STORAGE devices

[9c1lt1pkg]

I wanna buy a PSP, and not very familiar with gaming systems, bought it for use while working.. anyhow. cam I use those flash sticks for memory that plugs into the USB port, This way I can have several to store stuff, or can I use a portable pocket HD 40 gig and store stuff on there, using the USB port ???


after reading some of the forums there are a lot of updates and versions and firmware.. what does all this mean for someone who wants to play games, watch movie listen to music ETC ETC ???

[cosmicnut]

OK, first off, you can't use USB sticks, etc.
The PSP has a USB port but it can only connect the PSP to a device that has USB Host, basically a PC/Mac.
I did see a portable hard drive once, that had USB Host and can download files to the PSP. The only problem is carring and powering both devices.

There are 2 main ways of giving the PSP more storage.

1. Memory Stick Duo's. These flash cards are now quite cheap for 1/2 Gigabytes of storage. A 2 gig card will hold a tonne of music or at least 2 movies (more if you loose a little quality). New 4gb and 8gb!!! sticks are becoming more available. A little expensive but that will change as more are made

2. PSP Hard drive. This is a third party add on. It's a 4gb hard drive. The problem is that it adds a lot of bulk to the console. It also needs a bigger battery as the moving parts take more power.
It's also expensive compared to the memory sticks. Now we have 4gb memory sticks, it's a little redundant.

As for firmware, 2 schools of thought.

1. If you want all the official functions and features go for the latest firmware.

2. If you want homebrew apps and emulators. Go for a lower version firmware, or even use a custom (non Sony) firmware. This is slightly dangerous as you can "brick" the PSP (this stops it from switching on. The only repair that can be made is a new motherboard, which is expensive).
However there are a load of new apps and emulators that make it worth it.

Basically, check the homebrew section of this forum and see if there are apps there that you would want to use.

[9c1lt1pkg]

What would a "homebrew" be used for. Im looking for entertainment while board on a train at work, Id like to surf the web, play games watch movies, maybe listen to some tunes etc.. But all this talk about homebrew and firmware, makes me wanna give this purchase a second thought..

[Constantine]

If all you want to do is that, then don't bother with homebrew. It's for people who want to play NES, SNES, Genesis, run applications, ect on their PSP.

Constantine

[cosmicnut]

Yeah, I wouldn't worry. The only time you would have to mess around with firmware would be if a game needed it. If you keep it up to date you won't have a problem. It's easy to do, don't worry about.

However, I would suggest a quick look at the homebrew section. You can safely ignore all of it if you want but it does give you some options.

If you just want to use the basic PSP apps and games, you need 2 things

1. Keep the formware up to date. You can do this by getting your PSP on line. You can also download them from the web and put it on the memory stick.

2. get yourself a nice large memory stik.

Personally. I have the latest firmware and two 1gig cards. I don't miss homebrew.

[9c1lt1pkg]

so in order to have the updates you have to have all these memory cards lying around, with the updates on them :roll:

[Constantine]

No, you download the latest FW, upgrade, then delete it from your card.

Constantine

[Dylan_]

Where do you d/load firmware from?

[Constantine]

if you have a wireless connection, just go to 'Network Update' from the XMB. If not, go to Sony's site and dl it from there.

Constantine