| It cannot be used as a flotation device, and it doesn't contain any elements of first aid. Maybe this book can't save your life. What it can do is help you get the very most out of a PSP, provided that you have one handy. Before you get started, take a look at what we'll try to accomplish in this handy tome: Part 1, which you are reading right this very second, introduces the PSP and this book, and takes you on a tour of the wondrous device. It goes on to tell you about some interesting things you won't find in the cryptic PSP manual, as well as how to take care of the PSP and keep it working. After all, the PSP is not big enough to be an effective doorstop. Part 2 goes into stunning detail about playing games and watching movies on the PSP through the amazing Universal Media Disc (UMD) drive. This is stuff you can do even without hooking the PSP up to a computer or a wireless network. Part 3 asks, "Why stop at the stuff Part 2 blabbers on about?" If you've got a PC, you can do a whole bunch of other really cool things with your PSPthings like playing home movies, playing music, and displaying photos and other images. Part 4 ups the ante by introducing you to the World Wide Web through your PSP and a wireless network, including those trendy hot spots that seem to be popping up everywhere. Chances are good that if you're in a coffee shop; a bookstore; an airport; a library; or, heck, on this planet we call Earth, you're probably in a hot spot. Part 5 has its own philosophy. It asks, "Why stop at games? Why stop at movies and Web stuff? Why stop at the limitations that Sony has tried to place upon this device, which turns out to be even more versatile than the company intended?" Using the Web, you can get what are known as homebrew goodiesprograms that'll run on your PSP that weren't written by, licensed by, or approved by Sony or anyone except the author of the given application. The appendixes contain information that, although relevant and upstanding in its own right, didn't really fit in with the rest of the book. The poor, ostracized topics include a rundown of cool PSP accessories and converting video, audio, and picture formats so you can get media to work on your PSP.
Does that sound like a pretty decent book? Then buy it! This book is the manual that should have come with the PSP. It's the reference for using that little multihundred-dollar gadget that will ensure you get every cent out of those multihundred dollars. I intend it to be easy to understand and especially to cut through the jargon that permeates the geekier selections and Web sites about the PSP. Ideally, you'll find the prose friendly, informative, and just the slightest bit entertaining. It's broken into lots of sections and subsections, with lists, sidebars, and bite-size nuggets of goodness, which in effect makes it excellent bathroom reading. If you've already bought the book, thanks! Let's get on with it, shall we? |
