is compatible with m4a, mp4 and 3gp file extensions. You can play them right from the (purchased separately) SD card that fits into the slot on the right side. You can even edit those sounds (like you do with the pictures) with various filters. You can give it a robot sound, a tunnel sound, a parakeet sound or the old faithful, "I inhaled a balloon" helium filter.

With the WiFi integration, you are not tied down to just game cartritges. You can download direct to your DSi, titles known as DSi ware by shopping at the Nintendo DSi Shop right on the DSi. You will need DSi points which can be purchased at an authorized retailer or right from the DSi shop by clicking Add Nintendo DSi Points.

Obviously, one article can not tell you every reason you would want this. However, you can be told why you might! The upgraded DSi is is just another milestone that once again proves Nintendo is not just a pioneer in handheld (and full size) gaming, but the clear cut industry leader

For more info: The DSi can be purchased at most retail outlets. Including Amazon