The recently released Sony PSP Slim 3000 has caused quite a controversy among new PSP owners who purchased their Sony PSP Slim 2000 units within the last few months. It has not even been a full year since Sony released the PSP Slim 2000, with its biggest feature being the ability to connect to a TV through AV output. Many are arguing that Sony‘s latest addition to its handheld family should not even be considered an upgrade of the current model. Let’s take a deeper look into the features of the PSP 3000.

The 3000 was unveiled at the Leipzig gaming conference last week. The unit has the exact same dimensions as its counterpart, the Slim 2000. However, there were a few upgrades. Sony gave the PSP 3000 a new anti-glare screen, which is supposed to make playing the PSP while outside a bit more bearable. This new LCD screen also features a broader color palette than the older model, which accounts for a brighter, more vibrant picture. Along with this new screen, Sony added a built in microphone to the 3000, which will allow many people who have access to WiFi hotspots peppered through-out a large city to utilize the PSP as a phone-like device with the built in Skype software.

Along with these hardware improvements, the Slim 3000 also features a few cosmetic improvements as well. The ‘HOME’ button no longer exists, as it has been replaced by a PSN button. It functions exactly the same as the old button, but instead has the Playstation logo instead of the word ‘HOME’. Also, the brushed aluminum ring which was featured on both the PSP Fat, as it has become known, and the PSP Slim has been replaced with a more polished and thinner chrome ring. The edges of the PSP 3000 have also been smoothed a bit so that it feels more comfortable while holding it in your hand.

Sony PSP 3000 will be available this October, featuring the colors Piano Black and Mystic Silver. All in all, if you’re already a proud PSP 2000 Slim owner, you might want to skip this upgrade as the anti-glare screen is only a major upgrade if you find yourself playing a lot while outside. However, if you’re looking to purchase a PSP, the 3000 is the way to go.

History

Although Sony made computers in the 1980s for the Japanese market only, Sony withdrew from the computer business around 1990. Later, Sony re-entered the market, this time globally, under the new VAIO brand, started in 1996 with the PCV series of desktops.

VAIO Brand

The VAIO is a sub-brand for many of Sony‘s computer products. The branding was created to distinguish items that used consumer audio and video, as well as being conventional computing products.

One example of this was the Sony VAIO W Series personal computer, which was a regular PC and a miniature entertainment center.

Sony is expanding the use of the VAIO label. It can now be found on notebooks, subnotebooks, desktop, and a hard-disk-based audio player that comes in both 20GB and 40GB variations (called VAIO POCKET player).

VAIO Features

High-end VAIO laptops are usually shipped with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium or Business, while low end laptops such as N series come with Microsoft Vista Home Basic.

As of October 2005, VAIO laptops are available upon request without pre-installed software at a slightly lower price. Most recently, some models no longer ship with a Recovery CD, but a special partition on the hard drive is used for the recovery information, including operating system and all bundled software. VAIO users are prompted to create a set of recovery CDs or DVDs immediately after purchase.

VAIO computers use Intel processors, Seagate Technology or Fujitsu hard drives, Infineon RAM, Sony (usually made by Hitachi) or Matsushita optical drives, Intel or NVIDIA graphics processors and Sony speakers.

Current VAIO ModelsAR – Flagship 17″ High-end multimedia machine
FZ – The first 15″ notebook with BluRay burner

CR – New 14″ derivatives of the FJ and C Series.

BX – Professional 4:3 notebook

G – Entry level Vista Laptop for professionals

N – Entry level Vista laptop for home users

TZ- 11.1″ professional notebook, perfect for long business trips with 7hour battery life

SZ- 13.3″ professional notebook

Bundled software

VAIO computers feature a wide array of specially designed or bundled software that help you to use the laptop for multimedia purposes. Many of these applications inspired similar software or integration into the Windows OS, e.g. Movie Shaker preceded Windows XP’s Movie Maker.

Additional software products in the bundle can include:
Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Elements. These products are bundled as part of the video and audio integration that Sony prides its VAIO series on.

SonicStage, a digital music manager. Integrated with Sony‘s Connect downloadable music service, it allows users to transfer music to Sony standalone music players, PDAs, or PSPs.

PictureGear, an image management software that predated popular programs like Picasa.

VAIO Zone, used for music listening, viewing photo slide shows, and watching TV (when a tuner card is present) and DVDs. VAIO Zone is an equivalent to Apple Front Row and Windows XP Media Center Edition.

VAIO Trivia

Sony named its VAIO line using an acronym for “Video Audio Integrated Operation.” The VAIO logo represents a combination of analog and digital signal technology. The ‘VA’ represents an analog wave and the ‘IO’ represents digital binary code.

The recently released Sony PSP Slim 3000 has caused quite a controversy among new PSP owners who purchased their Sony PSP Slim 2000 units within the last few months. It has not even been a full year since Sony released the PSP Slim 2000, with its biggest feature being the ability to connect to a TV through AV output. Many are arguing that Sony‘s latest addition to its handheld family should not even be considered an upgrade of the current model. Let’s take a deeper look into the features of the PSP 3000.

The 3000 was unveiled at the Leipzig gaming conference last week. The unit has the exact same dimensions as its counterpart, the Slim 2000. However, there were a few upgrades. Sony gave the PSP 3000 a new anti-glare screen, which is supposed to make playing the PSP while outside a bit more bearable. This new LCD screen also features a broader color palette than the older model, which accounts for a brighter, more vibrant picture. Along with this new screen, Sony added a built in microphone to the 3000, which will allow many people who have access to WiFi hotspots peppered through-out a large city to utilize the PSP as a phone-like device with the built in Skype software.

Along with these hardware improvements, the Slim 3000 also features a few cosmetic improvements as well. The ‘HOME’ button no longer exists, as it has been replaced by a PSN button. It functions exactly the same as the old button, but instead has the Playstation logo instead of the word ‘HOME’. Also, the brushed aluminum ring which was featured on both the PSP Fat, as it has become known, and the PSP Slim has been replaced with a more polished and thinner chrome ring. The edges of the PSP 3000 have also been smoothed a bit so that it feels more comfortable while holding it in your hand.

Sony PSP 3000 will be available this October, featuring the colors Piano Black and Mystic Silver. All in all, if you’re already a proud PSP 2000 Slim owner, you might want to skip this upgrade as the anti-glare screen is only a major upgrade if you find yourself playing a lot while outside. However, if you’re looking to purchase a PSP, the 3000 is the way to go.