Overview:
Release:
Japan: December 2004
USA: November 2004
Europe: March 2005

Spesifications:
CPU: 2 processors of 67 and 33 MHz
3D hardware theoretically capable of rendering 120,000 triangles per second at 60 FPS
Resolution: 2 screens of 256x192 each
Battery Life: ~14-20 hours

Peripherals:
-Runble Pak
-Nintendo MP3 Player
-Opera Internet Browser
-Nintendo WFC USB Adapter
-Nintendo DS Headset
-Slide Controller (not yet released)

Other:
Approximately 40 million units sold worldwide (GBA + GBA SP + GBM)
Top selling game: Nintendogs
Released in 2 models; Original DS & DS Lite
Supports Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection out of the box (64 wi-fi compatible games as of June 2007)
Features 2 screens, bottom screen has touch-screen functionality.

The DS was released in late 2004 by Nintendo and is their first handheld console to not be a part of the Game Boy line. According to Ninty the GB and DS system lines will both coexist but it's unknown/doubtful if they'll release new incarnations of the Game Boy in the future. The DS is part of Nintendo's aim of redifining and revolutionising gaming as a whole, a trend which they have continued in the Nintendo Wii. The Nintendo DS features 2 screens, one of them with touch-screen capability, in an attempt to give game developers a great deal more creative freedom as well as allow for more intuitive gaming. Despite Sony entering the handheld battle with a valid effort in the Sony PSP, Nintendo's DS still outsells it nearly 2:1. The Nintendo DS is also the first Nintendo system ever to include free, out of the box online functionality, which is also continued in the Nintendo Wii.

Following the GBA trend of releasing redesigns of their systems Nintendo in March 2006 launched the DS Lite, a completely refined Nintendo DS system. Originally the DS had faced complaints that the system was big, clunky and uncomfortable compared to the Sony PSP and the DS Lite addressed these issues, as well as improved upon other DS functionality. The DS Lite features much more powerful backlit screens with 4 levels of brightness, as well as an incredibly slick and aestethically beautiful design, somewhat similar to that of the Wii. The DS Lite has been quite successful, selling just over half the total DS consoles sold, beating it's older counterpart by just a few million sales. The DS Lite has also been released in a wider variety of colors worldwide.