On the left hand edge we have the WiFi button used for wireless gaming whilst a symmetrical button on the right edge turns the unit on or off. Bizarrely, rather than simply opting for a three position switch for you to flick between on, off and hold (which freezes button control, ideal for when you're carrying the unit as an MP3 player for instance) instead we get a rather unsatisfying springed tab that flicks back to centre when you switch on or off. It does the job but feels unnecessarily complicated and ultimately less sure. The charging socket sits to the right on the lower edge and potential importers will be pleased to note that the supplied AC adapter that comes with the Japanese model is suitable worldwide. All you will need is a figure of eight power cord, like the ones supplied with PS2's in your country: plug that into the adapter and off you go - you're around two hours away from on the move.

On the top you'll find the IR receiver, a USB type B port with which you can connect to your (using a cable exactly like those supplied with Sony's digital cameras) and the release switch for the UMD port. The UMD's themselves are tiny discs about two-thirds the diameter of a Gamecube disc. They're housed in a plastic cartridge much like a MiniDisc, a necessary step considering that opening up game cases and handling exposed discs on the move is more often than not a precarious business. Flick that and the slightly fragile disc drive opens up from a hinge at the bottom of the unit. Not only does it flick open a little weakly but it also looks fragile, certainly far more vulnerable than the hidden cartridge slots of the DS. In fact, as gorgeous and as well constructed as the PSP unquestionably is, you won't have the confidence to test its durability in the way that you would a GBA or even DS. Joints creek and innards rub if you contort it too much; you'd definitely brick it if you ever dropped the thing. I was recently asked by my girlfriend to show it to her seven year old brother. Bizarrely, she was a little upset when I refused outright (as was her mother, but there was no goddam way it was ever going to happen).

Still though, in the same way that you'd love to get your hands on Kylie, you know she's probably very delicate so you wouldn't want to handle her too roughly anyway. The PSP is a sophisticated and succulent device and you'll want to take care of it. It's due to this that the gloss sheen of plastic that coats it is such a double-edged sword. On the one hand it looks sumptuous; everything on the front of the unit, bar the silver finish that lines the outer edge and the transparent shoulder buttons, is coated in it, even down to the dark buttons and d-pad. The downside of this is that this plastic smears like no other substance in the known universe. You'll spend as much time gently polishing the soiled areas that surround every button as you will playing the bloody thing, at least for the first few days, after which you begrudgingly become accustomed to it.

Boot up the PSP for the first time and what was amazing before becomes mind blowing now. Once lit, the bright, clear and richly coloured screen is a real marvel to behold. Even more great news for importers here too - when you boot up the machine the first thing that greets you is the language options. Choose English and the OS will never chuck a single bit of Japanese at you (unlike some of the Japanese games). Speaking of the OS, it's clear and minimalist in much the same way as the PS2's and whilst it isn't especially flashy it is functional and very easy to navigate. From here you can set the system options, access various media stored on the device and boot up any UMD's. The standard PSP package doesn't come with a memory stick though the Value Pack includes a 32mb card. However, if you're serious about using your PSP as a media device as well as a gaming machine then you'll need to be buying a far larger card. Unfortunately, Memory Stick Duo's are one of the more expensive cards available, though 512mb cards are available on the internet for around £50 if imported.

The media options are good even if a little fiddly. Pictures can be stored and viewed and look wonderfully vibrant on the large screen. More interesting is the MP3 support and with a large memory stick the PSP can work as a quite competent MP3 player, even if it lacks the subtlety and ease of use of an iPod. Movie playback is a tad more troublesome however, though if you do get it working the results are excellent. Sony have claimed that will eventually launch on UMD but until then MPEG4 video files can be streamed from the memory stick. Unfortunately, not only does a minor file adjustment need to be made on the memory stick itself (as explained here) and any movies you save have to be given a specific name, but any movies you wish to watch must also be converted into the MPEG4 format. Sony has released software for the job over the internet but not only is it all in Japanese, you must also be registered in to download it. Programs are available however (such as in the previous link) and if you're prepared to take a little time with it you can indeed get video on the move. Saying that, it took me one hour and three separate programs (and three hunted down shareware downloads too, for that matter) to get one of my DVD's onto my PSP! Either way it's certainly not as easy as it should be and if you want to get an entire onto a 512mb card you'll have to knock down the video quality by some degree. An episode of Blackadder or however will fit on nicely and be at near DVD quality.