The Nintendo DSi is about 12% thinner (2.6 mm) than the Nintendo DS Lite. The new handheld has two VGA (0.3 megapixel) digital cameras; one on the internal hinge pointed towards the user and the second one in the outer shell.[ It also has larger screens (3.25 inches, instead of the previous 3 inches) and improved speakers. The power switch has been replaced with a power button, as the original DS had, now located next to the bottom left side of the touch screen. The DSi has five brightness settings compared to the DS Lite's four; however, battery life is reduced to 14 hours on the lowest brightness setting compared to the 19 hours of its predecessor. The internal rechargeable battery can still be replaced by the user at the end of its useful life of (typically) several hundred charge/discharge cycles.
Nintendo DSi has something for everyone, containing more functions to bring you more fun! Keep a photo diary via your Nintendo DSi Camera; store and play music with Nintendo DSi Sound; or why not browse the web on your Nintendo DSi via the Nintendo DSi Shop! New features include larger LCD screens, SD memory card slot, improved speakers and a slimmer unit.
Take photos with your Nintendo DSi Camera and manipulate and play with the images – real-time interactive imaging software makes the photo taking experience different from that offered by any other portable device. With 11 different types of lenses to choose from, edit, morph and distort your photos. You can even use the merge lens to blend two faces together! Watch slideshows of your photos, store your photos on your Nintendo DSi and exchange photos with other Nintendo DSi users.
Store and play music with Nintendo DSi Sound. You can also play with any music that you have on an SD memory card – make your favourite songs play faster! Learning a foreign language? Slow down the playback of someone speaking in that language so it’s easier for you to learn! You can also record sounds using the microphone, and edit them to create new sounds.
Nintendo DSiWare will not only be games you can download, but also practical applications. Nintendo will launch a variety of applications, giving you the option to download the applications that work for you. This will further personalise and enhance the functionality of your Nintendo DSi.
The new features also include the dual LCD screens being 17 per cent larger than those on the Nintendo DS and PictoChat is now available in colour as you can choose between a black or rainbow pen!
Nintendo DS software is compatible with Nintendo DSi, except for software that requires the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot, as this has been removed resulting in a slimmer Nintendo DSi.
