Nintendo DS Lites Go Online

The last game console that I owned was an Atari in 1983. My hockey team was raffling one off and when I won it, I was so excited that I ran all the way home to show my parents. I spent hundreds of hours on that machine with my friends. I've always loved video games and still play a lot on my computer, but I have never owned a console since.

With two boys in my house, I have been thinking of buying one. I looked at XBox 360s and did a lot of research into the new PS3s that are going to be released soon, but when the salesman at Best Buy told me this summer that these consoles were pre - priced at $700 I began to have other thoughts.

I ran into the Nintendo DS Lites and almost immediately I was hooked. These small dual screen machines have super long battery life, and good, fun games appropriate for young boys. They allow my kids to play against each other wirelessly and they can even get play against other people around the world through the built - in wi - fi connection.

After I bought these machines, I remarked that it would be good if they had an address book and calendar function since many adults are buying them for themselves. I also wondered if there was a way to hack them to get online. Doing a bit of investigation today, I found a few videos on YouTube of a soon to be released version of the Opera browser that will load onto the DS Lites! While still needing some work (slow loading, not supporting Flash), this could be an interesting product. The Lites retail in Canada for about $150. Buy a few of these for a classroom, hook them up to a wi - fi connection and you have an instant handheld research tool. Kids can sit in the classroom and do all of the research they need to from these affordable small machines. While they would be limited for inputting text for things like blogging, it would be possible since the screen has a small keypad that works with the built in stylus similar to how you type on a Palm Pilot.

Nintendo would be wise to market these small machines carefully.

technorati tags:nintendo, ds, lite, opera, classroom

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Comments

[Andrew Pass]

A few years ago a friend of mine's two sons each had a Nintendo DS. The younger son was finishing first grade and had a very difficult time with reading. One day I started writing messages to him on the DS. He was having fun, struggling to read the message, but still having fun. So he kept up with the struggle. Soon he was reading. These little toys have very worthwhile purposes.

Andrew Pass
http://www.Pass-Ed.com/blogger.html

[Alexis]

How or what do you need to get for nintindo ds to be able to go online

[snes roms]

I'm getting my DSi next week ! Can't wait ! :)