Hacking DS vs DSi - which to get?

[Quark^2]

I'm going to treat myself to either a DS lite or DSi sometime this month.
I'm really in doubt which one to get, both have their advantages and disadvantages to me. I'm gonna put em here, and please try to comment on my positive and negative points for either, since I will be basing my decision on them

DS lite
+ Slot 1 2 (GBA)
+ No chance of flashcart-blocking update.
+ Homebrew (with extra RAM possible in slot1)
- 4MB RAM
- Not as good hardware as DSi (touchscreens, smaller screens, fewer RAM)

DSi
+ Faster processor (133MHz vs 67MHz)
+ SD slot (great for homebrew)
+ 16MB RAM
- No slot 1 2 (GBA)
- Small chance of flashcart-blocking update.
- No (DSi native) homebrew yet
+ DSi native homebrew has great potential (once possible)
+ The extra features like DSi shop, cameras etc.
+ Opera browser
+ Free 1000 points

What I want to do with the DSlite/i is:
- Play DS games
- Play GBA games (important, but an alternative is to get a cheap GBA flashcart for my old GBA)
- Use homebrew (very important to me)

What is kinda boils down to is this:
DSi has no slot 1 2 and no DSi homebrew yet. DSlite has a slot 1 2 (for GBA games and RAM expansion) and a blooming homebrew scene.

Conclusion
If I had to buy one right now I would go for the DSlite + M3 Perfect pack. And that's because the DSi has no homebrew capability yet.

 

[wchill]

Slot 1 = DS slot.
Slot 2 = GBA slot.

The DSi does have the capability to play GBA games, but nothing so far has been announced by Nintendo or any 3rd parties.
The DSi can use DS homebrew except that which requires a slot 2 device. Eventually it will have DSi homebrew.

You also forgot about the DSi Shop, cameras, AAC music player, rainbow Pictochat, 5 brightness settings, soft-reset, ability to change brightness in game, WPA/WPA2 support.

 

[Quark^2]

Slot 1 = DS slot.
Slot 2 = GBA slot.

The DSi does have the capability to play GBA games, but nothing so far has been announced by Nintendo or any 3rd parties.
The DSi can use DS homebrew except that which requires a slot 2 device. Eventually it will have DSi homebrew.

You also forgot about the DSi Shop, cameras, AAC music player, rainbow Pictochat, 5 brightness settings, soft-reset, ability to change brightness in game, WPA/WPA2 support.
Oh yeah, thanks for correcting. I mixed em up

I didn't mention the DSi shop, cameras etc because I don't really care about them. But good points anyway.

The DSi can use DS homebrew except that which requires a slot 2 device. Eventually it will have DSi homebrew.
Oh I thought that nothing was possible right now. So basically all interesting (to me) DS homebrew can be run on the DSi already?
ScummVM needs slot2 RAM expansion for a few games, so that won't work until the DSi native homebrew is possible.

QUOTE(wchill @ May 4 2009, 09:39 AM)

The DSi does have the capability to play GBA games, but nothing so far has been announced by Nintendo or any 3rd parties.

How will that work? GBA VC, downloadable through the DSi shop?
That means that once DSi homebrew works, an emulator can be ported to DSi homebrew...

 

[wchill]

Since the DSi has 4x the RAM, you could theoretically stream a GBA game from there, as well as a faster Slot 1 (as I remember it).
Edit: and I also forgot about two other bonuses:
-1000 free DSi Points if you connect before October 7, 2009
-Possibly softmodding the DSi to run DS games from SD or internal flash

 

[Joe88]

smaller screen shouldnt be really counted as a disadvantage since both the DSi and DSL have the exact same screen resolution
all it does is stretch the image

 

[wchill]

Oh, and I forgot the free Opera Internet Browser which is much more responsive BTW.
And DSi homebrew has far more potential than existing DS homebrew, better add that as a pro.

 

[Quark^2]

Ok. 1000 points is nice too.
I value running homebrew very high, so native DSi homebrew will be awesome.

It still boils down to slot2/GBA vs. DSi homebrew.

If DSi native homebrew won't be possible (if the DSi won't be hacked) then it's gimped compared to the DSlite.
Once it's hacked, the DSi will be the true successor to the DSlite.

 

[wchill]

Remember, loopy already has the DSi encryption keys, so we can expect some DSi homebrew from him soon enough. How else was he able to provide a NAND dump from the DSi? It's encrypted for Christ's sake.

 

[Vague Rant]

Since the DSi has 4x the RAM, you could theoretically stream a GBA game from there, as well as a faster Slot 1 (as I remember it).

It's still only 16MB though, and GBA carts were released with sizes up to 64MB. Besides which, there's a long distance between theory and practice; if you buy a DSi with intentions of playing GBA games on it, you're basically paying for the possibility that either Nintendo will try to sell you GBA games you already own and/or only sell certain games, which may or may not be the ones you want, or the possibility that the DSi will be hacked and someone will pop along and write up a GBA emulator; and you'll still only be able to play games up to 16MB.

 

[Quark^2]

I read that rumor too, that loopy has the DSi common key.
However, since I couldn't find any further details I dismissed it as a rumor. It would be awesome if he has the common key, that means that DSi homebrew is indeed possible in the near future.

Got anymore details about it?

(I'll change some points in my OP)

 

[Frederica Bernkastel]

DS.
DSi looks bad, the extra features are all done better on phones and also they added homosexual piracy protection.

Buy a DS Lite, they're only £70 right now.

also, the 1000 points is non transferable, and will deplete after about 3 purchases.

 

[wchill]

True, but as I said, since Slot 1 should be faster (that's what I've heard), you could stream GBA games from Slot 1 as necessary. I don't care about slowdowns as long as the damn games work.
That's not a big problem though, I care more about the other stuff.

 

[Vague Rant]

Where did you hear that the DSi has a faster read speed?

 

[wchill]

Places, I couldn't provide links since I don't remember where I read that (You mentioned this on IRC I see).

 

[ojsinnerz.]

DS.
DSi looks bad, the extra features are all done better on phones and also they added homosexual piracy protection.

Buy a DS Lite, they're only £70 right now.

also, the 1000 points is non transferable, and will deplete after about 3 purchases.

It looks better than my DSL, in my personal opinion. The improved D-pad is fine too. Yeah, the features were done better on phones, but no phones have good video games now, does it? Piracy protection isn't doing anything, since Nintendo really isn't making a lot of firmwares. The DSi flashkarts work fine, and that's all I really need. Still, the battery on the dsi is shorter.....

But in the US, the price difference is only about 40 bucks. If it was in like, Canada I'd recommend not to get one for awhile, due to the $60 price difference. I'd grab a DSi over a DSL, only because because the OP doesn't have a ds already.

As for the GBA, I already have a psp, so I can emulate, but if it's needed I'd just grab a GBA flashkart, or play it on my computer......

 

[wchill]

Ah yes, there's also better, more responsive controls.
The stylus design is improved.
Smaller.

 

[Quark^2]

Ok. I'm leaning towards the DSi now.
I can live without a slot2, as long as we'll have native DSi homebrew soon(ish).

Anyway, ofcourse I gotta buy some accessories with it (screen protector, flashcart, SDHC card).
I'll probably wait for the M3 Real i next month. No real hurry.

 

[Lubbo]

definetly DS Lite with M3 Perfect Bundle Version which is what i have also and im so happy with it especially Sakura

 

[Chris_Skylock]

Here's the deal. You stated you need a GBA game, right? So get a DS Lite then. Why bother asking?

For new comers, it is recommended to buy the Nintendo DSi but if you demand one then go ahead, buy the DS Lite.

If people demands for the DS Lite against the DSi, Nintendo will continue the sales of the DS Lite. But for new comers, it is recommended to buy a Nintendo DSi. It was told in the Nintendo Press Conference last Oct. 2008.

Play GBA games? get the DS Lite

Play the DS games? get the DSi.

me? I'll get it just for the camera and the music. Also, it's for my collection. I have an Original DS, Nintendo DS Lite x2, and a future Nintendo DSi

 

[ojsinnerz.]

Here's the deal. You stated you need a GBA game, right? So get a DS Lite then. Why bother asking?

For new comers, it is recommended to buy the Nintendo DSi but if you demand one then go ahead, buy the DS Lite.

If people demands for the DS Lite against the DSi, Nintendo will continue the sales of the DS Lite. But for new comers, it is recommended to buy a Nintendo DSi. It was told in the Nintendo Press Conference last Oct. 2008.

Play GBA games? get the DS Lite

Play the DS games? get the DSi.

me? I'll get it just for the camera and the music. Also, it's for my collection. I have an Original DS, Nintendo DS Lite x2, and a future Nintendo DSi

Where the hell did you hear this? Nintendo officially said that they'll continue the sales of the DSLs for a long time. There's no reason to kill off the DSL any time soon, and they won't be.