Rubbish Inventions of the Modern World: Playstation Portable

The chances are, if you are buying Christmas presents for a 10 year old boy, a Sony PSP will be high on the list.




But before you head into Currys and give the 17-year-old counter assistant £150+ of your hard-earned, read on.

As a portable games console, the PSP does a job and certainly rivals the competition but it's not just a games console, meaning that the PSP files perfecty well under 'P' for 'Pointless'. Don't believe me? Here's a run-down of the so-called 'features' that the PSP has to offer:
MP3 Player:
OK, but why carry around a big clunky games console when you have a mobile phone, iPod or other mp3 player that will do exactly the same?
WiFi:
Why? How many 10-year olds know how to set up a wireless network? More to the point, why would a 10-year old want to download mp3's through a wireless network onto a MS Pro Duo card? Your average 10-year old just wants to play Grand Theft Auto, regardless of the fact he's not 18 yet.
Movie Player:
Why again? Firstly, UMD discs are like hen's teeth to find and they are a darn'd sight more expensive than your standard DVD's.
Even why you can find one you can afford, the chances are that the battery will cut out half-way through the film.
A wrist strap:
The day you start listing a 'wrist strap' as a feature is the day you know you've made a product that can't live up to the hype.

There you have it, yet more consumer advice for the unaware Christmas shopper.