I want to get my wife a DS for Xmas (I have picked up on the hints about wanting Brain Train). I am unsure whether to go for a DSI or a DSL. What does the extra £40 get me if i go for a DSI? What funxtionality would my wife miss out on if i go for the DSL?
You should check out the current thread on the topic. 
Since you’re getting it for your wife, I’ll recommend getting the DSi rather than the Lite.
DSLite: Can play old Game Boy Advance games and the Guitar Hero for DS game
DSi: Has a web browser (download for free and install, it’s Opera), two cameras, a game shop you can download simple games from, and a slightly bigger screen.
I suspect she won’t be interested in Guitar Hero for DS, old Game Boy games, or the extra features of Pokemon that you can unlock with the GBA game slot.
I’m a 30-something woman who bought the DSi for myself based on recommendations in a thread about a month ago, which I linked to in the current DS thread.
If you can wait for it, the DSi LL will have two of those brain training games built in.
DSI has a camera (well, it’s not a very good one, but my daughter had a little fun making snapshots of faces then manipulating them on the built-in tool).
If you use it to browse, it can connect via WPA security (the DS only used WEP which meant my kids could never use our home wi-fi).
I was in on the other thread. Nintendo is already moving on past the DSi ?!
Then again, Apple does the same.
Then again, again, both have been Best Companies as rated by businessweek. [Nintendo took 2009]
Nah, that’s just the model for old folks.
Or for those of us with big hands. The DS Lite/DSi is just too frickin’ small for me. I couldn’t upgrade from my DS Phat even if I wanted to because I’d never be able to use the thing. With the DSi XL, I could.