The age of the single-purpose device seems to be over. Portable games consoles like the PlayStation Portable can play back music and video, so it comes as no surprise that portable media players (PMPs) now also offer gaming. The new JNC SSF-M800 even looks more like a games console than a PMP. The unit comes with built-in directional buttons on the left and selection buttons on the right, just like most game controllers. Despite its looks, however, the gaming capability of the SSF-M800 is limited. It comes with two preloaded games, and you can download more from the internet, but the process is far from easy. To download more games, you have to buy a prepaid card from one of their service centres in Causeway Bay or Tsuen Wan. Only then can you go to the website, www.iomv.com , to download more games. A quick look at the site only yields five games although JNC claims some 50,000 games are available online. Luckily, the SSF-M800's media-playing features are far superior to its game play. Available in 1GB or 2GB models, the SSF-M800 features a 2-inch TFT LCD, and supports an extensive range of media file formats that including WMV, DivX, AVI, MPEG-4, ASF, JPEG, text files, OGG and of course, MP3. There is also an FM radio and a voice recorder. The SSF-M800 is a great idea and there is a lot of potential for this type of device. With downloadable software, there is no reason why the capabilities of the SSF-M800 should be limited to games. Why not a calendar, a calculator, or any other type of application? But JNC hasn't done much to cultivate a developers' community to produce more applications. So while the idea has merit, its execution lacks conviction. Also, with a price tag that starts from about $2,000 for the 1GB version, it's in the same range as devices like the PSP, which has a huge software community behind it and wireless networking. PROS: downloadable games, dedicated gaming interface CONS: limited games availability, complex download procedure
