In the six months of leisure I gave myself after the closure of my online newsletter, OffshoreOn.com, I have become addicted to computer simulated (sims) car-racing games.

While my passion has diminished over the last month, my interest has been sparked by the people who hang around these computer games shops and the choices they have available. In the stores I frequent for the gazing, I have come realise just how small the personal computer games section is compared to those for other platforms: Gameboy, Playstation, Xbox and GameCube.

These are the hugely popular sections. Only the grizzled 40-somethings like me hang around the personal computer section. It's the youngsters with stars in their eyes and a million fantasy words to play in who inhabit the other sections.

For those in my generation, here is a primer on these so you can understand your kids, a games primer so you are not completely lost in this imaginary world.

The topic is especially relevant this week as the big annual games conference in Los Angeles is underway. At the Electronic Entertainment expo and conference (E3) (www.e3expo.com) all sorts of very powerful games consoles were unveiled.

The standard is toward increasing realism and detail, which means more powerful computer engines inside the box. Except for Gameboy, these consoles connect to your television set and are all computers in their own right.

For example, Microsoft has unveiled the Xbox 360 (www.xbox.com), which contains three IBM PowerPC processors, clocked at 3.2GHz and capable of handling six threads simultaneously. The graphics sub-system is based on an unnamed ATI chip clocked at 500MHz, with 10MB of memory built into the chip packaging. The console contains 512MB of random access memory shared between the processors and the GPU. The new console contains a liquid cooling system to keep all these goodies from melting due to the heat generated by the equipment. Xbox is a very powerful machine and a huge advance on the original Xbox, first put on the market in late 2001 as the heaviest and most powerful video-game console ever made.

It was also the first video-game console to be manufactured and released by a company outside of the big three gaming companies: Nintendo, Sega and Sony. Essentially the Xbox is a streamlined personal computer optimised for use as a console. The Xbox will play Xbox games, music CDs and DVD movies. Microsoft says the new Xbox will also support MP3 devices, including Apple's iPod. Microsoft holds second spot in the video games market.

Sony, the number one with a 57 per cent share of the market, has unveiled PlayStation 3 (www.playstation.com), its update of the competing console. The PlayStation 3 will be compatible with the Blu-ray format for next-generation digital video discs, Sony said. The device also has a slot for a hard-disk drive.

The device will include ports that let users connect digital cameras and music players and will let users manipulate photographs. The machine will include the “Cell” chip developed by Sony, IBM and Toshiba and a graphics chip made by Nvidia Inc.

Nintendo, which holds third place with its GameCube device, is expected to announce the next version of its machine later this week, code-named Revolution. The Revolution, a huge jump from its GameCube, will be backwards compatible - it will be able to play games made for the GameCube system as well. With titles such as Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Pok?mon, the GameCube has been pigeonholed as the console for the youngsters.

Previous versions could not play DVDs as Nintendo's strategy was to make a dedicated games machine, without the bells and whistles. The Revolution is expected to stick with that strategy. Nintendo also has GameBoy (www.gameboy.com), a handheld stand-alone portable console. All you need is batteries and off you go.

The most powerful of its type is the Game Boy Advance, originally released in 2001. Other companies, including Sony, also have handhelds, but this market is dominated by Nintendo. Due to its compact size (it looks like a mini DVD player) you can expect low screen resolution and more basic game play than with the more powerful consoles made by the other manufacturers. The games for GameBoy are generally cheaper to buy.

If you want to keep children entertained in the back of a car, this is the console for you.

So the advice is: Buy a GameBoy if portability is crucial and cost is a factor. Buy a GameCube if you want a more powerful machine for the home and you have children. GameCube has lots of kid-friendly games to purchase. Get a PlayStation if you want the largest amount of choice of games. No other platform offers as many different types of games or in as large a quantity.

Sony also has a lot of very adult games including Grand Theft Auto, San Andreas, Prince of Persia, Warrior Within and Def Jam: Fight for NY. The Xbox is built for those who want sheer power and love the online gaming experience: competing against others over the Internet. Xbox Live, a subscription-based service, is considered as the finest online gaming site in its class. If you were previously a player of games on your home computer this is also a machine for you.

Many of the biggest games for home computers have been modified for the Xbox.