I’ve had my PSP since launch (about 6 weeks ago), and it already seems like an eternity. How did I ever live without this thing? I’ve definitely started playing games more often, but the real gain is all the fun I’m having waiting in public places. 20 minutes until my table’s ready?…it’s NBA Street time! I can’t believe I used to just people-watch or read grimey, picked-over magazines.

Where the PSP has come in handy:

The Department of Motor Vehicles
Jersey Mike’s Subs
Jiffy Lube
Delta Airlines
Palmetto Grande Theater
Traffic Jam
Dr. Gardener, DDS
Cincinnati Airport
Bank of America
Pizza Hut
Orlando’s Pizza

The reactions of people are great…they all want to know what it is, what games I have, what else it does, etc. Hopefully more people will be carrying soon, as I yet to have a impromptu head-to-head game with a stranger. So charge that PSP, haul it around at all times, and I’ll see you at the DMV!

My buddy and I challenged each other to get all the PSP media options buzzing over the weekend. Although I didn’t get started until Sunday afternoon (during my son’s naptime), I have to say that for the record, I was impressed! It took only 20 minutes to get photos, music, and videos loaded onto the PSP (and that includes cropping the photos to the widescreen format). Here’s the skinny…

MUSIC - This was the easiest of the three by far. Plug in the PSP, and create folder called ‘MUSIC’ inside of the ‘PSP’ folder. Drag a .mp3 into the folder, and enjoy. Cool, but let’s face it - it’s still no iPod!

PHOTOS - Just as easy to upload as the music, except that I did some cropping so that my photos would show full screen. Create a folder called ‘PHOTO’ inside of the ‘PSP’ folder. Drag a .jpg into the folder, and enjoy. Any size will work, but I used 480 x 272 so it would be fullscreen and as small in file size as possible without stretching. Also, if you want a folder, just create one in that ‘PHOTO’ folder…PSP will recognize. Anyone know how to delete the ‘digital camera photos’ folder that magically appears, despite not being on the memory stick?

VIDEO - By far the most difficult and least thought through by Sony. Instead of following the pattern for music and photos, the PSP requires that you create a set of folders starting in the root of the memory stick. Not a big deal if you are a technophile, but my Dad would have had trouble with this. Now, the fun part. PSP Video 9 is what I used…and wow, what a tool (NOT). I could only get a standard .avi converted (.mov, .mpg, .wmv would not work). It also managed the transfer for me, once I manually pointed it to my PSP. The software had 2 updates over the weekend, so hopefully the developer is working on the huge number of bugs (’Transcode Cancelled’ anyone?). And Sony…where are you? Where is my video software? You are dropping the ball! So, since I can only convert the high quality .avi’s I have made myself, I now have a 45 second video eating up 8MB of my 32MB memory stick…nice! Despite the problems converting or loading video, it looks great when it plays. Some better software and a bigger memory stick, and I’m in business.

All in all, the PSP rocks the proverbial casbah. If you have tricked yourself into thinking you don’t need/want one of these, WAKE UP!