by Stacey Pace

Created on: May 23, 2009

The DSi is the new updated version of the Nintendo DS Lite. Anyone who is doubtful as to whether this update will be better than the DS Lite should sit down and compare the DS Lite with it's predecessor, the original DS.

I was sceptical of the DS Lite at first and it wasn't until they were side-by-side that I could see the clear improvements in shape, screen brightness and battery life. I'm sure many of us will be the same with the DSi. Let's look how it shapes up in comparison to the DS Lite.

The screen size of the DSi is around 3.25inches - 17% larger visual area per screen than the screens on the DS Lite. To go with this the volume and sound quality has also been improved. This DSi is also 12% thinner (around 3mm) than the DS Lite to make it more portable. This has meant having to lose the GBA game slot. This slot was also used for the camera and browser that were sold as separate add-ons.

The browser is now incorporated into the device itself. It was developed by Opera and Nintendo together and is now faster than the original GBA game card style browser. The speed of the Wi-Fi has also been increased as has the processing speed. The DSi has been boosted from 67 Mhz to 133 Mhz and also seen the expansion of the internal RAM by four times that of the DS Lite.

There are now 2 integrated cameras, one on the inside hinge and one on the lid. While they are only 0.3 mega pixel cameras they work well with the first and third party software and are suited to the DSi style graphics. Choose from 11 different camera lenses and then edit photographs to send to friends. There is now also an audio player that allows you to record your own voice, change the pitch and speed up audio.

The main feature is the inclusion of an SD card slot on the right side, where the power button was on the DS Lite. With this comes the ability to download games and DSiWare from the DSi online shop. This is similar to the Wii Shop Channel and will work in a way that allows DSi owners to download games direct to their DSi and carry it around with them.

So to sum up then the DSi is an evolved version of the DS Lite. On first look it may not be as dramatic an update as the DS Lite was to the Original DS but it has definitely moved on and will ensure the continuation of DS gaming. This evolution will make the DSi a more portable console with a sleeker look and no need to carry extra games around in your bag as they'll all be either in your DSi internal memory or on your SD card.

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