Nintendo DS

[Zero101]

Nintendo announced the price and release date of their new portable game console yesterday.... (http://www.nintendo.com/newsarticle?articleid=6a6f583d-1711-47be-b03c-d64d6bdd1d66)

...and the price and specs put most PDA's to shame. :cry:



For the cost of a Palm Zire 31 (http://www.palmone.com/us/products/handhelds/zire31/), the Nintendo DS has the following specs (http://www.planetgamecube.com/hardware.cfm?action=profile&id=220):

- Two ARM processors

- Two 3" LCD screens... one of which is touch sensitive

- 802.11b wifi

- Stereo sound (one speaker on each side of the system)

- Li-Ion recharchable battery


8O



Granted.. I know the videogame business operates under a different business model than the PDA makers of the world... but good grief, that's a lot of nice hardware for a very reasonable price. I can't wait to see a PDA with those specs at a similiar pricepoint.

[Wiggster]

Granted.. I know the videogame business operates under a different business model than the PDA makers of the world... but good grief, that's a lot of nice hardware for a very reasonable price. I can't wait to see a PDA with those specs at a similiar pricepoint.

Yea, but Nintendo can stand to lose $300 on a $150 unit because they know they'll get it back with game licenses. Also, Nintendo doesn't have to deal nearly as much with warranty replacements as PDA makers do. So while the PDA makers can't make much extra money on a PDA after it's sold, and have to use overhead to cover service and support, it'll be a while before we see them at the same price as comparable game consoles. :|

[ignar]

Yes, it's pretty impressive specs. I wonder if someone can develop a PDA pack so that we can use it like a PDA? I also read this article (http://www.livejournal.com/users/qdot/79692.html) this morning.

[JackTheTripper]

Someone should have a contest. First person to load Windows Mobile on it get's $xxxx :lol:

[dean_shan]

Nintendo takes a profit loss on the systems. They make all their money on software.

[Fishie]

Nintendo is one the only videogame company that does everything it can to NOT make hardware at a loss.
Its the reason they neutered the snes, n64, GB, GBA and GC from their original specs.

For snes the design documents clearly stated it had to be delivered at 99$ at a profit.

Most of their other hardware had features removed until they could meet a price point where they wouldnt lose money on the hardware(its why the N64 didnt have an optical drive and no dedicated sound hardware like it did in the original SG designs, its why the Snes lacked the dsp chips(forcing Nintendo to include the dsp chip in every single launch game since the games had been programmed with the dsp in mind) and the fast 16bit 68k processor) etcetera etcetera.

The GC at 99$ is the first time Nintendo sold hardware at a loss to my knoledge.

I am also pretty sure that manufacturing the DS costs them below 200$.