- Title: Hacking the PSP: Cool Hacks, Mods, and Customizations for the Sony PlayStation Portable
- Author:Auri Rahimzadeh
- Publisher: Wiley (Extreme Tech series)
- Date: 2006
- ISBN: 0-471-77887-7
- Companion website: www.hackingpsp.com
What It Is
With well-written commentary, clear step-by-step instructions and helpful photos and screenshots, author Auri Rahimzadeh guides readers through each project. There are also notes on things to be careful about, things to avoid, and alternate ways of doing some of the hacks.
There is a nice variety of projects to choose from, too. If fiddling with software isn't your thing, you can try one of the hardware mods like getting a non-Duo memory stick to work or building an emergency battery pack out of inexpensive components. There really is something here for just about any user. (Did you know your PSP can run Linux or even Windows? How about programming your own games?)
What It Isn't
You also shouldn't expect the book to be up to date with the latest information and hacks. Due to the timescale of print publishing, some parts of the book were slightly out of date when it hit the shelves. That doesn't mean the information is no good, though. All of the projects can still be done, and not everyone keeps their firmware updated, anyway (especially not hackers). And besides, the companion website does have completely up-to-date information.
Is It Any Good?
This isn't to say it's a perfect book, though (what book is?). I noticed a few typos and small errors, which are really not a big deal except where they might cause confusion. Most readers won't even stumble over them. There was also one chapter (Chapter 18: Programming the PSP) where I would have liked a little more detail on the procedure for Macintosh.
And, to be really picky, a stay-flat binding would have been lovely, as keeping the book open to the right page while working on your PSP can sometimes be difficult.
Why Would I Want This Book?
If you're thinking of getting into homebrew or programming and can't sort out the mass of confusing information on the Web, this book is a good place to start.
If you want some cool DIY projects to work on, like making your own car mount or even just taking the PSP apart to look at the insides, you'll find clear instructions in Hacking the PSP
You might be wondering, though, why you should buy the book instead of just heading over to the website. It's true that a lot of the information on the book is also on the site, but the book's just laid out in a way that many people will find easier to deal with at first. Besides, the more support the author gets from book sales, the more he's likely to put into the web site.
