Article: Mandy J Watson from Ideas

Should you choose a computer, which you will have to upgrade every few years to stop it becoming outdated, but which has the widest selection of games and edutainment (educational entertainment), as well as additional features, such as Internet access?

Should you rather opt for a console, which has a longer lifespan and doesn't require upgrades, but which has much more expensive games and far fewer edutainment titles? There is no right answer, only your personal preference.

Computers

Windows-based PCs are designed for gaming. The huge variety of games are becoming more and more high-tech, with better graphics, more realistic game content and better artificial intelligence, which has resulted in manufacturers constantly striving to develop better hardware. This forces consumers to upgrade their computers to keep pace with newer games taking advantage of the new hardware, in a never-ending cycle.

A good gaming system will cost you anything from R6 000 (entry level) to R20 000 (high-end), and beyond, not counting upgrade costs.

Game prices: R250 to just over R300; R90 (classic games); R20 to R200 (edutainment).
Hidden costs: Endless upgrades.
Bonus features: Many (if you have the correct hardware, software and services), including Internet access and e-mail, playing audio CDs and DVDs (movies and audio) and multiplayer networked gaming.

PS one

The PS one is a slimmed-down re-release of Sony's original PlayStation console (they look different but the technology is the same). It costs under R1 000, but has reached the end of its lifespan: new game releases are few and far between.

Game prices: R190 to R500.
Hidden costs: You will have to buy a memory card (R150) separately in order to save games, as well as a second controller if your kids want to play two-player games.
Bonus features: Plays audio CDs.

PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is the second generation of the PlayStation console, with much better graphics capabilities and faster, more powerful processing abilities. A PS one is built into the PlayStation 2, which allows you to play most of your PS one games on it, although you will have to buy a PS one memory card to save your PS one games, as they can't be saved on a PlayStation 2 memory card.

The PlayStation 2, which is available in a number of colours, has recently come down in price (anything from R1 400 to R3 000), in anticipation of the release of the PlayStation 3 in late 2005 or early 2006. It has also recently been re-released as a slimmed-down version on which you will still be able to play all your old games.

Game prices: R370 to R500 (new releases); R95 to R320 (Platinum games: re-releases of older, top-selling titles).
Hidden costs: You usually have to buy a memory card (R230) separately, as well as a second controller (R260) player gaming.
Bonus features: Plays DVDs, CDs, most PS one games, and supports PS one controllers.

Nintendo GameCube

Nintendo's GameCube is similar in age and technological advancement to the PlayStation 2 but it isn't nearly as popular in South Africa as it is overseas.

It costs slightly less than the PlayStation 2, at roughly R1 400, and the game prices are a little higher, averaging around R450. The variety of games available locally is quite small.