Ah, can’t wait for march 24 to arrive - that’s when I’ll get to savor the smell of a brand new PSP: PlayStation Portable - Sony’s slick, new handheld gaming device and its answer to Nentendo’s GameBoy, DS and Apple’s iPod. The size of a large taco, weighing only 8.36 oz, PSP is the hottest consumer electronic device of the year - a true multimedia wonder, complete with Wi-Fi wireless capability and high-quality video and audio in addition to what‘s it meant to do: play graphically rich PlayStation2 quality games anytime, anywhere! So, now I can play Grand Theft Auto or Need For Speed: Under Ground while sitting on the toilet - how cool is that! =D

PSP was released in Japan last December and immediately sold 200,000 units on the first day of release. It’s set to hit North America on March 24, 2005. It’s got a gorgeous 4.3" widescreen (16:9) Hi-Resolution TFT display and built-in stereo speakers. In it, you can watch movies (The first million PSP will include Spider-Man 2 on a disk. ), music videos and browse though music collection. You can also hook it up on the net wirelessly and play online multiplayer games.

I actually got a change to take a first hand look at one few days ago. Turned out that the kid who owned it was in the black market - getting PSPs out of Japan and selling it here in the states for more than twice the price :-

Me (admiring the PSP in my hand): Wow! Looks really nice!

Hip-Hop Looking Kid (resuming the racing game, Ridge Racer): Yo, use this right here (pointing to the round black button sitting on the bottom of right hand corner: the analog controller.)

Me: Aha!

(at this point I’m almost hypnotized equally, by the blazing graphics and the movement of the ingenious button-stick under my thumb)

Me (without looking away from the screen): Where did you get this? Someone got it for you from Japan?

Hip-Hop Looking Kid: Ya want one?

Me (now looking up): I can get one? (a little perplexed) ….I thought it isn’t due until the end of the month!

Hip-Hop Looking Kid: Ya get this from me.

(hinting towards a crowd of people on the other side of the street, who seem to have similar taste in clothing) I can give you one right now. $500 a piece. I’ll throw in a free game. If you buy more, lets say 10 of them with your friends, you get one for free.

Handing the PSP over, I quickly pulling myself together from the initial surprise.

Me (drawing an “interested” look on my face): You got a number I can reach you at?

Hip-Hop Looking Kid (pulling out his cell phone, reads me his number): It’s ___ (can’t remember what he said his name was).

Me (taking the number down in my cell): Alright, then. I‘ve got your number now.

Hip-Hop Looking Kid: Ayight!

I started walking away…when I looked back, I saw him showing it off to another guy - may be this time its a ‘real’ potential early buyer (unlike me) with 500 bucks to shed.

I remember telling myself, I can wait.