The PSP's successor, the Playstation Vita, was announced this past January with a lot of fanfare. Many sites were cautiously optimistic to be downright excited about the new system- after all, the PSP turned six years old in March, and a subsequent upgrade was long overdue considering that time span.

First off, I am the owner of a PSPgo. I started as a proud owner, then a still kinda happy owner, and now it's just "meh". Here's why:

• There was little to no synergy between the PS3 and the PSP go
• No Trophy support
• 16 GB can't store that many PSP games
• System apps included in updates were either stupid or had a non-user friendly installation process
• The PSP Store had an underwhelming library, and the games in that library were way too expensive

For $250, the least the PSPgo could have given me was a better UI, more memory, and a couple of free games to compensate for having to get rid of my entire library of tangible games.

But enough about the PSPgo; let's move on to this generation's issues. The Sony Xperia Play, the PSP Phone that Sony addicts have been clamoring for over the past 3 years, made an underwhelming debut. Sure, it plays PSP games over an Android base, but reviews have cited it as too awkward and an overall "lacking" device. And because it's basically a PSPgo/Android phone, it comes with the issues outlined above that plague the PSPgo.

Sure, the PS Vita looks pretty awesome; it has a touch screen, dual analog sticks, and improved graphics; but is that enough to take back market share? Personally, I don't think so, and I'll tell you why.

1. It's a dedicated gaming device
Sorry Sony and Nintendo; your systems are slowly becoming less relevant. Gaming devices can't just be gaming devices; they have to be phones, office suites, music players and more, all wrapped up in a sleek little package that can beam 4G. The Vita is coming into a market where all-in-one devices rule. They're smaller, sleeker, and faster. Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 may be working out a few kinks, but it complements my Xbox 360- not to mention I can pull up Office documents on it or play Xbox Live games and inflate my gamerscore on the road.

2. Sony overcharges for their games.
Prime example: Angry Birds on the iPhone? Just under a buck. On the PSP? $4.99. That's a 400 percent markup on a game you can download on virtually any other device for less. EA has created- iPad specific versions of their better games, and the most I've paid was $6 for Madden '10. Even at full price, it would have only cost me ten bucks. On the PSP Store, Madden '11 and '10 were both $40. Sony has shown that it wants to continue charging a premium price, and in today's marketplace where you can get the same product for less on a different medium, they can't afford to do that.

This time around, Sony has to make a conscious effort to keep their games competitively priced; if that means that they have to charge $20 or $30 for Madden on the NGP, then so be it. Back in 2004, 2K Sports, then still making NFL games, charged $20 for a new copy of NFL 2K5, while EA Sports still charged $50 for Madden 2005. 2K Sports may have cut their profits, but they definitely increased sales, exposure, and market share- let's not even mention that those games often bested Madden in innovation. If Sony wants to put a Vita in every gamer's hands, they'll have to improve pricing; maybe even imposing a $30 cap on all games would help. My iPad may have set me back a small fortune, but the apps are so cheap that it balances out.

3. Their Minis suck
Around the time they released the PSPgo, Sony also introduced Minis to their store; these were to be sub-100MB games that cost little to nothing- obviously their attempt to cash in on the App Store craze. Well, it didn't work out so well. Sony only released a few Minis a week, and most of them were highly obscure games that nobody ever heard of. On top of that, some of these Minis cost as much as $5. Listen Sony, if you're going to capitalize on Minis, only one price needs to be on your mind. NINETY NINE CENTS.

As a final nail in the coffin, Sony announced at Minis launch that Pac Man Championship Edition would be one of the flagship Minis. Guess what? They waited so long to release it that the game's successor, Pac Man Championship Edition DX, the more than worthy sequel to the original, was released to consoles before the original made it to the PSP. Sony will definitely have to do a better job here if they want to compete.

4. Nintendo is still king
Yes, I said that dedicated portable gaming systems were becoming less relevant, but that doesn't mean that Sony still isn't a big seller. The DS was crushing the PSP even when the PSP was in its prime. The DS is seen a much more accessible device for all demographics, while the PSP is only aimed at serious gamers. Guess who wins that battle every time? That's why Microsoft began repositioning the Xbox 360 a few years back as a family device that is living room worthy, and that's a decision that has paid off really well for them.

Bottom Line:
Sony is releasing the Vita in the 4th Quarter (i.e. holiday season) of 2011, but if I were them, I would have pushed the launch up to August or September; the PSP product, for the most part, has been out of the public eye, and Sony just recently annunced that they were no longer manufacturing the PSPgo in all but a few countries. They need a clean break from the first generation system for now, and positioning the new system and building it's hype for the holiday season is what they need. Otherwise, we could see Sony exiting the handheld game a lot sooner than planned.

Five. Five Dollar. Five Dollar Rip Off.

Let me make my point clearly and quickly.

Apple's App Store has spoiled me.

Let's get this straight. I pay 99 cents for an app on my iDevice, and the same app may cost me up to five bucks on a Windows, Android, Nokia, or Palm device?

Now, to be fair, a lot of this comes from the fact that the App Store is so competitive that price cutting is the only way to get your name out there; the coverage ranges from a few blogs advertising the price cut to making the "Featured Apps" section of the App Store. If you've got a pretty decent following, and you make your app free for a few days, you just may climb up the "Top Downloaded Apps" chart as well. The 99 cent price point is the cheapest an app can be without being free, and with so many apps to choose from, sometimes a company's only advantage is making the price cut- and even then, success in the App Store isn't assured.

If your really think about it, a lot of popular 99 cent apps out there are worth a lot more than that. Consider Angry Birds, a sure first-round ballot pick for the App Store Hall of Fame, if there ever was one. The iPhone app has been 99 cents since day one, and yet they keep adding content to increase the playability of the game. Even Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio have the same price point and constantly add new content.

Right now, considering that the original Angry Birds is inching closer to its 200th level (and probably 300-400 for the entire series), it could be a $5 game and be worth its weight. But why doesn't Rovio up the price- especially considering that the iPad version of the game costs $5 and still stays near the top of the Paid Downloads list? There are two answers to that- one, Rovio sees the original Angry Birds as a gateway drug of sorts. You buy the demo, then you're willing to spend a stupid buck on the game. You buy the dollar game, then you buy the other two games. Rovio basically gets $3 a user on the iPhone/iPod Touch, and all they have to do is rearrange some blocks here and there, and test the level to make sure its beatable- a process that probably doesn't take much time and effort.

Two- Simply put, As long as Angry Birds keeps its cheap price point, it stays at the top of the boards. As long as it stays there, iOS users can see how highly revered it is. How many times have you tried an app just because it was in the Top Downloads section- especially if it was a free or a buck?

Let's also take a look at Flipboard, a free news app that was dubbed the iPad App of The Year in 2010 by Apple. Flipboard also stays near the top of the free app pile, and is featured prominently in Apple's "Gotta Have Apps" and "App Starter Kit" categories, as well as one of Apple's iPad commercials. Very quickly, Apple saw the value of Flipboard, and what it could do for the iPad. But what is an app like Flipboard doing not even selling itself at a buck or two? Well, the same reason Angry Birds only sells for 99 cents- the coverage. People will take a chance on a free or cheap app, especially if they see that others are doing the same and have come to like the app. Besides, more coverage means that the Flipboard team can branch out and do other work for high pay based on the success of the Flipboard app. I'm sure other tablet manufacturers have reached out to Flipboard about porting the app over.

I've mainly talked about Apple up to this point, but it's for a reason; other app stores don't have this sort of competition swirling. Ovi (Nokia), the Windows Marketplace, and even, to an extent, Android, don't have to undercut competitors to stay relevant because their app stores are so much smaller than Apple's. Thus, they can charge $5, the app's true worth, for an app that's 99 cents on the App Store.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is why Apple's got such a stranglehold on the industry. If not a stranglehold, then at least a half-nelson.

Half Nelson. Heh heh. My last name is Nelson. Get it? See what I did there?

Oh, forget it.

Twelve iPad Apps for Young Professionals

It seems that over the years, gadgets get smaller, faster and more efficient. Just 15 years ago, people had big, clunky computers running Windows 95 (and even then, we thought those computers were small). Now, gadgets like the iPad are small, nimble, and pack more features than ever- not to mention that they're affordable. If you're young (like me) and are a professional (like me) and own an iPad (like me), then here are 12 apps that will help you streamline your workload, your class work, and your personal life.

1. iWork, $9.99 per app

iWork may be on the expensive end of the office suite spectrum in the App Store, but let me tell you- you get what you pay for. Apple has put together a robust, effective trio of software options for the iPad. The best part? You can buy all three apps separately at $9.99 a pop. Keynote is the best of the three, as putting together presentations on the fly is simple and fun. Pages and Numbers are great as well, and they serve their purpose. All three can import and export documents as iWork files or Microsoft Office files. My only complaint is that iWork uses a limited number of fonts, so not all documents translate well.

2. Bento, $4.99

Bento, to put it best, is a database app. That means that tasks like billing, inventory tracking, and other information strongholds can be stored here. If you have the Bento program for your Mac, you can sync data between the two.

3. Zillow, FREE

Are you a young professional looking to relocate? Tired of your dorm, that crappy apartment, or even your city? Check out Zillow. You can set parameters for what type of housing you're looking for, how much you like to pay, and Presto! Zillow pinpoints all your search results on its map, complete with address, pictures, and the realtor's contact information. Even if you're looking for a full fledged home, Zillow tracks not just homes on the market, but homes that aren't but have a "Make Me Move" classification as well. Highly recommended.

 4. Linked in, FREE

Linked in is actually an iPhone app, but since all iPhone apps are compatible with the iPad and the screen size can be magnified, I'm counting it in this list anyways. It does all the basic features that you can do on the website, and that's all you'll need- after all Farmville and your professional life should never meet...unless....you work for the company that created Farmville.

5a. Pulse News Reader, FREE

The best customizable news reader on the iPad, hands down. For the longest time, I used Flipboard, which is also pretty awesome. My biggest gripe with Flipboard, however, was that it wouldn't allow me to import blog feeds. Pulse allows me to import blogs, tweets, Facebook pages, and full fledged websites (Pulse finds the RSS feed). This is the only third party app in my dock, and for good reason.

5b. Flipboard, FREE

UPDATE: Flipboard was named the iPad App of The Year for 2010, and for good reason. I blasted Flipboard in my blurb about Pulse, the app directly above this one, but a major update to Flipboard added blog/RSS capabilities, as well as a slew of other improvements that really make this app the quintessential digital magazine. This should probably be the first app you download when you receive your iPad, but if you're not into the magazine style, try Pulse. 

6. Skype, FREE

Here's another iPhone size-doubled app. Okay, so you may not have video. But you still have free Skype-to Skype voice and IM chatting. In addition, most Bluetooth headsets are compatible, so this app is still versatile. In addition, you can make calls to any phone line for merely $2.95 a month. With multitasking causing Skype to update its app to be iOS 4.2 compliant, you can keep it running in the background while you work, and it will notify you when a call comes in. In addition, Skype has added video functionality for those who use the app on an iPhone/iPod Touch. With cameras being added to the second generation iPad, this app will increase the value of the iPad to not only the casual users, but also to the corporate world.

7. USA Today, FREE

USA Today is the canned comedy routine to Pulse's Second City improv. While there's no customization of USA Today other than the weather settings, there's still a lot to like here. The layout is superb, and a free app that sends you national headlines straight from the paper itself every morning is a nice change from the overpriced Wall Street Journal.. Last month, I stayed at a hotel that left free USA Today papers at the doors of all guests. I fingered through the paper, and at the very least, all of the headline stories were already on my iPad version. They weren't shortened "free versions" they didn't require a subscription to read, and I got all of the same pictures, except mine were crisper. The app also includes the daily USA Today crossword puzzle-what more could I ask for?

8. Kayak, FREE

In the past year, Kayak has gotten a lot of publicity, and rightly so- they're trying to compete with the more established Expedia and Travelocity- no small feat. In essence, they're no different than either of those two sites...except in the app department. Looking at the screenshot above is a good representation of how to describe the app- it's informative. You've got a small search box, a map, a list of previous searches, and a hotel slider to the right with options for your destination city. The cherry on top is the Explore feature- it allows travelers to broaden their horizons. Say you want to travel over the summer, but you don't know when. Just set your parameters to June-August, then select your preferred activities, price, and temperature, and Kayak fetches the lowest flight for every qualifying city. Most excellent.

9. Blackboard, FREE

Most college students have to use Blackboard at one point or another, so it's nice to know you can have it at your fingertips. Blackboard is a college file-sharing program that allows teachers to post announcements, class materials and grades. Not much else to this app, but it gets the job done when you're trying to use your iPad as a super-student assistant.

10. Dropbox, FREE

Dropbox, a file sharing app, is a great way to store important files online that you;ll need access too elsewhere. The great part is that you can add users to your dropbox, effectively creating the perfect collaborative software. You can upload your part of the proposal, while Mike and Sue can download it from their end and add their parts and re-upload. It's like having a download base without needing a website!

11. iStudiez Pro, $1.99

the iPad may have the iCal app, but it can't track your school assignments and their respective grades, now can it? iStudiez has an assignment tracker, notification when they're almost due, and you can personalize the grading scale (Sure, Mom! Of course a sixty percent is an A minus!), since every school varies. It may not be totally necessary, but for two bucks, it's a nice addition to your home page.

12. CourseSmart, FREE

Textbooks are way too expensive, not to mention that you don't hold on to half of them after the end of the semester anyway. CourseSmart is here to remedy that. For 180 days, you can rent an e-textbook and use it to your heart's content. The app allows you to highlight, take annotations, and much more. Even better is that most textbooks normally cost between $60 and $85. Since a new textbook normally costs $200 and you sell it back for around $100, you still lose $100. So why not save a little more for you Broke College Student Fund?

If you were to download every app on this list, you could have a professionally stocked iPad for about $40, and that's not a bad deal. Most of the financial weight comes from the iWork suite, and not everyone will download the whole trio of apps. If I missed an app that you think is worthy of this list, or if you think an app on this list isn't so great, add a comment to the post!

Qranking out Questions

If you don't know yet, I'm a HUGE trivia buff. So it comes as no surprise that Qrank is one of my favorite trivia apps on the iOS, and even if you don't have an iDevice, you can still play the game by finding it on Facebook. The best part? IT'S FREE.

A game of Qrank in progress. Note the
three current events questions in the
400 point zone marked with a leaf. There's
also a question counter at the top that
keeps a tally of right and wrong answers
for that game.

The premise is simple: there's a game board with 20 questions, as seen to the right. Questions are ordered by difficulty and split into zones worth 200, 400, and 1000 points. Each day, 4 different categories are used, and any unused question with a leaf on it means that the question covers current events, so if you're an avid news reader, you're more apt to be more successful with those questions. You can play any 15 questions on the board, but the big catch is that you can only play the game once a day. So once you've played all 15 questions, you're done.

The game has a cavalcade of achievement badges attached to it- one of the most notorious being one that requires you to play the game every day for 365 days. But the one that I was most adamant about earning is called "Published", and is only given to players whose submitted questions are used in the game. It's a really smart way for Qrank's creators to generate content without running into writer's block.

So I've submitted a couple questions, but imagine my surprise when I saw that I had earned the Published Badge myself. I was a little nervous because I hadn't played the game in about a week, and my question could have been used anytime over that span. But I was lucky enough to catch it on the day it was used- the writers edited my question by switching the question content and the post-question anecdote, but I'm ecstatic that it was even used in the first place. Check it out below- sorry I didn't get screens of the four answer choices.

If you're not playing Qrank, you need to. Even if you're not a trivia buff, it's a great way to spend a couple of minutes each day- hey, you may even have a shot at beating my score!