My thoughts on the DSi

[iphys]

Okay, I couldn't stand the busted D-pad on my DS Lite anymore, and my dad just gave me some gift money, so I finally decided to get a DSi.  So far I'm really happy with it.  The matte surface not only looks a lot better, but it's much easier to grip, so no more DSL sliding around in my sweaty paws.  It's also a tiny smidge longer from the shoulder buttons to the front edge, which I think makes it slightly easier to grip.  I'm very happy they've moved the volume switch to the side, because my pinky kept coming up and accidentally sliding the volume to max on me on the DSL, which drove me nuts.  The D-pad is excellent, not at all stiff like it needs to be broken in, yet nice and clicky in all the directions.  It is actually noticeable that the screens are slightly larger, and it feels more comfortable to hold it farther away instead of hunching in to see those tiny tetrominos.  It's hard to find anything to complain about, but I did notice the AC adapter is bulkier than the one for the DSL, which seems a bit odd that they would make it bigger.

[Zircean]

Yeah, the DSi really is a nice redesign. I upgraded to it from my old DS Phat and I have absolutely no problems with it. Even the lack of a GBA slot doesn't bother me. The DSi Shop is a great thing as well, but at the moment it could stand to have a more comprehensive selection

And of course, there is this to look forward to XD

[TGM]

That's cool, my d+pad was broken too. (especially up lol). I called Nintendo even though my warranty was up and they sent me a new DSL half price.

[iphys]

Yeah, the DSiWare is nothing special at the moment.  You'd think they'd put lots of awesome games on there to motivate people to get a DSi, but they haven't.  I'm going to try to stay away from the homebrew on my DSi, because it sounds like it could be a lot of trouble with firmware updates, but I will miss playing LJ and TGM on there.

Wow, I never thought to call Nintendo, but I suppose it works out okay for them to sell you a new system half price if all they have to do is fix the D-pad and they can sell your old system as a refurb or something.  Plus, they probably usually only ever get like half the money from the retail price of the system anyway, since stores usually charge double what it costs them for their merchandise.  I'm going to get a tri-wing screwdriver and see if I can fix the D-pad myself; otherwise, oh well.  Oddly enough, my D-pad broke to the left even though you'd think it would be the up button that would see the most abuse from Tetris players trying madly to drop pieces and avoid getting topped out -- there've been so many times where I've been topped out and just kept bashing up really hard afterward in denial too.

[TGM]

Wow, I never thought to call Nintendo, but I suppose it works out okay for them to sell you a new system half price if all they have to do is fix the D-pad and they can sell your old system as a refurb or something.  Plus, they probably usually only ever get like half the money from the retail price of the system anyway, since stores usually charge double what it costs them for their merchandise.  I'm going to get a tri-wing screwdriver and see if I can fix the D-pad myself; otherwise, oh well.  

Actually they let me keep my other DSL. They sent me a new dsl unit (no charger or stylus). So now I use the older one mostly for touch screen games.

[iphys]

Heh, heh, playing around with the new DSi Flipnote Studio, and you can tell I have a one-track mind:

Flipnote

[iphys]

Okay, I got a tri-wing screwdriver and opened up my old DSL, and it's just the rubber pad that goes under the D-pad that is torn.  Actually it is torn in every direction except down (who needs down to play Tetris?), but the left side is totally torn all the way around.  The rubber is super thin where it's designed to press in, so it doesn't surprise me at all that these pads would tear, especially with the D-pad tilting and shearing it.  

Anyway, I found you can order replacement pads here really cheap:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1466
and they also sell the screwdrivers you need:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2905
so it's a really cheap repair job.

[TGM]

That's cool, I'll try that. I need a tri-wing to replace the backlight in my pda anyways.

[TGM]

I received the replacement pads. They were easy to install and I can hard drop once more! They don't feel as good as the original ones but they're not bad.
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[iphys]

Lucky!  I haven't got mine yet, but I ordered something else that they must not have had in stock, because they only recently shipped my order finally.  The D-pad will feel better with time I hope.  Kind of lame that Nintendo doesn't sell official replacements, but companies these days always seem more interested in selling more products than making them last.

[tepples]

Actually it is torn in every direction except down (who needs down to play Tetris?)

That's what you ask until someone T-spins the tar out of you.

[iphys]

Heh, heh, yeah, I do do a lot of T-spinning, but I guess it's not so hard on the D-pad when it's only the T's and you're just holding down rather than madly tapping.

I got my pads today, and honestly, I can't see or feel any difference from the original -- could come from the same factory as the ones that go into the DSL.  Anyway, my DSL is feeling brand-spanking new, so maybe I'll try to do my Tetris playing on that so I don't kill the D-pad on my DSi.