nintendo ds

Stormlady wrote:
I THINK that the built in wifi only connects to other DS's, you can't go
online with it searching for games or anything like that.

The internet connection is mediated by the games/Nintendo's
network, so the interactions you can have are determined by the
games you're using. However, one of the "games" you can buy is
a web browser, at which point you definitely can go surfing the
web.

The 2 systems
have to be in pretty close proximity for it to work and one has to agree to
download the game for them to play.

There are two different things involved here. There's
the DS-to-DS wireless for which the range is about 65 feet.
That's used for pictochat and for multiplayer gaming when
everyone is relatively near each other. For some games everyone
has to have a copy of the game, and for others only one player
needs to have the game and the others download it from him or her.
There's also the WiFi connection where the DS connects through a
wireless router to the internet over Nintendo's network to play
games with people anywhere in the world. Each player needs to
enter the other player's "friend code" to be able to play this
way, and the interaction is limited to whatever the game provides
for (which generally doesn't include chatting), but you can play
with people who are far away.

There is also a chat program built in
to the DS, but same thing, you have to be close to the other DS.

Correct. And in pictochat, you can't limit whose
broadcasts you receive. You receive everyone within range
whose broadcasting, and you broadcast to everyone in range
who's receiving.

Best wishes,
Ericka