Fun portable game system / wireless browser, but LOUD!

I bought this Sony PSP Slim at Christmas time. We have a bunch of kids, and they like to monopolize our game consoles. That is, being a big kid myself, any time I try to take time and unwind, inevitable, one of the kids will see me playing and want to play instead. If we play a two player game, they beat me badly and then humiliate me.

Soooooo I bought the PSP Slim with the intent of having it be MY toy. Then the kids can have theirs and all will be well with the world.

I found the game selection for the PSP to be adequate, and the prices reasonable, given that the PSP is no longer the new kid on the block (aka Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii), and games are easily found at resellers such as Game Stop.

The graphics are good and the sound is excellent, especially when hi-quality, over the ear headphones are used.

Battery life is actually very good. I had read complaints of previous PSP batteries. But I can get over 3 hours on a single charge with the PSP slim.

The controls are easy to use, and loading and unloading the PSP is a breeze. Also, the memory card can be loaded with music, photos, videos (even from youtube, with not too much work), etc.

The wireless internet browser works well, but it's range is not as good as a laptop's. Browsing is a little tedious because of the text entry and the dedicated buttons for various functions. For instance, the controls to navigate and move back and forth between web pages aren't as convenient as a mouse. I'd like some kind of right click function that can be used with either hand.

I like that the operating system can be upgraded via the wireless browser. This, I believe, should give the PSP a longer life, and keep it relevant.

Videos look good on the PSP. I have mine loaded with a bunch of old MTV videos which makes for a lot of fun. The memory can be upgraded to 1GB, for lots of storage.

On the negative side, constant use makes my wrists hurt. I don't play for hours at a time, but even after a half hour, I'm ready to put it down. I would worry about long term damage (carpal tunnel) if you're the sort of gaming freak who will use the PSP Slim constantly.

Also, I've tried to play this in bed, when my spouse is asleep, but it's too darn loud. The nature of the games, they are very small CD/DVD's, requires a laser to read the data, just like a CD or DVD player. Unlike a game system with solid state memory, this makes for a very noisy experience, as the laser hunts back and forth on the game disk and looks for the data it needs. It's not noticeable in the store or during regular game play, during normal hours. But when you're concerned about the sleep of others, like your spouse, the PSP is too loud. And annoying.