Sony Entering The World Of Tablet Gaming?
As you've probably noticed, Android is gaining momentum in the tablet wars. Sony mentioned the "Playstation Suite Certified" credentials for new mobile devices at the NGP event; now it seems that they may be tackling the trendy new hardware platform head-on by releasing their own tablet. Engadget also notes a quote uttered by Sony CEO Kaz Hirai in early January:
"Strategy encompasses driving the development of a variety of new strategic products and services including tablets currently in development as well as smartphones, all the while of course integrating the knowhow and the assets that we've accumulated from our PlayStation business."The allegedly-forthcoming machine, codenamed the S1, will be a 9.4 inch tablet running Android 3.0. More pertinent to us in the gaming community is that the device will be Playstation Suite Certified, allowing user to enjoy classic PS1 titles on the go.
I've warmed to the idea of tablets over the months -- my mobile demands are few, encompassing all of browsing the web, doing a bit of typing, and enjoying casual games. In fact I even considered the iPad as a replacement for my felled laptop -- a wondrous, expensive beast that suffered what could aptly be described as "death by cat." Unfortunately, as my bank account is riddled with red numbers and sad faces, I would only be able to afford a mechanically-unsound pile of metal held together with scotch tape and hope value-priced alternative. While playing PS1 games on a tablet seems like quite the draw, I'm not terribly enthusiastic about the prospect. Virtual controls are still a problem for me; I've never taken to them, and I don't see the fundamental discomfort I have with non-button buttons going away, despite the much larger screen. However, if touch-screen games are your thing, I think it's a decent buy (albeit a mighty expensive one, with a report price of $599) if you're in the market for a portable device.
What do you think, readers? If you own a tablet, or perhaps are considering purchasing one, share your thoughts in the comments section!
Super Swede
Posted to Hardware, Video Games on 16 February 2011
· Comments (2)
Other stuff like this: android, sony, tablets
If you don't really have the money for a tablet, then I'd recommend a netbook. I bought an Acer Aspire One a couple of years ago when I needed a cheap, portable computer and it did everything I'd hoped.
The advantages of netbooks are
- full-size keyboard
- control over the OS: you can buy one with Windows 7, or install Linux
- laptop form-factor: means you can run PC programs on it (and they still beat apps).
Mainly, though, high-end netbooks are now a little old and can be found heavily discounted... so they're affordable. And a high-end netbook will be much better quality than a low-end tablet.
Plus I love having, essentially, a laptop I can hold by the corner with just two fingers.
That's my thinking right now. I checked out used netbook prices a couple days ago, and they're astonishingly cheap -- right around the $200 range. I'll no doubt be limited to flash games (and retro PC classics), but at least it will be something for if -- or with my crap luck, when -- the internet goes down and i need to skip off to a coffee shop to upload something to the site.