PSP to take on iPod?

News - Sony plot new music download service

Whilst the PSP handheld's impressive connectivity is already well documented, the wireless LAN technology may be used for more than just OS upgrades in the future - with Sony already plotting more ambitious software to take advantage of their burgeoning gadget. Currently, the PSP can connect to the internet via a wireless access point in order to check for updates - a feature which will eventually add new game content and other oddments too, once software development is complete. Marketing magazine this week claimed however that the new software would progress beyond software to offer music downloads too, with the hope that a product functioning solo on the PSP might be able to rival Apple's iPod and iTunes dominance of the increasingly important download service market.

Sony may be hoping that the PSP will give their role in online media something of a boost, after recent efforts have failed to catch consumer imagination. Certainly, the outstanding functionality of the PSP may give them an eventual edge, with the opportunity existing for downloadable movies and other media; in addition to MP3s. The PSP downloads updates and other content to the optional memory stick, available in sizes up to 2gb at a cost. The success of such a service then is greatly dependent on several factors: the cost of storage media (falling), the availability of wireless access (sporadic) and of the course the quality and usability of Sony's software (unknown). We'll keep you posted.