To this end a new and more advanced (and also a new business model comes into play) model is to be released called the Nintendo Lite DSi. The new DSI is due out in the US and Europe in the spring of 2009.

The specification for the new DSi console is as follows:

- The screen size has been Increased up 3.25 inches from 3.0
- The DSi has dual touch screens instead of the single screen on the Nintendo Lite
- The resolution of the screens have been Improved up to 640 x 480
- A new 3 megapixel Camera has now been built into the unit
- The DSi is now thinner overall and reduced from 21.5 to 18.9mm
- Now with On-board storage facilities
- A built in SD Card slot to give extra capability and storage
- A built in MP3 player
- A staggering 12% lighter
- A Built in browser that can be sued to purchase and download games online

NOTE the 'Built in browser' facility!!!!! This is the part of the specification that is vital to the new Nintendo Business model. Apple and iTunes make millions a year from download media, as do microsoft with xbox 360 live and now nintendo want their slice of the pie as to speak.

The new unit seems from the onset very nice but to be honest do we really need a camera built in or an MP3 player? I don't think we do with all the current phone technology having these built in and I personally do not know a household who do not have at least one mp3 player.

At the end of the day nintendo want people to upgrade the current unit as many do with apples iPod mp3 players, but I think nintendo have got this one wrong. Specifically in the area of the downloadable games and media. The new DSi will have regionalised downloads, so unlike the current Nintendo Lite you cannot buy a game in japan or the UK to use within the US; you will be locked to games from within your region.

This is I believe an attempt to claim back some ground on the piracy of roms and Moonshine type cards that are currently freely available (R4, M3 and Edge etc) at relatively low cost. But to not allow the backward compatibly with DS games on the DSi is also another short sighted move. Many parents have spent lots of cash on DS Games for themselves and their children for the current ds consoles (brain training, mario karts etc) and if they upgrade the games will be effectively cash down the drain. This will i believe be the biggest stumbling block to the upgrading of DS to DSi consoles.

The new DSi is release in japan in early november and schedules for released in the rest of the world in the spring of 2009. How this will fare? only time will tell....

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