"Nobel Pink" DS, Browser for DS = no buy

(tags DualScreen, Nintendo, hardware, purchase)

"Nobel Pink" DS lite was on display (but not for sale) on Wednesday. I didn't buy it nor do I plan to. But I checked out to see how pink it really is. If I had to settle for a DS Lite, pink would be it.

I also took a look at the Nintendo DS Browser for DS and DS Lite over the video internet. For me, it's a no-buy, because I'm a heavy Internet user and the small screen even with the magnification won't satisfy me. Where would I use it, what would I view? Japanese input is the horrendous a-ka-sa-ta order that you see on ATMs but at least there is word completion. The direct Kanji input method is there, though, touch screen with the win. English is a sub-standard qwerty keyboard, thank gosh (?), with a romaji conversion function like a PC's hinted but not explained. ATOK input method in the house.

Actually the gimmick factor of reusing the ol' game machine for something continously renewable like Internet browsing still attracts me. But a part of me fears that I have to keep continously scrolling left to right. What if I want to read slashdot? What if I want to read Bloglines? How will I do del.icio.us? Will I have a problem reading free speculative fiction online? Will it break up english words on justification just like in Japanese? Will it be better than my old handheld offline browsing standby: Sony Clie Palm TJ25 PDA (320 x 320) with Plucker?

At least ordering it is easy. Of course you can get it from Nintendo, but Amazon, Sofmap, Yamada Denki, and another bunch of stores have direct linkage.

Wait and see, wait and see.